UN chief says Spain left Sahara to be divided between Morocco and Mauritania

LONDON - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Friday that the Western Sahara situation was created when Spain abandoned the territory and made an agreement which stipulated that the Saharan territory would be shared between Morocco and Mauritania without any self-determination.

Guterres’ statement appeared to rule out the Polisario Front’s claim over the abandoned the vast territory, especially when he told students at Sciences Po University in Paris that Morocco established its presence in the whole Saharan territory after Mauritania pulled out.

“Mauritania understood that there was a problem and pulled out. Morocco then established its presence in the whole territory,” said Guterres.

The UN chief said that his special envoy Staffan de Mistura is trying to strike an agreement between Morocco and the Algerian-backed Polisario in a bid to find a solution to the decades-long conflict.

“Morocco considers that a solution must be part of its sovereignty through the autonomy while the Polisario believes that there is a right to self-determination which would be resolved via a referendum,” said Guterres.

“It’s a division that we have not been able to overcome. But if we remain blocked, both positions will continue to be separate,” he added.

The United States considers Morocco's autonomy plan as a serious, credible, and realistic solution to settle the regional conflict over the Sahara.

Last year, Spanish Prime Minister called Rabat’s proposal “the most serious, realistic and credible” initiative for resolving the dispute over the territory.