UN envoy for Western Sahara begins regional tour

United Nations (United States) (AFP) - The UN envoy for Western Sahara, Christopher Ross, arrived in Morocco on Wednesday at the start of his first regional tour in a year, which followed tensions with Rabat over the disputed territory.

Morocco accused Ross in 2012 of being partial in the dispute over the former Spanish colony but in late January said it was ready to support his mediation efforts.

That shift followed a phone conversation between UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and King Mohammed VI during which Morocco questioned Ross' neutrality.

The UN envoy will hold talks with officials from Morocco and the Polisario Front, which is seeking independence for Western Sahara, UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said.

He will also confer with government officials from neighboring states, Haq added, without providing details.

Morocco took control of most of Western Sahara in November 1975 when Spain withdrew, prompting a guerrilla war for independence that lasted until 1991 when the United Nations brokered a ceasefire and sent in a peace mission.

Local Saharawi people have long campaigned for the right to self-determination but most Moroccans now view the territory as a part of their kingdom.

Morocco wants talks about self-rule for the territory under Moroccan sovereignty, but the territory's Algerian-backed Polisario Front independence movement has demanded a referendum that would include the option of full independence.