Brussels, April 18, 2014 - Some 115 organizations, including Sahrawi associations and international non-governmental organizations from 21 countries around the world have called for the extension of the mandate of the United Nations Mission Fore Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) to include human rights monitoring in the occupied Sahrawi territories.
In a joint letter to the UN Security Council on the eve of the presentation of the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Western Sahara, the NGOs urged the UN body to accept to extend the MINURSO's mandate to human rights monitoring and protection in Western Sahara.
They also condemned the human rights abuses committed by the Moroccan authorities against the Sahrawis, adding that these violations are mentioned in the different reports of international organizations.
"The only way to know about the real situation of human rights (in Western Sahara) is through the independent investigations and reporting by MINURSO," said the NGOs, adding that this is a fundamental part of the process for achieving a lasting solution to the Western Sahara conflict.
In this regard, they urged the Security Council and UN member states to step up efforts to allow the Sahrawi people to exercise their right to self-determination.
They also denounced the illegal exploitation of the natural resources of Western Sahara by Morocco and its international partners.
The letter was signed by 115 NGOs, including Adala (United Kigndom), Afrika Kontakt (Denmark), Agir Contre le Colonialisme Aujourd'hui (ACCA, France), Amis du Monde Diplomatique (Belgium), Amis du Peuple du Sahara Occidental (APSO, France), Freie Westsahara (Germany) and Sahara-Japan Journalists Association (Japan). (SPS)
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