According to Polisario-Confidential sources and less than three weeks after the departure of UN secretary-General’s Personal Envoy to the Western Sahara, Mr. Peter Van Walsum, it seems that Christopher Ross will be his successor as mediator in the Sahara issue.This appointment would have been the result of secret negotiations between Algeria, the United States and Morocco.
During the U.S. Secretary of State, “Condi” Rice trip to the Maghreb, the talks about the future personal envoy to the Secretary General intensified, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika insisting, according to sources close to Mouradia palace, that “Van Walsum” theories(Definitely unfavorable to Algeria) to be avoided by the future U.N. mediator in the Sahara issue .
The very skilful ambassador of the United States to the UN, Zalmay Khalilzad probable candidate to the presidency… of Afghanistan, has led the negotiations between Morocco and Algeria and tried to identify a new envoy on what the parties could agree on.
It seems that a consensus has been found in the person of Christopher Ross after the name of former Secretary of State Warren Christopher, has been rejected by Algeria (not enough “flexible” …)
Even the experimented U.S diplomat Christopher Ross was criticized by Algiers which fears a certain “tropism” in favor of Rabat because ambassador Ross has been posted in Fès, Morocco…. in the early Seventies.
Even the experimented U.S diplomat Christopher Ross was criticized by Algiers which fears a certain “tropism” in favor of Rabat because ambassador Ross has been posted in Fès, Morocco…. in the early Seventies.
