Washington deems 'unrealistic' Sahara independent state, Paris favors Morocco's autonomy proposal

Washington, May 2 - The United States and France on Thursday reiterated that Morocco's proposal to grant substantial autonomy to it Southern provinces, known as the Sahara, is likely to help find a solution to the 32-year dispute over the former Spanish colony, with Washington dismissing as "unrealistic" the establishment of an independent state in the region as called for by the Polisario separatists and their mentor Algeria.

"In our view, some form of autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty is the only realistic way forward to resolve this longstanding conflict," spokesman for the State department said.

"An independent Sahrawi state is not a realistic option," he insisted in reaction to the adoption, Wednesday, by the U.N. Security Council of resolution 1813 calling on the parties in the conflict to engage in substantive negotiations, and extending, for one year, the mandate of the UN peacekeeping mission in the Sahara (MINURSO).

"We urge the parties to focus future discussions on a mutually-acceptable autonomy," the official said reaffirming that his country "will support these efforts by broadening our own engagement with the parties over the coming weeks and months." He reiterated his country's stance as to the autonomy plan saying that: "Morocco has presented a proposal that we believe is serious and credible."

The proposal was also praised by France’s representative in the U.N. Jean-Maurice Ripert, who said on Wednesday the “autonomy plan is a basis for serious and constructive negotiations to reach a negotiated solution between the parties, in respect of the principle of self-determination.”

France also welcomed the UNSC 1813 resolution, warning against the persistence of the impasse, which, Ripert said, would weaken the search for a just, durable and mutually accepted solution, negotiated under the United Nations.

The Security Council’s resolution comes a week after Mr. Van Walsum said that an independent Western Sahara was not a realistic proposition.

"An independent Western Sahara is not an attainable goal is relevant today because it lies at the root of the current negotiation process," Mr. Walsum was quoted as telling the Council in a closed-door meeting.

In reaction to this statement, US Ambassador to the United Nations, Zalmay Khalilzad, told the press that Van Walsum's ideas were "worthy of serious consideration."

"He is a man who has spent a lot of time working on this issue and presented an assessment as well as frank suggestions which are worthy of serious consideration," he said.

Echoing him, the UK Permanent Representative to the UN, Sir John Sawers, welcomed Ban Ki-Moon's personal envoy's work, stressing that Morocco's autonomy proposal deserves "serious consideration".

"The Moroccan proposal deserves serious consideration and, now, it is upon the parties involved in the dispute to move forward," he told the press, noting that it incumbent on Van Walsum to "try to push, the best he can, the [negotiations] process."

The Sahara dispute opposes Morocco and the "Polisario" since 1976, a year after the former colonial power, Spain, ceded the territory to the kingdom, under the Madrid Accords.