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The SADC gathering has the backing of the African Union that last year accepted the kingdom into its ranks.

Initial signs from Rabat are that it will continue to be an up hill battle getting it to meets its promise to have a referendum of the Saharawi people on self determination.

Morocco has organized its own meeting to coincide with the SADC summit.

It rejects the African Union’s pressing interest in Western Sahara, preferring the United Nations where it has been able to spin out matters for decades.  

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On a five-nation Southern African tour, Ghali’s stopped in Pretoria to thank Cyril Ramaphosa for the political and humanitarian support.

In an exclusive interview with EyeWitness News, Saharawi President Ebrahim Ghali says Morocco joining the continental body enables African Union members to apply increasing pressure on it to end its 43-year occupation of Western Sahara.

Morocco, which doing the bidding of multi-national companies seeking to exploit Saharawi fish, phosphates, iron ore, gold and possibly uranium, hopes to undermine the founding-member status of the territory it annexed.

The AU realizes,  however, that pandering to the wishes of a colonial occupier would undermine its credibility and make it look ridiculous. 

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However the Kingdom’s aspiration to be an AU member while still occupying his country will remain a hot potato for the 54-member union.

President Brahim Ghali, who was a guest of his South African counterpart Jacob Zuma, says in an exclusive interview with Eyewitness News, that the Western Sahara’s continued membership of the African Union  has the support of two thirds of it members.

It is also guaranteed in the AU constitution.

However he believes Morocco, funded by Gulf State and supported by former French colonies in Africa,  will persist in its efforts to achieving its exclusion, so that it can join the AU without ending its 42-year-occupation of Western Sahara.

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They were speaking after talks in Pretoria. Gali has been invited on a working visit to South Africa and to attend the 105th anniversary celebrations of the African National Congress.

President Jacob Zuma reiterates South Africa’s unwavering support for the right to self determination of the Saharawi people who’ve been under Moroccan occupation since 1975.

Morocco’s wish to  join the African Union is governed by its willingness to abide by the continental body’s constitutive act.

“This the decision of the AU. It is not a questio of one country’s stance,” said Zuma

Morocco cannot hope for admission while it occupies and refused to recognise an AU member.

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President Brahim Ghali will be here on Friday.

President Brahim Gali took control of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic  after the death last year of President Mohamed Abdelaziz.

South Africa is one of the staunchest supporters SADR who’s occupation by Morocco is regarded as Africa’s last colonial issue.

Western Sahara has moved back into the African spotlight with Morocco seeking admission to the AU.

It quit the continental body’s predecessor when the OAU recognized Western Sahara.

President Jacob Zuma’s expected to reassure Gali that Morocco will not be admitted to the AU until it has kept its promise to give the Saharawi people a referendum on self-determination.

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Morocco’s decision to build a road in the buffer zone with the area its occupies illegally has caused armed clashes with Saharawi fighters.

A ceasefire negotiated in 1991 between Morocco and the armed wing of the Saharawi people, the Polisario Front ended 17 years of fighting following Morocco’s invasion and occupation of the territory.

That truce has been monitored by a UN force known as MINURSO.

Morocco has several times reneged on promises to allow the Saharawi people to determine their future by way of a referendum.

Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic President Jatri Adduh has expressed his disquiet to the United Nations Security Council about Morocco’s failure to make any progress on this as ordered in a resolution by the UN powerhouse in April.

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United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed deep concern over the situation and urged  both sides to stand by the commitments they made in in 1991.

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After illegally occupying the Western Sahara in 1976, Morocco built a sand wall to keep the Polisario Front fighters at bay.

Now armed units from both sides have been inserted and started patrolling close to each other.

The United Nations has failed to get Morocco to keep its promise to allow the Saharawi a referendum to decide on their future.

Now its proving unable to get the warring sides to maintain the status quo.

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His death comes at a sensitive time for his country that’s been illegally occupied by Morocco for more than 40 years.

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The Saharawi  Republic’s declared 40 days of mourning following the death of Mohamed Abdelaziz.

Algeria, which houses the administration in exile of that country, has declared a week of mourning.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has expressed his sadness at Abdelaziz’s passing and called him a central figure in the search for a settlement of the Western Sahara dispute.

Ban’s  infuriated Morocco by referring to its occupation of the territory.

It’s expelled part of a United Nations peace-keeping mission deployed in Western Sahara since a ceasefire in the war between Moroccan invaders and the Polisario Front in 1991.

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He says Abdelaziz committed his life to the struggle for the independence of the Saharawi people from colonialism.

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President Jacob Zuma’s tribute to his Saharawi counterpart refers to Mohamed Abdelaziz’s fight against Spanish colonialism followed the invasion of his country by Morocco that has occupied it for more than 40 years.

Zuma says South Africa remains committed to continue supporting the inalienable right to self-determination of the people of Western Sahara through the UN-led negotiations and with the support of the African Union.

South Africa’s establishing diplomatic ties with the Western Sahara led Morocco to withdraw its ambassador to Pretoria and its refusal to join the African Union that recognizes the SADR

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