Rabat, Morocco (TMT)- On the sidelines of the ongoing diplomatic tussle between what Morocco describes as a spat between “Morocco and the UN Gecretary General, not the UN,” one where Morocco accuses the UN’s Secretary General Ban Ki-moon of no longer being neutral in the conflict after using for the first time during a regional tour the word “occupation” to describe Morocco recovering its colonized lands from Spain in 1975, the United States mission spokesman Kurtis Cooper said that Morocco supports Morocco’s autonomy plan as it is “serious, realistic, and credible.”
“We consider Morocco autonomy plan serious, realistic, credible,” U.S. mission spokesman Kurtis Cooper said on his Twitter feed.
“It represents a potential approach that could satisfy the aspirations of Western Sahara,” Kurtis further noted.
Two days prior to this declaration, in a press briefing, U.S. Department of State Spokesperson John Kirby answered the following questions vis-à-vis the last situation of the ongoing row.
Question: The situation has changed a little bit in that Morocco has ordered almost 80 – or more than 70, at least – UN – members of the UN peacekeeping mission there to leave. Do you have any concerns or other thoughts about that?
MR KIRBY: We’re aware of those reports that they’ve asked the UN mission for the referendum in Western Sahara to reduce the size of its mission – to leave, as you put it. We reiterate our support to that UN mission and to its important mission – to the important job that it’s there to do. Yesterday the United States participated in a closed session of the UN Security Council, where members expressed concern about the situation. The United States encourages all of the parties to remain fully and actively engaged in seeking an effective resolution.
QUESTION: Morocco is one of your – if not the oldest U.S. friend in North Africa. Do you have any plans to raise it with the king or less senior Moroccan officials?
MR KIRBY: I know of no such specific bilateral plans, Matt.
QUESTION: Okay.
MR KIRBY: We’re taking this up inside the UN.
The Moroccan Times.
