Western Sahara: Security Council Extends UN Mission For Another Year

DOI 30 April 2008

UN NEWS SERVICE (NEW YORK)- The Security Council extended until 30 April 2009 the mandate of the United Nations mission in Western Sahara (MINURSO), tasked with monitoring the ceasefire between Morocco and the Frente Polisario and organizing a referendum on self-determination. In a unanimously adopted resolution, the Council called on the parties to enter into "a more intensive and substantive phase of negotiations" to resolve their long-running dispute. Morocco holds that its sovereignty over Western Sahara should be recognized, while the Frente Polisario's position is that the Territory's final status should be decided in a referendum that includes independence as an option. Source: http://www0.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=26524&Cr=western&Cr1=sahara (Reliability: 9)