South Africa doubles down on support for separatist Polisario Front during BRICS conference

South Africa reaffirmed its support for the separatist Polisario forces. On Sunday, South Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, spoke in favor of the “Sahrawi people to secede from the Kingdom of Morocco.” 

Ramaphosa stated that South Africa “supports and will continue to support marginalized and oppressed peoples in various parts of the world,” in his speech reviewing the outlines of South Africa’s foreign policy prior to the BRICS summit.

 “The freedom and international solidarity that we gained requires us to continue supporting the colonized people who are subjected to racial discrimination, like the Sahrawi people,” he continued.

South Africa’s position toward Morocco is reflected by its support to the Polisario Forces and opposing Morocco’s territorial integrity.

On the other hand, South Africa distributed invitations for the BRICS/Africa meeting, set for August 24 in Johannesburg, in a unilateral and national manner, according to a statement from the Indian government.

“The President of South Africa’s words show a contradiction in this nation’s diplomatic rhetoric. He invites Morocco to the BRICS meeting while also being antagonistic to its territorial integrity and significant decisions”, said international law expert Abbas El Ouardi to Hespress AR.

Morocco refuted on Saturday that it had applied to join the BRICS group, highlighting the fact that its participation in the BRICS/Africa summit was “not at all possible at any level.”

Morocco was not questioned on accepting the invitation to the BRICS/Africa summit, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccan Abroad.

“South Africa’s attempt to drag Morocco to this summit failed after Morocco decided not to participate for objective and realistic reasons that can be reflected in the South-African president’s statements,” according to Charifa Mouiyer, a political analyst for Hespress AR.

The South African government took the initiative unilaterally to host the BRICS summit, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccan Abroad.