New York - The United States called on Morocco and the Polisario Front on Wednesday to engage in serious negotiations to resolve a sovereignty dispute over Western Sahara, backing a Moroccan plan to grant greater autonomy to the territory. "We believe that a promising and realistic way forward for Western Sahara is meaningful autonomy, and Morocco's initiative could provide a framework to begin negotiations," US deputy permanent representative to the UN, Jackie Walcott Sanders, said.
"Clearly the parties involved have to come to an agreement, this is going to be negotiations for a political solution, agreed by all the parties," she said. "We want to see a forward movement."
United States support for Morocco's initiative may help tilt the balance towards autonomy for Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony claimed by both Morocco and the Polisario Front. Morocco had sought to integrate the territory while the Polisario wants full independence.
Morocco recently dropped its demand for integration and agreed to discuss autonomy, breaking a deadlock that had lasted more than a decade.
Moroccan and Polisario representatives met last month in New York under UN mediator Peter van Walsum, a former Dutch ambassador. A second round of talks is scheduled for August 10-11.
Van Walsum told reporters following a closed-door session with the UN Security Council that the June talks were "a good first step" and he expects similar results in the second round.
South African Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo told reporters that there was "overwhelming" support for direct negotiations between Morocco and Polisario to work out a solution. He said some council members tilted to the Moroccan initiative.
"Everybody agrees that the only way out is to allow the parties to negotiate among themselves," Kumalo said. "We can't impose a solution."
