New York (United Nations) 03 November 2020 (SPS)- Namibia Permanent Representative to the UN, H.E. Mr. Neville Gertze, stressed in the statement of his country Today before the UN Special Political and Decolonisation Committee (4th Committee), that Namibia stresses the urgency of the implementation of the OAU-UN Settlement Plan, agreed upon by the two parties in 1991 to resolve the conflict in Western Sahara.
“Namibia’s position remains a question of principle. Namibia supports the right to self-determination and independence of the people of Western Sahara. In this regard, we once again stress the urgency for the unconditional implementation of all UN resolutions and AU decisions, in particular the 1991 Settlement Plan with the aim of holding a free and fair referendum in Western Sahara that will allow for the positive, peaceful and permanent solution, that meets the aspirations and the will of the Sahrawi people,” he stressed.
He estimated that in Africa, “the full decolonisation is still incomplete with the people of Western Sahara still not yet enabled to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination despite long drawn clear calls to that end through UN SC resolutions.”
He further declared that Namibia “is concerned that there appears to be no forceful determination on the part of some Member States to put required focus on compliance and full implementation of the Security Council resolutions in the case of the Western Sahara.”
He criticized the Moroccan attempts to impose its colonial fait accompli on Western Sahara, considering that “attempts by the occupying state to move a one-sided solution, without the expressed consent of the affected people of the Western Sahara, is bound to result in prolonged conflict and continued denial to the Saharawi people to exercise their inalienable rights to self-determination.”
Namibia “therefore, calls for direct talks between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Polisario Front in good faith as per the relevant Security Council resolutions.
My delegation once again appeal for the speedy appointment of a new Personal Envoy by the Secretary-General, to ease the re-launch of the peace process,” he concluded. (SPS)
090/500/60 (SPS)