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CEE Alliance expresses serious concerns over ongoing Moroccan repression in Western Sahara

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Budapest, 3 August 2019 (SPS) - The Central and Eastern European Alliance for Solidarity with the Saharawi People (CEE Alliance) has expressed serious concerns over the ongoing series of lethal crackdowns by Moroccan security forces since 19th July 2019, in Morocco`s illegally occupied Western Sahara, in a statement addressed to the United Nations Secretary-General, H.E. António Guterres.
The CEE Alliance strongly condemned the brutal attacks made by the Moroccan security forces against the Saharawi civil population in the occupied territories of Western Sahara.
CEE Alliance urged the Security Council to ensure that MINURSO operates in line with basic standards applicable to all other UN peacekeeping operations, including having a capacity to monitor, protect and report on the human rights situation.
The CEE Alliance urged that the United Nations send a fact-finding delegation to the illegally occupied Western Sahara, to assess the situation and to provide protection for the innocent Saharawi people.
The following is the full read of the statement:
“Attn. H/E Secretary-General António Guterres
United Nations
S t a t e m e n t
The Central and Eastern European Alliance for Solidarity with the Saharawi People (CEE Alliance) expresses serious concerns over the ongoing series of lethal crackdowns by Moroccan security forces since 19th July 2019, in Morocco`s illegally occupied Western Sahara.
The Moroccan repression in Western Sahara killed a 23 years old young woman, Sabah Osman Hamida, who was run over by a vehicle of Moroccan security forces in the occupied city of El-Ayoun during the peaceful celebration of the Algerian victory of the African Nations Cup.
In the recent crackdowns, Moroccan security forces attacked violently Sahrawi civilians with batons, tear gas, water cannons, rubber bullets and stones. Several civilians were injured, and others, including children, were aggressed and arbitrarily arrested. Many people were wounded, others bullied and beaten up while security forces flooded the area till now.
The CEE Alliance strongly condemns the brutal attacks made by the Moroccan security forces against the Saharawi civil population in the occupied territories of Western Sahara, who continue to be deprived of their fundamental rights, including their right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
Regrettably, Morocco’s repressive actions against Sahrawi civilians take place in the presence of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) in the Territory, which remains under the full responsibility of the United Nations.
CEE Alliance urges the Security Council to ensure that MINURSO operates in line with basic standards applicable to all other UN peacekeeping operations, including having a capacity to monitor, protect and report on the human rights situation.
The CEE Alliance urges that the United Nations send a fact-finding delegation to the illegally occupied Western Sahara, to assess the situation and to provide protection for the innocent Saharawi people.
The CEE Alliance urges also that the European Union, which signed some partnership agreements with Morocco, oblige it to respect Human Rights in occupied Western Sahara.
The CEE Alliance expresses serious concerns over the ongoing efforts by the European Commission to circumvent the 21 December 2016 ruling of the European Court of Justice (ECJ), which undermine the legal rights of the Saharawi people, and continue the illegal exploitation of the resources of Western Sahara.
As underlined by the Advocate-General of the ECJ on 10 January 2018, the territory of Western Sahara remains under the partial occupation of Morocco. The ECJ, in December 2016, definitively ruled that Morocco has no sovereignty over Western Sahara – reaffirming the position of the International Court of Justice, the United Nations and the African Union, that Western Sahara is a Non-Self-Governing Territory with continuing and exclusive ownership of the natural resources of the Territory.
Budapest, 2nd August 2019.
Matyas Benyik,
President,
on behalf of CEE Alliance (SPS)
062/SPS