Chadian Government’s opening of a fictitious “Consulate” in occupied Dakhla: A violation of international and African Law and a direct aggression against the Sahrawi Republic

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Press Release, 16 August 2024

The Sahrawi government expresses its astonishment at the unilateral action taken by the Chadian government with its illegal and contrary-to-diplomatic-norms decision to open what it referred to as a “consulate” in the city of Dakhla, located in the occupied territories of Western Sahara.

In this regard, the Sahrawi government wishes to affirm the following:

The move by Chad constitutes a gross violation of the United Nations Charter, an illegal, aggressive, and unjustified provocation, and a blatant infringement on the sovereignty of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. It is also a violation on the Sahrawi territorial integrity, which contradicts the principles and requirements of the African Union’s Constitutive Act.

Further, this decision contradicts the norms governing diplomatic relations, disregards all decisions and recommendations concerning Western Sahara issued since the 1960s by the International Court of Justice, the UN General Assembly and Security Council, and further disregards the Decisions of the African Union’s summits and decisions of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, among others.

The Sahrawi government views this violation by the Chadian government of its African and international commitments as an unfortunate contribution to Morocco’s unjust aggression against the Sahrawi people and as involvement in the colonial adventure of Rabat and the unlawful occupation of our land.

This irresponsible Chadian action constitutes an overt and declared intervention in the ongoing conflict between the Sahrawi people and the Moroccan occupying regime. It will not contribute to resolving the dispute but rather aggravate it, undermining the efforts of the United Nations and the African Union to seek a just and lasting solution that ends Morocco’s illegal military aggression against Western Sahara and respects the will of its people for freedom and liberation from colonialism.

The Sahrawi government and the Polisario Front are committed to the brotherly relations and shared destiny between the Chadian and Sahrawi peoples, affirming that these relations will remain stronger than any misguided and short-sighted decisions, which history will inevitably judge as failures.

The Sahrawi government recalls that it stood in solidarity with the Chadian government when it faced foreign aggression on its territory, with the Sahrawi Republic’s stance being clear and based on the Charter of the Organization of African Unity at the time, steadfastly supporting international legitimacy and the rule of law against any attempts to impose colonial fait accompli, regardless of its perpetrators.

The Sahrawi government also underscores that any infringement on the principle of borders inherited at the time of independence, as affirmed by the African Union’s Constitutive Act, is a dangerous and reckless act that poses unpredictable risks to the security and stability of all African countries, including the Republic of Chad.

The Sahrawi government asserts that sovereign positions of states do not grant them any right to violate the sovereignty and rights of other countries, regardless of justifications or what is termed as interests, nor do they give any right to recognize an occupying colonial power like Morocco as having any entitlement to cause harm and injustice to the lands and resources of the Sahrawi people. All countries are accountable to their peoples and to history, and are obliged to respect the territories and sovereignty of other nations in accordance with international law and legitimacy.

In conclusion, the Sahrawi government reserves all its political and legal rights to respond to this unjust, disgraceful, and illegal decision, considering that Chad’s true interest lies in respecting the law and adhering to international legitimacy, and that any action outside the framework of law represents an injustice and aggression derived from short-sighted policies that often lead to regret and loss for their perpetrators.