Brussels, Oct 5, 2011 (SPS) - The President of the Republic, Mr. Mohamed Abdelaziz, has asked the European Union to send a fact‐finding mission to the occupied city of Dakhla to investigate the latest terrible events, calling it to not give credence to Moroccan propaganda and distortions of the facts of what has happened in the last few days in City.
In a letter addressed Tuesday to Ms. Baroness Ashton, high representative of the European Union for foreign affairs and security policy, the President Mohamed Abdelaziz pointed out that Morocco “has again attacked the civilian population of the port city of Dakhla,” considering it “a very concerning continuation of the pattern established in the attack on the peaceful demonstration camp at Gdeim Izik on 8 November 2010.”
“Since 25 September this year, repression in Dakhla has reached new heights and continues to escalatae. Saharawis demonstrating peacefully for the right of self‐determination have been attacked by Moroccan settlers and security forces. A young Saharawi activist, Maichan Mohamed Lamin Lehbib, aged 28, was murdered by the Moroccans. Women, children and the elderly among the demonstrators have been injured, seven of them seriously. Twenty‐five are still missing. Many young Saharawis have been arrested, Saharawi houses have been pillaged and their cars and possessions burned,” the letter drew attention of Ms. Ashton.
The President of the Republic requested the EU to urgently demand that the Moroccan Government cease its repression of the Saharawi people, release Saharawi political prisoners, respect the fundamental rights of the Saharawi people to self‐determination and lift the siege imposed over Saharawi occupied territories.
“It is unacceptable that the EU and the international community have failed to establish an international human rights monitoring mechanism in the occupied territories to monitor the situation on a permanent basis and to protect the Saharawi population from repression,” said the SADR President, urging the EU to support the addition of a capacity to protect and monitor the human rights situation in the Territory to the MINURSO when comes to renewing its mandate in April 2012.
“The protection of civilians as an international obligation should not be subjected to double standards and discrimination in terms of what is happening in Western Sahara and in other parts of the world,” added Mr. Mohamed Abdelaziz, stressing that these acts of terror must immediately end “to find a solution to the conflict in Western Sahara.” (SPS)
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