TICAD-9: Japan expels Polisario representatives, slap on face of supporters of Algeria-backed militias

Japan has decided to expel Polisario’s representatives from its territory and banned them from engaging in any political activity outside the African Union delegation that took part in the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) held from 19 to 23 August.

The decision confirms Tokyo’s firm position of not recognizing the Polisario separatist group and respecting Morocco’s territorial integrity, dealing a hard blow to the Polisario backers, mainly Algeria and South Africa.

During the 9th TICAD conference held in Yokohama, the Japanese authorities did not issue accreditation badges for Polisario delegation, prohibited them from speaking or participating in any of the event’s meetings, while their movements were under strict security controls.

Yet, the deceitful Polisario delegation was planning to hold a press conference at Tokyo Press Club but the event was cancelled by Japanese authorities and declared the Polisario members persona non grata. They were ordered to leave the country three days before their planned departure.

Morocco lowered the level of its diplomatic representation in TIGAD conference following the scandalous participation of Polisario militias. Japan has reiterated through its FM Takeshi Iwaya Tokyo’s firm position affirming that it does not recognize the Polisario separatist group.

“I would like to make it clear that the presence at this meeting of any entity that Japan does not recognize as a state does not affect Japan’s position on the status of that entity,” Iwaya told African ministers and representatives of international organizations gathered for the conference.

Japan, host country of the conference, has not invited the Polisario to the gathering but the separatist group was brought in by the African Union, co-organizer of the African-Japanese event.

The separatists availed the opportunity of their presence in Japan, cooked up by Algiers and Pretoria, and tried to hold political and propaganda activities on a lost separatist cause. But the Japanese diplomacy foiled the Polisario’s attempts, affirming that red-lines cannot be crossed.