Algiers | Dec 20

Reuters -

Western Sahara's independence movement Polisario will vote in six months on whether to resume an armed struggle with Morocco over the desert territory, an official of the group said on Thursday.

"We will have a conference in six months to decide that," Mohamed Beissat told Reuters after a policy-making congress held in the Polisario-controlled outpost of Tifariti this week.

"The next conference will be in June or July."

The group said last week it was going to address the question of armed struggle at the Dec 14-20 gathering by voting on whether to resume war, continue negotiations or pursue some combination of the two.

Beissat said the congress had voted to proceed with negotiations for the next six months while at the same time improving the war readiness of Polisario armed forces.

"We have to strengthen our army so that it is ready for any decision that is eventually taken," said Beissat, who is also ambassador to Algeria of the self-proclaimed government for Western Sahara (SADR) declared by Polisario in 1976.