Ambassador Bendjama Reaffirms Sahrawi Right to Self-Determination at UN
Algeria's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Amar Bendjama, addressed the 4th Commission of the UN General Assembly on Special Political and Decolonization, forcefully reaffirming the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination. He emphasized the necessity of a just and durable solution that is not imposed, underscoring Algeria's steadfast diplomatic position on the matter. Mr. Bendjama highlighted that the question of Western Sahara remains an unresolved issue of decolonization, a status recognized and listed by the United Nations as a non-self-governing territory.
In his statement, Ambassador Bendjama detailed the legal framework supporting this stance, referencing resolutions 1514 and 1541 of the General Assembly. These resolutions enshrine the principle that the political status of a territory must emerge from the free will of its people, a concept further reinforced by the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice. He stressed that negotiations between the parties should serve as a process leading to a solution, rather than a means to impose a predetermined outcome, thus upholding the fundamental principles of decolonization.
Algeria, along with Mauritania, participated as an observer in direct negotiations between Morocco and the Polisario Front, which resumed earlier this year under the joint auspices of the United Nations and the United States. Ambassador Bendjama also cautioned against calls for the Sahrawi people to abandon their aspirations for freedom and dignity in the name of pragmatism. He further warned against the politicization of humanitarian aid, recalling that the work of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has always been respected for its focus on assisting those in suffering, free from political calculations.
