Credit: Wikipedia /  UN Envoy for Western Sahara, Horst Köhler  has resigned due to health reasons,

By Gary Raynaldo    DIPLOMATIC TIMES

UNITED NATIONS –   The nearly 50-year-old Western Sahara dispute just got a bit more complicated. Horst Köhler, who was president of Germany for six years, resigned his post as UN envoy for the territory of Western Sahara on Tuesday. 

“Yesterday afternoon a note was issued on the Secretary-General’s phone conversation that day with his Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, Horst Köhler, who informed the Secretary-General of his decision to step down from his role for health reasons. The Secretary-General deeply regretted the resignation but said he fully understood the decision and extended his best wishes to Mr. Köhler. The Secretary-General expressed his profound gratitude to Mr. Köhler for his steadfast and intensive efforts which laid the foundation for the new momentum in the political process on the question of Western Sahara.”

Stephane Dujarric,  Spokesperson for UN Secretary General António Guterres

Credit: Diplomatic Times   / Stephane Dujarric,  Spokesperson for UN Secretary General António Guterres press conference at UN Headquarters New York  May 23, 2019

Secretary-General Guterres  appointed Köhler as his Personal Envoy for Western Sahara June 2017. Köhler  has more than 35 years of experience in Government and international organizations, including as  Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington, D.C. (2000-2004), and President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in London (1998-2000).   Köhler also served as State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Finance (1990-1993) before being appointed President of the German Savings Bank Association (1993).

Just last month, the Security Council adopted a resolution renewing the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in North  West  Africa  Western Sahara (MINURSO) for an additional six months until 31 October 2019. The Western Sahara conflict is an ongoing conflict between the Polisario Front and the Kingdom of Morocco. The conflict originated from an insurgency by the Polisario Front against Spanish colonial forces from 1973 to 1975 and the subsequent Western Sahara War against Morocco between 1975 and 1991.

The vote was 13 in favour, with 2 abstentions (South Africa and Russian Federation)  South Africa is reported to be upset at the UN over what it perceives to be an ‘unbalanced’ Western Sahara resolution.

“The mandate as approved tends to favour one party over the other, which is not conducive to a neutral political process,” 

-Jerry Matthews Matjila, Permanent Representative of South Africa to the United Nations.