Sahrawi President Ghali: “The EU runs great risks because of Morocco’s aggressiveness”/ Interview

BY: Hana Saada

ALGIERS- The President of the Sahrawi Republic and Secretary General of the Polisario Front, Brahim Ghali, has issued a warning to the European Union (EU) regarding the risks posed by Morocco’s aggressive behavior. In an interview with the Sahrawi Press Agency, Ghali highlighted the extent of the risks that the EU faces due to Morocco’s corrupt and extortionate practices, which threaten the stability and security of the region.

Ghali emphasized that the EU must recognize the magnitude of the risks it faces from the aggressive Moroccan society, which has created lobbies within the European body itself. He cited the “Morocco Gate” scandal in the European Parliament as evidence of the need to stop favoring the unjust Moroccan position with regard to the signing of any agreement with the Kingdom of Morocco, which includes land spaces, airspace, or territorial waters in the occupied parts of the Sahrawi Republic.

Ghali reiterated that Western Sahara and the Kingdom of Morocco are two separate and distinct countries, and the Moroccan presence in Western Sahara is only an illegal military occupation in the eyes of international law and the ECJ. He warned that the Saharawi Government will continue to use all available legal means, with friends and jurists, at European level and elsewhere, to protect the exclusive sovereignty of the Sahrawi people on its land and the natural riches of its subsoil.

In this regard, it is important to note that the Polisario Front has been recognized as the sole and legitimate representative of the Sahrawi people, with the legal personality to advocate on their behalf on the international stage. It is imperative that the United Nations takes responsibility for accelerating the establishment of necessary pressures on Morocco to comply with international legitimacy. The aggressive expansionist policy of the Moroccan occupying state poses a real threat to peace, security, and stability in the region. Therefore, the United Nations, particularly the Security Council, must expedite the exercise of necessary pressure to enable MINURSO to carry out its mission of organizing a self-determination referendum and take urgent measures to address Morocco’s blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement.

President Ghali emphasized that Moroccan intransigence, which is based on obstruction and postponements, has become evident after more than thirty years. This intransigence is openly supported and encouraged by certain forces within the UN Security Council, which seek to distort the peace process in Western Sahara and circumvent its natural legal framework based on decolonization, self-determination, and the right to independence of colonial peoples and countries.

The Saharawi President has repeatedly warned against this trend, which seeks to undermine the mission of MINURSO. The Sahrawi party has committed itself to cooperating with all honesty and seriousness to achieve a just and lasting solution to the Western Sahara conflict. It is time for the international community to take decisive action to ensure that the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination is respected and upheld.

In this vein, the President has emphasized the importance of upholding the only agreement that was approved and signed by both parties and endorsed by the Council of Security – the 1991 UN-Africa Settlement Plan. This agreement resulted in the creation of MINURSO, and the Sahrawi party has committed itself to cooperating with the efforts of the United Nations in all honesty, seriousness, and with a real desire for self-determination. It is crucial that we honor this agreement and work towards a peaceful resolution for the people of Western Sahara.

In conclusion, Ghali’s warning to the EU is a call to action to recognize the risks posed by Morocco’s aggressive behavior and to take steps to protect the stability and security of the region. The Sahrawi Government will continue to use all available legal means to protect the sovereignty of the Sahrawi people and their natural resources.