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Against all odds, the African Union wants to play a role in solving the Western Sahara conflict. This determination was in the heart of a communiqué published after the Chairperson of the AU Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat visited Algeria.
The statement assured that Faki is expected «to submit a report on the modalities of the African Union contribution to the search for a solution, within the framework of the relevant decisions and resolutions of the African Union and the United Nations Security Council».
The communiqué did not give further information regarding the «contribution» of the continental organization to the settlement of the conflict. Moreover, it did not refer to the when and how.
Once the report is conducted, the AU commission will have to unveil it during the Heads of State Conference scheduled for June in Mauritania. The one that will take place on March the 21st, in Kigali, is devoted exclusively to economic issues.
Morocco refuses the AU to intervene
The Kingdom has already stated that the African Union shouldn’t intervene to the settlement of the territorial dispute. This was confirmed in the communiqué issued by Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita following a meeting he held with Horst Köhler on the 6th of March in Lisbon.
The Moroccan Foreign Minister stressed in his statement that the process should be «under the exclusive aegis of the United Nations, without the intervention of any other regional or international organization». However, the African Union is insisting on contributing to the settlement of the conflict regardless of the Moroccan refusal.
As for the personal envoy of the UN Secretary General for Western Sahara, he met three times with officials from the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in Brussels, the Commissioner of Security and Peace, the Algerian Samail Chergui , in Kigali, Paul Kagame, president in office during this year, and Moussa Faki in Addis Ababa.
