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Slight
progress in Western Sahara talks in Wyoming
By Evelyn Leopold
UNITED NATIONS, Aug 30 (Reuters) - A
Western Sahara independence movement on Thursday apparently agreed to study U.N.
proposals for autonomy within Morocco after insisting it would settle for
nothing less than an independence referendum, the United Nations reported.
Three days of sensitive talks, conducted by James Baker, the former U.S.
secretary of state, at his Pinedale, Wyoming, ranch ended with vague commitments
to consider new approaches to settling decades of conflict between the
indigenous people of the Western Sahara and Morocco, which has annexed the
territory.
Baker serves as U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan's special envoy for the
Western Sahara, rich in phosphate but sparsely populated. He negotiated this
week with officials from Western Sahara's Polisario Front, its backer, Algeria,
and its neighbor, Mauritania.
The United Nations said the Polisario Front expressed objections and
reservations to the proposals "but indicated that it would consult its
leadership" and report back to Baker. The Polisario earlier ruled out
alternatives to a referendum.
Algeria, a U.N. statement said, also voiced objections and "promised to
provide further clarifications" whereas Mauritania said it was in favor of
any solution agreed to by the Polisario Front and Morocco.
In New York, an Algerian diplomat maintained his country was just an observer.
"If the the two parties can reach some kind of agreement, we have no
objections," said Larbi Djacta, a counselor at Algeria's U.N. mission.
Baker is proposing to put off the referendum for the time being in exchange for
talks on regional autonomy for the Western Sahara, a plan Morocco prefers. The
Polisario Front has accused Morocco of deliberately delaying the referendum.
Morocco in 1976 annexed the former Spanish colony, after which the Polisario
began a sporadic guerrilla war that lasted until 1991, when a cease-fire was
signed under U.N. auspices.
The United Nations has been trying since 1992 to organize the referendum on the
future of the territory. But the effort bogged down over disputes about who is
eligible to vote, with each side accusing the other of padding voter lists.
Both the Polisario and Algeria earlier rejected Baker's proposals, which Annan
said should be explored. The U.N. Security Council approved five months of
direct or indirect talks but did not endorse an autonomy plan, with several
members hesitant to deprive Saharans of a vote.
Baker's plan envisages Western Sahara choosing an executive and a parliament
that would have control over taxes, law and order, education, trade, mines,
fisheries and roads.
Defense, foreign affairs and the currency would remain in the hands of Morocco,
which welcomed Baker's autonomy proposals though it did not agree with all
provisions.
In New York, envoys from the Polisario, Algeria and Morocco, said their
representatives were leaving Pinedale on Thursday but had not briefed them yet
because of difficulties in using their mobile telephones in the area.
16:07 08-30-01
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