Portuguese head of state Marcelo Rebelo de Souza told his Algerian counterpart on Tuesday that Portugal supports the search for a political solution for Western Sahara mediated by the United Nations (UN).
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa spoke at the Belém Palace in Lisbon with Algerian President Abdelmajid Tebboune, who began a two-day state visit to Portugal on Tuesday.
“Of course, we have the same position regarding the role of the United Nations, respect for the resolutions of the United Nations in the field of Western Sahara, the search for a political solution through the mediation of the United Nations and agreement between the parties concerned. It was a permanent position for us,” the President of Portugal said.
In his speech, Marcelo Rebelo de Souza did not mention the Moroccan proposal for autonomy – instead of independence – for Western Sahara, an initiative presented by the Kingdom of Morocco in 2007.
On 12 May, at the end of the 14th high-level meeting between Portugal and Morocco, held in Lisbon, the Portuguese and Moroccan governments signed a final declaration in which they agreed to “UN exclusivity in the political process” of finding a solution. for Western Sahara, but also support for the Moroccan autonomy initiative.
“In this context, Portugal reiterates its support for the Moroccan autonomy initiative presented in 2007, which it considers a realistic, serious and credible proposal for a solution agreed within the framework of the United Nations,” the document says.
Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony, is considered a “non-autonomous territory” by the UN in the absence of a final agreement, given decades of deadlock in negotiations between Morocco and the Polisario Front, a liberation movement fighting for Western Sahara’s independence backed by Algeria.
Morocco, which controls about 80% of Western Sahara, defends a plan for autonomy under its sovereignty, while the Polisario movement demands a referendum on self-determination under the auspices of the UN, as defined in a UN resolution in 1991.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
I am Michael Melvin, an experienced news writer with a passion for uncovering stories and bringing them to the public. I have been working in the news industry for over five years now, and my work has been published on multiple websites. As an author at 24 News Reporters, I cover world section of current events stories that are both informative and captivating to read.