Johannesburg (South Africa) June 4, 2026 (SPA)The Left Symposium, held in Johannesburg, South Africa, renewed its firm support for the struggle of the Sahrawi people for freedom and independence, affirming their inalienable right to self-determination, as part of the final statement issued by the symposium, which brought together political parties, trade unions, social movements, solidarity organizations, and African and international progressive forces during the period from May 29 to 31, 2026.
The participants in the symposium, which was held under the slogan “Building a leftist movement for the power of the working class and popular forces,” affirmed their solidarity with the oppressed peoples across the world, especially the Sahrawi people, expressing their support for the right of these peoples to sovereignty, self-determination, dignity, liberation and peaceful development.
The final statement stressed support for “the liberation and self-determination of the people of Western Sahara,” expressing at the same time solidarity with the peoples of the Sahel region in their struggle against neo-colonial domination, foreign control, the depletion of wealth and dependency.
This position came in the context of the symposium’s affirmation of the principles of progressive internationalism, African unity, and the fight against imperialism and neo-colonialism, as it considered that the struggle of peoples for freedom and sovereignty constitutes part of a global battle against capitalism, hegemony, occupation, economic sanctions, wars and aggression.
The participants highlighted that true peace cannot be separated from resisting occupation, foreign domination, the plunder of wealth, and opposing the imposition of dependency on weak peoples and countries, calling for strengthening international solidarity with national liberation movements and just causes in Africa and the world.
The symposium also denounced the forms of economic and political exploitation that perpetuate dependency within the African continent, stressing the necessity of building international relations based on national sovereignty, African integration and cooperation among the peoples of the South, away from the patterns of domination and exploitation inherited from the colonial era.
The statement stressed that the African continent is still suffering from the effects of neo-colonialism through mechanisms of economic dependency, unequal exchange, and control of strategic resources, calling for empowering the African peoples to control their natural wealth and development paths in a way that serves their aspirations for freedom, social justice, and independence.
The symposium considered that supporting the right of peoples to self-determination constitutes a basic principle in international law and in the struggles of the forces of liberation and progress across the world, renewing its commitment to standing by the peoples under occupation or subject to various forms of domination and colonialism.
The symposium concluded its activities by emphasizing continued coordination and joint work between progressive forces and international solidarity movements in order to support national liberation issues, defend the right of peoples to sovereignty and independence, and promote the values of justice, peace and solidarity among peoples. (Was)
090/500/60 (Was)
