UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday mourned the death earlier in the day of Mohamed Abdelaziz, the long-standing leader of the Western Sahara's independence movement,the Polisario Front.

Over the years, Abdelaziz had been a central figure in the search for a resolution of the Western Sahara conflict, said a statement issued here by Ban's spokesman.

"In this capacity, he met with numerous United Nations officials, including successive secretaries-general, most recently in March, during the secretary-general's visit to the Western Saharan refugee camps near Tindouf, Algeria."

The secretary-general offers his condolences to Mr. Abdelaziz's family and to the Polisario Front as they mourn his untimely loss, the statement said, adding that "he looks forward to continuing to work to help the parties to achieve a mutually acceptable political solution, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara."

Abdelaziz, 68, died on Tuesday after a long battle with illness, said the official website of the Polisario Front, which was set up in the 1970s and supported by Algeria.

The movement ordered a 40-day mourning period for its late leader, after which a new leader will be chosen.

The movement has contested the territory of Western Sahara with Morocco for four decades after the withdrawal of colonial power Spain in 1975.

Source: XINHUA