HIBAPRESS
In a move described as a new attempt to obstruct the path to resolution in the Moroccan Sahara issue, media reports revealed that Algeria called, on Thursday, for an emergency session on the developments in Sudan, at the same time that a special session was scheduled to be held on the Sahara file and the "MINURSO" mission.
Observers considered that this maneuver aims to gain more time to negotiate the final draft of the UN resolution, which includes an explicit call for all parties to engage in negotiations on the Moroccan autonomy proposal as a final solution to the conflict. Algerian media, including the official news agency, admitted that the Algerian move was intended to postpone the discussion of the Sahara issue and exploit this postponement to pressure for amendments to the American draft regarding the extension of the "MINURSO" mission's mandate, keeping the door open for indefinite negotiations. The reports added that the Algerian delegate to the United Nations held a series of intensive meetings after the Sudan session, with the aim of modifying some formulations in the final text of the draft, especially by introducing terms such as "the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination," although the UN project places the Moroccan autonomy proposal at the forefront of political solutions. Algerian newspapers also indicated that the third version of the draft – likely to be adopted – stipulated extending the mandate of MINURSO for a full year, with the deletion of paragraphs that allowed for the possibility of reducing or ending its mission, which was considered a temporary gain for Algeria. Despite its repeated denial of being a party to the conflict, these intensive Algerian moves – according to analysts – confirm the extent of its direct involvement in the file and its constant efforts to prolong the crisis and prevent any settlement based on the Moroccan proposal for autonomy. It is worth mentioning that the UN Security Council announced the new date for holding the session dedicated to the Moroccan Sahara file and the "MINURSO" mission, today, Friday, at three o'clock in the afternoon New York time (eight o'clock in the evening Moroccan time), where the report of the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, will be heard on developments between October 2024 and September 2025, before voting on the new resolution related to the file.
