France, January 15, 2020 (SPS) - The association of Friends of the SADR in France expressed, again this year, their outrage and rejection of the passage of the Africa Eco Race Rally (12th edition - Monaco-Dakar) through the area of El Gargarat south of Western Sahara, in clear violation of the rights of the Saharawi people.
Many Saharawis arrived at the scene and organized a strong protest to denounce the illegality of the situation and express their rejection of the fallacies and expansionist maneuvers of Morocco at the expense of their neighbors.
On January 13, the Africa Eco Race Rally passed through the Elgargarat buffer zone south of Western Sahara, controlled by the United Nations Mission for the referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO. Each participant in the Rally carries a map of route that in effect constitutes a propaganda, that presents / displays the map of Morocco annexed with the one of the Western Sahara.
The association of Friends of the SADR in France regrets that as the Africa Eco Race Rally, which shows generous ambitions for peace and sustainable development, lends itself to political maneuvers that aim to legitimize the violent occupation of Western Sahara territory.
In addition, since January 2014, Morocco prohibits the entry into this territory of people in solidarity with the Saharawi people (274 expulsions of 20 nationalities, including political personalities, independent observers, journalists, jurists, etc.).
“The Saharawi people have the inalienable right to self-determination and independence. 44 years after the Moroccan invasion of its territory, it has lost confidence in the peace process initiated by the United Nations. ”
The Association of Friends of the SADR in France appealed to the UN, responsible for the decolonization of Western Sahara, to convince the organizers of the Africa Eco Race Rally to contact the Saharawi authorities in order to request their permission to the passage of the Rally through Saharawi lands and respect the rights of the people of Western Sahara. SPS
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