Brahim Ghali woos African leaders to back Sahrawi self-rule bid

Sahrawi is on a fresh charm offensive to galvanise support on the continent for its self-determination bid, with its President Brahim Ghali making a ‘state-level’ visit to South Africa.

Ghali was on Tuesday hosted by President Cyril Ramaphosa in Pretoria to discuss the unresolved 'Western Sahara question'.

Recently, Kenya – one of a minority of African states, including Uganda and Tanzania, that have recognised the claimed independence of the disputed Western Sahara region – appeared to have abandoned its long-time support for the Sahrawi people, who have rejected neighbouring Morocco’s claim on the territory.

Nairobi later clarified that it had not abandoned a decades-old policy in which it supported the African Union’s call for free self-determination of the Sahrawi people. 

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Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Macharia Kamau said Nairobi had not departed from supporting the AU call, as well as mediation programmes under the United Nations to have the people of Western Sahara decide their future.

In South Africa, Ghali, in his opening remarks following a full ceremonial state reception, including an honour guard, said his people had overcome colonial oppression only to go under the domination of another African country, Morocco.

The visit comes on the back of a longstanding 'liberation movement' relationship, and appears to be a significant political move by South Africa to reassert its voice as a leader of African liberation, continent-wide and on the international stage.

Ramaphosa met Ghali for what the two said was a ‘working visit’ at the president’s offices in the Union Buildings, Pretoria.

Ghali is a Sahrawi politician and military officer who has been president of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) since 2016, after being SADR ambassador to Algeria and Spain. 

Also Read: AU sides with Western Sahara on autonomy

The SADR, also known as Western Sahara, is located in the western Maghreb. It is recognised by 41 UN member states and claims sovereignty over the non-self-governing territory, but controls only the easternmost one-fifth of that territory.

Sahrawi (Saharaui in Spanish or Sahraoui in French) is an Arabic term meaning 'from the Sahara', or more specifically the Western Sahara. It can also mean 'from the desert' in general.

Modern-day Sahrawis are a mixed ethnic group of Arabs, sub-Saharan Africans and diverse Berbers inhabiting the westernmost Sahara Desert, in an area of modern Mauritania, Morocco, Western Sahara, and parts of Algeria.

Some 16 African states have suspended or withdrawn their prior recognition of the SADR, while another 14 African countries, including Morocco, have never recognised the ‘breakaway’ state. 

Shared history

President Ramaphosa warmly welcomed his SADR counterpart as leader of a liberation movement, similar to South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC), saying the two movements had a shared history of the struggle for the freedom of the people they represent.

“Moroccan illegal occupation of Western Sahara remains an issue of concern,” said Ramaphosa, following an hour-long private discussion with Ghali.

“Until the Sahrawi people are recognised, full liberation of Africa will be incomplete.

“South Africa stands with the Sahrawi people in their struggle.”

Ramaphosa indicated that he would be taking the SADR’s case to other African states, as well as at the G20, where his agenda was to have the AU and other African states represented in that international body.

“Small as we are, our voice is continuing to be impactful (in the international community),” said Ramaphosa.

The South African leader appeared to be responding to criticism that Pretoria had “squandered” much of its political capital in the international community by failing to condemn Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

The immediate effect of that position, reiterated in the most recent UN General Assembly vote of condemnation of Russia, in which South Africa (SA) again abstained, was Ramaphosa’s lower-level reception on his recent visit to US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

The SA leader’s treatment in Washington, which was cordial but not warm, was widely seen in diplomatic circles as a clear sign of Pretoria’s position on several international issues being seen as “increasingly irrelevant”.

Ramaphosa said Pretoria supported the efforts of the UN, and especially those of the AU, to “resolve the Western Sahara issue”.

But he was also “unrepentant” in reiterating Pretoria’s ongoing support for self-determination for the Western Saharan people, and promised to take the issue not only to the AU, but make it part of SA’s policy positions in the upcoming G20 meeting of leading economies.

Ramaphosa said that the body also should have more African representation on it, beyond SA, and that the AU itself should be represented in the G20.

Diplomats said there appeared to be a concerted effort by the Ramaphosa administration to be seen to be more “relevant” to some ongoing international problems, including the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the Western Sahara question and the Ukraine-Russia conflict, which SA has been saying should be settled through “mediation”, a position the Ukrainians have firmly rejected.

On Ghali’s arrival at the Union Buildings for the meeting, Ramaphosa was effusive in his praise and promises of ongoing support: “We welcome you to South Africa, your home away from home.”

“When the people of Western Sahara and South Africa meet, it is a gathering of one people. Our freedom and your (SADR’s) freedom are indivisible,” said Ramaphosa, adding: “We share a common history of struggle for freedom and justice.

“South Africa is unapologetic about support for the Sahrawi people who are fighting a just struggle – we were in those same trenches in fighting for our own struggle for our own freedom.”

The SA leader admitted under questioning from the media that it was “concerning” that a growing list of African states had withdrawn their recognition of the SADR as a state.

In his remarks after their discussions, Ghali said that the “Sahrawi people have long suffered from colonisation and then the same from a neighbour which rejected the international community and international law”.

“South Africa has reached its (liberation) destination, we are still on our way to our destination,” he said.

Ramaphosa, in answering media questions following the get-together, called for a “new ceasefire” after that of 1991, which had broken down, and for African states to work together towards a peaceful resolution in the region.

“The Kingdom of Morocco and the Polisario Front must meet again without preconditions towards that resolution,” added Ramaphosa, referencing UN Resolution 690 of 1991, which he said should be revisited and implemented by the international community, especially other African states.

The Polisario Front, otherwise known as the Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Río de Oro, is a politico-military organisation formed in 1973 with the purpose of ending Moroccan control of the former Spanish territory of Western Sahara.

“South Africa stands resolute and unchanged in its position and support for SADR. We assure you [of] the support of the people of South Africa,” said Ramaphosa.

Ghali accused Morocco of ongoing ceasefire violations against civilians in the disputed region, and the UN of failing in its responsibilities to help “end the suffering of the Sahrawi people, which has been going on for so long”.

“Thank you for the support for our right to freedom and sovereignty on the territory of our people,” Ghali said to Ramaphosa.

In their post-meeting comments, Ghali said the Sahrawi people “continue to be oppressed by a neighbouring country”.

“Our people have faced the invasion and occupation of our territory by another African country, and our people have continued to resist, and will continue to resist, until we gain our freedom,” he said.

“We value the steadfast solidarity of South Africa and we cannot find words to describe our gratitude.”