Western Sahara.

• Author: Grabish, Beatrice
• Position: Peacewatch - Extension of UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara

The Security Council on 17 April extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 20 July, in order that the Mission might proceed with its identification tasks, with the aim of completing the process. By its unanimous adoption of resolution 1163 (1998), the Council also called upon the parties - the Government of Morocco and the Frente Popular para la Liberacion de Saguia el-Hamra y del Rio de Oro (POLISARIO) - to cooperate constructively with the United Nations, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and the Identification Commission in order to complete the voters identification phase of the Settlement Plan and the agreements reached for its implementation. By the 1988 Settlement Plan concluded between the Moroccan Government and POLISARIO, a UN-organized referendum would allow the people of Western Sahara to decide between independence for the territory or integration with Morocco.

In its resolution, the Council expressed again its intention to consider positively the request for the remaining additional military and police assets for MINURSO, as soon as the Secretary-General reported that the identification process had reached a stage making the deployment of those assets essential.

The Council had considered a report of the Secretary-General, dated 13 April, which covered developments in Western Sahara since his 19 February letter to the Council President. The report included the continuing efforts of the Secretary-General's Special Representative, Charles Dunbar, and his Personal Envoy, James Baker III, to move the peace process forward.

In his report, the Secretary-General stated that it was unlikely that the goal of completing the identification process for the referendum for self-determination in Western Sahara by 31 May 1998 could be achieved. The delay had been due to the slowdown in identification activities in February and March, and to the lack of progress in resolving issues linked to the identification of applicants from three tribal groups - H41, H61 and J51/52. In addition, the climate of mutual mistrust between the parties had not been conducive...