Morocco threatened Thursday to take further measures in retaliation for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's description of Moroccan rule over Western Sahara as an "occupation". Foreign Minister Salaheddine Mezouar told reporters that "decisions will be announced" but said this would depend on the outcome of a Security Council meeting called for later in the day.
Morocco decided to cut $3 million in funding for the UN mission in Western Sahara and presented a list of 84 staffers that are to leave MINURSO in the coming days.
"Morocco has taken decisions. These are irreversible," said Mezouar.
"There are other decisions that have been left outstanding and others are under review," he added. "All of this will depend on the Security Council." The foreign minister said however that Morocco had decided against withdrawing peacekeeping troops from UN missions, dropping an initial threat.
A major dispute has broken out between Rabat and the UN chief over his use of the word "occupation" to describe the status of Western Sahara, during a recent tour of north Africa.
Morocco considers the territory as part of the kingdom and insists its sovereignty cannot be challenged.
The United Nations has been trying to broker a Western Sahara settlement since 1991 after a cease-fire was reached to end a war that broke out when Morocco deployed its military in the former Spanish territory in 1975.
Hundreds of thousands of people carrying banners denouncing Ban's "lack of neutrality" on the Western Sahara issue took to the streets of Rabat on Sunday.
The Moroccan foreign minister said the Security Council must weigh in to remind the secretary-general of the agreed "parameters" for dealing with the Western Sahara conflict.
Angolan Ambassador Ismael Gaspar Martins, who chairs the council this month said "there is a slight misunderstanding" with Morocco and said the 15 council members "must find some kind of rapprochement."
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