The 229 representatives, from both the democratic and the Republican parties, insisted that this proposal "would clear a path for greater regional cooperation to meet growing security and economic challenges" in this region.

    The unresolved territorial dispute over the Sahara is "the single greatest obstacle standing in the way of US efforts and those of its partners in the region," say the letter's signers.

    They recalled that Morocco had, in 2007, presented "a compromise proposal to peacefully end the dispute by providing self-determination through autonomy" for the population in the region.

    The letter, which was released Thursday in Washington, said that "in 2007, at the urging of the United States and the United Nations, Morocco, our oldest ally and partner for peace in the Middle East, initiated a ground-breaking autonomy plan to resolve the more than 30 year-old conflict within the framework of self-determination" for the Sahara.

    This initiative, which the UN Security Council called "serious and credible," spurred UN-mediated direct talks between Morocco and the Algerian-backed Polisario Front. However, they deplored, “after four rounds of negotiations, little progress has been made, despite support from many in the international community for Morocco's proposal.”
   
    They recalled the assessment made by the UN Secretary General's Personal Envoy for the Sahara, Peter van Walsum, in April 2008, according to which the independence of the Sahara “is not an attainable goal,” a conviction that is still relevant today.

    "We remain convinced that the US position, favoring autonomy” for the Sahara “under Moroccan sovereignty, is the only feasible solution," the letter continued, referring to the US policy which has remained consistent through the Clinton and Bush Administrations.

    "We urge you to both sustain this longstanding policy, and to make clear, in both words and actions, that the United States will work to ensure that the UN process continues to support this framework as the only realistic compromise that can bring this unfortunate and longstanding conflict to an end," they added.

    Among the letter's signers are: House Majority Leader Rep. Steny Hoyer, House Minority Leader Rep. John Boehner, House Majority Whip Rep. James Clyburn, House Minority Whip Rep. Eric Cantor, Democratic Caucus Chairman Rep. John Larson, and Republican Conference Chairman Rep. Mike Pence. The effort was also led by House Morocco Caucus Chairman, Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart and Chairman of the House Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia, Rep. Gary Ackerman.
   
    This historic letter reaffirms the broad bipartisan support in the US Congress for Morocco's compromise proposal that was endorsed in a letter by 173 Members (including the Democratic and Republican leadership) in a letter sent to president Bush in 2007.

Source: MAP
News and events on Western Sahara issue / Corcas