“Practical measures have been taken to scrap Morocco’s financial contribution to MINURSO”, the statement said. MINURSO is now headquartered in the city of Laayoune, the administrative capital of the Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara.
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Ban said he wanted Morocco and the Polisario Front, which waged a guerrilla war over the Western Sahara after Morocco took control over most of the region in 1975, to restart negotiations.
Morocco’s government said on Tuesday it would cut staff at MINURSO, and threatened to pull out of United Nations peacekeeping missions to protest Ban’s comments.
The latest dispute, which led to a massive protest in Morocco on Sunday against Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, was sparked by his use of the term “occupation” in describing Western Sahara’s territorial status during his visit this month to refugee camps in Algeria for the Sahrawis, as the region’s native inhabitants are known.
“There are other decisions that have been left outstanding and others are under review”, he added.
Rabat reacted with outrage, saying the United Nations chief had abandoned his “neutrality, objectivity and impartiality”.
“The withdrawal of the Moroccan contingents engaged in peacekeeping operations was also being examined”, he recalled, announcing that “following the interventions of the Security Council members and countries where Moroccan forces are stationed, which unanimously hailed the Moroccan troops and their professionalism, Morocco chose to suspend this decision and respect these positive reactions”.
This is while Rabat has proposed increased autonomy for the territory under its sovereignty.
It is not acceptable, the minister said, that the UN Secretary General makes people believe that Morocco has shown disrespect to the United Nations as an institution. Morocco provides food and accommodation for the mission, which has just over 240 personnel.
The two sides signed a ceasefire in 1991, but talks aimed at resolving the conflict have since been deadlocked.
The foreign minister recalled that Morocco was cooperating in worldwide efforts to combat extremist groups and address the problem of foreign fighters joining groups such as the Islamic State group.
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Dujarric said United Nations peacekeeping officials are planning for a number of possible contingencies, including terminating the mission.
