Sahara talks : UN envoy frustrated by parties' conditions

On Tuesday, April 16, the United Nations Security Council held a closed-door meeting to discuss the Sahara issue. During the meeting, council members reaffirmed their support for UN envoy Staffan de Mistura's efforts to restart negotiations.

However, the UN envoy expressed concerns about conditions set by the parties (Morocco, Algeria, Polisario) for resuming talks. After nearly three years in his role, he has yet to bring all parties to the same table.

Algeria continues to advocate for «direct negotiations» between Morocco and the Polisario, rejecting the Round Table format used in 2018 and 2019, which included representatives from Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania, and the Polisario.

Morocco, on the other hand, demanded «Algeria's full participation» in the process during a meeting with de Mistura on April 4 in Rabat.