Flags of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Photo: File photo courtesy of HispanTV.
On Thursday, August 18, the government of Peru announced the rupture of all relations with the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, alleging the absence of effective links between the two countries.
“Because there is no effective bilateral relationship to date, the government of the Republic of Peru has decided to withdraw its recognition of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) and break all relationships with this entity,” reported Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The announcement came after a telephone conversation between Peruvian Foreign Minister Miguel Ángel Rodríguez Mackay and his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita. Rodríguez Mackay stressed that the decision has been made in full respect of international law and the resolutions of the UN on the Sahara issue.
The conflict in Western Sahara has been ongoing since the Polisario Front, the representatives of the liberation movement of the SADR, launched an armed struggle against Spanish colonial forces in 1973, seeking independence and national sovereignty for the Sahrawi people. The Polisario Front has resisted occupation by Mauritania and the Kingdom of Morocco and is recognized by the UN as the legitimate representative of the Sahrawi people. The UN also emphasized that the Sahrawi people have a right to self-determination.
Comunicado Oficial del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores. pic.twitter.com/yXBWEHyYKM
— Cancillería Perú🇵🇪 (@CancilleriaPeru) August 18, 2022
However, the text of the Peruvian resolution indicates Lima “respects the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Morocco and its national sovereignty,” as well as the plan of creating an autonomous zone within Morocco for the SADR in order to resolve this regional dispute.
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In September of 2021, the governments of Peru and the SADR relaunched their diplomatic relations and reaffirmed their respect for the principle of self-determination of peoples and international law. The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, founded in 1976, was recognized in 1984 by the Administration of Peruvian President Fernando Belaunde (1980-1985), but diplomatic relations were suspended in 1996 during the regime of Alberto Fujimori (1990-2000). The decision by the government of Peru to break relations with the SADR undermines UN recognition of the nation and opposes support for the self-determination of previously colonized peoples.
(HispanTV) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/KZ/KW/EF
