Mahama should swiftly reverse Akufo-Addo’s suspension of diplomatic ties with SADR — Sulemana Braimah

Sulemana Braimah, Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa

Sulemana Braimah, Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), has expressed hope that President John Dramani Mahama will quickly move to reverse the decision made by his predecessor, former President Akufo-Addo, to suspend diplomatic relations with the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR).

In a post shared on social media on Friday, January 10, Braimah called the move by the former president a “bad last-minute decision” and stressed the importance of respecting the rights of the people of Western Sahara.

He emphasized that Ghana should align its actions with the 2022 decision of the African Court, which advocates for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.

“It is my hope that President John Dramani Mahama will act swiftly to reverse this bad last-minute decision of former President Akufo-Addo, to ensure that the fundamental right to self-determination of the people of West Sahara is respected in line with the 2022 decision of the African Court,” Braimah wrote.

This statement comes on the heels of a formal announcement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration of Ghana, which communicated that the country had decided to suspend diplomatic relations with SADR.

The notification, which was directed to the Embassy of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) in Accra, cited the suspension of diplomatic ties as part of efforts to find an acceptable solution to the ongoing Western Sahara dispute under the auspices of the United Nations.

The statement also emphasized removing any actions that could prejudice the final resolution of the dispute.

The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) is a partially recognized state that claims sovereignty over Western Sahara, a region in North Africa. Established on February 27, 1976, by the Polisario Front, the SADR asserts its right to self-determination for the Sahrawi people.

The region has been the subject of a prolonged territorial dispute, primarily between the SADR and Morocco, which controls much of the territory and considers it part of its sovereign land.

The SADR administers the easternmost part of Western Sahara, known as the “Liberated Territories” or the “Free Zone,” while Morocco controls and administers the rest of the disputed territory, referring to these lands as its “Southern Provinces.”

The claimed capital city of the SADR is El Aaiún; however, since the SADR does not control El Aaiún, it has established a temporary capital in Tifariti, with most day-to-day administration occurring in Rabuni, one of the Sahrawi refugee camps located in Tindouf, Algeria.

The SADR has been recognized by 44 United Nations member states and is a full member of the African Union.