Fernando Pérez, Vice Minister of Consular and Institutional Management, conveyed this message to the SADR Ambassador to Bolivia, Ahmed Salem Mohamed Ahmed, during an event this Tuesday at the Simón Rodríguez Cultural Center of the Venezuelan Embassy.
The evening was attended by the ambassadors of Cuba, Iran, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Russia, as well as diplomatic representatives from other Latin American countries.
In his words, Pérez confirmed Bolivia's friendly and cooperative relations with the people and authorities of the SADR, as well as the firm commitment of the government of the South American country to further deepen cooperation and bilateral relations.
For his part, Salem Mohamed thanked his Venezuelan counterpart César Trómpiz and the entire team of this embassy for their support in holding the commemoration event.
While thanking President Arce for his message, he recalled that the highland country recognized the SADR on December 14, 1982 and the two sister states have maintained diplomatic relations and continuous contacts since then.
As part of these ties, he emphasized, in addition to meetings at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, visits by Sahrawi leaders to Bolivia are also taking place.
He recalled that on February 27, 1976, the Sahrawi people proclaimed the SADR and after 15 years of cruel armed confrontation between the Sahrawi army and the Moroccan occupiers, the United Nations and African Unity approved a peace process.
He indicated that it was accepted by both parties: the Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguía el Hamra and Río de Oro (Polisario) and Morocco.
As part of the so-called peace plan, the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (Minurso) was created in 1991, which envisaged the implementation of this consultation within a period of 12 months and the declaration of a ceasefire within this period. .
However, the ambassador stressed: “After 30 years of multiple maneuvers by the Moroccan occupiers, which led to the failure to organize the self-determination referendum, and the lack of pressure from the UN Security Council, a new situation of instability has emerged in the region.”
He noted that Moroccan forces attacked unarmed Sahrawi civilians peacefully demonstrating against repression in the occupied territories in Guergarat, southeast of Western Sahara.
In addition, a wall was built in the area, which was a violation of the ceasefire and the start of the war on November 13, 2020, in which the occupiers suffered human and material losses, affecting the economy and social instability of Morocco .
jha/jpm