Morocco offers to let some UN Western Sahara mission staff back

Morocco has proposed allowing around 25 civilian staff to immediately return to the United Nations peacekeeping mission in disputed Western Sahara in a sign that tensions between Rabat and the U.N. may be easing, diplomatic sources said. Earlier this year, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon used the word “occupation” to describe Morocco’s annexation of Western Sahara […]

Morocco has proposed allowing around 25 civilian staff to immediately return to the United Nations peacekeeping mission in disputed Western Sahara in a sign that tensions between Rabat and the U.N. may be easing, diplomatic sources said.
Earlier this year, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon used the word “occupation” to describe Morocco’s annexation of Western Sahara in 1975, when Rabat took it over from colonial power Spain.
Infuriated by what it saw as a shift away from a neutral position, Morocco expelled dozens of U.N. staff working for the mission there known as MINURSO.
The U.N. has been in talks with Morocco to end the dispute for months. U.N. diplomatic sources said on condition of anonymity that the discussions appeared to be producing some results, though they cautioned that nothing has been finalized or signed.
“It’s true that Morocco has offered to let some 25 staff back in though it’s still all being negotiated,” a source told Reuters.