Rabat – On the sidelines of the 15th Edition of the MEDays Forum in Tangier on November 17, former African Prime Ministers and Foreign Ministers, reaffirmed their commitment to the urgent expulsion of the self-proclaimed, Polisario-rule “Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic” (RASD) from the African Union.
Speaking as part of the “Second Follow-Up Meeting of the Tangier Appeal,” the African leaders expressed their unwavering support for the Moroccanness of the disputed Western Sahara region, insisting that Morocco’s Autonomy Plan is the most realistic route to lasting resolution of the lingering dispute.
They also expressed satisfaction with growing continental and worldwide support for the Moroccan autonomy initiative, celebrating the fact that signatories of the “Tangier Appeal” have increased from 16 to 23 African countries since its launch a year ago.
The leaders particularly welcomed new additions to the “Tangier Appeal” cohort, including figures such as David J. Francis, former Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Sierra Leone; Urbino Botelho, former Foreign Minister of Sao Tome & Principe; Ezechiel Nibigira, former Foreign Minister of Burundi; Albert Mabri Toikeusse, former Foreign Minister of Cote d’Ivoire; and Cheikh Tidiane Gadio, former Foreign Minister of Senegal and the initiator of regional roundtable discussions on the expulsion of Polisario’s self-proclaimed, separatist “republic” from the African Union.
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Expressing their determination to further expand the support base of the “Tangier Appeal,” they outlined their commitment to fortify the momentum of the Autonomy Plan, renewing their pledge to work collectively and in coordination to urgently exclude the self-styled RASD from the ranks of the African Union.
The leaders applauded the increasing support in Africa for Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara, citing the growing establishment of consulates in Dakhla and Laayoune as examples of the increasingly irreversible support for Morocco’s Sahara stance.
As the African leaders see it, African countries’ growing support for Morocco’s territorial integrity is a vibrant testament to pan-African dialogue and a shared aspiration to overcome historical divisions for a shared prosperous future on the continent.
Furthermore, they commended the UN Security Council Resolution 2703, which notably acknowledges that the Sahara dispute necessitates a just, durable, and compromise-based solution. The leaders also lauded the pragmatism, realism, and spirit of compromise embodied in the Moroccan Autonomy Proposal for the Southern Provinces.
Reiterating their steadfast support for the Moroccan Autonomy Proposal as the only solution for the definitive resolution of the regional dispute over the Sahara, the leaders expressed satisfaction with the broad international backing for the Moroccan proposal.
The leaders underscored their unwavering commitment and total mobilization to achieve the objective of expelling the self-styled RAS from the African Union, calling on the African and international communities to fully endorse it.
