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Western Sahara : The Front's Bachir Sayed criticizes MINURSO

On October the 12th, Brahim Ghali invited the Security Council to let MINURSO organize a referendum in Western Sahara. Two days later, Bachir Mustapha Sayed commented on Ghali’s statement, criticizing the MINURSO’s work.

Bashir Sayed the Front's «Minister of occupied territories»./Ph. DR
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The Polisario Front is unhappy with the latest report conducted by the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the situation in Western Sahara. After several media platforms, close to the Front, criticized the report made public last week, the Polisario’s «Minister of occupied territories», Bachir Mustapha Sayed commented on it, following the steps of the Fron's leader. 

In a recording revealed by Futuro Sahara on Sunday 14th of October, Sayed slammed the United Nations for «blackmailing» the «liberated territories». For him, Antonio Guterres is pressuring the Front into avoiding any action in the areas near the security wall.

Sayed stated that this «blackmailing» is a «provocation that invites the Front to suspend cooperation», added the same source.

Slamming the UN Secretary-General’s report

Bashir Mustapha Sayed stressed in his message that the MINURSO is «bankrupted» and is unable to organize a referendum in the provinces. He even said that the UN peacekeeping mission should not only monitor the parties involved in the ceasefire.

According to him, the 6th of September 1991 agreement, which ended a 25-year long war, was only «a prelude to hinder the holding of a referendum, after a period of transition for identification and 'voter registration'».

Sayed’s comments go hand in hand with those of Brahim Ghali, who urged the Security Council on the 12th of October to allow the UN mission to fulfill its main role, which is «preparing the conditions for a referendum».

It was on 29th of April 1991 that the Security Council adopted a resolution establishing the Minurso, which is responsible for this mission. The achievements of the operation were below the expectations of the UN. From 1993 to December 1999, only 2,130 electors were eligible to vote on a list of 51,220 applicants.

Faced with the mission's failing attempts, former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan decided to end the whole operation. But this setback did not have a particular impact on maintaining the ceasefire.

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