In a cautiously worded rebuke of the council, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric made clear Ban's disappointment.
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon addresses a news conference in Berlin, Germany, March 8, 2016. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was disappointed by the Security Council's failure to take a strong stand in a dispute between him and Morocco over Western Sahara and will raise it with council members soon, Ban's spokesman said on Friday.
The
government of Morocco last week accused Ban of no longer being neutral
in the conflict and on Thursday ordered the United Nations to cut 84
international staff from its Western Sahara mission, MINURSO.
The 15-nation council discussed the crisis for several hours on Thursday. Afterwards, Ambassador Ismael Gaspar Martins of
Angola, council president this month, said members had voiced their
concern but agreed to individually approach Morocco to ensure the
situation is "evolving in a positive manner."
In a cautiously worded rebuke of the council, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric made clear Ban's disappointment.
"It
would have been better had we received clearer words from the president
of the Security Council," he said, without elaborating.
Dujarric
said that Ban would raise the issue in his monthly luncheon with
council members, who will be discussing it again behind closed doors
later on Friday.
Diplomats said the council
members that argued against a strong statement of support of Ban and in
favor of countries dealing with the issue bilaterally included Morocco's
traditional ally France along with Spain, Egypt and Senegal. Council
statements need to be unanimous.
France's Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault spoke
on the telephone with Ban about the issue and offered to mediate
between him and Rabat to reduce tensions, a Western diplomat said.
"Paris did not want to add fuel to the fire by taking sides," the
diplomat said.
The controversy over Ban's comments
is Morocco's worst dispute with the United Nations since 1991, when the
U.N. brokered a ceasefire to end a war over the Western Sahara and
established the mission.
Rabat last week
criticized Ban for his use of the word "occupation" to describe
Morocco's annexation of the region at the center of a struggle since
1975, when it took over from colonial power Spain.
Earlier
this month, Ban visited refugee camps in southern Algeria for the
Sahrawi people, who say Western Sahara belongs to them and fought a war
against Morocco until the ceasefire. Ban also accused Morocco of
supporting a demonstration against him that he described as a personal
attack.
The Sahrawi people's Polisario Front wants
a referendum, including over the question of independence, but Rabat
says it will only grant semi-autonomy.
The Polisario's U.N. representative Ahmed Boukhari
told reporters on Thursday that Morocco's goal was to shut down
MINURSO, which he said "would mean the shortest way to the resumption of
war."
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