On
W.
Sahara, France
Downplays
Rights &
Free Movement,
King to Visit?
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
April 17, updated
-- Even after
the Western
Sahara report
of UN
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon was
watered down
to downplay
Morocco's
spying on and
blocking
access for UN
peacekeepers
of the MINURSO
mission, this
sample
statement
remained in,
concerning
Dakhla:
"The
Moroccan
authorities
objected to
MINURSO
involvement,
indicating
that
the Mission
had strayed
beyond its
mandate. The
Mission was
also
advised that
no MINURSO
office
presence could
be established
outside
Laayoune."
After
Tuesday
briefing,
Inner City
Press was
reliably
informed that
it is the
political
officers,
specifically,
that Morocco
does not want
in Dakhla. Why
not?
After
last year's
argument that
visits by the
UN Special
Rapporteurs
could replace
a
human rights
monitoring
component like
other UN
peacekeeping
missions
have, only one
rapporteur
visited this
year, and only
for one day,
on
cultural
rights. Now
it's said that
the Rapporteur
on torture
might
be able to
go... in
September.
In
the so-called
Group of
Friends of
Western
Sahara, the
required
resolution to
"roll
over"
MINURSO's
mandate is
being
negotiated.
But thus far
there
is no
agreement.
Outstanding
issues include
how to refer
to and even
address
Morocco's
restrictions
on freedom of
movement of
peacekeepers,
and how to
refer to human
rights.
France's
"expert"
on leaving out
human rights,
one Mariam
Diallo, is
conveying her
government's
opposition to
disclosing
restrictions
on MINURSO,
even
as "France
Diplomatie"
tweets that it
will be
intransigent
on freedom of
movement in
Syria. Quel
hypocrisie!
It
is possible
that a draft
resolution
will be
circulated to
the other
members of
the Council,
including for
example South
Africa --
there is no
African
country,
strangely,
among the
"Group of
Friends of
Western
Sahara" --
with brackets,
indicating the
Group's lack
of
agreement.
Adoption is
sceduled for
April 24, but
could go to
the end
of the month.
Watch this
site.
Footnote:
Tuesday's
Security
Council
session was
closed-door,
but outside
stories
included that
the King of
Morocco may be
preparing to
go to
the "occupied
territory" of
Western
Sahara, that
local
clothing is
being bought
and made in
order to dress
up "settlers"
to create
pro-Morocco
television
images.
, 
