By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, April 22 -- With Western Sahara the UN Security Council's topic on Monday morning, French Permanent Representative Gerard Araud stopped to tell the media that the pending resolution is entirely “bilateral” between Morocco and the United States. He said he not “privy” to the negotiations.
Moments later, the Frente POLISARIO's representative scoffed to Inner City Press that France is, of course, involved “behind the scenes.”
POLISARIO has turned in a letter to April's Security Council president, stating among other things that “we strongly believe that a human rights monitoring capacity within MINURSO is the most appropriate mechanism.” See below.
The POLISARIO letter also touches on the exploitation of natural resources, a topic Inner City Press has been asking the UN about, specifically about the seeming disregard or modification of the 2002 legal opinion of then Under Secretary General for Legal Affairs Hans Corell by the UN Global Compact and other UN entities.
The letter says the Frente POLISARIO “remains concerned” by Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's report's “disregard” for the ongoing illegal exploitation of resources.” We'll have more on this. Watch this site.
