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Trump’s proclamation on Western Sahara is “foolish,” “ill-considered,” says Ross

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Washington, 15 December 2020 (SPS) - Former UN Secretary General’s Personal Envoy for Western Sahara Christopher Ross underlined Sunday that the recognition by Trump of the alleged Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara is a “foolish and ill-considered decision” which goes against the peoples’ right to self-determination.
“This foolish and ill-considered decision flies in the face of the US commitment to the principles of the non-acquisition of territory by force and the right of peoples to self-determination, both enshrined in the UN Charter,” he wrote on his Face book page.
“It is true that we have ignored these principles when it comes to Israel and others, but this doesn’t excuse ignoring them in Western Sahara and incurring significant costs to ourselves in terms of regional stability and security and our relations with Algeria,” warned Christopher Ross who served as UN personal envoy for Western Sahara from 2009 to 2017.
Ross, requested to give his opinion on Trump’s proclamation, refuses the argument of some circles in Washington, according to which an “independent State in Western Sahara would be another failed mini-state.” This is “false,” affirmed Christopher Ross. (SPS)
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