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STORY: UN / WESTERN SAHARA
TRT: 02:28
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 30 OCTOBER 2019, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior UN headquarters
30 OCTOBER 2019, NEW YORK CITY
2. Pan left, Security Council vote
3. Wide shot, Sidi Mohamed Omar walks up to the podium
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Sidi Mohamed Omar, Representative of the Frente Polisario:
“In the face of the UN Secretariat and the Security Council’s repeated failure to prevent Morocco from dictating the terms of the peace process and the UN’s role in Western Sahara, the Frente Polisario is left with no option but to reconsider its engagement in the peace process as a whole.”
5. Wide shot, Mohamed Omar at the podium
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Sidi Mohamed Omar, Representative of the Frente Polisario:
“We welcome the calls, repeated calls by the Secretary-General and by the Security Council for both parties, the Frente Polisario and Morocco to engage in serious and constructive negotiations. We do welcome that. And we have seriously and constructively engaged in negotiations, sponsored by the United Nations. But it is the other party, Morocco, which illegally occupies parts of our territory, that has always opposed to entering in direct negotiations with us.”
7. Wide shot, Ambassador Omar Hilale of Morocco walks up to the podium
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Omar Hilale, Permanent Representative of Morocco to the United Nations:
“I understand the frustration and the fear of the man who spoke behind me, before me, sorry. Y just invite him through you to read the resolutions of the Security Council. It’s not me who is writing or adopting resolutions. Since 2001 no UN or Security Council resolution has spoken about referendum. Referendum is over. Referendum is dead. The members have already buried definitely the referendum.”
9. Wide shot, Hilale at the podium
SOUNDBITE (English) Omar Hilale, Permanent Representative of Morocco to the United Nations:
“Concerning the position of Russia and South Africa, what to expect? You know, I don’t see the negative position. I see that thirteen have supported the resolutions. Two said, we agree with most of the part, but we disagree with some. What is the problem?”
10. Pan right, Hilale walks away
With two abstentions, the Security Council today (30 Oct) adopted a resolution that extends the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) for a one-year period. Russia and South Africa abstained.
Outside the Council, a representative of the Representative of the Frente Polisario:
Said that “in the face of the UN Secretariat and the Security Council’s repeated failure to prevent Morocco from dictating the terms of the peace process and the UN’s role in Western Sahara, the Frente Polisario is left with no option but to reconsider its engagement in the peace process as a whole.”
Mohamed Omar said the Frente Polisario welcomes the “repeated calls by the Secretary-General and by the Security Council for both parties, the Frente Polisario and Morocco to engage in serious and constructive negotiations.”
He said the Frente Polisario has “seriously and constructively engaged in negotiations, sponsored by the United Nations. But it is the other party, Morocco, which illegally occupies parts of our territory, that has always opposed to entering in direct negotiations with us.”
For his part, the Ambassador of Morocco, Omar Hilale, said, “it’s not me who is writing or adopting resolutions. Since 2001 no UN or Security Council resolution has spoken about referendum. Referendum is over. Referendum is dead. The members have already buried definitely the referendum.”
Concerning Russia’s and South Africa’s abstentions, Hilale said, “what to expect? You know, I don’t see the negative position. I see that thirteen have supported the resolutions. Two said, we agree with most of the part, but we disagree with some. What is the problem?”
The United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara was established in 1991 by the Security Council and its mandate provided for a transitional period for the preparation of a referendum in which the people of Western Sahara would choose between independence and integration with Morocco.
