The Sahara issue is of "high interest for us and we are watching closely its developments" the Mauritanian leader was quoted by the local media as saying in an interview with the German TV "Deutsche Welle".

    Mauritania's stance consists in "keeping good relations with our Northern neighbors, Morocco and Algeria," Cheikh Abdellahi said adding that, based on this principle, his country "has constantly backed consensus-based solutions." "It is this stance that the Mauritanian delegation was entrusted with defending" during the two-round negotiations on the Sahara issue, held on June 18-19 and August 10-11 in Manhasset, outskirts of New York, under the auspices of the United Nations.

    This is the first time that the Mauritanian president reacts to the Manhasset talks that were attended by Algeria and Mauritania. Both countries were consulted separately by the talks facilitator, Peter Van Walsum, UN Personal Envoy to the Sahara.

    A Spanish colony until 1975, the Sahara was ceded to Morocco and Mauritania under the Madrid Accords. Four years later, Mauritania relinquished the Oued Eddahab Province (Rio de Oro) and handed its control to Morocco, enabling thus the North African country retrieve the whole of its Southern provinces.

    The latest round of talks wrapped up with the parties agreeing that the status quo is unacceptable and the process of negotiations will continue, Mr. Walsum said at the end of the second round during which Morocco presented a proposal to grant autonomy to the disputed territory, an initiative that was described as "serious and credible" by the five-member countries of the Security Council, and backed by other influential capitals.

  Source : MAP
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