Ireland – Brahim Ghali, the leader of the separatist Polisario group, recently visited Ireland, which prompted significant emotions and required an explanation from Irish authorities.
In contrast to the assertions made by separatist propaganda, Ghali’s visit was private rather than official. Ireland stressed in a formal statement issued by its embassy in Rabat that the tour was planned by a pro-Polisario micro-association that is active in Ireland and that the Irish government was not involved in any way or accountable for this endeavor.
The statement claims that during Polisario’s visit to Ireland, no member of the Irish government met with representatives of the organization. The separatists did not hold any formal or informal talks with leaders like Foreign Affairs Minister Michael Martin or Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, despite their best efforts and the assistance of certain middlemen.
It is reported that the Irish legislative authority rejected the Polisario delegates. They were refused a meeting by the presidents of the two houses and the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs. A small number of accommodative lawmakers consented to meet with them privately rather than on the Parliament’s behalf.
Ireland has also restated its position, which is unaltered, on the Moroccan Sahara. Ireland opposes the so-called “SADR” and is in complete favor of the UN-led effort to reach a politically acceptable resolution.
This statement seeks to clear up any misunderstandings and restate Ireland’s commitment to an international framework and sustained peace process for the Moroccan-Saharan conflict.
Photo credit: middle-east-online.com
