New York, July 8, 2018 (SPS)- The “historic” decision adopted unanimously by the leaders of the African Union (AU) on the creation of an African mechanism for the issue of Western Sahara is an “anticipatory initiative” likely to revitalize AU’s key role, as a fully-committed partner for the United Nations (UN), and an “important step” considering the Moroccan position aimed at undermining the African efforts for the settlement of the conflict in Western Sahara, said Thursday the Polisario Front in a letter sent to the United Nations and the Security Council.
In a letter sent to UN Secretary General Antonio Guteres and Sweden’s permanent representative to UN Olof Skoog, in his capacity as president of the Security Council for this month, “the Polisario Front expressed the Sahrawi authorities’ position on the new mechanism created by the African Union for Western Sahara in accordance with its decision adopted in the 31st ordinary session of the Conference of AU Heads of State and Government, held recently in Nouakchott,” said a communiqué of the Polisario Front.
The letter emphasized that the Sahrawi authorities welcomed “the historic decision” adopted unanimously by AU’s leaders on the creation of an African mechanism for Western Sahara, pointing out that it reflects AU’s concern over the unjustified delay in the decolonization process of Western Sahara, member State of the African Union.”
This decision is an “anticipatory initiative” meant to “speed up AU’s commitment to efficiently contributing to a peaceful, fair and permanent solution to the Sahrawi conflict,” in conformity with the constitutive Status of the African Union and decisions of the Organization of the African Union (OAU), AU and the United Nations.
The Polisario Front stressed in its letter AU’s position vis-à-vis the Sahrawi issue, pointing out that AU “remains committed to the issue of the decolonization of Western Sahara,” since that “OAU activated the peace process in Western Sahara in accordance with the decision 104 of 1983.”
“This decision which was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1984 and 1985 had a key role in mobilizing UN’s efforts to reach a solution to the conflict,” according to the letter.
The African Union, added the Polisario Front, “works, as part of its responsibilities, to the strengthening of peace and stability in the continent, in accordance with the UN Charter and AU’s constitutive Act whose 4th article stipulates the importance of the peaceful settlement of conflicts between the member countries of the African Union which remains a partner of the United Nations and the guarantor of the implementation of the settlement plan of UN and OAU in 1991, accepted by the two parties to the conflict (Polisario Front- Morocco) and adopted by the United Nations Security Council and General Assembly.” (SPS)
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