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United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara

 

 
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United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara
 
 
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MINURSO is the United Nations
United Nations

The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, Social change, human rights and achieving world peace....
 peacekeeping
Peacekeeping

Peacekeeping, as defined by the United Nations, is "a way to help countries torn by conflict create conditions for sustainable peace." It is distinguished from both peacebuilding and peacemaking....
 mission in Western Sahara
Western Sahara

Western Sahara is a territory of North Africa, bordered by Morocco to the north, Algeria in the northeast, Mauritania to the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean on the west....
. The name is a French
French language

French is a Romance language spoken around the world by around 80 million people as first language, by 190 million as second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired tongue, with significant speakers in 54 countries....
 acronym for "Mission des Nations unies pour l'Organisation d'un Référendum au Sahara Occidental" — United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara.

RSO was established in 1991, as part of the Settlement Plan
Settlement Plan

The Settlement Plan was an agreement between the Polisario Front and Morocco on the organization of a referendum, which would constitute an expression of self-determination for the people of Western Sahara, leading either to full independence, or integration with the kingdom of Morocco....
, which had paved way for a cease-fire in the conflict between Morocco
Morocco

Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa with a population of nearly 34 million and an area just under 447,000 km2....
 and the Polisario Front
Polisario Front

The Polisario, Polisario Front, or Frente Polisario, from the Spanish language abbreviation of Frente Popular de Liberaci?n de Sagu?a el Hamra y R?o de Oro is a Sahrawi rebel movement working for the independence of Western Sahara from Morocco....
 (as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic

The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic is a Legal status of Western Sahara which claims sovereignty over the entire territory of Western Sahara, a former Spain colony....
), over the contested territory of Western Sahara (formerly Spanish Sahara
Spanish Sahara

Spanish Sahara was the name used for the modern territory of Western Sahara when it was ruled as a territory by Spain between 1884 and 1975....
).

MINURSO's mission was to monitor the cease-fire and to organize and conduct a referendum
Referendum

A referendum , ballot question, or plebiscite is a direct vote in which an entire Constituency is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal....
, in accordance with the Settlement Plan, which would enable the Sahrawi
Sahrawi

Most frequently in English language usage, the term Sahrawi is usually used in reference to populations from the disputed Western Sahara territory, sometimes with a nationalist connotation....
s of Western Sahara
Western Sahara

Western Sahara is a territory of North Africa, bordered by Morocco to the north, Algeria in the northeast, Mauritania to the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean on the west....
 to choose between integration with Morocco
Morocco

Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa with a population of nearly 34 million and an area just under 447,000 km2....
 and independence
Independence

Independence is the self-government of a nation, country, or state by its residents and population, or some portion thereof, generally exercising sovereignty....
.






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Encyclopedia


MINURSO is the United Nations
United Nations

The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, Social change, human rights and achieving world peace....
 peacekeeping
Peacekeeping

Peacekeeping, as defined by the United Nations, is "a way to help countries torn by conflict create conditions for sustainable peace." It is distinguished from both peacebuilding and peacemaking....
 mission in Western Sahara
Western Sahara

Western Sahara is a territory of North Africa, bordered by Morocco to the north, Algeria in the northeast, Mauritania to the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean on the west....
. The name is a French
French language

French is a Romance language spoken around the world by around 80 million people as first language, by 190 million as second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired tongue, with significant speakers in 54 countries....
 acronym for "Mission des Nations unies pour l'Organisation d'un Référendum au Sahara Occidental" — United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara.

Purpose of the mission

MINURSO was established in 1991, as part of the Settlement Plan
Settlement Plan

The Settlement Plan was an agreement between the Polisario Front and Morocco on the organization of a referendum, which would constitute an expression of self-determination for the people of Western Sahara, leading either to full independence, or integration with the kingdom of Morocco....
, which had paved way for a cease-fire in the conflict between Morocco
Morocco

Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa with a population of nearly 34 million and an area just under 447,000 km2....
 and the Polisario Front
Polisario Front

The Polisario, Polisario Front, or Frente Polisario, from the Spanish language abbreviation of Frente Popular de Liberaci?n de Sagu?a el Hamra y R?o de Oro is a Sahrawi rebel movement working for the independence of Western Sahara from Morocco....
 (as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic

The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic is a Legal status of Western Sahara which claims sovereignty over the entire territory of Western Sahara, a former Spain colony....
), over the contested territory of Western Sahara (formerly Spanish Sahara
Spanish Sahara

Spanish Sahara was the name used for the modern territory of Western Sahara when it was ruled as a territory by Spain between 1884 and 1975....
).

MINURSO's mission was to monitor the cease-fire and to organize and conduct a referendum
Referendum

A referendum , ballot question, or plebiscite is a direct vote in which an entire Constituency is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal....
, in accordance with the Settlement Plan, which would enable the Sahrawi
Sahrawi

Most frequently in English language usage, the term Sahrawi is usually used in reference to populations from the disputed Western Sahara territory, sometimes with a nationalist connotation....
s of Western Sahara
Western Sahara

Western Sahara is a territory of North Africa, bordered by Morocco to the north, Algeria in the northeast, Mauritania to the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean on the west....
 to choose between integration with Morocco
Morocco

Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa with a population of nearly 34 million and an area just under 447,000 km2....
 and independence
Independence

Independence is the self-government of a nation, country, or state by its residents and population, or some portion thereof, generally exercising sovereignty....
. This was intended to constitute the Sahrawi people's exercise of self-determination
Self-determination

Self-determination is defined as free choice of one?s own acts without external compulsion, and especially as the freedom of the people of a given territory to determine their own political status or independence from their current state....
, and thus complete Western Sahara's still-unfinished process of decolonization
Decolonization

Decolonisation refers to the undoing of colonialism, the establishment of governance or authority through the creation of settlements by another country or jurisdiction....
 (Western Sahara is the last major territory remaining on the UN's list of non-decolonized territories
United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories

The United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories documents countries that, according to the United Nations, are non-Decolonization. The list was initially prepared in 1946 pursuant to Article XI of the United Nations Charter, and has been updated by the United Nations General Assembly on recommendation of the Special Committee on Dec...
.)

To this end, MINURSO has been given the following mandates:
  • Monitor the ceasefire
  • Verify the reduction of Moroccan troops in the territory
  • Monitor the confinement of Moroccan and Polisario troops to designated locations
  • Take steps with the parties to ensure the release of all Western Saharan political prisoners or detainees
  • Oversee the exchange of prisoners of war (through the International Committee of the Red Cross
    International Committee of the Red Cross

    The International Committee of the Red Cross is a private Humanitarianism institution based in Geneva, Switzerland. The community of states has given the ICRC a unique role , based on international humanitarian law of the Geneva Conventions as well as customary international law, to protect the victims of international and internal war....
    )
  • Implement the repatriation programme (through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
    United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

    The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is a United Nations agency mandated to protect and support refugees at the request of a government or the UN itself and assists in their voluntary repatriation, local integration or resettlement to a third country....
    )
  • Identify and register qualified voters
  • Organize and ensure a free and fair referendum and proclaim the results


Plans

The independence referendum was originally scheduled for 1992, but conflicts over voter eligibility prevented it from being held. Both sides blamed each other for stalling the process. In 1997, the Houston Agreement
Houston Agreement

The Houston Agreement was the result of negotiations between the Polisario Front and Morocco on the organization of a referendum, which would constitute an expression of self-determination for the people of Western Sahara, possibly leading to full independence or integration within Morocco....
 was supposed to restart the process, but again failed. In 2003, the Baker Plan
Baker Plan

The Baker Plan is a United Nations initiative to grant self-determination to Western Sahara. It was intended to replace the Settlement Plan, which was further detailed in the Houston Agreement....
 was launched to replace the Settlement Plan, but while accepted by the Polisario and unanimously endorsed by the United Nations Security Council
United Nations Security Council

The United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs charged with the maintenance of international security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of international sanctions, and the authorization of war....
, it was rejected by Morocco. Presently, there is no plan for holding the referendum, and the viability of the cease-fire is coming into question.

Extensions

The MINURSO mandate has been repeatedly extended since 1991.

In October 2006 the Security Council passed a resolution extending the mandate of MINURSO to April 2007. A provision decrying human rights abuses by Morocco in Western Sahara
Human rights in Western Sahara

IntroductionMorocco sees Western Sahara as its Southern Provinces, and has been claiming it since its independence in 1956. Morocco considers the Polisario Front as a separatist movement given the Moroccan origins of many of its leaders, and a puppet in the hands of Algeria....
 had the backing of 14 members of the Security Council, but was deleted due to French objections.

The April 2007 the resolution extending the mandate to October took "note of the Moroccan proposal presented on 11 April 2007 to the Secretary-General and welcoming serious and credible Moroccan efforts to move the process forward towards resolution" and also took "note of the Polisario Front proposal presented on 10 April 2007 to the Secretary-General". The representative of South Africa
South Africa

The Republic of South Africa, also known by Official names of South Africa, is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa....
 took exception to the way that one proposal was held more worthy than the other as well as the lack of participation outside the Group of Friends in the drafting of the resolution.

The October 2007 resolution extending the mandate to April 2008 contained the same preferential wording in its in its description of the two proposals. The representative of South Africa commented on this again, and regretted the fact that the resolution "considered" rather than "welcomed" the report on the situation by the Secretary-General — "presumably because [it] dared to raise the issue of the human rights violations against the Saharawi people", and quoted the warning in the report about there being no mandate to address the issue of human rights.

The April 2008 resolution extended the mandate for a full year to April 2009. Before the vote, the representative of Costa Rica expressed his "concern at the manner in which the draft resolution on which we are about to vote was negotiated" and a "difficulty in understanding the absolute refusal to include" references to human rights.

MINURSO's budget is roughly 40 million dollars per year.

Bases

There are two sets of teams, those in the Moroccan-controlled portion
Southern Provinces

The Southern Provinces or Moroccan Sahara are the Moroccan names for Western Sahara in reference to the provinces of R?o de Oro and Saguia el-Hamra....
 west of the berm and those in the Sahrawi-controlled region
Free Zone (region)

The Free Zone is a term used by the Polisario Front to describe the part of Western Sahara that lies to the east of the Moroccan Border Wall and west and north of the borders with Algeria and Mauritania, respectively....
 and refugee camps
Tindouf Province

Tindouf, also written Tinduf, is the westernmost provinces of Algeria of Algeria, having a population of 58,193 as of the 2008 census. Despite the barren landscape, Tindouf is a resource-rich province, with important quantities of iron ore located in the Gara Djebilet area close to the border with Mali....
 to the east and in Algeria
Algeria

Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country located in North Africa. It is the largest country of the Mediterranean sea, second largest in the Arab World, and the second largest on the African continent and the eleventh-largest country in the world in terms of land area....
. The camps west of the berm
Moroccan Wall

The Berm of Western Sahara is an approximately 2,700 km-long defensive structure, mostly a sand wall , running through Western Sahara and the southeastern portion of Morocco....
 are located in Mahbas, Smara
Smara

Smara, also Semara , is a city in the Morocco-Administered Western Sahara, with a population estimated at 42,056....
, Umm Dreiga
Umm Dreiga

Umm Dreiga is an oasis town in the R?o de Oro area of Western Sahara.It served as a shelter for Sahrawi refugees in late 1975 and early 1976, after the Moroccan and Mauritanian invasion of Western Sahara ....
, Auserd
Auserd

Ausert or Auserd is a city in Oued-Dahab Laguera province in the Moroccan administered part of Western Sahara. The number of permanent structures in Auserd is low, as many residents follow the traditionally nomadic Bedouin lifestyle of the Sahrawis, passing through the city only temporarily and living in tents....
, and Ad-Dakhla
Dakhla, Western Sahara

Dakhla , or ad-Dakhla , is a city in the Morocco-administered Western Sahara with about 67,468 inhabitants. It is about 550 km south of El Aai?n on a narrow peninsula of the Atlantic Coast....
. The eastern camps include Bir Lehlou
Bir Lehlou

Bir Lehlou is a small town in north-eastern Western Sahara, east of the Border Wall , in Polisario-held territory.The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, an exiled government seated in Tindouf, Algeria, claims it as its interim capital, "as long as the Sahrawi capital of El Aai?n is under Morocco control....
, Tifariti
Tifariti

Tifariti is a small town or village located in Polisario-controlled Western Sahara, east of the Berm . It is part of what Polisario call the Free Zone and Morocco call the Buffer Zone....
, Mehaires, Mijek, and Agwanit. There is also a liaison office in Tindouf
Tindouf

Tindouf is the main town in Tindouf Province, Algeria. It is close to several Military of Algeria bases, and also to the Western Sahara, which contains several Sahrawi refugee camps operated by the Polisario Front....
 which serves as a communication channel with Polisario leadership.

Current composition

As of October 31, 2007, MINURSO had a total of 242 uniformed personnel, including 48 troops, 6 police officers and 188 military observers, supported by 95 international civilian personnel, 145 local civilian staff and 23 UN Volunteers. Major troop contributors are Malaysia
Malaysia

Malaysia is a federation that consists of States of Malaysia in Southeast Asia with a total landmass of . The capital city is Kuala Lumpur, while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government....
, Russia
Russia

Russia , or the Russian Federation , is a list of countries spanning more than one continent country extending over much of northern Eurasia....
 and Egypt
Egypt

Egypt is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia. Covering an area of about , Egypt borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Gaza Strip and Israel to the northeast, the Red Sea to the east, Sudan to the south and Libya to the west....
. Armed contingents patrol the no man's land
No Man's Land

No Man's Land may refer to the following:...
 that borders the Moroccan Wall
Moroccan Wall

The Berm of Western Sahara is an approximately 2,700 km-long defensive structure, mostly a sand wall , running through Western Sahara and the southeastern portion of Morocco....
, to safeguard the cease-fire.
  • Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Chief of Mission: Julian Harston
    Julian Harston

    Julian J.R.C. Harston is the Special Representative of the Secretary-General heading MINURSO. He completed his secondary education at The King's School, Canterbury in Canterbury, England....
     
  • Force Commander: Major General Zhao Jingmin
  • Other personnel:
State
State

A state is a political Social contract with effective sovereignty over a geographic area and representing a population. These may be nation states, State or multinational states....
 		 Military Mil. observers Police Total
0 1 0 1
0 2 0 2
0 8 0 8
0 18 0 18
0 2 0 2
1 1 0 2
0 13 4 17
0 5 2 7
0 24 0 24
7 10 0 17
0 1 0 1
0 5 0 5
0 12 0 12
0 7 0 7
0 4 0 4
0 5 0 5
0 9 0 9
0 14 0 14
0 3 0 3
0 8 0 8
0 6 0 6
0 1 0 1
0 26 0 26
0 2 0 2
* 20 0 0 20
0 8 0 8
28 195 6 229


* On May 7, 2006, South Korea announced an end to their participation in MINURSO.

There have been a total of 15 fatalities in MINURSO: five military personnel, a police officer, a military observer, three international civilian personnel, and five local civilian personnel.

Criticisms

In 1995, MINURSO's inability or unwillingness to act against perceived Moroccan manipulation of the process, and abuse of Sahrawi civilians, caused its former deputy chairman Frank Ruddy to deliver a strong attack on the organization; he has since kept up his critique of what he argues is an economically costly and politically corrupt process.

See also

  • Foreign relations of Western Sahara
    Foreign relations of Western Sahara

    Western Sahara, formerly the Spanish Empire of Spanish Sahara, is a disputed territory claimed by the Morocco and the Polisario Front. Its legal status remains unresolved....
  • History of Western Sahara
    History of Western Sahara

    The history of Western Sahara can be traced back to the times of Carthaginian explorer Hanno the Navigator on the 5th century BC. Though little historical records are left from that period, Western Sahara's modern history has its roots linked to some nomadic groups living under Berber tribal rule such as the Sanhaja group and the introduction...
  • Politics of Western Sahara
    Politics of Western Sahara

    The politics of Western Sahara take place in a framework of an area claimed by both the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic and the Kingdom of Morocco, which controls the majority of the territory....
  • United Nations Security Council Resolution 1720
    United Nations Security Council Resolution 1720

    United Nations Security Council Resolution 1720 was unanimously passed by the United Nations United Nations Security Council in their 5,560th meeting at 11:46 a.m., October 31 2006....
  • Western Sahara: Anatomy of a Stalemate by Erik Jensen, former director of MINURSO (ISBN 1-58826-305-3)
  • Peacemonger by Marrack Goulding
    Marrack Goulding

    Marrack Goulding, KCMG is a former United Kingdom diplomat who served more than eleven years as Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations of the United Nations....
    , former director of UN peace-keeping missions (ISBN 0-8018-7858-6)


External links

  • SC-resolution 1541 with background info