Algiers, 21 July 2025 (SPS) – Participants at the Diplomatic Forum of Solidarity with the Sahrawi People affirmed on Monday in Algiers that a referendum is the only solution capable of guaranteeing the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination.
In a statement released after their meeting at the South African Embassy, ambassadors from the 21 participating countries praised the struggle of the Sahrawi people, reiterating that "the referendum is the only solution that guarantees their right to self-determination, in accordance with the principles and Charter of the United Nations."
Emphasizing that this sixth edition of the Forum "comes in a pivotal year marking the 50th anniversary of Morocco’s invasion and military occupation of Western Sahara," they called on the international community, particularly the UN, to "fully assume its responsibility in this regard."
To this end, Forum participants issued an "urgent" and "pressing" appeal to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and his Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, to "revive, as soon as possible, the peace process in support of the Sahrawi people’s inalienable right to self-determination."
They also strongly urged the African Union (AU) to "fulfill its responsibilities as a partner of the United Nations in efforts to facilitate a definitive resolution to Africa’s last colonial remnant and establish lasting and just peace, based on the Sahrawi people’s exercise of their inalienable right to self-determination and independence."
Furthermore, they reminded Spain that it cannot indefinitely evade its international obligations as the administering power of the territory, urging it to "fully assume its historical, legal, political, and moral responsibilities regarding the decolonization of Western Sahara."
Participants also "strongly condemned the repressive practices and systematic human rights violations against defenseless Sahrawi civilians in the occupied territories."
They called on the international community to "act swiftly to secure the release of all Sahrawi civilian prisoners held in Moroccan jails," while stressing "the need to lift Morocco’s blockade and siege, as well as to immediately halt the systematic and rampant plundering of Western Sahara’s natural resources."
They welcomed the rulings of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) and the historic decision of the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights, which unequivocally affirm the Sahrawi people’s permanent sovereignty over their natural resources.
On another note, ambassadors from countries standing in solidarity with Western Sahara highlighted "the crucial role of media in raising awareness about the Sahrawi issue to mobilize international support for the Sahrawi people’s just struggle for independence."
They also expressed gratitude to Algeria for its "steadfast position" in support of just causes and reaffirmed their commitment to "further strengthen all forms of cooperation and coordination to promote peace, security, stability, and prosperity in the region."
In a press statement, South Africa’s Ambassador to Algeria, Ndumiso Ntshinga, announced that a coordination committee would convene "very soon" to review all issues discussed at the Forum and translate them into concrete actions.
For his part, the Ambassador of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) to Algeria, Khatri Addouh, insisted that a self-determination referendum remains the only solution to end the conflict in Western Sahara, stressing that "any proposal that disregards UN resolutions on this matter is unacceptable."
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