Pretoria March 26, 2019.- The Conference of Solidarity with the Western Sahara of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) was held today. Inés María Chapman, vice president of the Councils of State and of Ministers of Cuba, represented the Island as the country invited to this great event; which is the main activity of his current trip through Southern African countries.
In the morning's working session, the Cuban Vice President held numerous bilateral exchanges, among which the talks with the Minister of the Presidency of South Africa, with the presidents of Namibia, Zimbabwe, Uganda and the Saharawi Democratic Arab Republic; also with the Prime Minister of Lesotho; the vice presidents of Angola and Seychelles; and, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Namibia, South Africa and Venezuela.
The Conference was marked by declarations of solidarity with the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic of the heads of State and Government and heads of delegation of the attending countries; as well as expressions of recognition to Cuba for the role played in the struggles for the liberation of Africa and for its decisive participation in the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale. In recognition of the victory in that battle, the SADC agreed, last year, to declare March 23 as the day of the liberation of Southern Africa.
In her speech, Vice President Inés María Chapman ratified Cuba's position of "invariable solidarity with the Saharawi people, and support for the search for a definitive response to the question of Western Sahara that allows the exercise of the right to self-determination and to live in peace in its territory. "
The words of the Vice President caused great impact among the delegates present. One of the most moving moments of his speech was the mention that 2046 students from the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic graduated from Cuban institutions of the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Higher Education; information that was received with ovations of recognition of the solidarity of the Cuban people and government with the people of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic.
