Birlehlu (Liberated Territories), January 26, 2015 (SPS) – Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohamed Salem Ould Salek confirmed Saturday “the plans of the Moroccan occupying State that aim to involve actors from around the world, including African entities, in our country must be strongly condemned and boycotted because they violate the Charter and the resolutions of the African Union and the United Nations, in a letter to Her Excellency Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Chairperson of the African Union Commission.
Following is the complete text of the letter:
"Bir Lehlou, 24 January 2015
Excellency Madame Chairperson,
Since its illegal military occupation of parts of the Sahrawi Republic, the Kingdom of Morocco has persisted in committing grave violations of international law and international humanitarian law. It has also been trying to involve foreign entities in its efforts to legitimise its occupation and plundering of the resources of our country, while reinforcing its repression against our people.
In this context, in cooperation with and under the patronage of the highest authority in the Moroccan occupying State, Mr Jean Paul Carteron, Chairman of the Crans Montana Forum, is planning to hold the annual session of his organisation in the city of Dajla, in the southern part of the occupied territories of the Sahrawi Republic, in March 2015.
We express our strong condemnation of such a serious and unjustified position taken by the Chairman of this organisation, which is contrary to the basic precepts of international legality. It flatly disregards the legal status of Western Sahara, and will only contribute to fuelling tension and instability in the region.
Such a decision is without doubt a flagrant violation of the Charter and resolutions of the United Nations and the African Union, because it infringes on the sovereignty of an AU Member State. It therefore constitutes a deliberate assault on a peaceful people and contributes to supporting and encouraging expansionism, occupation, forcible annexation and violation of the principle of the intangibility of borders existing on the achievement of national independence.
The Kingdom of Morocco does not exercise any sovereignty or administering power over Western Sahara. In an attempt to mislead the international public opinion and promote its colonial policies, the Kingdom of Morocco systematically engages in such illegal and unethical practices unfortunately with the cooperation of certain quarters such as the Chairman of the Crans Montana Forum.
The Sahrawi Republic, a founding Member State of the African Union, recalls that Western Sahara is an international issue included on the agenda of decolonisation in Africa. It also reaffirms the need for the United Nations and the African Union to assume their responsibilities and commitments to reaching a speedy, just and democratic solution in accordance with the UN-OAU peace plan of 1991, which provides for self-determination of the Sahrawi people.
Excellency Madame Chairperson,
The international community cannot remain indifferent in the face of such provocative actions, which undermine the ongoing African and UN peace efforts and encourage the Moroccan occupying power to persist in its intransigence, obstruction, looting and committing of human rights abuses in the occupied parts of the Sahrawi Republic.
The plans of the Moroccan occupying State that aim to involve actors from around the world, including African entities, in our country must be strongly condemned and boycotted because they violate the Charter and the resolutions of the African Union and the United Nations.
We would therefore like to urge you, Excellency Madame Chairperson, to take all necessary steps and actions at the AU level and to make representations to the Chairman of the Crans Montana Forum and the associated partners and sponsors to urge them to refrain from holding their forum in the occupied parts of an AU Member State, the Sahrawi Republic.
Please accept, Excellency Madame Chairperson, the assurances of my highest consideration.
Mohamed Salem Ould Salek
Minister Of Foreign Affairs
Saharawi Republic Government" (SPS)
062/090