Santo Domingo, 18 August 2024 (SPS) - The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) has expressed its strongest rejection of the terms of the statement issued by the Dominican Republic's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which affects Western Sahara, a territory awaiting decolonization, in press release issued today Sunday.
This is the full text of the press release:
“PRESS RELEASE
Sunday, August 18, 2024
We express our most categorical rejection to the terms of the Communiqué issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic, dated August 17, 2024, by means of which, it attributes to the recently repositioned President of the Republic, H.E. Mr. Luis Abinader, serious statements that affect Western Sahara, a territory illegally occupied by Morocco and pending decolonization.
As a result of these attributed statements, we transmit to the public opinion the following points:
The consecrated and legitimate right to self-determination and independence of the Saharawi people is inalienable and unappealable. Therefore, only the people of Western Sahara has the exclusive right to exercise this right for the free and democratic choice of their political future.
Western Sahara is a non-self-governing territory pending decolonization, registered as such by the United Nations since 1963 and illegally occupied by force of arms by Morocco since October 30, 1975. This occupation has been successively condemned by the United Nations and not recognized by any international organization.
Given the above, we call on the newly re-elected President Luis Abinader, so that in his second term the government of the Dominican Republic:
Contribute actively to the political efforts of the United Nations and the African Union to achieve a just and lasting solution that will allow the people of the last African colony of Western Sahara to exercise their legitimate and inalienable right to self-determination and independence,
To join, in congruence with the Latin American and Caribbean regional consensus, the repudiation of the last vestiges of the scourge of colonialism, from which the Caribbean and African region still suffers, and to establish full diplomatic relations with the Saharawi Republic, a member state of the African Union.
Decline, the incitement of the Moroccan regime to carry out any kind of action or activity, resulting in direct denial of the right to self-determination of the Saharawi people; result in flagrant violation of their permanent sovereignty over their natural resources or, stand as an obstacle to the noble political efforts of the international community for the achievement of a just solution to the question of decolonization of Western Sahara, such as those relating to the planned opening of a so-called illegal consulate in our occupied territories or the plundering of natural resources, especially fertilizers.
Finally, to express through you, our recognition to all political forces, social and solidarity movements, for sustaining the values of brotherhood and cultural and historical ties that unite us with our sister Dominican Republic, based on the defense of the principles of self-determination of peoples and respect for national sovereignty.
Mohamed ZRUG.
Ambassador of the Saharawi Republic for the Caribbean countries.”