Post by Bozur on Jan 4, 2008 14:33:32 GMT -5
Western Sahara Talks to Resume Under Threat Of War
By REUTERS
Published: January 4, 2008
RABAT (Reuters) - Talks on the fate of Western Sahara resume next week and independence movement Polisario has warned its foe Morocco that failure to find common ground may rekindle war in a region struggling to contain al Qaeda-linked violence.
The U.N.-sponsored negotiations in Manhasset, New York, which begin on Monday, will be the third round of talks to end Africa's longest-running territorial dispute since Morocco and Polisario submitted rival proposals for the resource-rich region last April.
Morocco took control of most of Western Sahara in 1975 when colonial power Spain withdrew, prompting a guerrilla war for independence that lasted until 1991 when the United Nations brokered a ceasefire and sent in peacekeepers.
Polisario, which is backed by Morocco's regional rival Algeria, said last month war may break out again if the upcoming talks fail.
"It will be the last opportunity Polisario offers Morocco," Polisario's envoy to Algeria Mohamed Yasslim told Algeria's main Arabic-language al Khabar daily in a recent interview.
"Preparations for war are afoot at all levels."
Moroccan daily al Massa quoted Rabat government officials on Thursday as saying Polisario's warning "was a call for violence which will push the region into more turmoil."
Analysts say, however, war is unlikely for now as Polisario relies heavily on Algeria, which has no desire to escalate regional tensions.
Maghreb countries are under pressure to settle their differences in order to better deal with growing violence by al Qaeda-linked radical Islamists.
Algeria has suffered a series of deadly suicide bombings since early last year -- a December 11 attack killed 37 people, including 17 U.N. staff in Algiers.
In Mauritania, which borders Western Sahara, gunmen killed four French tourists and three soldiers last month. Regional analysts say the attacks bore the hallmarks of al Qaeda.
NO CONTACT BEFORE NEW TALKS
The desert territory of 260,000 on Africa's Atlantic coast contains phosphates and rich fishing banks, and may have offshore oil.
Next week's three-day talks will focus on whether Rabat can succeed in convincing Polisario to adhere to its plan for Western Sahara to be an autonomous part of Morocco.
Polisario proposes a referendum among ethnic Sahrawis that offers them a choice between independence, autonomy or full integration into Morocco.
Moroccan officials have cautioned against over-optimism ahead of the talks.
"We do not expect a breakthrough from the upcoming talks," a senior Moroccan government official said.
"We are going ... with open heart and open mind to discuss details of the autonomy proposal, but the positions of Algeria and Polisario wither any hope of achieving much," he added.
Rabat and Polisario are lining up the same officials who took part in previous talks in June and August that ended with no tangible outcome, prompting the U.N. Security Council to urge them to put more effort into the negotiations.
"No contact was made between Rabat and Polisario since they wrapped their latest talks in August and that does not give hope they would advance towards an acceptable solution soon," said a senior Western diplomat.
No state recognizes Morocco's rule over the territory, but the U.N. Security Council is divided, with some non-aligned states backing Polisario, and France and the United States supporting Morocco.
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By REUTERS
Published: January 4, 2008
RABAT (Reuters) - Talks on the fate of Western Sahara resume next week and independence movement Polisario has warned its foe Morocco that failure to find common ground may rekindle war in a region struggling to contain al Qaeda-linked violence.
The U.N.-sponsored negotiations in Manhasset, New York, which begin on Monday, will be the third round of talks to end Africa's longest-running territorial dispute since Morocco and Polisario submitted rival proposals for the resource-rich region last April.
Morocco took control of most of Western Sahara in 1975 when colonial power Spain withdrew, prompting a guerrilla war for independence that lasted until 1991 when the United Nations brokered a ceasefire and sent in peacekeepers.
Polisario, which is backed by Morocco's regional rival Algeria, said last month war may break out again if the upcoming talks fail.
"It will be the last opportunity Polisario offers Morocco," Polisario's envoy to Algeria Mohamed Yasslim told Algeria's main Arabic-language al Khabar daily in a recent interview.
"Preparations for war are afoot at all levels."
Moroccan daily al Massa quoted Rabat government officials on Thursday as saying Polisario's warning "was a call for violence which will push the region into more turmoil."
Analysts say, however, war is unlikely for now as Polisario relies heavily on Algeria, which has no desire to escalate regional tensions.
Maghreb countries are under pressure to settle their differences in order to better deal with growing violence by al Qaeda-linked radical Islamists.
Algeria has suffered a series of deadly suicide bombings since early last year -- a December 11 attack killed 37 people, including 17 U.N. staff in Algiers.
In Mauritania, which borders Western Sahara, gunmen killed four French tourists and three soldiers last month. Regional analysts say the attacks bore the hallmarks of al Qaeda.
NO CONTACT BEFORE NEW TALKS
The desert territory of 260,000 on Africa's Atlantic coast contains phosphates and rich fishing banks, and may have offshore oil.
Next week's three-day talks will focus on whether Rabat can succeed in convincing Polisario to adhere to its plan for Western Sahara to be an autonomous part of Morocco.
Polisario proposes a referendum among ethnic Sahrawis that offers them a choice between independence, autonomy or full integration into Morocco.
Moroccan officials have cautioned against over-optimism ahead of the talks.
"We do not expect a breakthrough from the upcoming talks," a senior Moroccan government official said.
"We are going ... with open heart and open mind to discuss details of the autonomy proposal, but the positions of Algeria and Polisario wither any hope of achieving much," he added.
Rabat and Polisario are lining up the same officials who took part in previous talks in June and August that ended with no tangible outcome, prompting the U.N. Security Council to urge them to put more effort into the negotiations.
"No contact was made between Rabat and Polisario since they wrapped their latest talks in August and that does not give hope they would advance towards an acceptable solution soon," said a senior Western diplomat.
No state recognizes Morocco's rule over the territory, but the U.N. Security Council is divided, with some non-aligned states backing Polisario, and France and the United States supporting Morocco.
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