Algeria reaffirms support for Sahrawi self-determination at UN

Algeria has reaffirmed its commitment to a just and lasting solution for Western Sahara based on the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination. Speaking before the United Nations General Assembly’s Fourth Committee, which handles special political questions and decolonization, Algeria’s permanent representative, Amar Bendjama, characterized Western Sahara as an unfinished decolonization issue.

Bendjama noted that the territory’s legal status as a non-self-governing territory is established by UN resolutions and supported by the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion. Citing UN resolutions 1514 and 1541, he emphasized that the political status of a territory must result from the free will of its people. He asserted that no entity, including the UN Security Council, has the authority to grant sovereignty over the territory, as sovereignty resides solely with the Sahrawi people.

Regarding diplomatic efforts, Bendjama stated that negotiations should serve as a path toward resolution rather than a means to impose a predetermined outcome. He welcomed the resumption of direct negotiations between Morocco and the Polisario Front earlier this year, conducted under the joint auspices of the United Nations and the United States, noting that Algeria participated in these discussions as an observer alongside Mauritania.