Florence (Tuscany, Italy), June 17, 2012 (SPS) - Petitioners during Florence conference on Saharawi human rights, which was held under the title “the right to human rights: Western Sahara between occupation and self-determination”, unanimously denounced the occupation of Western Sahara and violations of human rights committed by Moroccan state against the defenseless Saharawi citizens.
In his welcoming speech, the Mayor of Florence Mr. Andrea Balducci pointed to the reasons behind the initiative, considering that the condition experienced by the Saharawi people particularly human rights violations in the occupied Saharawi territories, occupied by Morocco, “deserves attention by the international public opinion; including governments, parliaments and civil society.”
“The world and European Union, in particular, must bear responsibility towards a just cause,” said Mr. Balducci, confirming that its settlement on the basis of international legitimacy through a referendum on self-determination “will strengthen the real democracy in a very important region in Africa and the world.”
Mayor of Florence emphasized at the end of his speech on the need to “involve all the Italian forces in a brave position in the defense of the right of the Saharawi people to freely and transparently decide their future, as well as in the protection of the Saharawis in the occupied territories and to deal with authorities of the Saharawi Republic, a Member State of the African Union.”
From his part, the Mayor of Macerata Mr. Romano Carancini called on presidents of Tuscany municipalities’ presidents to “strengthen solidarity with the Saharawi people and increase the cooperation with this people, who suffer unjustified suffering because of their defense to their natural right to liberty, establishing an independent state and maintaining their culture.”
Ms. Susanna Agostini, Head of the Municipal Council of Florence, called for act, inside and outside the Province of Florence, in favour of the prompt holding of the referendum on self-determination for the Saharawi people and protection of human rights as well removal of the Moroccan military wall that divided Western Sahara, adding “our municipality must make the Saharawis feel that they are not alone, because we are in their side.”
President of the Coordination of Italian Association of Solidarity with the Saharawi people called, in his intervention, for dispatching independent international observers to the occupied territories of Western Sahara, considering that this conference is “an opportunity for the action against the shameless disregard by some officials and media to the Saharawi cause.”
He also urged to recognize the Saharawi Republic, an a full member of the African Union, and called on the institutions, bodies, municipalities and civil society in Italy and Europe to “take part at the next edition of the European Coordination Conference of Support to the Sahrawi Saharawi People (EUCOCO) to be held in Rome nest yea.” (SPS)
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