Bujumbura (Burundi), 19 September 2026 (SPS) – The work of the 18th session of the African Union Specialized Technical Committee on Defence, Safety and Security has concluded in the Burundian capital, Bujumbura, with the participation of a delegation from the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, which actively contributed to the various proceedings and discussions of the session.
The Sahrawi Republic participated in the session with a high-level delegation headed by the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Sahrawi People’s Liberation Army, Mr. Taleb Ami Deih, and including the Central Director and Adviser at the Ministry of National Defence, Mr. Sidi Mohamed Moulay Zein.
During the closing session, held in the presence of Defence Ministers of African Union member states, the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Sahrawi People’s Liberation Army, Mr. Taleb Ami Deih, delivered a speech in which he reaffirmed the Sahrawi Republic’s commitment to the African continental peace and security architecture, through its active contribution to the African Standby Force and its regional components, as well as by fulfilling its various related commitments.
Taleb Ami Deih renewed the Sahrawi Republic’s call on the African Union to play its role in contributing actively to the decolonization of the last colony in Africa, within the framework of respect for international law and the Constitutive Act of the African Union, as well as the principles of good-neighbourliness, peaceful coexistence, respect for borders and the sovereignty of states.
In this context, he reaffirmed the Sahrawi Republic’s determination to defend its sovereignty and uphold the inalienable right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination and independence. He stressed that achieving peace and stability in the region remains linked to enabling the Sahrawi people to exercise their right to self-determination and independence, in accordance with international legitimacy, United Nations resolutions and the charters of the United Nations and the African Union.
The Deputy Chief of Staff of the Sahrawi People’s Liberation Army also stressed the importance of African solidarity and the need to address conflicts on the continent through African mechanisms, in line with the African Union’s strategy of promoting peace, security and stability across the continent and consolidating African solutions to African issues and conflicts.
On the sidelines of the session, the Sahrawi delegation held meetings and discussions with delegations of participating countries and entities. The meetings provided an opportunity to exchange views on various issues of common interest, as well as to explore ways of strengthening cooperation and coordination in areas related to peace and security on the African continent.
