Addis Ababa – The Moroccan Sahara issue is no longer on the agenda at the African Union, as the 37th Summit of Heads of State and Government, the supreme body of the pan-African institution, made no reference or quotation on the national question, said Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita.
Since Morocco’s return to the African Union under the enlightened leadership of HM King Mohammed VI, and following Decision 693 on the question of the Moroccan Sahara, adopted unanimously at the Nouakchott Summit in 2018, the question of the Moroccan Sahara is no longer submitted to the African Union, i.e. is no longer on the agenda, reaffirmed the Minister in a statement to the press on the occasion of the 37th Summit of the Union, which wrapped up on Monday.
Decision 693 on the Moroccan Sahara issue, adopted unanimously at the 2018 Nouakchott Summit, underlines the exclusive competence of the United Nations over the national question.
All the reports of this 37th ses
sion of the AU Summit did not contain any quotation or reference to the question of the Moroccan Sahara, added the Minister, who represented HM King Mohammed VI at the Summit.
Similarly, the speeches by the African Union Presidency and Commission made no reference to this issue, which falls within the exclusive remit of the UN.
The speeches by the African Union Presidency and Commission focus on the real problems of the Continent, and not on the artificial and contrived conflicts that aim to create divisions and set the continent back, said Bourita.
The 37th Summit of the African Union takes place in a context marked by several important strategic initiatives launched in recent months by HM King Mohammed VI, providing responses to several challenges facing the African continent, underlined the Minister.
In particular, the Minister cited the Royal Initiative on the African Atlantic coast, which aims to make this area an opportunity for development, peace and stability on the African continent.
This royal
initiative concerns 23 countries with an Atlantic coastline and aims to make this region a space for cooperation, coordination and development, added Bourita.
Source: Agency Morocaine De Presse
NEW York: Condemning the US vetoing of the Algerian-led draft resolution on Gaza, Ambassador and Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine Riyad Mansour stressed that: ‘The veto of this draft resolution is not only regrettable but it is also absolutely reckless and dangerous, again shielding Israel even after it commits the most shocking crimes while exposing millions of innocent Palestinian people to more untold horrors.’
Addressing the UNSC meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestine question, he said the Algerian-proposed draft resolution was brought to the Council ‘precisely’ because Israel persists with its onslaught despite near-unanimous calls by the international community for a ceasefire.
he recalled the ICJ provisional measures ordering Israel to cease all acts of genocide and incitement of genocide and ensure humanitarian access to the Palestinian people, who are facing death, starvation and repeated forced displacement ‘every day’ across Gaza.
‘It has been nearly thr
ee weeks since I last addressed the Council following the Court’s order, appealing for action to be taken to ensure the implementation of the provisional measures and ensure a ceasefire that would protect the Palestinian people and avert further ravaging of their lives by the Israeli onslaught,’ he said.
‘But our appeals have, regrettably, been to no avail,’ he added, noting that since that day, the toll has risen from 26,000 Palestinians killed to almost 30,000 – with more than 69,000 injured.
‘This means that in just the past 20 days alone, Israel has killed nearly 4,000 more Palestinian children, women and men, in just 20 days. This is a deplorable consequence of inaction,’ he stated.
Mansour said that Palestine together with an ‘unprecedented’ number of countries approached the ICJ to ‘confront the Israeli impunity that has made life a living hell for Palestinian people.’
‘Appealing for an immediate and complete end to this illegal colonial occupation and apartheid regime, the root cause of all the il
ls our people are suffering, including this genocidal war,’ he added, noting that the ICJ acted swiftly both on the case brought forward by South Africa and the request for an advisory opinion by the General Assembly.
He questioned when the Security Council would ‘finally undertake its solemn duties’ and act to demand the ceasefire that the vast majority of the world wants to see.
Source: Palestine news and Information Agency – WAFA