Morocco Cuts UN Mission in Row over W. Sahara

Local Editor

Morocco on Thursday said it planned to cut 84 staffers from the UN mission in Western Sahara and threatened further measures in an escalating row with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon over the disputed territory.

Relatively, the UN Security Council was meeting to defuse the crisis over Ban's description of Moroccan rule over Western Sahara as an "occupation."

In parallel, Morocco decided to cut $3 million in funding for the UN mission in Western Sahara and presented a list of 84 staffers that are to leave MINURSO in three days.

In the context, Moroccan Foreign Minister Salaheddine Mezouar told reporters that "Morocco has taken decisions. These are irreversible."

"There are other decisions that have been left outstanding and others are under review," he added. "All of this will depend on the Security Council."

Eventually, the threat added to tensions with Ban, who angered Rabat when he used the word "occupation" during a recent North Africa tour to describe the status of Western Sahara.

Morocco considers the territory as part of the kingdom and insists its sovereignty cannot be challenged.

However, the kingdom's decision to remove 84 people from the 500-strong MINURSO was described as a crippling blow to the mission, affecting drivers, technicians and communications experts.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team