Dominica. 27 August 2021 (SPS)- Frente Polisario Representative to the UN, Ambassador Sidi M. Omar, stressed in a statement before the Regional Seminar organized by the Special committee on Decolonization (C-24) in Dominica Thursday, that the only option for peace in Western Sahara is for the international community to defend the fundamental principles, mainly the right of all peoples to self-determination and independence and the non-acquisition of territory by the use of force as Morocco is trying to do in this last colony in Africa.
“Obviously, in a rules-based international order, the logic of force can never be an option, otherwise many peoples and countries, including almost all Member States present here today, would have remained under the yoke of colonialism and foreign occupation. The only option, therefore, is to defend the principles of international legality and allow the people of Western Sahara the chance to exercise freely and democratically their inalienable and non-negotiable right to self-determination and independence,” he said.
The Saharawi diplomat briefed the participating member states and delegates in the latest developments in the territory, blaming Morocco for the persisting non-resolution of the conflict.
Following is the full text of the Statement as received by SPS:
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Statement of the Frente POLISARIO (Western Sahara)
C-24 Caribbean Regional Seminar, Dominica, 25-27 August 2021
Amb. Sidi M. Omar
Madam Chair,
Distinguished Representatives and Delegates of Member States,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Thank you, Madam Chair, for the invitation. It is a pleasure to address the Special Committee here in the Commonwealth of Dominica on behalf of the Frente POLISARIO, the legitimate and the sole UN-recognised Representative of the people of the Non-Self-Governing Territory of Western Sahara in line with relevant General Assembly and Security Council resolutions.
The theme of the seminar of this year deals with the implementation of the Fourth International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism in the light of the coronavirus disease pandemic. The subject is especially timely as the peoples of the remaining 17 Non-Self-Governing Territories, including Western Sahara, pursue their legitimate quest for the eradication of colonialism and foreign occupation while they are facing multiple challenges that are now being compounded by the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.
It is my intention therefore to briefly share with you the views of the Frente POLISARIO on the political developments in Western Sahara and the way forward to achieve the decolonisation of the Territory as we embark on the Fourth International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism. The extended version of my statement will be shared with the Committee’s Secretariat.
Madam Chair,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The question of the Non-Self-Governing Territory of Western Sahara is a clear-cut issue of decolonisation in accordance with relevant resolutions of the General Assembly, which is the principal organ of the UN with the responsibility regarding matters of decolonisation. It has been on the agenda of the C-24 since December 1963. However, to date, the decolonisation of Western Sahara through the free and genuine expression of the will of its people in the exercise of their inalienable right to self-determination and independence is still pending.
The reason for the delay in the decolonisation of Western Sahara, the last remaining colony in Africa, is crystal clear, namely the continued military occupation by Morocco of the Territory since 31 October 1975.
As we have expounded time and again before the C-24 and other relevant UN bodies, all the efforts undertaken so far by the UN and by the African continental organisation (the OAU and later the AU) have all been frustrated by Morocco. These include the self-determination referendum-based Settlement Plan of 1991 which Morocco accepted officially and pledged to engage in its full implementation and respect its outcome, before reneging on its commitment in 2001, obviously because of its fear of the outcome of the referendum.
Madam Chair,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
For almost three decades, the Frente POLISARIO remained fully committed to the UN peace process in Western Sahara and made tremendous concessions for the process to move forward and achieve its mutually agreed objective, namely the holding of a free and fair referendum on self-determination for the people of Western Sahara.
Nonetheless, our political will and flexibility have never been reciprocated by the other party. Besides, the absence of a strong, unequivocal, and firm position by the UN and the international community regarding Morocco’s utter disregard for the UN mandate and decisions concerning Western Sahara has just emboldened the occupying state to persist, with complete impunity, in its colonial practices and attempts to impose a fait accompli by force in the Occupied Western Sahara.
These colonial practices include the ongoing repression of Sahrawi civilians and human rights activists; changing of the demographic nature of the Territory through intensive and incentivised settlement policies in violation of the principles of international humanitarian law; plunder of the natural resources; opening of so-called “consulates” of foreign entities; holding of elections and imposing Moroccan laws on the Occupied Territory, among other things.
Obviously, all these actions are colonial practices imposed by force, and hence they have no legitimacy and cannot have any effect on the status of Territory. They however show a typical pattern of colonialism that brings to mind the policies carried out by colonial powers that some of you had experienced in your recent past. The blatant attempt by the occupying state, as a colonial power, to forcibly expropriate the legitimate voice of the Sahrawi people through its own created and sponsored entities is quite familiar to some of you and to this Committee too.
The Moroccan occupation and forcible annexation of parts of our land has also had dire consequences for our people in the Occupied Western Sahara whose situation has worsened as the occupying state continues to use the restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic to intensify its repressive practices. As denounced by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, among others, today in the occupied city of Bojador, for instance, the house of the family of Sid Brahim Jaya remains under tight siege since 19 November 2020. In the meantime, the human rights activist Sultana Sid Brahim Jaya and her family pursue their peaceful protest, and, because of that, they are subjected daily to physical assault, sexual harassment, and other brutal and degrading treatment at the hands of the Moroccan security agents and state-sponsored thugs.
Madam Chair,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
All the facts that I have just outlined demonstrate clearly that the occupying state has no interest whatsoever in contributing to a peaceful and lasting solution to the decolonisation of Western Sahara, and that it continues to rely on the logic of force and on the impunity and protection that it enjoys from certain quarters.
As we informed the Special Committee in June, because of the UN’s failure to act decisively in the face of Morocco’s destabilising and belligerent actions, Western Sahara is currently witnessing very serious developments. On early 13 November 2020, in flagrant violation of the 1991 ceasefire and Security Council resolutions, Moroccan armed forces moved into the Buffer Strip in Guerguerat in the Liberated Territories of Western Sahara and attacked a group of Sahrawi civilians who were protesting peacefully against Morocco’s illegal occupation of parts of our land and the plunder of our resources.
The Moroccan act of aggression has violently led to the collapse of the almost 30 years of ceasefire and has triggered a new war that could have the most serious consequences for peace, security, and stability in the entire region.
As we have demonstrated through concrete deeds, we had never ceased to trust in a peaceful solution to the conflict, and all that we want is to exercise our right to self-determination and independence and to live in peace with all our neighbours including Morocco. However, faced with the Moroccan new act of aggression, which continues to date with complete impunity, we have been left with no option but to exercise our legitimate right to self-defence. In this regard, I would like to underscore that, while we remain fully committed to pursuing a peaceful and lasting solution to the decolonisation of Western Sahara, our people will never give up their inalienable and non-negotiable right to self-determination and independence, and we will continue to use all legitimate means to defend our rights and the sovereignty of our country.
Madam Chair,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In conclusion, I would like to emphasise that the way forward to achieve a peaceful, just, and enduring solution to the decolonisation of Western Sahara as we embark on the Fourth International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism is abundantly clear. Therefore, the question today before this Committee boils down to this: does it allow the logic of force to prevail in Western Sahara, and thus allow the Moroccan military occupation of parts of the Territory to continue with impunity, or does it defend the fundamental principles underpinning the existing international order, which enshrine peoples’ right to self-determination and independence and prohibit the acquisition of territory by force?
Obviously, in a rules-based international order, the logic of force can never be an option, otherwise many peoples and countries, including almost all Member States present here today, would have remained under the yoke of colonialism and foreign occupation. The only option, therefore, is to defend the principles of international legality and allow the people of Western Sahara the chance to exercise freely and democratically their inalienable and non-negotiable right to self-determination and independence.
The lesson learnt from world recent history shows that only peace anchored in international legality and in the freedom and equality of rights of small and big nations can be viable and enduring. It is therefore imperative that efforts be redoubled to bring about a peaceful and lasting solution to the decolonisation of Western Sahara, which remains an indispensable prerequisite for restoring peace and stability in North Africa.
I thank you for your attention." (SPS)
090/500/60 (SPS)