On Western Sahara, As Mezouar Tells ICP MINURSO Fully Functional, No Ban Ki-moon Comment

By Matthew Russell Lee, Follow up to Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, September 22 -- The UN of Ban Ki-moon, which gave in to Morocco's demand to pull out 83 members of its MINURSO mission in Western Sahara and has yet to get most of the returned, is now proposing to given in further, sources exclusively told Inner City Press on September 8.

On September 22, when Inner City Press asked Morocco's foreign minister Salaheddine Mezouar about MINURSO and was told it is already “fully functional,” Ban's spokesman Dujarric would not comment on this. From the UN transcript:

Inner City Press: On Western Sahara, just now, earlier this morning, the Foreign Minister of Morocco said flatly that full functionality has been restored.  And so, I wanted to know, from the Secretariat side, have all 83 been returned?  What is the number?  Just factually.

Spokesman:  I have no… I mean, I heard what the Foreign Minister said.  I'm not going to comment on what he said.  I will get you an update of what the staffing level is on MINURSO [United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara] as soon as I can get one.

Seven hours later, nothing.