What Did Amar Bendjama Say Before The UN Security Council Regarding The Western Sahara Issue?

Mr. Amar Bendjama, Algeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, reaffirmed yesterday evening in New York that self-determination for the Sahrawi people has always remained a fundamental reference for settling the conflict in Western Sahara. This came out during Mr. Bendjama’s speech at a UN Security Council session to vote on a draft resolution regarding Western Sahara, during which Russia used its “veto” power. He reaffirmed that “self-determination has always been a fundamental reference for settling the conflict in Western Sahara,” adding that “this is the most recent, clearest, and unquestionable form for a people to freely exercise their choice for their future.” Mr. Bendjama thanked Russia, which presented the draft resolution for a technical extension of the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), along with all member states that chose not to be associated with “such manifest injustice,” which he said is a “clear stain that undermines the foundations of our organization.” Mr. Bendjama explained that “Algeria requested to participate in this meeting as a neighboring country affected by the conflict that has continued for fifty years in Western Sahara, which is a source of tension in our region, and as a host country for hundreds of thousands of Sahrawi refugees, providing them with assistance and protection as long as they remain deprived of their right to self-determination, and also as a member state of the United Nations that respects international legitimacy and adheres to the respect of this organization’s charter, its principles, and its purposes.” Russia, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, had used the veto power, leading to the rejection of the draft resolution on Western Sahara.