MINURSO has launched a Request for Expressions of Interest (REOI) for the construction of a helipad in its Team Site in Tifariti. The request, which is expected to last from October 17 to November 7, is to allow the UN peacekeeping mission to better monitor the movements of the armed elements of the Polisario and civilians in the buffer zone. For the record, in his October 2019 report on the Sahara, the UN Secretary-General addressed MINURSO's inability to monitor the cease-fire near the sand wall. «The overall security situation continued to impose some constraints on MINURSO operations», Antonio Guterres said in his report published earlier in October. «Night patrols remain suspended on either side of the berm. In addition, for security reasons, the radius of ground patrols east of the berm was limited to 125 km from each team site, although this was a slight increase from the previous limit of 100 km», he added.
