Khabrouni (Botswan) 07 August 2019 (SPS)- The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Botswana, Mr. Gaeimelwe Goitsemang, received on Wednesday at the Foreign Ministry headquarters in Gabotone, the Saharawi Ambassador Designate, Mr. Malainin Mohamed, who handed him a copy of his credentials as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Sahrawi Republic to Botswana.
During the meeting, Mr. Gaeimelwe Goitsemang, gave to his host a general presentation about the situation in the country and the economic and political challenges that the region and the continent have got to meet in general.
He stressed that Botswana welcomes the decision by the Saharawi Republic to open its Embassy in Gaborone, considering that the historic relations between the two countries can but benefit from this decision.
He recalled Botswana's firm position in support of the respect of the international legality in Western Sahara and the steady support to the right of all peoples to self-determination and independence.
On his side, the Sahrawi Ambassador Designate briefed his host on the situation in Western Sahara and the challenges posed by the occupation of parts of its territory by the Moroccan state not only to the Sahrawi Republic, but to the rest of the countries of the region, which is the only African region that has not succeeded in achieving any form of regional unity, because of the expansionist policies of the Moroccan state and the problems it has with all its neighbours without exception.
Mr. Malainin thanked his host for the warm reception, stressing that the Sahrawi Republic embodies the will of the Sahrawi people to materialize their political aspirations and hopes, recalling that the Sahrawi people have demonstrated throughout history their willingness to sacrifice everything for their dignity and full independence, and that they have already expressed their political will since the 1970s, when they rejected all attempts of colonisation from Spain then from Morocco.
He further praised the honourable position of Botswana on the Saharawi issue and on all African issues, whether political, economic or other, stressing the need to struggle as Africans for the respect of the Constitutive Act of the African Union, especially the need to respect the right of peoples to self-determination and national independence and the need to respect the boarder inherited upon independence.
At the end of the meeting, the Sahrawi Ambassador presented his host with a number of symbolic gifts, including a book presenting the legal and historical backgrounds on the issue of Western Sahara.
It is worth mentioning that the Sahrawi Republic has opened a new embassy in Botswana starting from June 2019, as the two brotherly countries decided last year to raise the level of diplomatic representation between them to ambassadorial level.
The Republic of Botswana is located north of South Africa, bordered by Namibia to the West, Angola and Zambia to the North and by Zimbabwe in the North-east. It recognized the Sahrawi Republic in 1980 and has always been outspoken in the defence of the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination and independence.
090/500/60 (SPS)