Western Sahara: Ban concern over deadlock in negotiations When representatives of the parties, Morocco and the Frente Polisario, wrapped up their latest round of talks last month, both sides continued to reject each others' proposal as a sole basis for future negotiations. At the same time, the two sides confirmed their willingness to explore innovative approaches for negotiation and topics for discussion to find a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution of the conflict. Despite their recent agreement, “the parties are likely to remain committed to the essence of their proposals,” Ban writes in his report to the Security Council. The UN-backed talks between the parties have been convened by Christopher Ross, the UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, who presented the UN Secretary-General's report to Council members in a closed-door meeting on Tuesday. Ban says in the report that although the process remains “deadlocked,” current circumstances may suggest a way forward. Algeria's Minority Group Demands Autonomy The Obama administration could face potential political upheaval with yet another ally in the Arab world, this time in Algeria. Documents given to members of Congress and obtained by Fox News show that Algeria's largest minority group, the Kabyles, who number up to 10 million, will demand on Wednesday that their government hold a referendum on autonomy. This will be followed by planned demonstrations, which some analysts fear could lead to a brutal conflict and possible uprising — if the U.S. doesn't act to bring the sides together and work on a mutually acceptable agreement. What makes this dilemma particularly difficult for the administration is that the Kabyles, part of the Berber ethnic group, are predominantly secular Muslims and largely pro-Western. They are very active in the fight against Al Qaeda, and even have their own volunteer army to guard against attacks. Dr Walid Phares, Fox News contributor and author of “The Coming Revolution: Struggle for Freedom in the Middle East,” warns “a confrontation will take place” if nothing is done by the Obama administration. Two students killed in Tunisia school clashes A boy and a girl died and more than 40 students were hurt in fighting between hundreds of school children from rival tribes at a school in central Tunisia, the Interior Ministry said on Tuesday. Hundreds of students took part in the fight in which pupils used knives and threw stones in the town of Sened in the region of Gafsa, some 350 km (217 miles) from the capital Tunis. It said classrooms were vandalized and a vehicle was torched. The ministry said in a statement that a boy died of stab wounds and a girl was crushed in the crowd after the fight erupted between students from rival tribes. It said 43 people were injured, of whom 10 were taken to a local hospital. It said a curfew had been imposed and schools in Sened would remain shut. Britain to send military advisers to Libyan rebels Britain is sending up to 20 military advisers to help Libya's ragtag rebel force break a military stalemate with Moammar Gadhafi's army, even as NATO acknowledges that airstrikes alone cannot stop the daily shelling of the besieged opposition-held city of Misrata. Gadhafi's troops have been pounding Misrata indiscriminately with mortars and rockets, a NATO general said Tuesday, and residents reported more explosions and firefights in Libya's third-largest city. Hospitals are overflowing and 120 patients need to be evacuated from the city that has been under siege for nearly two months, the World Health Organization said. The plight of Misrata's civilians and the battlefield deadlock are raising new questions about the international community's strategy in Libya. The leaders of the U.S., Britain and France have said Gadhafi must go, but seem unwilling to commit to a more forceful military campaign. NATO's mandate is restricted to protecting civilians. Sudan: 350 Buildings Burned Large parts of el-Feid, a town in Sudan's Nuba Mountains, have been burned to the ground, satellite images from a research organization, the Satellite Sentinel Project, show. More than 350 structures were set on fire a week ago, the organization said Tuesday, noting that, according to a local politician, at least 20 people were killed in the attack. It said that many of the structures appeared to be traditional homes and that the attackers' identities had not been determined. An election for governor is scheduled for next month in the State of South Kordofan, where el-Feid is located. The region has traditionally been aligned with the South, which voted in January to separate from the North. According to a 2005 peace agreement, the region is supposed to decide it's own destiny by July. BM
