Christopher Ross received by King Mohammed VI

King Mohammed VI of Morocco received Friday in Fez (center) the new UN Special Envoy for Western Sahara, Christopher Ross, who is touring in North Africa to try to revive negotiations on the future of former Spanish colony.

•     Mr. Ross had previously held talks in Rabat with the President of the Chamber of Advisors (Moroccan Senate), Maati Benkaddour.
  
      The Moroccan proposal for autonomy for Western Sahara under the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Morocco is a "civilized and brave proposal" said Benkaddour at the end of this interview.
  
      This approach is able to politically resolve the question of Western Sahara, to put an end to this conflict and its negative impact on the entire region, he said, after talks with the new UN Special Envoy, Christopher Ross.
  
      This latter confirmed that he would continue his tour going as planned in Tindouf (southwest of Algeria), Algiers, Paris and Madrid.
  
      However, he renounced of making any comment on this first Moroccan step: "We see the results," he simply said.
  
      Former Spanish colony, Western Sahara was annexed in 1975 by Morocco, which offers a wide autonomy under its sovereignty, rejecting any independence.
  
      The Polisario, backed by Algeria, on the other hand requires a referendum for self-determination in which independence would be one of the options.
  
      Arrived Wednesday in Rabat, Mr. Ross has tried to obtain the agreement of Morocco for a resumption of discussions on the future of this territory before engaging in the same task in Algeria. Four rounds of negotiations have already taken place but not significant.
  
      Before this tour, UN officials have cautioned against too high expectations, explaining that it was simply to assess the chances of a resumption of the negotiating process of Manhasset, launched near New York in June 2007 between Morocco and the Polisario Front, under the auspices of the United Nations.
  
      After Rabat, Mr. Ross will visit Tindouf Saturday for discussions with Secretary General of the Polisario Front Mohamed Abdelaziz, and then Algiers.
  
      Tindouf home for over thirty years some 165,000 Sahraoui refugees, according to official Saharan figures.
  
      Mr. Ross will leave Algiers on February 25 for Madrid and then Paris, the capitals of two former colonial powers in Western Sahara and Morocco.
  
      
  Ennaharonline/ M. O.