African Union Summit: Algeria Urges Morocco-Western Sahara Dialogue to Resolve Conflict

"The failure of the ceasefire following the violation of an agreement in force since 1991 and the dangerous escalation of the conflict in Western Sahara is only the result of decades of blocking policies and systematic slowing down of settlement plans, circumvention of the negotiation process and recurring attempts to impose fait accompli in the territory of a founding member state of the AU," he observed.

After recalling that the "SADR" and Morocco are members of the AU, the Algerian president "invited the two states to engage in direct and serious talks, under the auspices of the AU and the UN, to reach a new ceasefire agreement, and to bring together the necessary conditions to allow the Sahrawi people to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination".

He also called on the two parties to "advocate dialogue and show wisdom to relaunch the conflict settlement process that has lasted too long, by guaranteeing the Sahrawi people the right to a decent life within the framework of freedom, security and stability, and thus contribute to the realization of the aspirations of all our peoples to progress, unity and integration".

The Algerian Head of State also asked the AU to request the UN Secretary-General to appoint his representative in Western Sahara, and invited the United Nations organization to give, with the support of the AU, to the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), "orders to deal with human rights violations in Western Sahara".