Rwandan president meets UN chief's envoy on Western Sahara

KIGALI, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Rwandan President Paul Kagame on Friday met with UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy for Western Sahara Horst Kohler in Rwandan capital city Kigali.

Kohler, who was also a former President of Germany, and Kagame discussed a wide range of topics and shared ideas on how the African Union (AU) can partner with the United Nations (UN) in bringing lasting peace in Western Sahara, Rwandan foreign minister Louise Mushikiwabo told reporters after the meeting.

Mushikiwabo said UN strongly believes that African leaders can play a big role in addressing the issues in Western Sahara, adding that the meeting was helpful for both the UN and the AU on how they can contribute to finding lasting solutions for that region.

Western Sahara was partitioned between Morocco and Mauritania at the end of Spain's colonial rule in 1976. Morocco has asserted administrative control over the whole territory since 1979, when Mauritania, under pressure from Polisario guerrillas, abandoned all claims to its portion. Fighting broke out between Morocco and the Frente Polisario (Polisario Front), which is fighting for the independence of Western Sahara. Enditem