The Ethiopian capital hosted on Monday a meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council. Morocco did not attend the meeting to prove that the Western Sahara conflict is a matter of the United Nations and not the African Union. Morocco did not attend the assembly of the AU Peace and Security Council held in Addis Ababa last Monday. The meeting was occupied with the task of discussing the Western Sahara conflict. Speaking to Yabiladi.com a Sahraouian citizen declared that «rejoining the African Union doesn't automatically mean for Morocco accepting the AU members to consider solving the Western Sahara conflict». «Morocco prefers to hand the Western Sahara's file to the UN» the same source insists. The Sahraouian source added that Morocco refused to attend the meeting because «the positions taken by the council concerning the Western Sahara conflict are not neutral.» According to the Sahraouian source, «attending the council's meeting is a way of accepting being accused. It could have left a room for Algeria, South Africa and the Polisario Front to attack the kingdom». Human Rights in the Sahara The Peace and Security Council of the African Union called during their meeting on Monday for protecting human rights in the Western Sahara criticizing by that Morocco. On top of that, the council tweeted on Monday the 20th of March that «members condemn violation of Human Rights by Morocco in Western Sahara.» #PSC members condemn violation of Human Rights by Morocco in #WesternSahara & urge the UN Security Council to renew mandate of @MINURSO__ — African Union Peace (@AU_PSD) 20 mars 2017 The meeting also called for the extension of MINURSO's mandate in the region for an additional year. However, two ministers from the Polisario Front attended the AU peace and Security Council namely Mohammed Salek wald Saled and Hamdi Khalil.
