At the UN Security Council, discussions are underway on the Western Sahara draft resolution. To overcome this blockage, the United States is likely to submit a second version.
Interviewed by Palestinian journalist Abdel Bari Atwan, the Mauritanian president said that «the West, the United States and Europe do not want a state separating Mauritania from Morocco». «Everything you hear, outside this framework, is wrong», he said, adopting a position that was voiced in 2008 by Peter van Walsum.
The US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs is expected to visit Morocco this week. This visit might give a hard time to some parties in the Kingdom, especially as Antonio Guterres’ report on Western Sahara reflected the US willingness to make a change on the human rights situation in the region.
When Abdelaziz Bouteflika won presidential elections in Algeria, he promised to restore diplomatic ties with Morocco. However, once in power, the politician adopted a conciliatory stance towards the Kingdom.