Mohamed Yeslem Beissat And Cyril Ramaphosa / Archive - DR ‹ › South African President Cyril Ramaphosa held talks yesterday with Mohamed Yeslem Beissat, the so-called «Minister of Foreign Affairs» of the Polisario Front, who conveyed a message from Brahim Ghali. According to the Front's press agency, the discussions centered on the «latest developments» in the Western Sahara issue. This meeting follows a December 1st encounter in Algiers between Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf and Beissat. The Polisario Front is actively working to align its stance with its two key African allies ahead of the upcoming negotiation phase, anticipated to commence soon in the United States under United Nations auspices. This week, the Polisario's general secretariat reiterated its «refusal» to engage in negotiations that exclude «the self-determination of the Sahrawi people». This message is primarily aimed at the residents of the Tindouf camps. Additionally, Cyril Ramaphosa voiced his concerns during an ANC party meeting. «We must be alarmed that the Western Sahara people's fight for self-determination has been undermined by the recent UN Security Council resolution, which strongly backed Morocco's autonomy plan as the 'most feasible solution,' thereby diverging from the UN's previous stance on a self-determination referendum»,he stated on social media. The situation presents a challenge for Ramaphosa, who is wary of escalating tensions with Donald Trump by encouraging the Polisario to reject negotiations.
