U.S. may mediate in Saharan dispute

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33981, 23 October 1975, Page 17

U.S. may mediate in Saharan dispute

\1 \RR \KKSII. October 22. \ L.S. mediator could today play a decisive rok in the three-way tussle between Morocco. Mgeria. and Spain oxer the disputed Spanish territory of Western Sahara. I

Morocco. pressing ahead with its planned march by 350.000 unarmed civilians into western Sahara. is known to be worried about the risk of an armed confrontation with neighbouring Algeria, which disputes ■ Morocco’s claim to the territory and supports Saharan self-determina-tion. One Moroccan Government official said today’s meeting between King Hassan and the United States Assistant Secretary of State (Mr Alfred Atherton) would be “very important.” Mr Atherton had talks with President Houari Boumedienne of Algeria yesterday. Hassan’s condition King Hassan says that he ■ will not call off the march unless Spain guarantees a negotiated bilateral settlement that will place the territory under Moroccan sovereignty. I The Spanish envoy, Mr

Jose Joiis. secretary-general of the Spanish National Movement — a Cabinet post — flew back to Madrid yesterday after talks with King Hassan and said that the door was still open for negotiation. There have been reports in Marrakesh that Algeria has large concentrations of troops on the Moroccan border. and Morocco says it has 20,000 men on border alert to counter the threat, with a further 30,000 in reserve backed by armour and aircraft. King Hassan has said that if the marchers are attacked by "foreign elements." he will send in his regular troops. Opposing marchers Leaders of Polisario, a Saharan independence movement which Morocco claims is a tool of the Algerian Government, have said tney will oppose the marchers by force. Thousands of youths streamed through the streets of several Moroccan cities yesterday in a series of antiSpanish and anti-Algerian demonstrations. At the same time, the

[marchers were heading :south towards the border by [bus. truck and train. They I will face uncharted minefields sown by Moroc- ■ can guerrillas, according to Spanish government sources in Madrid. King Hassan was due t< ,see off one contingent of i volunteers scheduled to start (their journey from Marrajkesh later today. Another [group left Kenitra in the [north during the night. I ,N. talk* ' In Nev. York, members o 1 the United Nations Security [Council will hold another round of private [talks today on how to deal | with Spain's request to head i off the march. The council first took up the issue at a public session on Monday, adjourned with out formally considering a Costa Rican motion request ing the Moroccan Govern rnent to call off the planned march. The council held tn conclusive private talks yesterday. Informed sources said that there seemed to be no general agreement on the Costa \ Rican resolution which urgently demanded that the

Moroccan Government call off the proposed march “without prejudice to any further measures” that the council might later adopt. The sources said that the non-aligned council members were trying to draft another resolution more acceptable to Morocco. But no final text was worked during yesterday’s consultations.