SA parties slate AU over Morocco

Sahrawi people suffering under its occupation

THE ANC, SACP and EFF have rejected the African Union’s decision to readmit Morocco into the organisation after more than three decades in isolation.

The parties said yesterday this decision flew in the face of the occupation of Western Sahara by Morocco.

ANC head of international relations Edna Molewa said that out of 54 members of the AU, only those from southern Africa had opposed the readmission of Morocco. A majority of 39 states backed the readmission.

The ANC has close ties with the Polisario Front of Western Sahara, and in January, President Jacob Zuma hosted his counterpart from Western Sahara, Brahim Ghali.

The independence of Western Sahara from Morocco is a long-standing call of the ANC.

Molewa said the decision was regrettable and the ANC hoped the readmission of Morocco would not lead to the matter of Western Sahara being swept under the carpet at the AU.

“The ANC notes that this decision paves the way for the Kingdom of Morocco to take its place among the community of nations and enjoy the benefits of AU members, while the Sahrawi people continue to suffer under an unjust occupation of their ancestral land,” Molewa said.

“By readmitting Morocco the AU is tacitly endorsing the long-standing occupation of Western Sahara. Morocco has to date failed to comply with successive UN resolutions on the issue of Western Sahara, most importantly the holding of a referendum on self-determination.”

The countries that opposed readmission were those led by former liberation movements, and they included South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana and Algeria, she added.

Molewa said the decision was a setback for Western Sahara to gain its independence and that it remained Africa’s last remaining colonial outpost.

The SACP said it was shocked by the decision and pledged solidarity with the people of Western Sahara.

The decision was regressive and wrong and the AU owed the continent an explanation.

“First of all it is a blatant violation of the AU’s Constitutive Act, in particular the principle for African countries to respect each other’s territorial borders,” said the SACP.

“Western Sahara was never part of Morocco – the latter is colonially occupying the former. An end to the illegal occupation should have been an inviolable precondition for the admission of Morocco to the AU,” said the party.

The EFF also rejected the decision of the AU to readmit Morocco.

EFF spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi said this decision contradicted Africa’s stance against colonialism.

“The AU resolved to accept Morocco’s application but failed to address a fundamental objection as to what happens to the continued subjugation of the people of Western Sahara by the very same Kingdom of Morocco,” he added.

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It’s a blatant violation of AU’s Constitutive Act