Sahrawi Republic seeks referendum for self-determination
The government of the Sahrawi Republic has called on the United Nations, the African Union and Nigeria to impress on Morocco to conduct a referendum to determine its status. Mohamed Yeslem Beisat, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sahrawi Republic, made this call while speaking with journalists in Abuja on Monday after meetings with members of the […]
The government of the Sahrawi Republic has called on the United Nations, the African Union and Nigeria to impress on Morocco to conduct a referendum to determine its status.
Mohamed Yeslem Beisat, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sahrawi Republic, made this call while speaking with journalists in Abuja on Monday after meetings with members of the Nigerian National Assembly.
He said he was in Nigeria to brief government officials about the situation in the Sahrawi Republic and solicit their support to achieve self-determination for his country.
Beisat recalled that Nigeria had always been there as a big brother over the years to help other African countries to achieve self-determination, expressing optimism that the country could help the Sahrawi Republic achieve its ambition.
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“Nigeria has been, since 1963, supporting the self-determination of the Sahrawi people and the determination of Western Sahara. Nigeria has recognised the Sahrawi Republic, and we have an embassy. We are coming in our bilateral relations to brief them on the situation.
“It was Nigerian money, Nigerian diplomatic and political strength that finally pushed for the liberation and decolonisation of Namibia, for South Africa, and for the Portuguese colonies like Angola and Mozambique and the Middle East. And that’s a traditional position, well enshrined in the Nigerian constitution and the Nigerian political experience, of which we are very, very grateful,” he said.
The Minister said the Sahrawi people had two agreements – a settlement plan and to have a referendum – with Morocco, but said Morocco was reneging on the agreements.
“Those agreements between us were endorsed unanimously by the Security Council. Now Morocco doesn’t want to honour its signature. The Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Morocco, along with the Prime Minister of the Sahara Republic, signed those agreements in Houston, in front of the international community. And it was endorsed as an official document of the UN.
“Now Morocco wants to get out of that, saying the referendum is impossible. Self-determination for us means that the Sahrawis have the right to choose their future freely. If they want to be an independent state, that must be respected. If they want to be a part of Morocco, that also should be respected.
“We are ready, as the Sahrawi Republic, to accept whatever result of the referendum. But we cannot accept that a solution be imposed on the Sahrawis. It cannot be a dictate, it cannot be an obligation, it cannot be a one-way solution,” he said.
The United Kingdom recently took the side of Morocco in the dispute over Western Sahara.
The dispute over the Western Sahara is a long-standing territorial conflict between Morocco and the Polisario Front, which seeks independence for the region.
Morocco claims sovereignty over the territory, while the Polisario Front advocates for an independent Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.