The Sahara issue is witnessing a "new momentum" thanks to Morocco's autonomy initiative, said, here Monday, Portuguese Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Joao Gomes Cravinho, adding that it is necessary to pursue dialog to reach a peaceful solution to this dispute.

The interventions of delegations during the works of the UN 4th Commission, continued last Friday in New York, focused on the Sahara issue. Several African countries have strongly encouraged the Moroccan autonomy initiative in the region as an essential basis for negotiations to end the conflict that has lasted too long.  

 Spain voiced, here Thursday, its confidence over the success of the UN-led Sahara talks in Manhasset and its efforts to find a lasting solution that is acceptable to both parties.

Persistence of tension around the Sahara issue could transform the Maghreb region into base for terrorism.

Mr. El Mami Boussif, member of the Royal Advisory Council for Saharan Affairs (CORCAS) and President of the region of Oued Eddahab-Lagouira, warned on Wednesday in New York against the persistence of tension around the artificial problem Sahara that could transform the Maghreb region into base for terrorism.

The ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Mission of the Kingdom of Morocco with the United Nations Office at Geneva, Mr. Mohamed Loulichki, reiterated Monday in Geneva, the appeal of Morocco to the Algerian authorities to "abandon their obstruction policy” and allow UNHCR to have direct access