"A black day for human rights": Morocco opts against an extension of the peacekeeping mandate for Western Sahara

According to the Society for Threatened Peoples, the failed efforts to extend the UN peacekeeping mandate MINURSO are a serious setback for the human rights situation in Western Sahara. "The MINURSO mandate is not appropriate any more, because it does not ensure the observance of human rights," said Ulrich Delius, the STP's expert on questions regarding Africa, in Göttingen on Thursday. "While the UN peacekeepers in Mali and Congo have a strong mandate to protect the civilian population, Morocco and its allies are blocking any attempt for a reform of the UN peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara." The US had withdrawn their reform proposal on Wednesday, after Morocco, France, Spain and Russia had opted against the extension of the MINURSO human rights mandate.

"Thus, the arbitrary arrests and tortures in Western Sahara – which is illegally occupied by Morocco – may continue under the eyes of the UN peacekeepers. This is a black day for the human rights situation in Western Sahara," said Delius. On Thursday, the UN Security Council will decide about an extension of the MINURSO mandate for Western Sahara, which has been in effect since 1991.

"For the US, this is a serious diplomatic defeat – and direct consequence of the crisis in neighboring Mali. At the moment, the United States can obviously not enforce a better protection of the human rights in northern Africa against the opposition of Morocco and France," said Delius. Mustapha Kalfi, the Moroccan Information Minister, had publicly condemned the proposal issued by the US, which he referred to as an "attack on the sovereignty of his country". In response, the Moroccan government had also called off a joint military exercise with the United States which was planned for 2013. Now that the proposal was withdrawn, the military exercise "Africa Lion" is to take place.

Morocco can still rely on France as a dependable ally within the European Union. It was mainly because of the protests from France, that the United States had stepped back. The fact that France is involved in Mali is too important for the US government. At the beginning of the military intervention in Mail in January of 2013, Morocco had granted France flyover rights, which is to be seen as an important prerequisite for the success of the French intervention.