UN Mission MINURSO: Time to Move to a Political Solution That Realizes a Economic Reality

The United Nations Mission for the Referendum in the Western Sahara-MINURSO- was just recently extended by vote in the UN Security Council on 31 October 2019. This looks promising as progress was made this past year by Special Representative Horst Kohler before he stepped down in December 2018. He had engaged Morocco, the POLISARIO, Mauritania, and Algeria in talks to resolve differences.

In September 1991, as a young Captain in the USMC, I had returned in April from Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. I was tasked with reporting to the US Military Observer Group to be formed for the UN Mission for the Referendum in the Western Sahara-MINURSO (en Francais: la Mission des Nations Unies pour l'organisation d'unréférendum au Sahara occidental ) . We had just completed a coalition victory in Kuwait so the good will in the UN Security Council pushed this initiative. Morocco had been in the Saudi Arabian Peninsula helping guard the Holy Places at Mecca and Medina. The Soviet Union had fallen, and Boris Yeltsin survived an attempted coup. China had faced down its own chaotic Tiannmen Square incident in 1989. So there was hope that a cease fire would hold between the Moroccans (Forces Armee Royale-FAR) and the POLISARIO Front, who are composed of an indigenous tribe, the Saharwi. The POLISARIO ( Frente Popular de Liberación de Saguía el Hamra y Río de Oro (Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Río de Oro) had declared themselves a "Saharan Arab Democratic Republic-SADR."

The Saharwi had fought the Spanish when it was the Colony of Spanish Sahara, and in 1975 after Fransico Franco's death, the Moroccans launched the "Green March"-La Vert Marche- a North African version of a Oklahoma Land Rush for property. Mauritania joined in the fray. The POLISARIO had been backed by Algeria, Soviet Union, Cuba and Vietnam. After years of fighting the Spanish, they drove on to the Mauritanian Capitol of Nouakchott. They forced the Mauritanians out of the conflict and began a protracted war of hit and run against Morocco. The traditional backers of the POLISARIO are losing steam with several having social, political and economic woes at home.

The Reagan administration supported Morocco, one of its oldest Allies in the world. The previous Monarch, King Hassan II (1961-1999) was a fierce anti-communist. His family claims blood lines to the Prophet Muhammad during his conquest of North Africa. King Hassan II and his Father had won fairly bloodless revolution against the French for Independence in contrast to the bloody struggle in Algeria against the French. The Moroccan Government was in sharp contrast to the Nationalist Party that rose to power in Algeria from President Boumedinne to President Bouteflika. After King Hassan II passed away, his son Mohammed the VI was a reformer and more benevolent ruler of Morocco.

After years of the MINURSO mission being located in the Western Sahara since 1991, all the parties began to realize that it would be difficult to determine who could register to vote in a Referendum, which was part of the original Mandate. In 2007, the King Commissioned a Council to examine the economic and social conditions that would allow the Saharwi people to gain autonomy in regional institutions without discrimination or exclusion. The plan also respects the cultural identity of the Saharwi people and the territorial integrity of Morocco. There is also an economic component that invests in the territory as part of the Moroccan Economic Development Plan. Special Representative James Baker also created a dialogue for an exchange of prisoners between Morocco and the POLISARIO Front as an act of good will by both parties.

King Mohammed the VI reiterated the Autonomy Plan on 7 November 2019, the 44th anniversary of the Green March. A country must have the economic and social plans to support its well being and prosperity. Lets see if the UN Secretary General appoints a Special Representative with the drive of the former ones like James Baker and Horst Kohler to finally solve this political issue with a sound economic and social plan in 2020.