World Peace Council approves SADR membership, election to Executive Committee

HANOI, Vietnam - The World Peace Council (WPC) announced from Vietnam the accession of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) and its election as a member of the Executive Committee of the organization, and reiterated its commitment to the right of the people of Western Sahara to self-determination.
In a statement, relayed Thursday by the Sahrawi news agency (SPS), the 22nd Assembly of the World Peace Council, held from 21 to 27 November in Hanoi, the WPC said: "In order to bring together more global forces in the common struggle for peace, development and progress, the WPC unanimously approved the accession of the SADR and its election as a member of the Executive Committee of the body.
In the statement, the WPC regretted the fact that "Western Sahara remains the last colony in Africa which is contrary to the current trend which is the achievement of emancipation, independence, self-determination and national sovereignty," reaffirming its "support for the right of the Sahrawi people to determine its destiny through the organization of a free and fair referendum under the auspices of the UN.
While recalling the status of SADR in the African Union (AU) as a founding member and its diplomatic relations at the international level, the World Peace Council deplored the violations of human rights of the Sahrawi people by the occupation regime and called for the "immediate release of all Sahrawi political prisoners from Moroccan prisons.
During the inaugural session held in the presence of members of the Vietnamese government, the secretary general of the CMP, Thanasis Pafilis, demanded "actions to complete the process of decolonization of Western Sahara and multiply the actions of solidarity with the Sahrawi people in their just struggle.
For her part, the President of the Council, Maria do Socorro Gomes, praised "the long and heroic struggle of the Sahrawi people for their rights.
Speaking on the occasion, the Sahrawi representative, Bulahi Mohamed Fadel, praised the "historic" commitment of the organization to just causes, especially the Sahrawi struggle against colonialism and foreign occupation. "Once again, we have been surrounded by friendly organizations from different continents, which have been firm in their support and accompaniment of the SADR," he said.
For him, "the accession of the SADR to the World Peace Council (WPC) resultss from the commitment of the Sahrawi people alongside the forces of world peace and an active and responsible contribution to the realization of common aspirations of the peoples of the world.
The 22nd Assembly of the World Peace Council brought together a hundred delegates and organizations from 53 countries to address the challenges facing humanity and present "a plan of action focused on the defense of the sovereignty of peoples, non-interference and solidarity as the only means of emancipation," added the same source.