London, Apr 20, 2017 (SPS) -The Western Sahara Action Forum (WSAF) denounced Wednesday the continuation of Western Sahara colonization by Morocco, stressing that the lack of progress to free the Sahrawi people from colonialism is “untenable.”
In an appeal to the UN Security Council members, WSAF regretted “the failure of the UN Security Council to protect men, women and children of Western Sahara against torture perpetrated by the Moroccan state.”
The Forum referred to human rights violation examples reported this year, committed by Moroccan authorities, particularly children.
Besides, the Forum also stressed that Morocco continued to expel foreigner it suspects of monitoring human rights. According to the same source, 57 individuals were expelled from Western Sahara in January 2017.
Due to the absence of a permanent independent mechanism to monitor human rights, “the extent of these unpunished violations remains unknown,” deplored WSAF.
Moreover, WSAF urged the Security Council to set a date during the upcoming meetings on the MINURSO mandate, for direct negotiations between Morocco and the Polisario Front “without, preconditions, and with respect for the Sahrawi people’s inalienable right to self-determination.”
It also called on the Security Council to entrust to the MINURSO the monitoring and reporting of the situation of human rights in Western Sahara, and set a date for a “free and just referendum involving the independence option in accordance with international legal standards.” SPS
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