Algeria Reiterates Steadfast Support for Sahrawi Self-Determination
President of the Council of the Nation, Azouz Nasri, has forcefully reaffirmed Algeria's steadfast support for the Sahrawi people's inalienable right to self-determination. This declaration was made during the 14th edition of the summer university for Polisario Front and Sahrawi state cadres, held at the University of Boumerdès. The event underscored the critical importance of the Sahrawi question as a matter of decolonization and international law, with discussions centered on its latest developments and the evolving regional and international political and legal landscape.
In a discourse delivered on his behalf by Ayache Djebablia, a member of the Council of the Nation, Mr. Nasri highlighted Algeria's pride, under the leadership of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, in standing alongside the Sahrawi people in their struggle for independence and the establishment of a sovereign state. He emphasized that current geopolitical shifts should not lead the international community to relegate the rights of colonized peoples to a secondary position. Mr. Nasri asserted the "imprescriptible and inalienable" nature of the right to self-determination, cautioning that any weakening of this principle, potentially through complacency towards an "occupying state," could directly impact international peace and security.
Mr. Nasri further stated that Algerian diplomacy is at the forefront of increasing international support aimed at achieving a just settlement, freely accepted by the Sahrawi people. He also criticized what was described as a "settlement colonization project" in Western Sahara and "expansionist ambitions" attributed to Morocco, suggesting these claims lack support from history and international law. The statement referenced the 1975 advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice, which he noted refutes Moroccan territorial claims over Western Sahara. Furthermore, Mr. Nasri underscored the importance of coordination between Algerian and Sahrawi parliamentarians, including within the Pan-African Parliament, to broaden support for the Sahrawi cause, counter disinformation campaigns, and strengthen parliamentary mobilization at bilateral, regional, and international levels.
