Guinea Bissau leaves TICAD as African countries reject presence of Polisario militias’ chief

The presence of the Polisario leader at a Japanese-African development conference was denounced by many African states that deplored the absence of Morocco, the second African investor in the continent.

In this connection, the President of Guinea Bissau and current chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Umaro Sissoco Embalo, left the 8th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), opened Saturday in Tunis, to protest against the Tunisia-imposed participation of the polisario.

Morocco denounced the unilateral invitation by Tunisian president Kais Saied to Polisario leader Brahim Ghali and announced the recall of Rabat’s ambassador to Tunis and its absence from TICAD.

Senegal has deplored the absence of Morocco, the second African investor in the continent whose banks, fertilizer and private companies have been actively operating across the continent for decades.

“Senegal regrets that TICAD is being held in the absence of Morocco, a key member of the African Union,” said Macky Sall, Senegalese president.

Echoing him, President of the Comoros islands said “I would like to express our regret at the absence of Morocco, a pillar of Africa,” invoking violations in the rules governing TICAD by Tunisia.

Morocco recalled its ambassador for consultation and denounced Tunisia’s hostile acts by offering a unilateral invitation coupled with a Presidential reception to head of Polisario separatist entity.