The Republic of Burundi on Friday reiterated its “constant and unwavering” support for Morocco’s territorial integrity and sovereignty over all its territory, including the Sahara region, during talks between the two countries' foreign ministers in Rabat.
The position was expressed in a joint statement issued following discussions between Burundi’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and Development Cooperation, Édouard Bizimana, and Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita.
Bizimana, who is on a working visit to Morocco, also reaffirmed Burundi’s support for Morocco’s autonomy initiative, describing it as the only credible and realistic solution to the regional dispute over the Sahara.
According to the joint statement, the Burundian minister expressed his country’s full support for the efforts of the UN Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy aimed at facilitating a political solution based on the autonomy plan.
Burundi further welcomed the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2797, which it said reinforces the autonomy initiative under Moroccan sovereignty as the basis for a just, lasting and mutually acceptable settlement of the dispute.
The latest declaration adds to a growing list of African and international countries that have voiced support for Morocco’s autonomy proposal, which Rabat considers the framework for resolving the Sahara issue under its sovereignty.
Morocco's autonomy initiative, presented to the United Nations in 2007, has increasingly received backing from countries that view it as a realistic and pragmatic solution to the long-running regional dispute.
