Morocco and several Arab countries walked out of an Africa-Arab nations summit in Equatorial Guinea on Wednesday to protest the presence of a delegation from the Polisario Front, media reports said.
Morocco, which is a big investor in Africa, quit the fourth Africa-Arab World Summit, which focuses on economic cooperation, along with seven other Arab nations – Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Jordan and Yemen and Somalia.
The Moroccan delegation took the decision to protest “the presence of the emblem of a puppet entity in the meeting rooms”, the Moroccan foreign ministry said.
Morocco maintains that Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony under its control, is an integral part of the kingdom, while the Polisario Front, which campaigns for the territory’s independence, demands a referendum on self-determination.
The Moroccan delegation quit the one-day summit in Malabo as Rabat is attempting to rejoin the African Union which it left in 1984 — when it was then called the Organisation of African Unity — to protest the admission of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic declared by the Polisario.
In 1991, the United Nations brokered a ceasefire between the two sides.
But a promised referendum to settle the status of the vast desert territory home to half a million people has yet to materialise.
Morocco’s latest move was criticised on Equatorial Guinea’s Africa 24 network, which is close to the government.
“Morocco has partnerships with Central Africa, West Africa and Southern Africa. We cannot allow such a blow”, said one commentator.
Shiiiiiit they walked out on our president Edgar Lungu. What an embarrassment.
We told Edgar that the meeting was for ministers ans NGOs.
A repeat of the 1982 OAU Summit held in Libya, when there was an impasse over the Polisario Front again.
I don’t think Edgar even noticed!, the man goes to these meetings to get drunk
Do you know what a Summit is?
Don’t just expose your dullness just like that. The structure of meeting is a follows; Technical committees are for DG’s and PS’s, Council of Ministers is for Ministers, Summit is for Heads of State.
Twaleni ubukopo ukutali.
They were right ! Which African country would allow an entity not recognized by noone in the UN nor any arab state exept its creator Algeria… Would Nigeria accept a delegation of self proclamed biafra, would Mali accept the Azawad delegation , or maybe Algeria’s own Kabyle and Touareg movements to be accepted too; or the carpivi in Nambia or the Afrikaner back in South Africa or Barotse Patriotic Front of zambia and the list goes on and on…No A meeting like this can only be done between real countries and not puppets of corrupt military regime whos only intrest is hegemony over the AU
OR WOULD ECL ACCEPT THE PRESENCE OF CHUUNDU CHAITWA FLAG AT SUCH AN IMPORTANT MEETING
They walked out? LOL. Very inconvenient for Lungu’s PF usual lie of ”the trip was successful”. Now how are they going to lie to Tax-payers whose money they used for the trip, that the trip was very successful?
Yet State House Propaganda team is sending news of successful meetings with fictitious Arab delegates…in reality its just lazy Lungu, Kaizer and Amos drinking …
In the first place, it was a useless meeting for anyone who has important issues to attend to at home.
Lungu should be busy brain storming how to end the power shortages and improving the economy.
His Lack of priorities makes him attend every worthless meeting as long as allowances are being paid by GRZ.
Word!
He had to travel because, he was scared of HH, and the petition. It is still waiting you baba. You stole the votes.
i don’t see Lungu’s mentor’s: Mugabe, Museveni and Kagame trotting to attend meetings like he does. Magufuli is busy shaping his economy while Lungu is busy looking for travel allowances and drinking jameson
LUNGU gets about $100,000 per trip in allowances.
So expect more trips as the country wallows in load-shedding & failed economy. Why attend a seminar meant for ministers?
Did Magufuli travel to this summit?
Always comparing Lungu to Magufuli us unacceptable, its like wives comparing there husbands to the neighbor. It unfortunate Zambian political commentators must find something better.
I meant is unacceptable.
Did I hear Amos saying Lungu will establish an embassy in the UAE? Really, where is the money coming from? Can’t the ambassador in Cairo handle UAE also?When the government should be cutting expenditure it is increasing! More ministers(and supporting staff) and now more embassies! Amazing man of “vision”.
Don’t you know that we have a massive 50% saving on a very big mans salary?? We can open openany big embassies now!!!
Sometimes when heads of states attend a summit they have closed door bilateral talks hence it is not only multilateral who knows what deal the president made with another state on behalf of Zambia. Who knows may be an investor can come and open up a company that can employ thousands.
The ambassador in Cairo cannot handle UAE it has to be the mission in Ankara or Riyadh do you understand geopolitics.
More protests to come..
Polisario front is one of the founders of the African union and last African conoly by close neighbors Morocco and Mauritania . We took arms to defend two strong countries in africa and we liberated quarter of western sahara we are an African Arab nation for decades struggling for independence (Spanish occupation1884-1975) (moroccan occupation 1975-till now . United nations interfers in the conflict and Morocco begged for cease-fire in 1991 and the international community esp African union promised to apply referendum in occupied territories of western sahara and till now 25 years nothing done we are depressed and not willing to be ruled by dectators peacefully or with guns . No-one accept to be refuge or jailed in his land while the invaders bribes cheap people