Algiers, 05 December 2020 (SPS) - Broadening the Mission of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) to human rights monitoring has become “a must” given the latest developments, said the Representative of the Polisario Front in Germany Nadjet Handi.
Speaking at ‘the Face to Face” show broadcast on the Arabic-speaking TV channel France 24, Handi said: “we join our voice to that of international organizations which have relentlessly advocated an independent and neutral international mechanism to monitor human rights in Western Sahara and report related violations.”
Broadening the MINURSO mandate to human rights monitoring in the occupied Sahrawi territories “has become a must, notably in view of the systematic violations of human rights in these territories, aggravated by the military bombings led by the Moroccan Army in last 13 November against peaceful demonstrators in El Guerguerat, in a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement.”
“The information we receive from the occupied territories prey to a media blockage reveal the multiplication of searches of the homes of Sahrawis led by the Moroccan Army, and the continuation of arbitrary arrest that have not spared children, in addition to the prohibition of foreign observers, journalists and politicians from entering the besieged region,” said the Polisario official.
The Polisario “has never hidden to the international public opinion the reality in the region and the Sahrawi authorities have never closed doors to foreign observers and specialized organizations that come to enquire about the situation, not to mention incessant calls to broaden the MINURSO mandate to human rights monitoring,” stated Handi.
As for the situation in the refugee camps, the Sahrawi diplomat said that “they are open to foreign observers, journalists and visitors” and “open-access reports have been drafted by international organizations.”
Handi also referred to some parties’ call for the dissolution of the MINURSO, headed by Morocco, “which works in secret to achieve this goal.”
Although the MINURSO failed to fulfill its missions in Western Sahara, namely the organization of self-determination for the implementation of the ceasefire agreement, it is important to reactivate its role and broaden its mandate to human rights monitoring,” she continued.
The self-determination referendum of the Sahrawi people “is an inalienable and imprescriptible right,” affirmed Handi. (SPS)
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