Addis Ababa, February 10, 2019 (SPS) - Scheduled for Sunday evening in Addis Ababa, the first meeting of the African Mechanism on Western Sahara will culminate in a roadmap that enables the African Union (AU) to “significantly contribute” to the efforts made by the United Nations (UN) and fully play its role in the resolution of this conflict that “has lasted far too long,” President of the AU Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat announced Sunday in Addis Ababa.
“Regarding the Western Sahara conflict, a new African mechanism has been set up during the AU Summit in Nouakchott (2018). The mechanism’s first meeting takes place today evening to draft a roadmap enabling the AU to significantly contribute to the efforts made by the UN and fully play its role in the settlement of this conflict that has lasted far too long,” said Faki at the opening ceremony of the 32nd AU Heads of State and Government Summit in Addis Ababa.
Speaking at the 34th AU Executive Council, Faki had already reiterated “his support to the UN efforts through the AU mechanism.”
The Conference of the Heads of State and Government held on July 2018 in Nouakchott had adopted the African mechanism enabling the AU to “effectively support” to the UN-led process, based on the relevant resolution of the Security Council aimed at ensuring the Sahrawi people’s self-determination right.
This mechanism was adopted following the report prepared by the Chairperson of the AU Commission, Moussa Faki on the Western Sahara issue. The document recalled that Western Sahara and Morocco must resume negotiations under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General.
The report advocates negotiations "without preconditions and in good faith with a view to achieving a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution that provides for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara under arrangements consistent with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations.” (SPS)
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