Pretoria (South Africa) 14 December 2020 (SPS)- South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Dr. Naledi Pandor, stated that Trump’s proclamation in favour of Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara has no force or effect because it is a recognition of an illegality, in an answer to a question after she presented her government’s statement on international developments for the year 2020, in Pretoria Today.
“The recognition by the United States of Morocco’s Sovereign right over Saharawi doesn’t have force and effect because essentially is recognition of an illegality. United Nations resolutions have confirmed the situation of occupation, and the fact of something being said by the US doesn’t change the legal position of United Nations resolutions,” she slammed.
She further stated that South Africa “will continue to indicate that, we believe the US is wrong in this assertion it doesn’t go along with the multilateral bodies and global recognition of the position of occupation. There is just something we find totally surprising and as I said it has no force or effect.”
The South African head of diplomacy further indicated that “South Africa remains committed to supporting the cause of the people of Saharawi in seeking self-determination and freedom from occupying forces of Morocco as stated very clearly in a number of resolutions of United Nations, so we hold to the position of the United Nations and the resolutions that the people of Western Sahara must be allowed an opportunity to determine their own freedom and course of history.”
“Our support, she added, would always be for the cause of the people of Western Sahara, we will continue to speak on their behalf on the international platforms that we have the opportunity to speak on, we will continue to work in solidarity with Saharawi and to offer their people any form of humanitarian and support that they may need from South Africa,” she concluded. (SPS)
090/500/60 (SPS)