The situation in Western Sahara has 'significantly deteriorated' over the past year, the UN Secretary-General has said, citing the resumption of hostilities between Morocco and the Polisario independence movement in the disputed territory.
The situation in Western Sahara has "significantly deteriorated" over the past year, the UN Secretary-General has said, citing the resumption of hostilities between Morocco and the Polisario independence movement in the disputed territory.
The "resumption of hostilities between Morocco and Frente POLISARIO is a major setback toward the achievement of a political solution," Antonio Guterres said in a report submitted to the Security Council. The Polisario fought a war of independence with Morocco from 1975 until a UN-brokered ceasefire in 1991.
In his report, Guterres noted that in November 2020, the Polisario had announced -- after incidents with Morocco -- that it no longer felt committed to the ceasefire.