Canadian to Head U.N. Western Sahara Mission

Canada's Kim Bolduc was on Monday named as the head of the United Nations mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), a statement from secretary-general Ban Ki-moon's office said.

Bolduc, 62, will also serve as Ban's special representative for Western Sahara, replacing Germany's Wolfgang Weisbrod-Weber who steps down on July 31.

Bolduc has more than 30 years of experience working in U.N. agencies or missions.

She most recently served as U.N. coordinator and U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) resident Representative in Panama from 2010 to 2014.

Previous posts included stints in Haiti and Brazil, a statement said.

Western Sahara is controlled by Morocco and claimed by Polisario Front separatists backed by Algeria.

MINURSO is mainly charged with monitoring a ceasefire in the former Spanish colony.

Rabat has proposed autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty for the vast region, which has fewer than one million inhabitants.

The Polisario Front wants a referendum on the territory's status.