Johannesburg, 15 June 2015 (SPS) -Western Sahara continues to suffer from the "horrors of colonialism from another age," Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal stressed Sunday in Johannesburg, adding the acceleration of the decolonization of this territory needs the mobilization of efforts.
"Finally, I would like to talk about the last of decolonization in Africa, namely the territory of Western Sahara, which continues to suffer the horrors of colonialism from another age. Despite the efforts of our organization, Africa's decolonization remains unfinished," said Sellal.
The PM was speaking at the opening of the 25th Ordinary Session of the Summit of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU), as representative of President of the Republic Abdelaziz Bouteflika.
"The acceleration of the Western Sahara decolonization process is reliant on the mobilization of efforts," he argued.
Sellal added that this situation, "which can last longer," led the Council of Peace and Security of the AU to hold, on 27 March 2015, "a historic debate, first of its kind", on Western Sahara, during which it "unanimously reiterated the AU position of principle on the right to self-determination for the people of Western Sahara and urged the United Nations to + spare no effort to hasten the process of decolonization +".
He praised the Peace and Security Council for having reactivated the Ad Hoc Committee of Heads of State and Government on the Western Sahara conflict.
"We also encourage Chairperson of the AU Commission, Dr Dlamini Zuma, who underscored in her letter to the Secretary General of the UN in March 2015, the need to extend the mandate of MINURSO to the issue of human rights," he added.
Moreover, Sellal welcomed the efforts of the Personal Envoy of the Chairperson of the AU Commission for Western Sahara Joaquim Chissano to mobilize the international community on "the need for a settlement of this issue."(SPS)
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