Western Sahara: referendum reaffirmed.

The United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) was extended by the Security Council until 31 May 1997, while efforts to implement the 1988 Settlement Plan continued.

Under resolution 1084 (1996), adopted unanimously on 27 November, the Council restated "its commitment to the holding, as soon as possible, of a free, fair and impartial referendum" for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara, and welcomed the goodwill gestures of the parties, including the release of prisoners. The Moroccan Government and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Rio de Oro (POLISARIO) were encouraged to pursue their efforts to build confidence between them.

The Council also asked the Secretary-General to continue his efforts to break the impasse in the implementation of the Settlement Plan. He was to report on those efforts by 28 February 1997 and introduce proposals for alternative steps, in the framework of the Plan, if there was no meaningful progress towards removing the obstacles to its implementation.

In a 5 November report (S/1996/913) in which he recommended the extension of the Mission, the Secretary-General nonetheless cautioned the parties that the international community could not be expected to extend the Mission indefinitely without seeing tangible progress towards a settlement.

According to the report, since the end of May, the Secretary-General's Acting Special Representative, Erik Jensen, had travelled regularly between Rabat and the Tindouf area. He had also communicated regularly with the Moroccan Minister of the Interior and 'the POLISARIO Coordinator for MINURSO. In October, he had met in Algiers with the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Algeria and in Nouakchott with the President of Mauritania and his Minister for Foreign Affairs. In those meetings, he had focused on ways to overcome obstacles to the implementation of the Settlement Plan, especially those aspects highlighted by the Security Council.

While the Government and POLISARIO had reiterated their commitment to the Plan, continued to respect the cease-fire, and were hopeful ways might be found to resume the identification process, they remained divided over questions concerning contested tribal...