• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

DATE=11/30/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-242306
TITLE=U-N / ALGERIA (L UPDATE)
BYLINE=SCOTT BOBB
DATELINE=CAIRO
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 
INTRO:  U-N SECRETARY-GENERAL KOFI ANNAN SAYS POLISARIO 
GUERRILLAS SEEKING INDEPENDENCE FOR THE WESTERN SAHARA HAVE 
ACCEPTED HIS PROPOSALS AIMED AT BREAKING A DEADLOCK ON A 
REFERENDUM ON THE FUTURE OF THE TERRITORY.  BUT V-O-A MIDDLE EAST
CORRESPONDENT SCOTT BOBB REPORTS MR. ANNAN SAYS MOROCCO STILL HAS
CONCERNS THAT NEED TO BE DISCUSSED. 
TEXT:  MR. ANNAN MET MONDAY IN TINDOUF, SOUTHWESTERN ALGERIA, 
WITH THE LEADERS OF THE POLISARIO FRONT, WHICH FOR 23 YEARS HAS 
BEEN FIGHTING MOROCCO FOR CONTROL OVER THE WESTERN SAHARA.  HE IS
TO MEET TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY WITH SENIOR ALGERIAN OFFICIALS IN 
ALGIERS BEFORE GOING TO TUNISIA LATER IN THE WEEK.
THE TRIP IS AIMED AT BRINGING ABOUT A REFERENDUM ON THE FUTURE OF
THE WESTERN SAHARA.  THE POLISARIO, BACKED BY ALGERIA, WANTS 
INDEPENDENCE FOR THE FORMER SPANISH COLONY, WHILE MOROCCO SAYS IT
IS A HISTORICAL PART OF THE MOROCCAN KINGDOM.
THE UNITED NATIONS FOR NEARLY TEN YEARS HAS BEEN TRYING TO 
ORGANIZE A REFERENDUM IN THE TERRITORY, BUT THE POLL HAS BEEN 
POSTPONED REPEATEDLY BECAUSE OF DISPUTES OVER VOTER LISTS.
ABOUT 140-THOUSAND ELIGIBLE VOTERS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AND 
ACCEPTED, BUT MOROCCO AND THE POLISARIO DO  NOT  AGREE ON WHETHER
ANOTHER 60-THOUSAND PEOPLE LIVING IN THE REGION ARE ELIGIBLE.
MR. ANNAN BEGAN HIS TRIP TO NORTH AFRICA IN EARLY NOVEMBER WITH 
VISITS TO MAURITANIA AND MOROCCO.  BUT HE BROKE IT OFF AFTER ONE 
WEEK BECAUSE OF THE CRISIS OVER IRAQI WEAPONS INSPECTIONS.
                       ///  REST OPT  ///
U-N OFFICIALS SAY DURING THIS TRIP, THE SECRETARY-GENERAL MIGHT 
ALSO MEET LIBYAN OFFICIALS, IF LIBYA IS PREPARED TO ACCEPT 
PROPOSALS AIMED AT BRINGING TO TRIAL TWO LIBYAN SUSPECTS IN THE 
AIRLINER BOMBING OVER LOCKERBIE, SCOTLAND.  HE IS THEN SCHEDULED 
TO GO TO ABU DHABI FOR A MEETING NEXT WEEK OF THE GULF 
COOPERATION COUNCIL.  (SIGNED)
NEB/SB/JWH/KL
30-Nov-98 1:56 PM EST (1856 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.