Stockholm (Sweden) 04 December 2019 (SPS)- Saharawi human rights defender and winner of 2019 Rights Livelihood Awar, Mrs. Aminatou Haidar, emphasized in the Swedish Parliament on Monday that the Parliament’s decision to recognize the Saharawi Republic in 2012 was delightful but failing to implement it by the Swedish government in 2016 was regrettable.
The Saharawi activist was hosted yesterday in a special Seminar organized by the Swedish Green Party, Christian Democrats, Center Party, Left Party, Social Democratic Party and Liberal Party, in cooperation with the Right Livelihood Foundation, to enable the winners of this year’s Award to speak about their experiences and work. More than 300 invitee attended the seminar.
In her statement before the audience, Aminatou Haidar lamented the “the image and the message that the European Union gives today to the whole world, and especially in Western Sahara,” which is according to her, “a frightening image and a scandalous message.”
“It is an image of a cold, isolated, inhuman Europe that spreads a message of hatred, disrespect for international law and even for European laws. A Europe that worships interests to the detriment of laws and human and people’s rights. A Europe that unashamedly supports lawless authoritarian regimes, and worse still, a Europe that concretely participates in the oppression of peoples by its economic, financial and political support to these regimes, including the Moroccan expansionist regime, which is the main cause of all political and security instability in the Maghreb region since the 1960s,” Aminatou stressed.
In this regards, Aminatou recalled the audience that “it is Morocco that is using illegal immigration, drugs, corrupt politicians and terrorism to force your countries to turn a blind eye to its crimes and support it by becoming accomplices themselves. The entire world is aware of this truth, but everyone turns a blind eye, because they have to play the game!”
She further indicated that Even in Sweden, “known for decades by its democratic values, Morocco managed, it must be said, to force you to turn a blind eye to your own decision taken in 2012 here in the Swedish parliament to recognize the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic. It is very sad, and it has deeply hurt the Saharawis and their friends everywhere. This is something that must be recognized,” Aminatou regretted.
The Saharawi people, she adds, “cannot understand why the European countries agree with the Moroccan regime to put pressure on the victim, the Saharawi people and their legitimate representative the Polisario Front, just to please Morocco?”
She recalled of the recent Spanish Government declaration since last Wednesday “that the Saharawi refugee camps are dangerous for the Spanish because of supposed unstable situation in the north of Mali? Knowing that this declaration was made by Spain immediately after a visit by the Moroccan Minister of External Affairs to Madrid,” she said.
On another hand, the moderator also invited two Swedish Parliamentarians, Fredrik Malm, from Social Democrats, and Kenneth Forslund, from Liberal Party, who were both among the supporters of the recognition of the Saharawi people back in 2012.
They both asserted that their country has been put under huge pressures from Morocco and its European allies to dissuade it from implementing the Swedish Parliament’s decision of 2012.
They also recognized that Morocco is unfortunately using the card of immigration against the European Union to keep it from adopting any positive position from the conflict.
Today Wednesday 4 December, the Rights Livelihood Foundation will organise the official ceremony of presentation of the four Laureates of the 2019 Awards, in a ceremony to which more than 1,000 guests are expected to come, at Cirkus in Stockholm.
The three other Laureates, who share this year’s Award with Aminatou are: Guo Jianmei (China), Greta Thunberg (Sweden) and Davi Kopenawa / Hutukara Yanomami Association (Brazil). (SPS)
090/500/60 (SPS)
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