Geneva, 9 September 2025 (SPS) – Ambassador Abdallah S. Possi, the Permanent Representative of Tanzania to the United Nations in Geneva, welcomed ambassadors, diplomats, and participants to a significant event commemorating the 50th anniversary of two pivotal moments in the history of the Western Sahara issue.
In his speech, the Ambassador recalled the landmark advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice on October 16, 1975. This opinion unequivocally stated that Western Sahara was not a terra nullius (land belonging to no one) and that the Sahrawi people have an inalienable right to self-determination, including the option of independence. He also reviewed the findings of the UN fact-finding mission that preceded this opinion by a few days, which concluded that the vast majority of Sahrawis supported independence and that the Polisario Front was their legitimate representative.
He added that these two conclusions—one legal and the other political—established a clear and lasting framework for resolving the issue. However, the failure to implement them over half a century has resulted in an unacceptable cost. The Ambassador stressed that ignoring international law not only harms the Sahrawi people but also threatens the credibility of international institutions that acknowledge these principles in theory but deny them in practice.
In closing, the Ambassador emphasized his group's steadfast solidarity with the Sahrawi people and its firm commitment to supporting their struggle to achieve their right to self-determination and independence.
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