Joint Communiqué on the occasion of the State Visit by HE Mr Brahim Ghali, President of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic, to the Republic of South Africa. 18 October 2022
1. On 18 October 2022, President Ramaphosa received the President of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic, H.E. er Brahim Ghali, on a State Visit to South Africa.
2. During their discussions, the two Heads of State reviewed matters of mutual bilateral, continental and international interest. The two Presidents further expressed satisfaction at the level of cooperation, friendship and solidarity built during their common struggle against apartheid, colonialism and foreign occupation that bind the two countries.
3. The Government of the Republic of South Africa and the Government of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic, as member states of the African Union, in recognition of the inalienable rights of the Saharawi people to Self-determination and Freedom, and with reference to the Memorandum of Understanding between the two Governments on Diplomatic Consultations signed on 21 June 2013, affirmed their commitment to solidify and strengthen ties of friendship, mutual trust and shared values of freedom, democracy, justice and solidarity.
4. The two Heads of State of the respective Parties encouraged the expansion of technical missions and Institutional capacity-building projects to include the fields of Higher Education and Training, Science and Technology, Arts and Culture, Youth and Women Capacity Building and Diplomatic Training. The Presidents particularly highlighted the importance of empowering the youth and women.
5. The two Heads of State encouraged senior officials in the respective Ministries of Foreign Affairs to coordinate efforts in those fields towards achieving the intended objectives, and to facilitate the implementation thereof.
6. Both Heads of State emphasised the need for SADR and the Kingdom of Morocco, as Member States of the AU, to engage in dialogue to overcome the current political impasse. This would prepare conditions for a just and durable solution to the conflict, in line with the relevant AU-UN decisions and resolutions and the objectives and principles of the Constitutive Act of the African Union, as well as the decisions of the 14th Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of the AU on Silencing the Guns in Africa.
7. The two Presidents emphasised the joint responsibility of the African Union and the United Nations as the two guarantors of the Settlement Plan of 1991 that paved the way for a peaceful solution after 16 years of war between the two parties.
8. The two Heads of State expressed the hope that Mr Staffan de Mistura, the UN Secretary General’s Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, will prioritise the resumption of a political process to support the two parties, being the Kingdom of Morocco and the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic, in negotiations towards the holding of a free and fair referendum on the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.
9. Both Heads of State call upon the UN Security Council to ensure that MINURSO executes its core mandate, which was primarily created to facilitate the holding of a referendum in Western Sahara to enable its people to realise their right to self-determination. MINURSO should be given the mandate for monitoring, protecting and reporting on Human Rights, and protecting the natural resources from illegal exploitation.
10. The two Heads of State concluded their engagement by reiterating their resolve to further develop their bilateral relations and deepen their foreign policy coordination at regional and international levels.
11. The President of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic expressed the sincere appreciation of his Government and people to the Government and people of the Republic of South Africa for the unwavering support of the just cause of the Saharawi people, as well as South Africa’s valuable interventions regarding the plight of the Saharawi in multilateral bodies, in particular, the Southern African Development Community, the African Union and the United Nations.
12. President Ghali expressed gratitude to President Ramaphosa for the invitation to visit South Africa and for the warm hospitality accorded to him and his delegation during his visit.
DONE in Pretoria on 18 October 2022
ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION
OR Tambo Building
460 Soutpansberg Road
Rietondale
Pretoria
0084