President Cyril Ramaphosa, chairperson of the African Union (AU), has been made aware of the growing tensions between Western Sahara and Morocco as a result of a dispute over the buffer zone.
In a statement Thursday, the president asked the two countries to ease tensions and return to negotiations.
He called on all parties to uphold the settlement plan, which provides for a ‘ceasefire’ and the holding of a referendum for the people of Western Sahara, to exercise their right to self-determination.
President Ramaphosa also called on the Secretary-General of the United Nations to urgently appoint a special envoy in Western Sahara to address all the underlying causes of tensions and help bring lasting peace to the region. to find.
Bombing
Meanwhile, South Africa has condemned the bombing of World War I Cemetery in Saudi Arabia.
“The South African government has strongly condemned the calculated and cowardly terrorist attack on a World War I cemetery in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where representatives and diplomats from various countries held a commemorative ceremony marking the end of the First World War. joined the international community on Wednesday 11 November 2020, ”said the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO).
Several people of different nationalities, who attended the commemoration of the memorial day, were injured in the attack.
DIRCO Minister Dr Naledi Pandor dismissed the fact that the attack was carried out on a day when countries paid tribute to the members of their armed forces who died in the fight for freedom during the First World War .
She added that South Africa claims that terrorism in all its forms cannot be approved, and continues to advocate for the total isolation and extermination of all terrorist groups.
In this regard, South Africa supports all efforts to combat terrorism by the international community, including Saudi Arabia’s positions against terrorism and extremism.
The Minister wished that those injured in the attack recovered quickly.