Forum of Solidarity with Sahrawi People: Participants Defend Right of Sahrawi People to Self-Determination

BY/ Hana Saada

ALGIERS– The Diplomatic Solidarity Forum with the Sahrawi people, held in Algiers on Saturday, saw participants voicing their strong support for the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination and independence. They emphasized the need to uphold international charters guaranteeing these rights and called for solidarity in the face of challenges posed by the continued Moroccan occupation, which obstructs the peace process.

During the fourth edition of the forum, participants expressed solidarity with the Sahrawi people in their ongoing resistance against the occupier, underscoring the international community’s responsibility to pressure Morocco into complying with international legality that ensures the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination and independence.

In his opening speech, the Sahrawi Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Mohamed Sidati, highlighted that the Sahrawi question has gained momentum in Africa, Latin America, and even Europe, while Morocco grapples with corruption scandals.

The Sahrawi diplomat expressed gratitude to the forum participants, their countries, and governments for their support of Western Sahara’s just and legitimate cause. He reiterated the Sahrawi Republic’s commitment to strengthening friendly, solidarity-driven, and cooperative relationships with these countries, aligning with their peoples’ aspirations for progress, dignity, and the preservation of hard-earned freedom.

Addressing the ceasefire violation by the Moroccan occupation on November 13, 2020, which dealt a blow to international efforts to establish a peaceful and permanent solution in Western Sahara, Sidati emphasized that the persistent occupation of Sahrawi territories “threatens security and peace in the region.”

He stressed that the people’ struggle on the ground will intensify until the Moroccan military occupation is brought to an end, asserting that the resistance will not waver until independence is achieved.

Furthermore, the head of Sahrawi diplomacy affirmed that there is no alternative to direct negotiations between the Polisario Front and Morocco and that peace cannot be attained if Morocco continues to violate international law.

The Director General of the Africa Department at the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Community Abroad, Selma Malika Haddadi, stated that the meeting provided an opportunity to demonstrate transcontinental solidarity for the just Sahrawi cause. She reiterated Algeria’s consistent position, as affirmed by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune on numerous occasions, in favor of the Sahrawi people and their inalienable right to self-determination.

Haddadi emphasized that the process of decolonization in Africa will only be complete with the decolonization of Western Sahara. She stressed that the objective of the Forum was to explore ways to mobilize transcontinental support for the Sahrawi cause.

The president of the Algerian National Committee for Solidarity with the Saharawi People (CNASPS), Said Ayachi, considered this important meeting as a testament to international solidarity with the Sahrawi people.

Ayachi asserted, “Algeria is proud to have supported and accompanied twelve (12) African and non-African liberation movements throughout their historical and contemporary journeys,” noting that civil societies and solidarity committees supporting the Sahrawi people in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Oceania constituted “the framework and structure of the international solidarity movement.”

He added, “Our ambition is to establish a chain of solidarity between Africa, Latin America, and Europe to support the Sahrawis in their just struggle.”

The Forum, according to Ayachi, offers the CNASPS an opportunity to condemn the repeated and severe human rights violations in the occupied Sahrawi territories, as well as the inhumane treatment of Sahrawi political detainees.

Sneak Peek into the Western Sahara Cause: A Struggle for Self-Determination and Independence

The Western Sahara, a Non-Self-Governing Territory recognized by the United Nations (UN), remains a disputed region with an ongoing conflicts. Situated in the Sahel region, it shares borders with Algeria, the Kingdom of Morocco, and Mauritania.

The Sahrawis, the indigenous peoples of the region, form a diverse community speaking the Hassaniya dialect of Arabic. Due to the region’s colonial past, Spanish is also spoken as a second language by many. Western Sahara has been a focal point on the decolonization agenda of both the UN and the African Union (AU) for over half a century.

In 1963, Western Sahara was listed as a non-self-governing territory under Article 73 of the UN Charter and the UN General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) of 1960, which focused on granting independence to colonial countries and peoples.

A significant turning point in the Western Sahara cause occurred on November 6, 1975, with the so-called “Green March” launched by Morocco. This march involved the movement of 350,000 Moroccan settlers into the territory, a number four times larger than the Sahrawi population at that time. This act coincided with the end of Spanish administration in the region, creating a vacuum that necessitated UN intervention.

Despite the UN Security Council’s condemnation of the march and the call for an immediate withdrawal of demonstrators from Western Sahara, Morocco’s efforts continued. The Polisario Front, a liberation movement representing the Sahrawi people, emerged and declared the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) in 1976. In November 1984, the SADR gained recognition from the then Organization of African Unity (now the AU). This recognition led to Morocco’s protest, resulting in its withdrawal from the AU.

After years of conflict, the Polisario Front and Morocco reached a ceasefire agreement in 1991, facilitated by the UN. This led to the establishment of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), which has been responsible for overseeing the peace process to this day.

However, despite the ceasefire, Western Sahara remains a disputed territory, with Morocco exerting control over parts of the region. The UN continues to regard Western Sahara as a non-self-governing territory and supports the principle of self-determination for its people.

The UN is committed to finding a solution that ensures the self-determination of the Sahrawi people in line with relevant Council resolutions. Nevertheless, on November 13, 2020, after almost 30 years of compliance with the ceasefire, Morocco’s aggression on the Saharawi Liberated Territories shattered the peace. This act not only terminated the ceasefire and related military agreements but also undermined the UN peace process, leading to increased tension and instability in the region.

Both the UN Secretary-General and the Security Council have acknowledged the breakdown of the 1991 ceasefire. The seriousness of the situation in the area of MINURSO’s operation cannot be denied or downplayed. Morocco’s continued aggression on the Sahrawi Liberated Territories, including the deliberate targeting and killing of civilians and destruction of their properties, demands attention and condemnation.

The final status of Western Sahara can only be determined through a UN-supervised referendum, where the inhabitants can exercise their legitimate right to self-determination. Algeria, a staunch defender of decolonized peoples worldwide, considers Western Sahara a decolonization issue between the Polisario Front and the Kingdom of Morocco. The international community must continue to work towards a peaceful resolution, ensuring that the voices of the people of Western Sahara are heard and their aspirations for independence or integration are respected in a manner consistent with international law.