By Prensa Latina
Havana : Cuba expressed solidarity with the struggle of the people of the Saharan Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) for their right to self-determination and independence, the newspaper Granma reported on Saturday.
During the recently-held 12th National Congress of the POLISARIO Front, Cuba expressed its solidarity with the people of that North African country.
That stance is in tune with the support offered during the 14th Non-Aligned Movement Summit for the efforts of the UN secretary general to reach a political solution that envisages that people’s free determination, the document said.
“The Saharan people and its legitimate and only representative, the POLISARIO Front, are determined to achieve self-determination and independence,” added the newspaper, recalling that their struggle enjoys international support.
Granma added that the United Nations, as a guarantor of the Saharan people’s rights, must act energetically to find a solution to the impasse and demand that Morocco respect and comply with the UN resolution on Western Sahara.
During the POLISARIO congress, some 250 foreign guests, representatives of political parties, movements and progressive organizations, mainly from Africa, Latin America and Europe, expressed support for the Saharan people’s cause.
More than 1,700 delegates said in a final declaration that the POLISARIO Front would participate in the third round of direct negotiations, scheduled for Monday in New York.
However, the document warned that if talks fail, hostilities may be resumed, so it urged Morocco not to miss this opportunity to reach just and definite peace.
The meetings, held in June and August 2007, are based on Resolution 1754, approved by the UN Security Council on April 30, 2007.
The Saharan people’s cause is one of the most progressive in the world: it is the only African colony. The United Nations has repeatedly demanded a solution to the over-30-year-long conflict, Granma stressed.