Kampala (Uganda) 14 August 2019 (SPS)- The Ugandan Students' Association condemns the Moroccan illegal occupation of parts of the Sahrawi Republic, during a meeting with Saharawi Ambassador in Uganda, Mr. Hamadi Bachir, on Wednesday, and called for more solidarity and support to the Sahrawi people.
The Sahrawi ambassador in Uganda received representatives of the organization at the embassy in Kampala where he held a meeting with them, exposing them the historical, legal and political backgrounds of the conflict in Western Sahara.
The Ugandan student delegation used this meeting to express its strong condemnation of the Moroccan colonization of parts of a neighbouring African country, and deplored the Moroccan practices that contradict international conventions, whether related to the plundering, exploitation and trade with the natural resources of the Sahrawi people or the gross and documented violations of the rights of Sahrawi civilians.
The delegation also pointed out the urgent need to disseminate the Saharawi plight among Ugandan students, the Ugandan public opinion, East Africa and the African continent in general.
Accordingly, the student delegation decided to elaborate a plan of action to achieve these goals and convey the message of the Sahrawi people as far as possible inside and outside Uganda, seeking to raise the level of solidarity with the people of the Sahrawi Republic and accompany them in their struggle until the liberation of the territory, and put an end to the phenomenon of colonialism where Africa has made countless and unforgettable sacrifices.
On the other hand, the meeting was an opportunity for the Sahrawi ambassador to present the history of the struggle of the Sahrawi people against European foreign colonialism, and the stages of the liberation struggle against the neo-colonialism waged by an African country (Kingdom of Morocco) against its African neighbour (the Sahrawi Republic) while both are members of the African Union.
The Sahrawi diplomat also explained in detail the latest developments of the Saharawi issue to his guests, and the latest AU and UN resolutions demanding an end to the last case of decolonisation in the continent.
The presentation also introduced the various aspects of the Saharawi struggle in International forums to reveal the real image of the expansionist colonial Morocco, and how Saharawis confront the violations committed by the Moroccan system in extraction, exploitation and trade of natural resources of the territory of the Saharawi Republic in a clear contradiction with the international law and the resolutions of United Nations and the European Court of Justice.
The diplomat further denounced the violent and despicable human rights violations perpetrated by the Moroccan authorities against unarmed Sahrawi civilians since the beginning of its brutal military invasion of the territory of the Sahrawi Republic in October 1975.
The student organization was represented by Mr. Bob Atwen, Head of the student branch of the National University of Kampala, and Emmanuel Clarke, a former Head of the same branch and a current member of its Executive Bureau.
090/500/60 (SPS)