The Chairperson of the African Union (AU), the President of the Republic of South Africa, Mr Cyril Ramaphosa, said on Thursday he has been made aware of the growing tension between the Western Sahara and Morocco, arising from a dispute on the buffer zone.
President Ramaphosa said he has asked the two countries to ease tensions and return to the negotiations, urging all the parties to uphold the Settlement Plan, which provides for “a cease-fire” and the holding of a referendum for the people of Western Sahara to exercise their right to self-determination.
President Ramaphosa also called upon the United Nation’s Secretary-General to urgently appoint a Special Envoy to the Western Sahara to address all the underlying causes of tensions and assist with finding lasting peace in that region.