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Nduduzo Tshuma recently in Pretoria, South Africa
SADC has reaffirmed its commitment to the cause of the people of Western Sahara and called for a raft of measures to expedite the de-colonisation of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR).

SADR has been colonised by Morocco since 1975.

In a declaration after the Sadc Solidarity Conference with the SADR in Pretoria, South Africa, on Monday and Tuesday, the regional bloc urged Morocco to adhere to the principles of the African Union Constitutive Act, especially the need to respect colonial borders as they existed at the time of independence.

Sadc also emphasised the centrality of the AU to the resolution of the conflict over the SADR, calling on Morocco and the POLISARIO Front — a movement pushing for the independence of SADR — to engage faithfully in fresh negotiations towards the freedom of Africa’s last colony.

Besides the Sadc member states, the declaration was also signed by heads of state or representatives of like-minded nations outside the bloc, representatives of African liberation movements and political parties and civil society organisations and other institutions.

The declaration also called for the unconditional implementation of all UN resolutions and AU decisions on Western Sahara that lead to a positive, peaceful and permanent solution to the Western Sahara issue.

The regional bloc further reiterated its: “support for the regional, continental and international efforts to advance the cause of solidarity with Western Sahara among its member states, African civil society and the international community”.

The bloc urged the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to expand the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara to include monitoring the human rights situation in Western Sahara in a bid to end impunity, violations and abuse.

In the declaration, Sadc urges, “the international community to continue to provide humanitarian relief in Western Sahara and the refugee camps in Algeria”.

Sadc called for an end to any further exploitation of Western Sahara’s natural resources by taking into account the UN Legal Counsel’s opinion of February 2002 that such activity violated international law unless there was expressed consent by the Sahrawi people.

The regional bloc said such exploitation undermines the future reconstruction and development of Western Sahara and its potential to become a viable State.

It also called on the AU to ensure that the SADR conflict be made a standing item on the agenda of the AU Summit at which regular reports should be presented.

Sadc also called on the, “UN and the AU to immediately put in place a monitoring mechanism aimed at stopping the exploitation of SADR’s resources.

“The mechanism should have penalties and other remedial measures to address any breaches of the moratorium on the exploitation of the Western Sahara resources.”

Sadc recommended that the regional economic communities and regional mechanisms under the AU use their institutional relations with the European Union to raise the issue of SADR.

It called for the respect of international humanitarian law and support for the provision of humanitarian assistance to the SADR refugees.

Speaking at the solidarity conference on Tuesday, President Mnangagwa said African leaders cannot continue to fail the people of the SADR and should unrelentingly persist to make clarion calls to the world that enough is enough.

President Mnangagwa said the liberation of SADR should top the continent’s priorities.