Dr. Amal Jabour
The United Nations Security Council has included the Moroccan Sahara file on its agenda for this April, with two sessions scheduled to discuss the latest developments, based on a proposal made by the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the United Nations, which is presiding over the Council this month.
It is anticipated that the sessions at the end of the month will be a pivotal juncture for assessing the developments of the political process, amid increasing diplomatic activity led by the United States under the auspices of the United Nations, aiming to revive negotiations between the concerned parties, based on the Council's decisions, especially Resolution 2797.
According to the program, a closed session will be held on April 24, during which the UN envoy Staffan de Mistura will provide a briefing on the results of his recent consultations, alongside Alexander Ivanko, head of the MINURSO mission, who will present an assessment of the field situation and security challenges.
The second session, expected on April 30, will be dedicated to reviewing the performance of the "MINURSO" mission, in light of field reports prepared by a visiting UN team, with the aim of aligning the mission's tasks with the political and security transformations.
Projections suggest that these discussions may pave the way for the adoption of a new international approach, focusing more on the political solution, especially with the increasing international interest in breaking the deadlock characterizing the file.
In this context, experts believe that the intensification of meetings reflects shifts in the United Nations' approach, transitioning from crisis management to seeking a realistic settlement, driven by the convergence of official efforts with undisclosed diplomatic channels.
The dynamics witnessed by the file, supported by Morocco's escalating diplomatic activity, have contributed to enhancing the presence of the autonomy initiative within international discussions, reflecting a gradual change in the positions of several international actors.
Conversely, analysts confirm that the complexity of the conflict and the continuing divergence of parties' positions necessitate caution in anticipating decisive outcomes, despite indicators suggesting an international willingness to accelerate the resolution process.
Overall, the April sessions appear to be a true test of the Security Council's capacity to transition from managing the crisis to pushing towards a political settlement, amid growing awareness of the risks of the ongoing situation on the stability of the region.
