New UN man for Western Sahara

The United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, has appointed a retired American diplomat as his special representative for Western Sahara.

The diplomat, Charles Dunbar, will work alongside the former American Secretary of State, James Baker, who is acting temporarily as Mr Annan's personal envoy to the territory.

Mr Dunbar will oversee the long-delayed UN-sponsored referendum on the future of Western Sahara which is now set for next December.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service