In commemoration of the 45th Anniversary of the Saharawi Republic and in solidarity with “the legitimate struggle of the people of the Saharawi Republic for freedom and independence”, African movements of solidarity with the Sahrawi people organized an “African Virtual Conference on Wednesday, 24 February 2021.
The conference gathered African dignitaries and representatives of political parties, trade unions, civil society and academics from 45 countries, who not only called on the African Union to deliver on its moral and legal obligation and “impose the respect for its Constitutive Act and compel Morocco to end its illegal occupation of parts of the territory of the Saharawi Republic,” but made an honorable promise also. “We cannot, as the current generation of Africans, allow that our brothers and sisters in Western Sahara are left behind or abandoned in this struggle for freedom,” they said.
“All African countries, political parties, trade unions, civil society, NGOs, Academia, youth and women organisations and the Media to give more visibility and shed light on the heroic resistance of the African people of the Saharawi people,” the participants urged. “African governments, political parties, civil society, youth and women’s movements, trade unions, academics, media, activists and all African citizens, we must unite and build a powerful movement of solidarity for the freedom of the Saharawi people!”
In a Statement on the Virtual Conference, the participants expressed their unwavering commitment to continue to strengthen the Saharawi people, as well as support “the mobilisation to organise in December 2021, an All African Gathering for Solidarity with the people of Saharawi Republic, with plans to include an International Concert where African artists can perform in support of this humane struggle in line with the African Union Theme of 2021 as the African Year of “Arts, Culture and Heritage: a Lever for Building the Africa we want”.