The Tunisian Foreign Ministry commented on Morocco's decision to boycott an international conference on development in Africa scheduled to be held in Tunisia, following the Tunisian President Kais Saied's reception of the leader of the Polisario Front, Ibrahim Ghali. In a statement, the Tunisian Foreign Ministry expressed its "great astonishment" at the "unacceptable bias against Tunisia" and distortions regarding the participation of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic's delegation in the "Ticad 8" Tokyo International Conference on African Development, which will take place in Tunisia on August 27 and 28.
The statement clarified that Tunisia "has maintained its complete neutrality regarding the Western Sahara issue in adherence to international legitimacy, a steady position that will not change until the concerned parties find a peaceful solution accepted by all." It illustrated that, contrary to what the Moroccan statement indicated, the African Union, as a major participant in organizing the Tokyo International Conference, initially issued a note inviting all African Union members, including the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, to participate in the "Ticad-8" summit in Tunisia.
Additionally, the Chairman of the African Union Commission subsequently sent a direct individual invitation to the Sahrawi Republic to attend the summit, noting that these invitations were in line with the decisions made by the African Union Executive Council during its meeting in Lusaka, Zambia on July 14 and 15, 2022 - with the Moroccan delegation present - where it was emphasized that all African Union members should be invited to participate in the "Ticad-8" summit.
The statement further pointed out that both the Sahrawi Republic and Morocco had previously participated in earlier "Ticad" sessions and other regional meetings over the years. The Tunisian Foreign Ministry stated that "based on the aforementioned documented information with the African Union, there is no logical justification for the Moroccan statement, especially since Tunisia has respected all preparatory procedures related to hosting the summit according to African legal references."
Tunisia affirmed its commitment to maintaining "the friendly, brotherly, and historically rich relations it shares with the Moroccan people," categorically rejecting the Moroccan statement's accusations that Tunisia had taken an aggressive stance toward Morocco that harms Moroccan interests. The Tunisian Foreign Ministry emphasized its rejection of foreign interference in its internal affairs and confirmed its "sovereignty over its national decision," adding that "on this basis, Tunisia has decided to immediately summon its ambassador in Rabat for consultations."
