Assahafa.com
Senegal reiterated before the UN Committee of 24 (C-24) its continued support for the Autonomy Initiative, presented by Morocco to resolve once and for all the regional dispute over the Moroccan Sahara.
“I would like to reaffirm my country’s continued support for the Moroccan Autonomy Initiative, which the Security Council has described as serious and credible in its successive resolutions since 2007,” stated Senegal’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Diamane Diome, during the Committee’s regular session, held from June 9 to 20 in New York.
He noted that this initiative, supported by more than 118 states, including three permanent members of the Security Council, is reinforced, on the one hand, by Morocco’s substantial achievements in the area of human rights, notably the role played by the Regional Commissions of the National Human Rights Council (CNDH) in Dakhla and Laayoune, which were praised by the Security Council.
On the other hand, it is reinforced by the substantial investments and projects implemented by the Kingdom as part of the new development model for the southern provinces, which aims to stimulate sustainable development, protect the environment, and promote local culture, thus contributing to the empowerment of the population and improving the human development index in this region, the Senegalese diplomat added.
Diome further commended Morocco’s full respect for the ceasefire and its continued cooperation with MINURSO, urging the other parties to return to the ceasefire in accordance with Security Council Resolution 2756.
He also called for improved collaboration with the UNHCR and the WFP to ensure optimal management of the fundamental rights of the populations in the Tindouf camps, specifically their freedom of expression and association, access to international humanitarian aid, and their registration in accordance with international humanitarian law, the UNHCR mandate, and the recommendations of the UN Secretary-General.
The speaker also noted the efforts of the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for the Moroccan Sahara, aimed at facilitating the resumption of the political process under the exclusive auspices of the United Nations, while calling on the key players in this regional dispute to demonstrate greater commitment to resuming roundtable discussions with a view to reaching a realistic and lasting political solution.
The diplomat finally reaffirmed Senegal’s full support for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Morocco and its full sovereignty over its southern provinces, recalling his country’s opening of a Consulate General in Dakhla on April 5, 2021.
Source: map
