The Saharawi Movement for Peace asks the UN to include it in the process of negotiating a solution for the Sahara
The Saharawi Movement for Peace has expanded its proposal to negotiate with Morocco concrete measures to give substance to the autonomy proposed by Rabat at the United Nations as a formula for achieving a credible, truthful and acceptable to all for the Sahara conflict, asks for international recognition and for the UN to include him in the negotiations as a representative of the Sahrawis.
In the Declaration of Dakar, emanating from the debates and interventions at the II International Conference on the Sahara, for dialogue and for Peace, organized by the MSP with the collaboration of the African Center of Strategic Intelligence for Peace (C.I.S. Paix) and where, in its second session, the MSP presented the Declaration of Dakar. Paix) and where at its second session personalities from Nigeria, Senegal, Chile, France and Spain, among others, intervened in support, the Saharawi political movement asks the United Nations for its special envoy for the Sahara, Steffan de Mistura to promote a new round of negotiations with all the parties and that the SPM be included at the negotiating table for having obtained over the years the support and rebirth of thousands of Saharawis, among others, tribal leaders of the different regions, including a letter sent from the Tindouf camps in Algeria.
Global Saharawi representation
The MSP has succeeded in gathering in Dakar a global representation of the Saharawis, demonstrating its capacity of representation and its readiness to stand in an electoral process so that the Saharawis can elect their representatives as an alternative to the exclusivist position of the Polisario Front. The MSP claims to be recognized as a relevant political actor in the representation of the Saharawis to the governments of the region such as Morocco and Algeria, and influential countries such as the United States, France and Spain.
The Declaration also contains the concrete and detailed plan with the main aspects to be negotiated with Morocco in order to give a definite content to the most relevant issues of how to organize the institutions and services for the citizens. The MSP recognizes the King's power in matters of Defense, Interior, Foreign Affairs and Religion and proposes an agreement for the management of the rest of the sectors.
Tribute to Colonel Ortiz
The conference paid a well-deserved and heartfelt homage to the late Colonel of the Civil Guard, Miguel Angel Ortiz Asin, founder of the Canary Saharawi Forum and one of the Spanish personalities who knew the Saharawi reality, having dealt with representatives of all the tribes during his long career in the Sahara.
The Canarian professor Rafael Esparza was in charge of pronouncing a few words of remembrance, a compilation of the work done by Colonel Ortiz, now maintained by his son Ignacio Ortiz, and received a tribal baton of respect and recognition from the hands of the first secretary of the Saharawi Movement for Peace, Hach Ahmed Bericalla.
DECLARATION OF DAKAR. Full text.
The Movement "Saharawi for Peace" (MSP) has organized with the collaboration of the African Center of Strategic Intelligence for Peace (C.I.S.Paix) the II International Conference for dialogue and peace in Western Sahara in Dakar (Senegal) on October 27-28, 2023. This time it has been chosen the capital of a great country whose name and its people have always been a reference for democracy, tolerance and coexistence on the African continent.
Senegal, with its glorious past and radiant present, is an icon of the most sublime human values. This is reflected in the weight and prestige of the Senegal of the 21st century and is also reflected in the works and universal poetry of President Leopold Sedar Sengor whose ideas and reflections marked the African post-colonial thought; a heritage that inspires us Saharawis and encourages us to dream and fight for a future of peace and prosperity.
Three years ago, the MSP began this journey, in the midst of the pandemic ravaging the world. Its founders and activists decided to take this step armed by faith in the need and urgency to seek a peaceful solution, far from the roar of weapons and the blood trails of war; a solution that would allow our people to emerge from the dark tunnel into which foreign interests and political projects dragged them. With this, many Saharawis experienced a new awakening and decided to join in and not to waste any more opportunities for peace. Today the Saharawis glimpse a new opportunity and want to grasp it with strength because they are convinced that there is no other way to be masters of their destiny, to return to the land, enjoy its wealth and build a future.
The work is just beginning and as we announced last year in the 'Manifesto of the Canary Islands' we are convinced that to achieve our goal we must dissociate our fate from radicalism and destructive utopias, leave behind the dark memories and bitter experiences of a journey to nowhere on which we embarked half a century ago.
We Saharawis cannot resign ourselves to doom. Our future is in our hands and to make it a reality we must face the challenges and adversities with common sense and pragmatism. At the Canary Islands Conference we sowed the first seeds of hope and optimism. We decided to leave the mirages behind, betting on the possible solution and presenting the bases for a peaceful settlement with the Kingdom of Morocco, to which we invited all Saharawis, even those who are at the antipodes of our political and ideological point of view.
The holding of the 2nd International Conference for Dialogue and Peace in Dakar and the presence there of a large delegation of notables of the Saharawi traditional authority, an institution known for the virtues of prudence and wisdom, is a sign that we are on the right track. To all of them our most sincere gratitude, inviting them to accompany and advise us on this journey towards a new dawn of peace, tranquility and prosperity for the Saharawis.
Our thanks also to the numerous statesmen, politicians and experts from Africa, Latin America and Europe who accompanied us on this occasion and whose presence proves beyond doubt that our discourse in favor of peace and against war finds attentive ears in all corners of the world. To all of them and through them to their governments, political parties and institutions, we ask for their understanding and support so that peace, harmony and coexistence may reign again as soon as possible among the peoples and nations of Northwest Africa.
We have taken note of the advice and suggestions recommended by the wise men and women who have spoken at this conference. The march for peace began on April 22, 2020, when we decided to found the MSP. But to go faster, we believe it is necessary and essential to promote initiatives that will shorten the journey towards the end of the dispute and the definitive change for our people and put an end to suffering and wars.
- To support "Sahrawis for Peace" in its effort to consolidate itself as the necessary "third way" as evidenced by its clear and defined road map, its moderate approach and its realistic proposal in order to reach a peaceful solution in which there are no winners and no losers. We must convince together those who still insist on the "guerrilla" method, sending to certain death young people desperate for poverty and lack of horizons, to think again and turn away from the path of suicide. The Polisario, which we have invited, has refused for the second time our invitation to dialogue, ignoring that the title of "single representations and parties" has been buried with the penultimate totalitarianisms of the last century.
- To create African platforms for peace support, composed of intellectuals, politicians and experts from various countries to support the efforts of the African Union and the United Nations.
- To mobilize in Europe and Latin America so that the Movement consolidates itself as a "third way" and can contribute to the peaceful solution of the problem.
- To urge the UN Secretary General to persuade his Personal Envoy to invite and include in the political process our Saharawi Movement for Peace, as well as the representatives of the Saharawi traditional authority, represented by their notables or shiujs.
- Urge the governments of influential countries, particularly the United States, Spain or the European Union to recognize the Saharawi Movement for Peace as a necessary interlocutor in the search for a peaceful solution to the Sahara problem and advise the Special Envoy for Western Sahara, Stefan De Mistura to explore other ways and democratize the political process by incorporating other actors such as new political currents, members of the traditional authority and representatives of civil society.
- To welcome the initiative concerning the creation of the "Saharawi Commission for Dialogue and Peace" which will be constituted following this Dakar Conference, composed of representatives of various political currents and notables of the territory, as well as of the Saharawi refugee camps. It should be recalled that the creation of this committee was one of the proposals of the 1st Conference, held last year in Las Palmas. So we have to put it into practice immediately.
- To ask the Moroccan authorities, in case the peace efforts and the mission of Stefan de Mistura do not succeed because of the intransigence of the other parties, to open channels of dialogue with the Saharawi Commission for Dialogue and Peace in order to explore the possibilities of a definitive agreement, whose starting point would be the autonomous proposal of 2007 as a starting point for a compromise solution.
- To thank the Senegalese authorities and the African Center for Strategic Intelligence for their collaboration in the organization and development of the Conference in the best conditions and whose resolutions and recommendations will be included in what will be called from now on "THE DAKAR DECLARATION".
Dear friends, these are the foundations on which we must build the future in the face of those who, with their actions and words, contribute to the perpetuation of the dispute and to the suffering of coexistence. No more division, no more discord, no more misunderstanding between families.
We call on everyone, without exception, to join us on the road to peace. We said it last year and we repeat it this year: ours is a story of struggle against adversity, a story of overcoming. It is a story of collective effort, that of the people of the desert, who have reason to believe that they still have time to put an end to this misfortune, before this misfortune puts an end to them.
You, us, all together we have the power to make this change possible, the realm of possibilities is within all of us, it is our duty to achieve it. In order to make this free and beautiful life a wonderful bet for the future.
Thank you very much.
Dakar, October 28, 2023