DR ‹ › As the UN Security Council prepares to review MINURSO's mandate in two weeks, the Polisario Front is intensifying its diplomatic engagements at the United Nations. On Friday, its representative in New York met with Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, who has been in office since February 15, 2017. «Ahead of the Security Council consultations, I met with Mr. Lacroix to discuss matters related to the UN Mission and reiterated the Polisario Front's stance on these issues», stated Mohamed Omar on the platform X. Omar also held talks with Rosemary A. DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs. During this meeting, the Polisario representative reaffirmed his movement's position on the resolution process concerning the Sahara conflict. Through these strategic meetings, the Polisario seeks to sway the discussions set for April 24 and 30 at the Security Council, which will deliberate on potential changes to MINURSO's mandate, following resolution 2797 adopted on October 31. The Front remains steadfast in its commitment to the mission's original mandate as defined by the Security Council in 1991, particularly the organization of a referendum. Meanwhile, Algeria is actively engaging in diplomatic maneuvers to prevent or delay any restructuring of the UN mission in the Sahara. This context frames the recent phone calls between Ahmed Attaf and his counterparts from Canada, Italy, and South Africa. By the end of April, the Algerian Foreign Minister is expected to continue consultations with other foreign ministers on this critical issue.
