Algiers, 11 November 2024 (SPS) - Western Sahara is living under Moroccan occupation, marked recently by an intensification of repression and serious violations of the fundamental rights of the Sahrawi people, particularly their right to self-determination and independence.
Ambassador Malinin Lakhal, permanent representative of the Sahrawi Republic to the African Union, stated in a declaration to APS that the Sahrawi people remain firmly attached to their inalienable right to self-determination. He noted that, despite repeated calls for an expansion of the United Nations Mission for the Organization of a Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) to monitor human rights, Moroccan authorities persist in avoiding any responsibility in this regard. According to the Sahrawi ambassador, this situation is exacerbated by international complicity, especially that of France, which intensifies the disarray of the Sahrawi people who relentlessly demand its legitimate rights.
He added that the "arbitrary and immediate" expulsion of two Norwegian activists recently constitutes another episode in the Moroccan strategy aimed at preventing any international presence that could testify to the human rights situation in the occupied territories.
Sahrawi human rights defenders, such as Sultana Khaya and Aminatou Haidar, are also experiencing arbitrary arrests and cases of torture, he noted. Reports from organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch document the use of violence against peaceful protesters, while the international community remains weak in its response to these violations.
The Sahrawi political prisoners, he emphasized, also remain a central concern, and international campaigns are demanding their release while denouncing the mistreatment and torture they endure in detention. Among the emblematic cases is that of Gdeim Izik, he recalled, whose anniversary of the tragic events on November 8 symbolizes the ongoing suffering of the Sahrawi people. Currently, 84 defenders remain imprisoned, some serving life sentences.
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