WESTERN SAHARA REFERENDUM MUST MOVE FORWARD
August 5, 1998
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge all parties involved in the 20-year conflict over Western Sahara to fulfill their commitments under the Houston Agreement and the United Nations mandate.
The parties negotiated a cease-fire with the understanding that the people of Western Sahara themselves could participate in a free, fair, and transparent referendum to decide their own future either as a part of Morocco or as an independent country.
However, the July 10 report by Secretary General Kofi Annan raises particular issues of concern about the referendum process: Obstructions to the UN opening an office in the territory, the lack of progress in the demining of the territory, and the refusal of Morocco to identify 2,000 individuals to vote in the referendum.
Mr. Speaker, a free, fair and transparent referendum is vital to lasting peace and increased stability in North Africa. All parties involved in the referendum process should maintain their commitments to the utmost.
A failure to hold a referendum would be a failure to all parties involved, including the international community.
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