In a letter sent Thursday to the UN Secretary general by Morocco's Ambassador to the United Nations, El Mostafa Sahel, Morocco asks Ban Ki moon to undertake the necessary steps to "face up these provocative and dangerous acts which threaten peace and stability in the region."

      Morocco also reiterates its "determination to preserve its rights on the whole territory and its rejection of any attempt to introduce a de facto modification in the status of this zone."

      Morocco and the Polisario concluded in 1991 a ceasefire under the supervision of the United Nations which has, ever since, deployed a peace keeping mission in the region called the MINURSO,  (French acronym for United Nations for the referendum in Western Sahara).

      In implementation of the ceasefire, the North African country withdrew its troops from Tifariti to prevent any clashes, including with the Algerian army, the letter recalled.

      The Polisario which claims independence of Morocco’s Southern Provinces, known as Western Sahara, announced that it will hold its congress in Tifariti December 14-18. Spain ceded the territory in 1975 to Morocco under the Madrid Accords. 

      The announcement of the holding of this congress comes few weeks before the third round of UN-led negotiations between Morocco and the Polisario (January 7,8 and 9) in Manhasset, outskirt of New York.

      Morocco also denounced the fact that hundreds of “refugees” from the Polisario-controlled Camps of Tindoufs (southwestern Algeria) are being displaced to attend the so-called congress in this “dangerous zone”, which threatens their lives.

      The North African country, while deeming the holding of this congress an “act of defiance” to the UN Security Council which, last October, called on the parties “to continue to show political will and work in an atmosphere propitious for dialogue in order to engage in substantive negotiations,» blames the other parties (Polisario and Algeria) for any deterioration of the situation stemming from these acts.

      It is worth mentioning that Morocco, in a bid to settle the 32-year old dispute over the territory, presented in April, a proposal to grant substantial autonomy to the Sahara, an initiative which was welcomed as “serious and credible” by the UN Security Council and by the International Community.