Activities of Secretary-General in Algeria, 5-6 March
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Tindouf from Nouakchott on Saturday morning, 5 March.
He transferred by helicopter to the Smara Refugee Camp, one of five camps in the area of Tindouf and Rabouni. The Secretary-General drove through the camp but due to issues related to crowd control, he was not able to get out of his vehicle. Thousands of people were lining the path of his motorcade.
He then transferred to the Polisario Front Secretariat Office for a meeting with Mohammed Abdelaziz, Secretary-General of the Polisario. Following a lunch hosted by Mr. Abdelaziz, the Secretary-General addressed the press. He said how moved he was by the anger expressed by people who for more than 40 years had lived in the harshest conditions and “who feel their plight and their cause have been forgotten by the world”. In those remarks, he outlined the main objectives of his visit to the region: to assess for himself the general situation on the ground, and to bring attention to the humanitarian crisis of the Saharan people. He also wanted to pay a visit to the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), and to meet with his Special Representative, Kim Bolduc, and the Force Commander, Major General Muhammad Tayyab Azam, to be briefed by them. He also wanted to analyse the security situation in the region in light of increased criminal activities and even the possibility of infiltration into the region by extremist groups into the area.
The Secretary-General also held a separate meeting with youth representatives from the Saharan refugee camps as he had not been able to see them at the camp.
From Rabouni, he flew by helicopter south to Bir Lehlou, a MINURSO outpost in Western Sahara, east of the berm. The Secretary‑General was briefed on the situation in the area by the United Nations military observers stationed in the outpost. He was briefed on their patrols and humanitarian work. He also received a demining demonstration by a Saharan demining team, managed by the United Nations Mine Action Service, outside the MINURSO team site. The berm is one of the most mined areas in the world. He then flew back to Tindouf and from there flew to Algiers.
On Sunday morning, accompanied by Ramtane Lamamra, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Algeria, the Secretary-General laid a wreath in tribute to Martyrs of the Algerian Independence War (1954-1962). He then planted a tree — “Arbre de la paix” — with Mr. Lamamra in the garden of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The two men then held a meeting, after which they spoke to the press. Noting that the parties to the conflict had not made any real progress in the negotiations, he announced that he had asked Christopher Ross, his Personal Envoy, to re-engage in shuttle diplomacy and to try to provide an atmosphere conducive to the resumption of negotiations between the parties.
The Secretary-General also stated that it was clear that the humanitarian conditions in the Sahrawi camps are very difficult, especially for youth. He said he would be calling for a donors’ conference to take place in Geneva to ensure that there is funding for life-saving assistance in the camps.
Mr. Ban met that day with a group of university students at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He then met with the Prime Minister of Algeria, Abdelmalek Sellal, at Government Palace. The Prime Minister hosted a luncheon afterwards.
Later in the afternoon, the Secretary-General met with President Abdelaziz Bouteflika of Algeria. He then spoke to reporters at the Presidential Residence, saying that he and the President had spoken of regional and international issues. Mr. Ban thanked the President for Algeria’s contribution towards peace and stability in the region.
That evening, Abdelkader Bensalah, President of the Council of the Nation of Algeria, hosted an official dinner at the State Residence, El Mithaq.
On Monday, 7 March, the Secretary-General visited the Mazouzi Mohamed Primary School with Nouris Benghabrit-Remaoun, Minister for National Education of Algeria. He and Ms. Benghabrit-Remaoun later spoke to the press and the Secretary-General noted the importance of investing in youth.
Later, at the El Mithaq State Residence, the Secretary-General opened the fifth General Assembly of the Kigali International Conference on the Role of Security Forces in addressing Violence against Women and Girls. He urged greater efforts to end gender-based violence, and the employment of more women in peacekeeping. (See Press Release SG/SM/17579.)
He later met with injured staff members and families of the victims of the 2007 attacks on United Nations House. He also held a town hall meeting with United Nations staff.
Mr. Ban and his delegation departed Algiers for Baden-Baden, Germany, at noon.