The Polisario Front is threatening once again to withdraw from the UN-led political process, after the Security Council held a closed meeting on the Sahara conflict. On Thursday, the UN Security Council held a remote closed session to discuss the Western Sahara issue. During this meeting, the head of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) Colin Stewart briefed the Council members on the recent events that took place during the last six months. Immediately after the end of the Security Council meeting, the Polisario Front threatened to «reconsider» its participation in the United Nations political process due to the current situation. Complaining about the delay in appointing a new personal envoy to the Sahara, the separatist movement said that the «Security Council has done nothing to reactivate the UN-led peace process or stop Morocco from sabotaging the processes of the United Nations Mission in Western Sahara». In a press release, the Polisario Front said that it «deeply regrets that the UN Security Council today failed to send a clear signal regarding its united support for the UN-led peace process on Western Sahara». Morocco slams Algeria The Front has also criticized the opening of «consulates by foreign entities» in the Sahara, referring to sub-Saharan countries that opened diplomatic representations in Laayoune and Dakhla. On the other hand, Morocco seemed more comfortable with the recent meeting of the Security Council, and MAP quoted «diplomatic sources close to the file within the United Nations» as saying that the Council reaffirmed the criteria it clearly set out in its resolutions 2414, 2440, 2468 and 2494 in order to reach a final solution to the regional conflict. The same sources said that members of the UN Security Council considered that round tables are a good solution that helped the parties get together in December 2018 and March 2019 in Geneva. The official Moroccan agency slammed Algeria for paying too much attention to the appointment of the next personal envoy to the Sahara, adding that it «is incomprehensible, especially as it comes in the context of strong opposition from the Security Council to nominate Ramtane Lamamra as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations to Libya». It also added that Algeria's comments and maneuvers show that it is indeed a «party in the conflict».
