Dili (East Timor), May 24, 2025 (SPS) – In a statement to the Sahrawi Press Agency (SPS) on Saturday, Mr. Abba Malainin, Ambassador of the Sahrawi Republic to East Timor, affirmed that the Pacific Regional Seminar organized by the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization (C-24) in the capital Dili from May 21 to 23, 2025, represented a major victory for the Sahrawi people’s struggle for self-determination and independence.
The Sahrawi ambassador added that the seminar and its accompanying events were also a severe blow to the arguments of the Moroccan occupying state and a strong condemnation of its illegal occupation of Western Sahara, witnessed by over 40 countries and numerous diplomats accredited to the United Nations.
The East Timorese government, which hosted the seminar, reaffirmed its strong solidarity and support for the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination and independence through statements by Prime Minister H.E. Mr. Xanana Gusmão and Foreign Minister H.E. Mr. Bendito dos Santos Freitas. Many participating countries also strongly defended the right to self-determination and independence.
The Sahrawi diplomat noted that the "Asia-Pacific Solidarity Conference with Western Sahara", held two days before the seminar, laid the foundation for a strong regional platform supporting the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination. It also expanded the solidarity movement across the Asia-Pacific region, thanks to the active participation of East Timor’s Civil Society Forum (FONGTIL), representing 280 NGOs, as well as Japanese and Australian solidarity committees with Western Sahara.
The conference received numerous solidarity messages from organizations across the region and worldwide. It was honored by the participation of East Timor’s national leader and Prime Minister, H.E. Mr. Xanana Gusmão, who reiterated his firm and unwavering support for the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination and independence.
A meeting at the Government Palace between the Timorese Prime Minister and a Sahrawi delegation reaffirmed East Timor’s principled support for the Sahrawi people’s legitimate struggle for freedom and independence, underscoring the strong historical bond between the Sahrawi and Timorese peoples, forged through decades of shared struggle against colonialism and foreign occupation.
Additionally, a Sahrawi Republic delegation participated in the 23rd anniversary celebrations of East Timor’s independence restoration, held at the Presidential Palace in Dili on May 20.
In conclusion, the Sahrawi diplomat emphasized that all these developments reflect the broad support, solidarity, and strong consensus enjoyed by the just cause of the Sahrawi people from the current government, past governments, parliament, political parties, civil society, and academia. In this context, a Parliamentary Solidarity Committee was recently established in East Timor’s National Parliament, comprising all political parties represented, to support the Sahrawi people’s just struggle.
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