Washington, June 02, 2015 (SPS) - The United States Congress has approved on Monday the U.S. parliamentary group of solidarity with the Saharawi people called “Western Sahara Caucus, after the group renewed its structures last November.
For a press release issued on Monday, presidency of the Caucus is now chaired by Congressmen John Conyers of the Democratic Party, and Mr. Joseph R. Pitts of the Republican Party.
“The re-establishment of this Western Sahara Caucus will be important to encouraging the Obama Administration to use its leverage in the United Nations to resolve the last colonial issue on its agenda for the African continent,” said Rep. Conyers.
“While the State Department played an important role in renewing the U.N. peacekeeping mission for Western Sahara, I hope that Congress can push for a greater emphasis on human rights monitoring and scheduling the referendum necessary to resolve the long running controversy. Though progress has recently stalled, I am optimistic that U.S. advocacy for self-determination for the peoples of Western Sahara can lead to a durable peace in the region,” underlined the US congressman.
The Caucus was formed with the intent of highlighting the needs for self-determination and human rights monitoring for Western Sahara. (SPS)
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