Washington, Dec 26, 2011 (SPS) - The Western Sahara issue has again obtained support from the UN General Assembly and the Security Council that reaffirmed this year the solution to self-determination of the Sahrawi people, but the negotiation process still stumbles on the differences between the Polisario Front and Morocco.
In its latest resolution on this issue, the UN General Assembly supported the negotiation process initiated by the Security Council since 2007 to achieve “a just, lasting and mutually acceptable solution to enable the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.”
The Secretary General of the UN, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, confirmed in this regard that if we reach a final status through which the Sahrawi population has not expressed his views clearly and convincingly, “we could create new tensions in Western Sahara and in the region.”
For its part, the Security Council also endorsed a resolution in which it reiterated its commitment to help both parties to the conflict, the Polisario Front and Morocco, to reaching a solution that allows self-determination of the Saharawi people.
But the victory obtained by the Polisario Front in the last resolution of the Security Council is that for the first time, this decision-making body of the UN has unequivocally called on Morocco as the occupying country to respect human rights of the Saharawi people, and this after years of neglect of this issue because of opposition from a member of the Security Council.
“It is important to improve the situation of human rights in Western Sahara and to engage the parties to cooperate with the international community to develop and implement independent and credible measures to ensure full respect for human man,” admitted the Council in resolution 1979, pointing out that maintaining the status quo is not acceptable in the long run, he invited both parties to show greater political will for a solution, by discussing in more detail in their respective proposals.
What has always been, however, the views of the Polisario Front, which has consistently proposed holding a referendum considering several options, including that of independence, while Morocco is only a self-governing negotiated and a referendum confirmation unique option. In this regard, during discussions on Western Sahara to the General Assembly and the 4th Committee of decolonization, a large number of states and representatives of international civil society have challenged the UN to intensify efforts for a referendum on self-determination in the last outbreak of colonialism in Africa, which is still awaiting its final decolonization.
For the most part, if the Moroccan authorities are so safe, as they say, membership of the Sahrawi people to remain in the bosom of Morocco, why it rejects and obstructs the referendum on self-determination?
It is particularly regrettable that in spite of UN resolutions recognizing the right to self-determination, the question of decolonization of Western Sahara hardly be duly completed, when the United Nations launched in 2011 the Third International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism (2011-2020).
During the four informal meetings held this year between the Polisario Front and Morocco, no substantial progress has been made, despite the tireless efforts and steeped in the dynamic process of negotiations initiated by the Personal Envoy of the Secretary General of the United Nations for Western Sahara, Christopher Ross.
Furthermore, if the issue of human rights of Saharawis has still not been resolved by the introduction of a monitoring mechanism within the mission of MINURSO, it has, against, provoked reactions in high sphere in Washington. In its latest global report on human rights, the U.S. State Department has clearly mentioned the killings by the security services of the Moroccan government and arbitrary detention and torture against the Saharawis and the enforcement carried out against international organizations for human rights and the media that deal with this issue.
In the wake of this report and that of its Research Center who also reported these violations, the U.S. Congress recently passed a law requiring the State Department to ensure respect for human rights in Western Sahara prior to the award of any military assistance to Morocco.
The provisions of this law stipulates that prior to disbursement of funds in favor of Morocco under the military aid, Secretary of State shall submit a report to the appropriations committees of both houses of Congress (House of Representatives and Senate) on the measures taken by the Moroccan government in respecting the rights of people to peacefully express their opinions regarding the status and future of Western Sahara, and prepare a report on rights violations rights of the Saharawis.
The Congress has also conditioned the granting of financial aid to Morocco by U.S. military access rights in Western Sahara, and without any hindrance, organizations of human rights, journalists and representatives of foreign governments. It is another win to the credit of the Polisario Front and the Sahrawi people. (SPS)
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