The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) has appealed to the Federal Republic of Nigeria to join the growing number of nations advocating for a referendum to determine the political status of Western Sahara.
During an official visit to Abuja, the SADR Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Mohamed Yeslem Beissat, met with Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, and also paid a courtesy visit to the National Assembly. The high-level engagements were aimed at soliciting Nigeria’s diplomatic backing for a peaceful resolution to the protracted Western Sahara crisis.
Speaking to journalists after the meetings, Minister Beissat underscored the urgent need for Morocco to respect the political will of the Sahrawi people through a United Nations-supervised referendum.
“For lasting peace in the Maghreb region, Morocco must be compelled to respect international law and allow the Sahrawi people to determine their own future,” Beissat said. “Colonial adventures are economically and politically unsustainable. Even global powers have abandoned such pursuits, recognising the human and financial costs.”
Beissat highlighted the economic burden Morocco incurs in maintaining its presence in the disputed territory, noting that the military expenditure alone constitutes between 3.5% to 4% of its GDP annually. He described Morocco’s security wall—stretching approximately 2,700 kilometres from southern Morocco to northern Mauritania—as the longest military berm in the world, guarded by over 120,000 soldiers.
He further argued that the occupation has stifled regional integration in the Maghreb, fractured relations with neighbouring countries, and complicated Morocco’s engagements with international partners, particularly the European Union and the United Nations.
“Two of our neighbours—Algeria and Mauritania—recognize the Sahrawi Republic, while Morocco remains the sole dissenting voice. This non-recognition blocks any meaningful regional cooperation,” he said.
Beissat also dismissed Morocco’s autonomy proposal for Western Sahara as a unilateral and unacceptable solution, asserting that only a free and fair referendum can guarantee peace and justice.
“No credible democracy can support a one-sided decision imposed on a people,” he added. “It is a matter of principle, of legality, and of human dignity. People must be allowed to choose their destiny.”
The call by the Sahrawi Republic aligns with the long-standing position of the African Union and United Nations, which advocate for a decolonisation process through the exercise of the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination.
