Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General

Stéphane Dujarric, the Spokesperson for the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres.

22 Oct 2020

Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General

**Western Sahara

Our colleagues in the UN Mission in Western Sahara (MINURSO) reports that, as of this morning, it observed some 50 people, including men, women and children, present in the buffer strip at Guerguerat.  They were blocking the traffic that passes through the area.  The Mission deployed additional staff this morning to the area to help defuse any tension and unblock the traffic.  We urge all concerned to exercise restraint and to take all necessary steps to defuse any tensions.  We recall that regular civilian and commercial traffic should not be obstructed and that no action should be taken which may constitute a change to the status quo of the buffer strip.  The Mission will continue to monitor the situation closely.

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