Morocco Rejects Expansion of UN Mandate for Referendum in Western Sahara

Rabat, April 17 (IANS) Morocco has turned down a proposal to expand the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), Foreign Minister Saad Dine El Otmani said.

"Morocco rejects any proposal to expand the mandate of the MINURSO or establish an alternative international mechanism for monitoring human rights in the southern provinces," El Otmani was quoted as saying Tuesday by the Moroccan Press Agency, MAP.

Responding to a question on the latest developments of the Sahara issue at the UN, El Otmani noted that this rejection is based on "obvious political, security, and legal considerations".

"This position is permanent and shall not change. It is based on obvious political, security and legal considerations," El Otmani said.

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