HARARE-- President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Monday met a special envoy of Sahrawi President Brahim Ghali who briefed him on the situation in the North African country which continues with its struggle to gain independence from Moroccan rule.
Sahrawi, also known as Western Sahara, has for decades been striving to gain liberation from Morocco which continues to occupy its territory after former colonial power Spain announced it had terminated its presence in the former territory of Western Sahara in 1976 without leaving a designated Administering Power in place.
Zimbabwe is one of the countries which has and continues to fully back the call for Sahrawi's independence.
Sahrawi Foreign Affairs Minister, Ouldsalek Salem told journalists here after meeting President Mnangagwa that his country was calling on the African Union (AU) and the United Nations not to relent on pressuring Morocco to end its occupation of his country.
Zimbabwe's stand is very well known and Zimbabwe's position is the same as that of the African Union. The AU Constitutive Act obliges Morocco to respect its own border and the border of its neighbour, Salem said.
We appeal to the African Union and United Nations to put more pressure on Morocco to put an end of its illegal occupation of part of our country, adding colonialism should come to an end.
Morocco must co-operate with the AU and UN and to respect that the people of Western Sahara have their own right to self determination and independence."
Morocco insists that Sahrawi is part of its territory.
Salem described relations between his country and Zimbabwe as strategic and historical. He said President Mnangagwa, who took over the reins from former President Robert Mugabe last November, also supported Western Sahara's quest for independence.
The Polisario Front and Zanu PF have a long story of co-operation, we have been fighting together against colonialism, apartheid and racism and we look forward to strengthening relations between the two countries
and governments, he said.
The UN has appointed former German President Horst KAlhler as its special envoy to Western Sahara to assist in resolving the conflict.
Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK
