UN to hold Morocco-rebel talks

The United Nations plans to host negotiations between Western Sahara rebels and the Moroccan government from March 11 through March 13, a UN spokesman said Friday. The talks are scheduled to be held at the Greentree estate in the Long Island suburbs of New York City. Representatives from Algeria and Mauritania plan to join the talks between the Polisario Front and the Moroccan government, said deputy UN spokesman Eduardo del Buey. Morocco moved into Western Sahara when Spanish colonisers left in 1975, sparking a conflict with the Polisario Front. The dissident group wants to separate from Morocco to form its own state. The Moroccan government and the Polisario Front agreed to a ceasefire in 1991 but still have not resolved their differences. UN resolutions call for a self-determination referendum but Morocco has agreed only to offer greater autonomy to Western Sahara residents. No progress has been made in the UN-sponsored talks to resolve the dispute over the past two years. The new talks will concentrate on "confidence-building" measures between the two sides, the UN spokesman said.