Morocco deploys security cordon around Guerguarat border crossing with Mauritania
Rabat, Morocco (PANA) - The Royal Armed Forces of Morocco (FAR) from Thursday to Friday set up a security cordon to secure the flow of goods and people through the buffer zone of Guerguarat, linking Morocco to Mauritania, a statement from the FAR general staff said here Friday.
"Following the blocking by about sixty people supervised by armed Polisario militiamen of the road crossing the buffer zone of Guerguarat connecting the Kingdom of Morocco and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania and the prohibition of the right of way, Royal Armed Forces proceeded to the establishment of a security cordon in order to protect the flow of goods and people through this axis," the same source said.
"This non-offensive operation and without any bellicose intent is taking place according to clear rules of engagement, requiring to avoid any contact with civilians and to resort to the use of arms only in self-defense," the statement added.
Since last October, the Polisario Front has blocked the Guerguarat crossing, separating Morocco from Mauritania, to put pressure on the United Nations to appoint a new personal representative of the UN Secretary General for Western Sahara.
The head of the UN, Antonio Guterres, had asked the Polisario to leave the buffer zone of Guerguerat and not to obstruct regular civil and commercial traffic in this zone.
“We recall that regular civil and commercial traffic must not be hampered (in Guerguerat) and that no measure must be taken which could constitute a change of the status quo in the buffer zone” of Guerguerat, insisted Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson of the UN Secretary General.
MINURSO had mobilized its elements in the area to help defuse any tension and unblock civil and commercial traffic but without success.
-0- PANA AT/IN/JSG/SOC/KND/RA 13Nov2020
