Latest news with #MohamedYeslemBeissat
Ya Biladi
2 days ago
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Sahara : Polisario secures gains at South Africa summit
The Polisario Front made significant gains at the recent edition of the « liberation movements » summit, hosted in South Africa by the African National Congress (ANC). On Sunday, July 27, Mohamed Yeslem Beissat, the Front's representative at the event, engaged in discussions with the presidents of South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique. These nations, alongside Algeria, represent the remaining steadfast allies of the Polisario Front in Africa. During the summit, the four heads of state reiterated their commitment to supporting «the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination» and the «organization of a referendum» in the Sahara through their speeches. Just two days prior, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and Mozambique successfully rallied the entire regional bloc to endorse a memorandum of cooperation signed on April 2 with the Polisario during a meeting of the SADC (Southern African Development Community) foreign ministers in Tanzania. This backing for the separatist movement's stance comes nearly two weeks after former South African President Jacob Zuma voiced his support for Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara while in Rabat.
Ya Biladi
5 days ago
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
After Zuma's Morocco visit, Polisario to attend ANC Liberation Movements summit in South Africa
A delegation from the Polisario, led by its «Minister of Foreign Affairs», Mohamed Yeslem Beissat, is set to arrive in South Africa this Friday. The group has been invited by the ANC, the party headed by Cyril Ramaphosa, to attend the «Liberation Movements Summit», scheduled from July 25 to 28. The summit will be held under the theme: «Defending the Gains of Liberation, Advancing Integrated Socio-Economic Development, Strengthening Solidarity for a Better Africa», as announced by the ANC in a statement. Beissat, who previously served as the Polisario Front's representative in Pretoria, had engaged with various parties and professional organizations backing the Polisario in South Africa before stepping down. Last May, he held talks with President Ramaphosa during an ANC meeting. This invitation forms part of the diplomatic forum organized by the South African embassy in Algiers, which aims to bolster support for the separatist movement's positions. It's worth mentioning that the ANC has previously criticized Jacob Zuma's backing of Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara. In addition to Mohamed Yeslem Beissat's participation, the Liberation Movements Summit will also feature Palestinian Jebril Rajoub, another proponent of Algeria's and the Polisario's stance on the Sahara issue.
Ya Biladi
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Algeria, Polisario hold talks after Zuma affirms support for Morocco on Sahara
Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf met on Thursday in Algiers with Mohamed Yeslem Beissat, his «counterpart» from the Polisario Front. According to a statement from the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the talks focused on «the latest developments regarding the Western Sahara issue», as well as «key matters on the African Union's agenda». The meeting came two days after former South African President Jacob Zuma voiced support for Morocco's sovereignty over the Sahara during a visit to Rabat. In response, Algeria sent envoys to South Africa on Wednesday to meet with officials from the ruling African National Congress (ANC), led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, to address the implications of Zuma's remarks, seen as a shift in tone from one of the country's most influential political figures. For context, Mohamed Yeslem Beissat previously served as the Polisario's representative in Pretoria. Before his departure from South Africa, he held talks with several pro-Polisario organizations and spoke with Ramaphosa on the sidelines of an ANC gathering.
Ya Biladi
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
With Kenya and Ghana backing Morocco, Polisario turns to Nigeria
The Polisario Front has expressed concern over the possibility of Nigeria officially recognizing Morocco's autonomy plan for Western Sahara, following similar moves by Kenya and Ghana. In an effort to prevent such a development, the Polisario's «Minister of Foreign Affairs» traveled to Abuja in hopes of meeting with his Nigerian counterpart, Yusuf Tuggar. However, Mohamed Yeslem Beissat was only received by the Permanent Secretary of the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Dunoma Umar Ahmed, as briefly noted by the ministry on its official X account. For its part, the Polisario's press agency released a statement saying the discussions focused on bilateral relations, ways to strengthen them, and other topics of mutual interest. It is worth recalling that Nigeria established diplomatic relations with the Polisario in 1984, and Abuja currently hosts a Polisario «embassy». Beissat's visit comes at a time when Kenya and Ghana, long viewed as steadfast supporters of the Polisario, have publicly expressed their backing for Morocco's autonomy plan. It is also notable that a delegation from Nigeria's National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies visited Algeria at the end of May.
Ya Biladi
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Western Sahara : Polisario urges Morocco to withdraw autonomy plan
The Polisario Front is calling for Morocco to withdraw its autonomy initiative for Western Sahara. This demand was voiced by the movement's newly appointed «Minister of Foreign Affairs», Mohamed Yeslem Beissat, in an interview with a Portuguese media outlet, as reported by the Polisario's press. «Morocco must seek the support of the Sahrawi people and abandon its autonomy proposal if it wishes to resolve the Western Sahara issue», Beissat stated, adding that «this kind of diplomatic campaign [in favor of autonomy, ed.] once again illustrates Morocco's lack of political will to reach a peaceful and genuine solution in line with international law». His remarks come at a time when several countries, including Moldova and Croatia, have recently expressed support for Morocco's autonomy plan, describing it as a «serious and credible» basis for resolving the regional conflict. The Trump administration also reaffirmed its position on April 8, stating: «the United States recognizes Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara and supports Morocco's serious, credible, and realistic Autonomy Proposal as the only basis for a just and lasting solution to the dispute». Amid growing international backing for the Moroccan proposal, the Polisario's «Minister of the Interior», Brahim Bachir Bouilla, acknowledged in a recent interview with an Algerian outlet that «the Moroccan autonomy plan is one option among others on the table». Beissat's latest statement underscores the strategic divisions within the separatist movement, as it struggles to maintain a unified position in the face of increasing support for Morocco's plan.
