Africa
ON Saturday, January 28, 2023, the signatories of the ” Solemn Appeal for the expulsion of the pseudo-” sadr ” from the African Union “, known as the “Tangier Appeal”, met in Marrakech, on the occasion of their First Follow-up Meeting of the “Tangier Appeal”.
During this meeting, the signatories reiterated their full commitment to work together and in coordination for the exclusion of this non-state entity, the so-called “sadr”, from the African Union.
The African Ministers and Prime Ministers also considered that this exclusion should in no way be considered as a taboo or as an unattainable objective, as it is part of a favorable continental and international dynamic, where realism and pragmatism prevail, and since it represents an essential prerequisite for the return of the impartiality and credibility of the Pan-African Organization on the Sahara Issue.
Based on the various recommendations of the Pan-African Intellectual Campaign on the stakes of the African Union in the light of the Sahara Issue, debated during five sub-regional seminars, organized between May and October 2021, in Nouakchott, Dakar, Accra, Dar Es Salaam and Kinshasa, the signatories of the “Solemn Appeal for the expulsion of the pseudo-“sadr” from the African Union”, debated a draft “White Book” and adopted it unanimously, after having made their valuable contributions.
This « White Book », entitled « The African Union and the Sahara Issue – Final deliverable of a deep and inclusive Pan-African Intellectual Reflection » the culmination of the Pan-African Campaign and a faithful reflection of the meetings and debates held.
The signatories of this appeal noted, with great satisfaction, the participation as new signatories of the “Tangier Appeal,” of the following personalities from the Republic of the Gambia, the Kingdom of Lesotho and the Republic of Madagascar :
S.E.M. Lamin Kaba Badjo, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of The Republic of Gambia; S.E.M. Lesego Makgothi, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Lesotho; S.E.M. Patrick Rajoelina, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Madagascar.
This “White Book” develops an irrefutable factual and legal argument; it is a legal and political reference document, which materializes a vision of a united Africa and of a renewed Pan-Africanism, far from the ideologies of another era. This “White Book” is a advocacy paper, and its executive summary is made public as an attachment to this release, of which the following are the top 10 considerations:
The “sadr”, imposed on the only OAU/AU, is not a state entity since it does not conform any of the qualifying attributes of a “state,”
The “sadr”, installed on Algerian territory, is subject to a higher sovereignty, the one of Algeria,
The “sadr” is a non-state entity with no international legal responsibility,
The admission of the “sadr” to the OAU is a legal power move in flagrant violation of its Charter,
The admission of the “sadr” to the OAU took place in a particular context, at a time when the continent was in the grip of various ideological currents that are now obsolete,
By admitting the “sadr”, the OAU has prejudged, in all partiality, the outcome of a process, described as a “regional solution,”
The presence of the “sadr” within the OAU and then the AU has distanced the organization from the treatment of the Sahara Issue,
Decision 693 (XXXI) taken by the AU at the Nouakchott Summit in July 2018 attests to the exclusivity of the UN process in finding a “just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution.”
The “sadr”, which is ineffective because of its non-state nature, adds no value to the AU and is divisive rather than unifying,
The presence of the “sadr” within AU, a non-state emanation of an armed separatist group, illustrates the institutional vulnerability of the organization and represents an undeniable brake on regional and continental economic integration.
It is important to note that the “Tangier Appeal” was signed by the personalities listed in the appendix to this press release.
A.I
Tags: African Union
