Locarno (Switzerland), June 19, 2026 (SPS) – A Sahrawi parliamentary delegation began a working visit to Switzerland on Thursday as part of efforts to strengthen parliamentary diplomacy and raise awareness of the Sahrawi national cause.
The delegation includes members of the National Council, Abeida Hadhiya Hennoun, Aka Haddi, and Limam Ramadan.
The delegation started its program of meetings in the city of Locarno, where it was received by the President of the Swiss Friendship Association with the Sahrawi People.
During meetings with several Swiss political figures, the delegation presented an overview of the latest developments concerning the Sahrawi cause, highlighting the situation of the Sahrawi people and the ongoing human rights violations in the occupied Sahrawi territories. Several Swiss media outlets attended these meetings, including RSI Radio and Television.
As part of the visit program, the Sahrawi parliamentary delegation traveled to the Swiss capital, Bern, where it held a working visit to the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs and met with partner organizations as well as representatives of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs.
The delegation also held a meeting with Ambassador Dominik Stillhart, Deputy Director of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and Federal Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid. The meeting addressed political, humanitarian, and social issues related to the Sahrawi cause, in addition to matters concerning health, education, youth issues, and ways of strengthening cooperation.
The Sahrawi parliamentary delegation continued its activities in Bern by participating in a forum on the situation in Western Sahara in light of new geopolitical developments and the role Switzerland could play in supporting peace efforts and the resolution of the conflict in Western Sahara.
The delegation concluded its program with a visit to the Swiss Parliament, where it was briefed on the Swiss parliamentary experience. It also delivered a message from the Speaker of the Sahrawi National Council and member of the National Secretariat, Bachir Mustapha Sayed, to the Swiss Parliamentary Friendship Group.
