Algiers, 05 December 2020 (SPS) – Algerian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sabri Boukadoum called on Wednesday the African Union (AU) to assume its responsibility regarding the serious developments of the situation in Western Sahara and attempts to impose the policy of fait accompli in the territories of an AU’s founding member.
In his speech, via video-conference, in the works of the 21st extraordinary session of AU Executive Council, Boukadoum said “faced with the serious developments of the situation in Western Sahara, our continental organization, which played a constructive role in the development and adoption of UN settlement plan, can’t be marginalized,” pointing out that “given the total failure of Troika mechanism, the African Peace and Security Council must assume its responsibility, in accordance with the text of its institution protocol.”
After affirming that the current situation in Western Sahara “is a source of major concern for Algeria,” Boukadoum warned that “in addition to the attempts to impose the policy of fait accompli in the territories of a founding member of our organization, the violations recorded against the civilians in the region of El-Guerguerat posed serious challenges likely to jeopardize peace and security in the entire region.”
These developments, added the minister, “come at a moment when the UN political process for the settlement of the Sahrawi issue is in an unprecedented deadlock which has aggravated the sufferings of the Sahrawi people in the absence of prospects for serious political negotiations enabling the Sahrawi people’s self-determination.”
It is important to note that the 21st extraordinary session of AU Executive Council comes in preparation of the 13th and 14th extraordinary sessions of the AU heads of State and Government Conference, scheduled on 5-6 December 2020, and devoted to “the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)” and to the theme “Silencing arms in Africa,” respectively.”
These two next summits “will allow forming a clear vision on the future stages able to speed up the implementation of the project aimed at silencing arms and making AfCFTA operational.”
While broaching the security situation in Africa, Boukadoum “lamented the return of the centers of armed tension in the continent, and even recurrent attempts to undo the role of our organization and prevent it from assuming its responsibilities in the settlement of the African causes.”
Boukadoum said he is fully convinced that “the promise of AU’s countries in 2013 not to inherent the tribes’ current conflicts to the future generations remains dependent on the continuation of the fight against terrorism by drying up its resources and refusing to pay ransoms.”
He reiterated Algeria’s willingness to “continue its efforts for the establishment of peace and security in Africa, in accordance with AU’s principles stipulated in the article 4 of its constitutive act.” (SPS)
062/SPS/APS