Abdelmadjid Tebboune: "The question of Western Sahara is a question of decolonization as classified by the UN"

The President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, on Tuesday called on the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) and the Kingdom of Morocco to engage in “direct and serious” talks, under the aegis of the African Union ( AU) and the UN, affirming that this conflict cannot be resolved without a political process that refers to the founding principles of the Continental Organization.

In his address at the meeting, by videoconference of the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) at the level of Heads of State and Government, President Tebboune said: "The opportunity is given to us today." hui to examine the serious situation in Western Sahara with the hope of seeing our deliberations lead to concrete and effective measures to crystallize a lasting solution to this conflict, which has lasted only too long but which cannot have limitation periods . "

"Our meeting takes place, as has already been explained, with the objective of bringing together the conditions for a new ceasefire between the SADR and the Kingdom of Morocco, and to work for the achievement of a just solution and permanent capable of guaranteeing the right of the Saharawi people to self-determination and definitively closing the decolonization cases in Africa ”, he indicated. And to add: "Africa, which has conquered the European occupation by its political and armed struggle sometimes and which has come to the end of apartheid, must today put an end to the last colonial hearth in our continent. ”

“The failure of the ceasefire following the violation of an agreement in force since 1991 and the dangerous escalation of the conflict in Western Sahara are only the result of decades of policy of systematically blocking and slowing down settlement plans, bypassing the negotiation process and recurring attempts to impose a fait accompli in the territory of a founding member state of the AU ”, observed President Tebboune.

He cited, among others, "the illegal exploitation of wealth, the steps aimed at changing the demographic composition of the occupied territories, the systematic violations carried out against defenseless Sahrawi citizens, in addition to the illegal attempts to modify the status of Western Sahara ”.

It is for this reason, adds President Tebboune: "We invite our honorable Organization to join its voice to ours in asking the UN Secretary General to immediately designate his representative in Western Sahara, just as we invite the United Nations. UN to give, with the support of the AU, to the United Nations mission for the organization of a referendum in Western Sahara (Minurso), orders to deal with human rights violations in Western Sahara . "

For the President of the Republic, "the lack of support for the tragedy of the Saharawi people who are fed up with the procrastination of the UN in the organization of a referendum, agreed for 30 years, but also the blocking without precedent of the political process have extremely exacerbated the situation ”.

“Faced with these dangerous developments, our continental organization, which had a historic role in the development and adoption of the UN settlement plan, cannot remain silent or put aside. It is inconceivable to hear, after the outbreak of a war between two Member States of our Organization, voices here and there, trying to put forward fallacious (arguments) to justify it ”, he stressed.

"Regarding the non-submission of this file to the AU on the pretext that the issue is on the UN agenda", Tebboune recalled that "all the African issues addressed by our Organization are listed, in at the same time, with the UN, at the head of which the Libyan question ”.

"All issues of peace and security in Africa, without exception, are on the UN agenda, which has not prevented our organization from making valuable contributions, highly commended by all for the settlement. of these questions, ”he argued.

As for the settlement of this conflict, Tebboune affirmed that the "political process for the settlement of the Sahrawi question under the auspices of the United Nations is facing an unprecedented and unexplained blockage, in view of the serious impacts of the resumption of the armed struggle. ".

"The presence of Sahrawi refugees in the territory of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria leads us to the conclusion that those born on the day of the occupation of Western Sahara are today men (...) They will hardly agree to stay , nor to die as refugees in the blessed land of Algeria where our Saharawi brothers are welcome, ”added the Head of State in his speech.

Faced with the repercussions of this conflict likely to compromise peace and security in the entire region, Tebboune pleaded for "the activation of the role of the PSC, under the provisions of its constitutive protocol in order to calm the situation and to work to find a lasting and equitable solution, in accordance with the relevant AU and UN resolutions ”.

"The desperate and recurring attempts to consecrate and give legitimacy to the Moroccan occupation of the territories of a founding member country of our Organization, by constantly denying the Sahrawi reality and the aspirations of this people, will only prolong this conflict has lasted nearly five decades, hence the imperative to recall the references and realities devoted to the UN and continental levels, all stipulating that the question of Western Sahara is a question of decolonization, as classified by the UN ”, he insisted.

President Tebboune highlighted the imperative need to put an end to this conflict, advocating "the return to the founding principles of our continental organization, in particular the provisions of Article 4 of the Constitutive Act of the AU on respect for borders inherited from independence, the peaceful settlement of conflicts with the prohibition of the use of force and threats between member states and the importance of peaceful coexistence ”.

Recalling that the SADR and Morocco are members of the AU, the President of the Republic "invited the two States to engage in direct and serious talks, under the aegis of the AU and the UN, to reach a new cease-fire agreement and bring together the necessary conditions to allow the Saharawi people to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination ”.

In conclusion, President Tebboune expressed the sincere wish to see the parties to the conflict "advocate dialogue and show wisdom for the relaunch of the process of settling the conflict which has lasted too long, by guaranteeing the Saharawi people the right to a life decent within the framework of freedom, security and stability and, therefore, contribute to the achievement of the aspirations of all our peoples for progress, unity and integration ”.

“These are the ideals for which the founding fathers of our continental organization campaigned and to which we remain attached,” he concluded.