Arab News Japan

TOKYO: The man who claimed to represent the “Sahara Republic” at the TICAD preparatory meeting in Tokyo on Friday had no table place name sign to identify that “republic” during the official opening session chaired by Japanese Foreign Minister KAMIKAWA Yoko on Saturday. This development seems to reflect possible Japanese action taken to prevent a disturbance like the previous fighting between Algerian and Moroccan delegates over the “Sahara Republic” table place name sign.

Media reports claimed the man is “Ambassador Lamine Baali,” who represents the so-called “Saharawi (or Sahara) Republic.” He brought his own place name to the Friday Preparatory Meeting of the Tokyo International Summit on Development in Africa (TICAD) and placed it at his table. 

Amidst the tension, a member of the Moroccan delegation made a bold move to remove the ‘Sahara Republic’ sign forcibly. This action was met with equal force by members of the Algerian delegation, escalating the tension between the two parties in what looked like a wrestling match. 

The session on Friday was marred by a disruptive incident over the ‘Sahrawi Republic’ place name sign that was not official like other place name signs set on the tables of all participants by the Japanese organizers. A Moroccan delegate rushed to Lamine Baali and tried forcibly to remove his “Saharawi Republic” place name sign. At that moment, members of the Algerian delegation were seen rushing to the spot and manhandled away the Moroccan delegate by throwing him to the ground in what looked like a wrestling match. The fighting delayed a session that included greetings from Japan’s Emperor.

Some meeting participants said Lamine Baali holds an Algerian passport. He declined to indicate that he was invited to Japan as the representative of the “Sahara Republic.” 

The Saturday session, which featured speeches from Kamikawa and representatives of Mauritania and the African Union Commission, proceeded without incident. This was largely due to the vigilance of Japan’s Foreign Ministry officials and security staff, who were stationed near Lamine Baali’s seat to prevent any potential disruption in Saturday’s Opening session, which was open to the media.

In the following closed session, however, sources said a Sahara Republic” place name sign was seen at Lamine Baali’s table, implying tolerance by the Japanese organizers.

Japanese officials declined to comment to the media on whether an invitation to have the Polisario’s representative attend the meeting was approved. 
Earlier, A high-ranking Japanese official said, “We are going to take the appropriate decision.”

However, the seat Lamine Baali occupied had the sign ‘Reserved,’ indicating that Japan had accepted his participation due to pressure from Algeria and South Africa, as Japan doesn’t recognize the ‘Saharawi Republic.’ This sign, usually used to indicate a seat not to be occupied, clearly indicated the diplomatic pressure Japan was under.

The Algerian Moroccan dispute over the Sahara, a long-standing conflict over the sovereignty of the Western Sahara region, overshadowed this weekend’s TICAD Foreign Ministers’ meeting.