Smara (refugee camps), April 6, 2015 (SPS) - The Chair of the U.S. -Western Sahara Foundation, Suzanne Scholte, called upon the U.S. President Barack Obama and UN Chief Ban KI-moon to ensure that Western Sahara referendum is held this year, in statements to SPS in the margins of the 7th congress of Saharawi women, held on 3-5 April 2015.
Ms. Scholte indicated that her Foundation has right now a petition online reminding U.S. President, as leader of the free world, and Ban Ki-moon, as head of the UN, of their responsibility in calling on Morocco to conduct a referendum in Western Sahara this year and to release all the Saharawi political prisoners.
Describing Moroccan presence in Western Sahara as an illegal occupation, the American activist said it is time to give Morocco a deadline to organize the referendum on self-determination for the people of Western Sahara or to withdraw from the Territory.
Voicing solidarity with the Saharawi people, she pledged to continue working to promote the noble and just cause of Western Sahara inside the United States of America through petitions and campaigns, among others.
Working on the issue since 1994, Scholte expressed commitment to help promote awareness of the Moroccan atrocities happening in the occupied Saharawi territories.
With regard to Saharawi woman resistance, Scholte said she is inspired by Saharawi woman fighting to push forward the cause of Western Sahara and to save the national identity of their people.
She highlighted that they, in the U.S.-Western Sahara Foundation, are trying to do educational programmes at the Capitol Hill in order to educate the new members of the U.S. Congress about the issue.
She, in this respect, underlined that they will continue to do such programmes to raise people awareness, adding they seek to have more people speaking up for the cause of Western Sahara before the United Nations Fourth Committee.
Suzanne Scholte, an American human rights activist and congressional candidate, is the Chairman of the U.S. – Western Sahara Foundation, a project of the Defense Forum Foundation. (SPS)
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