Paris, 26 November 2022 (SPS) - A "Protocol of friendship and cooperation" between the city hall of Ivry-sur-Seine in France, and the city of Mejik in the Sahrawi refugee camps, was signed Friday by the mayor of Ivry, Philippe Bouyssou and the wali of Auserd, Mohamed Sheikh Amghizlet.
In a speech on this occasion, Mr. Bouyssou indicated that "this protocol of friendship is the culmination of an old solidarity that Ivry has shown towards the Sahrawi people", recalling that his town hall has named in the past, "honorary citizen", the Sahrawi activist and political prisoner, Naama Asfari.
He also hoped that this twinning "will make the Saharawi cause, the traditions and customs of the Saharawi people better known to the inhabitants of Ivry, and to consolidate the relations between the inhabitants of the two cities".
The Mayor of Ivry reiterated his full support and solidarity with the Sahrawi people until the triumph of their just cause, stressing that the Sahrawi refugees need more solidarity.
For his part, the representative of the Polisario Front in France, Mohamed Sidati, welcomed in his speech this initiative, hoping that this twinning "is the beginning of a long series of other protocols in the future.
The signing of the mentioned protocol is a historic event, since the last twinning in France with a Sahrawi city dates back 30 years, according to the Association of Friends of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (AARASD).
As part of this cooperation, a trip of finding, exchange and friendship with the Sahrawi people is scheduled to the Refugee Camps from 20 February to 1 March, 2023 to accompany the municipal delegation led by Mayor Bouyssou, in order to proceed with the signing of the second part of the mentioned protocol, during the celebrations of the 47th anniversary of the proclamation of SADR.
It should be noted that the signing ceremony of this protocol was attended by several friendly mayors whose cities are twinned, personalities from civil society, members of French Solidarity Associations, associations of the Saharawi diaspora in France, artists, human rights associations, jurists and lawyers.
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