African Union renews its commitment to continue to work for organization of referendum for self-determination in Western Sahara:

Kampala (Uganda), July 24, 2010: The African Union Commissioner, Mr. Jean Ping, renewed Africa's commitment to a referendum for self-determination in Western Sahara, in his report on the activities of the Commission before the 17th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council, which started Thursday in the Ugandan capital, Kampala.

According to the report, "the African Union will continue to support the efforts to resolve the conflict in Western Sahara on the basis of the Security Council and General Assembly relevant resolutions and Tripoli plan of action, which reiterated the commitment of Africa to hold a referendum of self-determination that would allow the people of Western Sahara to choose between the territory's independence or merger in the Kingdom of Morocco."

As pointed out by Mr. Jean Ping in the evaluation report between the two sessions of the Executive Council in paragraph 152 that the African Union "will continue to consult with the Secretariat of the United Nations and others concerned on the basis of the guidelines contained in the Tripoli Plan of Action."

The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) is represented in this session by a delegation led by Mr. Mohamed Salem Ould Salek, member of the National Secretariat of the Polisario Front and minister of Foreign Affairs, along with Dr. Sidi Mohamed Omar, ambassador to Ethiopia and permanent representative to the African Union and Habib Bukhris, ambassador to Uganda.

Source: (SPS)