It seems that there would be a second tour of “informal” negotiations between Morocco and the Polisario Front after the failure of the first round which has taken place in Austria, last summer. This round did not allow to resume the Manhasset process, which has itself known many sessions without any success, since each party kept sticking to its position. Nevertheless, important evolutions in the context have taken place starting with the last direct meeting between Morocco and the Polisario Front, since reliable information stating important disagreement between the members of the Guerilla movement and its Algerian godfather, has come to light through media. Since the issue of the “camper” Aminatou Haidar, paradoxically, these disagreements have increased, the Polisario Front think that the escalation planned by Algiers was harmful to their interests and that the manoeuvres of the Algerian intelligence services make it more difficult to regain confidence, an essential element during negotiations.
In fact, facing Moroccans who are becoming more suspicious, it seems that even the rare points of convergence, around confidence and family exchange, are henceforth under question, the Sherifian authorities think that their interlocutors do no more have the credibility necessary for such kind of exchanges. According to sources close to the Polisario Front, contacted by phone, even the shape of negotiations has “not yet been determined”, which gives more work to the UN mediator, the American diplomat Christopher Ross. Nevertheless, the latter pushes towards a quick taking place of this informal round of negotiations.
