Special envoy
Tifariti (liberated territories), May 19, 2013 (SPS) - On the eve of the celebrations commemorating the 40th anniversary of the outbreak of armed struggle in Western Sahara to take place tomorrow in the liberated town of Tifariti, the Saharawi National Council (Parliament) ratified Sunday a range of conventions and protocols related to the African Union (AU).
The approved documents include the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, AU Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa (Kampala Convention), AU Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption, in addition to the African Nuclear Weapon Free Zone Treaty (Pelindaba Treaty).
The Council also ratified the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Establishment of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, Protocol to the OAU Convention on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism, and Protocol on the Statute of the African Court of Justice and Human Rights.
Members of the Council listened to all the laws emanating from the African Union successively, before being voted on by raising hands.
These laws were submitted for discussion by the Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee during the last session of the National Council.
On relevant context, delegations from several countries of the world has set foot in the liberated town of Tifariti ahead of the celebration commemorating the 40th anniversary of the outbreak of the armed struggle in Western Sahara, on 20 May 1973, to be kicked off tomorrow.
The event is also attended by delegations representing refugee camps, Saharawi communities in Diaspora and the Saharawi occupied territories.
According to the agenda, the opening ceremony will be marked by military parades, official speech by the President of the Republic and Secretary General of the POLISARIO Front Mr. Mohamed Abdelaziz, and interventions by some foreign delegations present at the event.
Conference of the Chargées of Political Organizations inside Municipalities and Army will be held at the second day of the event.
There will be official talks with the foreign delegation taking part at these festivities. (SPS)
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