A meeting between Algeria and South Africa to coordinate support for the Polisario

After visiting the Tindouf camps in November, a delegation from the African National Congress, the ruling party in South Africa, led by Secretary-General of the party Fikilie Mbalula, was received in Algiers. The South African delegation was welcomed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives Ibrahim Boughali.

Both parties reiterated their support for the Polisario. «On the Western Sahara issue, Mr. Mbalula recalled that his country, which maintains diplomatic relations with the Republic of Western Sahara, is willing to deploy tireless efforts to give the people of the last colony in Africa the right to self-determination,» reads a statement by the Algerian House of Representatives.

Boughali insisted «on the need of working together to help the Sahrawi people enjoy their legitimate right to self-determination, in line with the decisions of the African Union and the United Nations.»

Algeria wants the African National Congress to join the bodies supporting the Polisario. This comes following the 47th edition of the «European Conference for Support and Solidarity with the Saharawi people» (EUCOCO), held on December 1 and 2 in Toledo in Spain. 

The conference was attended by a very small number of European delegations, which forced, Algeria to send 24 parliamentarians to Toledo. The President of the Upper House, Salah Goudjil, also called for expanding the EUCOCO round table to other entities, particularly in Africa and Latin America.