Chahid Al Hafed (refugee camps), Oct 17, 2014 (SPS) - The Saharawi Coordinator with the MINURSO Mr. Mhamed Khaddad has expressed the satisfaction of the Polisario Front and the Saharawi government with the verdict taken by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) on Monday vis-à-vis the illegality of the exploitation of Western Sahara natural resources.
In a statement to the national press, Mr. Mhamed Khaddad described ECJ’s judgment as an “important step” towards the realization by the Saharawi people of total sovereignty over their natural resources.
Highlighting that Western Sahara remains a non-self-governing territories as reaffirmed by the EU, the official demanded more work to strictly the international legality and to stop promoting what is called the de facto administration which has no legal basis.
He, in the same regard, added that Moroccan presence in Western Sahara is still considered by international law as an illegal occupation.
The European Court of Justice in Strasbourg explicitly stated, in a verdict issued on 13 October 2014, that Moroccan has neither right nor authority whatsoever to grant licenses to European vessels in the framework of the fisheries pact it signed with the EU, only through the European Committee on Fisheries.
Besides, added the verdict, this agreement should not go beyond the scope of Morocco’s internationally-recognized territorial waters, and cannot include Western Sahara waters, because this would constitute a “violation” of international law. (SPS)
090/089/TRA