Proclamation of the First Government of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic

PROCLAMATION OF THE FIRST GOVERNMENT OF THE SAHARAWI ARAB DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC Bir Lahlou, 27 February 1976

In the name of the Saharawi people, and in pursuance of their will, the flag of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic has been raised over the land of Saguiat el-Hamra and Rio de Oro. The birth of an African State with deep roots in the history of our people, with a civilisation which spread over the entire Maghreb was so proclaimed. The strength of this state arises out of the faith of its sons in their right to life and freedom, and its principal arm is their determination and perseverance in the struggle.

A new page has been started on which is written the struggle of our people who are today defying the colonialism of the neighbour "brothers", for by their heroic struggle they brought the previous page of the foreign enemy's colonialism to an end.

Today the Saharawi people have decided to publicly take an important step: to set up the fundamental institutions arising out of revolutionary legality, essential to succeed in the present struggle for liberty and to exercise truly democratic power.

In carrying out the will of our people the POLISARIO Front, with the unanimous agreement of the Provisional National Saharawi Council, decided to constitute a government which will assume responsibilities for the continuation of the battle, raising the flag of the liberation struggle always higher until final victory, which will guarantee peace and security for our people and open before them and brother Arabs and Africans the way to unity and liberation.

On this occasion we renew our commitment to the principles of the United Nations Charter and the Organisation of African Unity, in particular those concerned with defending the rights of man, territorial integrity and established frontiers, as a guarantee of African and international peace and security.

We want to draw the attention of the United Nations Organisation, the Organisation of African Unity and the Arab League to their historical responsibility towards a peaceful people, victims of an attempt at extermination, a veritable genocide.

We put this responsibility before all the peoples of the world, for it is their duty to assist the victims of aggression, so that the imperialist plot will fail. At this historical moment when the government of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic has been constituted on national soil and proclaimed at the same time in Algiers, Tripoli, Tananarive, Conakry, Bujumbura, we hold out a friendly hand to the brother peoples of Morocco and Mauritania, to ask them to support our liberation struggle and understand that the future belongs to peoples. We call on them to spare innocent blood by demanding that this war, imposed on us by their regimes to serve foreign interests and personal ambitions, be brought to an end.

We hold out the hand of friendship to all the peoples and States of the world, asking them to support our just struggle and recognize the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic. We state on this occasion our sincere desire to establish friendly relations and co-operation with all States on the basis of mutual respect and national sovereignty.

We are determined to continue the struggle until final victory, whatever the sacrifices may be. For as long as this aggression lasts, until our people have completed the liberation of their national territory, there will be neither peace nor stability in this region.