Geneva, Switzerland, February 28, 2024 (SPS) - South African Foreign Minister Dr. Naledi Pandor affirmed that her country welcomes the decisions issued by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) regarding the appeals filed by the Polisario Front. These decisions, among other things, confirmed the legitimacy of the Polisario Front's representation of the Sahrawi people and the illegality of the agreements between the European Union and Morocco that include Western Sahara.
In a speech delivered at a high-level seminar at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Ms. Pandor renewed the call for all UN member states to intensify their efforts to enable the Sahrawi and Palestinian peoples to achieve their just rights and to counter all forms of resource plundering that are always linked to occupation.
In this regard, Ms. Pandor said that her country, while condemning Morocco's human rights violations and its continued refusal to allow the Human Rights Commission to access the occupied territories, also reiterates its support for the Sahrawi people and their struggle for freedom and independence.
She also referred to the undiplomatic methods used by Morocco, particularly the unjustified campaign it launched against South Africa and UN Envoy Staffan de Mistura, following the meeting between the two parties in Pretoria to discuss the Western Sahara issue and related developments.