Shahid El Hafed, 27 February 2016 (SPS) - President of the Republic and Secretary-General of the Frente POLISARIO, Mohamed Abdelaziz, reiterated the willingness of the Sahrawi people to carry on the struggle for the national independence, in his address on the 40th Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR)
“We celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the establishment of the Sahrawi State against the backdrop of the great success of the 14thCongress of the Frente POLISARIO and the enthusiasm and dedication that marked its deliberations as well as the willingness to carry on the struggle and to face up to the major challenges that lie ahead,” said the President of the Republic.
“This is an eloquent testimony by all our people of their strong and unwavering commitment and attachment to national unity and to the sole and legitimate representative of the Sahrawi people, the Frente POLISARIO, until the attainment of liberation and independence,” he added.
On this occasion, he called on all countries of the world to extend their formal recognition to the SADR without delay and to support its membership in the United Nations, in support for justice and peace and the decolonisation of the African continent.
He called on the European Union to take concrete steps in line with its principles and to put pressure on the Moroccan occupying State to allow the holding of the referendum on self-determination for the Sahrawi people. He also call on the EU to refrain immediately from the illegal and unethical looting of the Sahrawi natural resources and to annul any agreement with the Kingdom of Morocco that involves Western Sahara or its territorial waters.
He conveyed a message of goodwill to the brotherly Moroccan people and their government, calling on them to work together with the Sahrawi people to accelerate the holding of a free, fair and transparent referendum for the Sahrawi people, assuring the brotherly Moroccan people and their government that the establishment of the Sahrawi state on this legal and just basis will be in Morocco’s interest and the interest of peace and good neighbourhood.
Below is the full text of the Address by Mr Mohamed Abdelaziz, President of the Republic and Secretary-General of the Frente POLISARIO on the Fortieth Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR)
“In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Today, we mark the fortieth anniversary of the establishment of the Sahrawi Republic. On this occasion, we should first pay special tribute to the memory of the founder of the Sahrawi State, martyr of freedom and dignity and the memorable symbol, El-Wali Mustapha Sayed.
The proclamation of the Sahrawi State was the culmination of the sacrifices made by our people and their centuries-long resistance led by heroes such as Mohammed Sid-Brahim Bassiri, which continued with the launching of the armed struggle during which the Sahrawi people have made great sacrifices and in which scores of martyrs have fallen defending the cause.
The circumstances surrounding the establishment of the Sahrawi State were extremely difficult and intricate. The Sahrawi people had to take a decisive and urgent decision in the face of the devious plot led the Spanish colonial authorities, in cooperation with the Moroccan occupying regime, through the signing of Madrid Accords that were designed to eliminate an entire people and to usurp their land and their right to existence and independence.
The proclamation of the Sahrawi State, therefore, represented a crucial turning point in the struggle of the Sahrawi people, as it embodied, following the declaration of National Unity, an irreversible and legitimate choice for the establishment of an independent national entity uniting all Sahrawis. This historic event then led to the foundation of a young and unique nation, born out of suffering, sacrifices and determination, which was to evolve in the midst of a fierce national war.
The Sahrawi State has steadily strengthened its organisational, administrative, political and diplomatic structures as well as its executive, legislative and judicial institutions. It has put in place the necessary structures and policies to ensure the delivery of the most important services with special emphasis on health, education and training and orderly provision of the basic needs of the citizens.
With the clear strategy pursued by the Frente POLISARIO, which is based on investing in human resources, above all else, as the decisive factor in the struggle of liberation and nation building, the Sahrawi State has established a modern and tolerant society that believes in the ideals of freedom, democracy and equality. While Sahrawi women continue to enjoy a leading and privileged standing in society and in the various institutions and vital sectors of management, the young people have also been accorded great importance in the policies and programmes of the Sahrawi State, despite the situation of war and scarcity of resources.
The Sahrawi State exercises full sovereignty over its liberated territories and administers efficiently the Sahrawi refugee camps. On the diplomatic front, it has been recognised by more than 80 countries around the world, and it is a full founding State Member of the African continental organisation, the African Union.
After forty years of its inception, the Sahrawi State today meets all the requirements for membership in international bodies and organisations. On this fortieth anniversary, we would like to call on all countries of the world to extend their formal recognition to the SADR without delay and to support its membership in the United Nations, in support for justice and peace and the decolonisation of the African continent.
Such a move would be a sound and wise decision because the fully independent and sovereign Sahrawi State will be a factor of moderation, balance and stability in the region. With its democratic and open approach and its peaceful people, the Sahrawi State will be a powerful link of cohesion and union among the peoples and countries of the region.
On this occasion, we would like to convey a message of goodwill to the brotherly Moroccan people and their government, and to call on them to work together with us to accelerate the holding of a free, fair and transparent referendum for the Sahrawi people, in which the voters have already been identified by the United Nations. We assure the brotherly Moroccan people and their government that the establishment of the Sahrawi State on this legal and just basis will be in Morocco’s interest and the interest of peace and good neighbourhood. They will find in the Sahrawi State a good and sincere neighbour that is tolerant, forgiving and willing to share all that it has with its neighbours based on mutual respect for the sovereignty of the countries of the region and its peoples.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The recent developments in Western Sahara have unfortunately demonstrated the lack of genuine willingness on the part of the Moroccan occupying State to move towards a just and comprehensive solution to the conflict of the Sahrawi-Moroccan conflict.
The Sahrawi occupied territories are still under suffocating military and security siege, human rights activists are subjected to constant harassment and international independent observers are systematically expelled from the Territory so that the Moroccan occupying power could persist in its gross violations of human rights and the massive plundering of the Sahrawi natural resources. Morocco also continues to pursue brutal campaigns of repression and unlawful detention against Sahrawi civilians because of their demand of the implementation of the UN Charter and resolutions in a country that has not yet exercised its right to self-determination.
In addition to the statements and provocative practices typical of colonial powers, such as the visit made recently by the King of Morocco to the occupied territories of the SADR, the Moroccan King today seeks to impose the rule of expansionism, aggression, arrogance, contempt and fait accompli policy on the entire international community.
There is no other explanation for Morocco’s unceasing attempts to prevent the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General, Mr. Christopher Ross, from discharging his duties and having access to Western Sahara, his main mission area. Morocco also continues to obstruct blatantly the planned visit of the UN Secretary-General to the region whilst seeking to determine its time, itinerary and purpose in a way that challenges the missions and responsibilities of the UN and its Secretary General. Moreover, Morocco persists in its attempts to impose inaction and pessimism as defining elements in the reports of the UN Secretary-General and the resolutions adopted by the Security Council on the matter.
There are unfortunately some key international actors that shamefully contribute to encouraging the Moroccan occupying State to persist in its intransigence and obstructionism. In this context, we condemn once again the decision taken by Crans Montana Forum to organise a new session in the occupied city of Dakhla in a flagrant violation of the principles of international law. We are still waiting to see a brave and decisive stance by the France of freedom, democracy and human rights to stop protecting the Moroccan occupation and aggression and to urge Morocco to engage seriously in the UN efforts aimed at the holding of a self-determination referendum in Western Sahara. For this will be the only way to create a favourable climate for establishing close cooperation between the peoples and countries of the region and achieving the common interests existing between Europe and North Africa.
The world cannot remain indifferent in the face of colonial practices carried out in the twenty first century by the Moroccan occupying State, which are based on expansionism and aggression against neighbours. Equally serious is the involvement of Morocco in inundating the region with drugs, considering that it is the largest producer and exporter of cannabis in the world. Morocco’s contribution to drug trafficking has been crucial to supporting and encouraging gangs of organised crime and terrorist groups in a way that threatens seriously the security and stability in the region and the world.
It would be a shame for the United Nations in particular and the international community in general not to take concrete steps and impose the necessary sanctions on the Moroccan occupying State to allow MINURSO to carry out immediately its mission, namely the holding of a referendum on self-determination for the Sahrawi people, and to have the mandate of protecting, monitoring and reporting on human rights in Western Sahara.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the establishment of the Sahrawi State against the backdrop of the great success of the 14thCongress of the Frente POLISARIO and the enthusiasm and dedication that marked its deliberations as well as the willingness to carry on the struggle and to face up to the major challenges that lie ahead. These challenges include issues relating to the organisational structure, the Sahrawi People’s Liberation Army, the peaceful resistance, diplomacy, media, culture, human rights, legal processes, mechanisms of management and control and the role of women and youth.
Today all our people, of all ages and conditions, in the occupied territories and southern Morocco, in the refugee camps and the Sahrawi liberated territories and in the communities abroad, are celebrating this historic national day. This is an eloquent testimony by all our people of their strong and unwavering commitment and attachment to national unity and to the sole and legitimate representative of the Sahrawi people, the Frente POLISARIO, until the attainment of liberation and independence.
This is an occasion to extend a warm greeting and appreciation to our people that resist the Moroccan occupation, to all campaigners and activists of the independence uprising in La Aaiún, Smara, Dakhla and Boujdour and in Asa,Guelmim, Tan-Tan, Laqsabi, Zaq, M’Hamid El Ghizlane, Ifni and other places as well as at universities in Morocco. With the Sahrawi national flag as their emblem, these heroic people are performing great feats of determination and peaceful resistance every day as they persevere in demanding liberation, self-determination referendum, independence and the end of occupation. On this occasion, we call for the accounting for the fate of more than 651 Sahrawi disappeared by the Moroccan State and for the removal of the crime against humanity represented by the wall of the Moroccan occupation. We would also like to salute the detainees of Gdeim Izik, the detainee MbarekDaoudi and all Sahrawi political prisoners in Moroccan jails, and to call for the immediate end of their unjust detention.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
On such a great day, we would like to pay special tribute to positions of support and solidarity exhibited by brothers, sisters, friends and allies around the world with the struggle of our people and their legitimate cause. We would like to express our deep gratitude foremost to the brotherly people and Government of Algeria, led by Mujahid President Mr. Abdelaziz Bouteflika. A special tribute to this great country with its noble position, which is consistent with the principles of the glorious revolution of November and the UN Charter and resolutions, for having clearly and transparently embraced the Sahrawi cause as it has embraced the Palestinian cause and all liberation struggles in the world. We salute the hospitable and generous Algerian people that continue to demonstrate remarkable solidarity and support with our people after they had come to the aid of thousands of Sahrawi refugees who were fleeing from a serious attempt of extermination at the hands of Moroccan occupying forces that were bombing them with the internationally banned napalm and white phosphorus.
We also salute warmly the sisterly Mauritania, and we cherish the ties of brotherhood, friendship, neighbourliness and common destiny that bind our two brotherly peoples and countries. We note with appreciation the important role played by Mauritania in addressing the threats to the region in general, and we reiterate our constant readiness to cooperate closely with her and with all our neighbours to achieve higher standards of security, peace and stability.
A special tribute to the great Africa, the continent of revolutions and liberation movements, which also has readily embraced the SADR within the continental organization as a demonstration of its unambiguous opposition to the Moroccan aggression against a brotherly African country. We value highly the African Union’s commitment to the defence of the Sahrawi cause, and we note with appreciation its rejection and condemnation of the Moroccan colonial practices. We would like to call on the AU to intensify its engagement, as a partner of the United Nations, in bringing the UN-OAU Plan of 1991 to conclusion.
We salute the solidarity movement all over the world. We call on the European Union to take concrete steps in line with its principles and to put pressure on the Moroccan occupying State to allow the holding of the referendum on self-determination for the Sahrawi people. We also call on the EU to refrain immediately from the illegal and unethical looting of the Sahrawi natural resources and to annul any agreement with the Kingdom of Morocco that involves Western Sahara or its territorial waters.
We are proud of the relations of friendship, neighbourliness, history and culture that bind us with the peoples of Spain, and we appreciate highly the solidarity exhibited by them throughout all these years. We together are expecting that the Spanish State, as the legally colonial and administering power of Western Sahara, assume fully its political and moral responsibility towards the enabling of the Sahrawi people to exercise their right to self-determination and independence.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Today is an occasion to renew our pledge to the martyrs and to salute the combatants of the Sahrawi People’s Liberation Army who are stationed at the frontline and ready to face all possibilities and challenges. We recall that the list of glory, sacrifice and martyrdom will remain open as long as we have not reached our just and ultimate goal of freedom and independence, especially if the Kingdom of Morocco forces us, as it did in 1975, to engage in legitimate armed struggle.
The Sahrawi people everywhere have made up their mind and have taken their irreversible decision. Today all Sahrawi men and women are steadfastly attached to their State, which is a source of pride and a sense of deep national belonging that has evolved with the passage of time into an independent entity, a unifying, all-embracing and distinctive identity. There is no existence or future for the Sahrawi people outside of their free and independent homeland, the Sahrawi State with full sovereignty over the entire national territory.
Strength, Determination and Tenacity to enforce Independence and Sovereignty.
May the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you!” (SPS)
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