Japan condemns the participation of the separatist Polisario Front in the eighth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), which was held on August 27 and 28 in the Tunisian capital, Tunis.
The Japanese delegation made a statement during the proceedings of the first plenary session of the summit, in which it reaffirmed that “TICAD is a forum for discussion on the development of Africa,” Morocco’s official news agency MAP reported.
“The presence of any entity that Japan does not recognize as a sovereign state at TICAD meetings, including the senior officials meeting and the summit meeting, does not affect Japan’s stance regarding the status of this entity,” the statement stressed, in reference to the Polisario’s self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR).
It reiterated the position already expressed by Tokyo that the invitations to the summit, which were to be issued exclusively and jointly by Tunisia and Japan, were sent only to states officially recognized by Tokyo and not subject to sanctions by the African Union.
The host country, consequently, imposed a fait accompli on Japan’s delegation, undermining the solemnity and serenity that should have marked this important meeting for the Japanese-African partnership.
On August 19, Japan expressed its categorical and unequivocal rejection of the AU Commission’s invitation to the Polisario to attend the summit, saying it violated the procedure duly agreed.
Tunisia dismissed Japan’s objection.
Morocco, meanwhile, recalled its Tunis ambassador for consultations and cancelled its own participation in the high-profile conference, especially after Tunisian President Kais Saied welcomed Polisario chief Brahim Ghali at Carthage International Airport.
