Cote d’Ivoire reiterated in New York on October 2 its “full” support for the Autonomy Plan presented by Morocco to reach a definitive solution to the regional dispute over the Moroccan Sahara.
Intervening before the members of the Fourth Committee (4C) of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Cote d’Ivoire’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), Tiémoko Moriko, stated that his country “would like to reaffirm its full support for the broad autonomy initiative for the Sahara presented by the Kingdom of Morocco in 2007.”
The Ivorian diplomat praised the support of over a hundred United Nations (UN) member states for the Moroccan Autonomy Plan, as a “compromise solution in line with international law, the United Nations (UN) Charter, and the resolutions of the Security Council (SC) and General Assembly (GA)”.
The representative stressed that the autonomy plan grants important prerogatives to local populations who participate in the political, economic, social, and cultural life of the Sahara, noting that the “effectiveness” of this autonomy is mirrored in the participation of Southern populations in the different elections organized in Morocco.
Cote d’Ivoire’s representative also stated that “these consultations, the last of which were held in September 2021, allow the people of this region to democratically designate their representatives,” some of whom regularly take part in seminars and substantive sessions of the UN Committee of 24 (C24).
In a similar context, Moriko noted that his country deems it necessary to proceed with the round table process in the same format, per Security Council Resolution 2654 adopted on October 27, 2022, and with the same participants, namely Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania, and the “polisario”, calling on the four participants to commit throughout the political process to reach a political solution to the Moroccan Sahara issue.
Cote d’Ivoire also reiterated its support for the United Nations (UN), as well as its commitment to the political process conducted under the exclusive auspices of the United Nations Secretary-General, aimed at achieving a realistic, pragmatic, and lasting political solution accepted by all parties to the regional dispute over the Sahara.
The Ivorian diplomat also pointed out that his country appreciates and supports the efforts undertaken by the United Nations Secretary-General’s (UNSG) Personal Envoy for the Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, to relaunch the political process, commending the success of Mistura’s recent visit to Morocco in September, during which he met the presidents of the two Moroccan Sahara regions, the authorities and the different components of the local population.
The permanent representative of Cote d’Ivoire to the United Nations (UN) also called on all parties to support the initiatives and good offices of the UNSG’s Personal Envoy, aimed at giving new impetus to the political process, which has been strengthened with the holding of two roundtables in Switzerland in 2018 and 2019 with the four participants.
Addressing the socio-economic dynamics in the Southern provinces, the Ivorian ambassador stressed that his country commends the major investments made by the Kingdom of Morocco in favor of the development of the Sahara, which boasts a remarkable human development index, adding that the promotion of human rights, recognized by several Security Council (SC) resolutions, notably resolution 2654, is also among the notable substantial actions that the Kingdom is undertaking in these provinces.
Moriko also emphasized the importance of a peaceful and definitive settlement of the long-standing regional dispute over the Moroccan Sahara, which is “vital” for stability in the Sahel region, and enhanced cooperation between the member states of the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU).
The Ivorian ambassador stressed that the human rights violations in the Tindouf camps “remain a source of concern for Cote d’Ivoire, which calls for compliance with the recommendations of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), international humanitarian law, and the relevant Security Council resolutions”.
Moriko underlined that maintaining a climate of peace in the region is essential to create the conditions conducive to the continuation of negotiations within the framework of the political process underway.
The Ivorian diplomat also expressed his country’s satisfaction with Morocco’s full compliance with the ceasefire and existing military agreements, as well as its honest collaboration with the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in the Sahara (MINURSO).
