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African countries demand SADR participation at Conference of Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones

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New York, April 26, 2015 (SPS) - The African countries have demanded the participation of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) at the United Nations Conference of Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones.

 

According to a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the conference due to be held Friday at the United Nations headquarters in New York, was suspended as result to opposition from African countries to attempt by Morocco to disrupt the work of the conference intended to prevent the participation of the SADR.

 

Contrary to false information supplied by the Moroccan press, the conference did not take place due to the firm position of the Member States of the African Union which demanded the presence of the SADR as nonnegotiable for the holding of the Conference.

 

The defense of the African countries of the right of the Saharawi Republic to attend the conference is compatible with the rules and principles governing the global meeting. If the SADR does not participate, the conference will not hold today or tomorrow, concluded the statement.

 

The SADR is a member of the treaty that is named after the South African city of Pelindaba, which defines Africa as a zone free of nuclear weapons.The SADR signed the treaty on 20 June 2006. It was ratified by the Saharawi Parliament on November 27, 2011 and its ratification was filed on January 27, 2014. The treaty was presented in 1996 to the signing of the Member States of the OAU (AU) and entered into force on July 15, 2009, following the signing of the 28 states, including SADR.

 

the SADR through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed, via a verbal note, dated April 15, the United Nations that a Saharawi delegation will attend the conference, scheduled for April 24.  (SPS)

 

062/090/TRA