Accra, April 23, 2012 (SPS) - The Socialist Forum of Ghana (SFG) has called on the UN Security Council to extend as a matter of urgency the mandate of MINURSO to include the monitoring of human rights in Western Sahara and to take all other measures necessary for the Saharawi people to enjoy their right to self-determination, in a letter sent on April 12, 2012 to the UN Secretary General.
“We demand that in line with international law and the principles embodied in the charter of the United Nations organisation, the UN Security council should as a matter of urgency extend the mandate of MINURSO to include the monitoring of human rights and take all other measures necessary for the Saharawi people to enjoy their right to self-determination,” stated the letter.
Socialist Forum of Ghana expressed support to the call by Polisario Front for the expansion of the mandate of MINURSO to include the monitoring of the human rights situation throughout Western Sahara, applauding the call made by Security Council, in his report on Western Sahara submitted to the Security Council in the second week of current April, for the renewal of the mandate of MINURSO as an affirmation of the Saharawi people’s right to self-determination.
The letter indicated that the Moroccan authorities continue to violate the rights of the Saharawi people with impunity as reported by several international organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, saying “they are denied the right to assembly and travel for legal and legitimate purposes, they are detained without charge or trial; they are tortured and some Saharawi have been assassinated or murdered in furtherance of the colonialist enterprise of Morocco.”
On other hand, the Forum welcomed the decision taken by the European Parliament in December 2011 to reject the extension of the EU-Morocco Fisheries Partnership Agreement, noting that some European states especially France “continue to support the colonial enterprise of Morocco” and a number of multi-national corporations are still engaged in the illegal exploitation of Saharawi resources. (SPS)
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