Wartasidik.co — Accra, Ghana
The suspension, if not the expulsion, of the “SADR”, an armed group with no attributes of a sovereign State, from the African Union (AU) must not be considered as a taboo or unattainable objective, said Tuesday the participants in in a seminar held in Accra on the theme “The Imperative of Economic Recovery: How can the Resolution of the Sahara Issue Strengthen Africa’s Regional and Continental Integration?”
The participants in the event hosted by Ghanaian think tank Imani Center for Policy and Education slammed in this regard the admission into the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), then its maintenance by the AU, of a non-state entity, which has since been a source of obstructions and division.
According to the participants, the AU should correct this “cumbersome legacy” and “historical miscarriage”, says a press release by the Imani Center for Policy and Education.
Thus, the suspension, if not the expulsion, of the “SADR”, an armed group with no attributes of a sovereign State, must not be considered as a taboo or unattainable objective, they pointed out.
“Its fulfilment is not intent on being an exclusively Moroccan ambition but one that drives African States to put an end to superfluous divisions, and to stop the instrumentalization of an organization which is supposed to serve a Pan-African ideal and goal.”
The participants in the event said that political deadlocks, such as the Sahara issue, are, today, a major hindrance to Africa’s economic integration.
They highlighted in this regard the necessity of finding a realistic and definitive solution to this longstanding issue, which can only constitute a breakthrough in Africa’s regional and continental consolidation, especially in the current context, marked by the urgency induced by the COVID-19 pandemic’s economic and social repercussions.
Several participants underlined that the resolution of the Sahara issue a necessary step to enhance the continent’s economic integration, in view of its current dynamics marked by the exclusivity of the United Nations process and the pre-eminence of the Moroccan Autonomy Plan as a sincere, realistic, credible, and inclusive political solution.
In the current context, marked by the urgency of economic recovery – for the unity, the integration and the overall safety of the continent – the recent incident in Guerguerat demonstrates the need to overcome political deadlocks and unproductive ideological positions, they pointed out.
Extensively analysed by the participants, the three-week obstruction by Polisario of a vital and strategic road – connecting Europe, North Africa and Western Africa – put neighbouring countries, the region and the whole continent’s economic security at risk.
It also highlighted the importance and weight of the cooperation between Morocco and West-African countries, the source added.
Furthermore, the participants examined the solutions available to the AU to rebalance its position on the issue, and fully play its neutral role in contributing to promote a lasting solution to a dispute that has been halting the AU’s functioning as well as the continent’s overall integration.
Recognizing the current dynamic around the Sahara issue, the participants highlighted that the United Nations Security Council process could be supported by Ghana’s contribution to reach a final and realistic solution, in light of its upcoming non-permanent membership in the Security Council.
