The attempt by the people of the disputed territory of Western Sahara to gain independence has been rejected by the King of Morocco, Mohammed VI.
The King made the declaration in a televised speech on Monday stating that any peace deal seeking independence for the region would be rejected.
AFP reported that the monarch who recently ensured that his country was re-admitted into the African Union said his country is ready to push to its limit in taking control of Western Sahara.
The King said in that speech that “No settlement of the Sahara affair is possible outside the framework of the full sovereignty of Morocco over its Sahara and the autonomy initiative, whose seriousness and credibility the international community has recognized.”
King Mohammed said Morocco is prepared to take matters into its own hands and roll out development plans for Western Sahara despite lack of a peace deal.
“We are not going to sit idly by waiting for the solution to be found,” he said. “We will continue to stimulate the development of our southern provinces and provide their people with the conditions for a free and dignified life.”
The United Nation has made several attempts to restore peace to the troubled region which continues to experience decades of conflict over the mineral-rich territory.
Since 1991 the UN has a standing peacekeeping force in Western Sahara to organise a referendum on its independence or integration with Morocco.
Source: Africafeeds.com
