Africa : Polisario allies in SADC press agenda on other members

On July 24 and 25, Tanzania became the focal point for a significant meeting of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) foreign ministers. At the close of this summit, the ministers expressed clear support for the Polisario. They «welcomed the recent signing of a memorandum of understanding between the SADC and SADR, recognizing its alignment with the UN-led process for the self-determination of Western Sahara», as stated in a press release.

To revisit earlier developments, on April 2, SADC Secretary-General Elias M. Magosi and the Polisario's representative in Botswana, Bah El Mad Abdellah, inked a memorandum of understanding. This agreement aims to «implement the decisions adopted by the SADC heads of state and government in August 2019, as well as the Declaration on the SADC Solidarity Conference with the SADR held in March 2019 in Pretoria, South Africa».

Nonetheless, this agreement faced immediate condemnation from Malawi, the Union of the Comoros, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Eswatini. These countries, members of the regional bloc, are actively seeking to distance themselves from South African influence. On the issue of the Sahara, they all acknowledge Moroccan sovereignty and have established consulates in Laayoune or Dakhla.