The United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, has proposed delaying for a year the referendum on self-determination for Western Sahara which is due to be held in December.

Mr Annan said more time was needed to break the deadlock between Morocco -- which has occupied the Western Sahara since the mid-seventies -- and the Algerian-backed Polisario Front over voter registration.

The two sides have been in dispute over the identification of certain tribal groups who have not yet been counted as eligible voters.

Mr Annan is due to travel to North Africa next month, but a BBC correspondent in Rabat says there is little sign that Morocco is prepare to relinquish sovereignty over Western Sahara