New York (United Nations), 16 June 2026 (SPS) – Dr. Sidi Mohamed Omar, Member of the National Secretariat, Representative of the Frente POLISARIO at the United Nations and Coordinator with MINURSO, affirmed that the Sahrawi people will never accept the Moroccan colonial fait accompli and will continue their legitimate resistance and struggle to defend their inalienable right to self-determination and independence.
The statement was made today as part of the remarks delivered by the Representative of the Frente POLISARIO at the United Nations and Coordinator with MINURSO before the Substantive Session of the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples (C-24), which began its proceedings on Monday at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
The full text of the statement received by the SPS:
Statement of the Frente POLISARIO on the Question of Western Sahara
Ambassador Sidi M. Omar
Substantive Session of the Special Committee on Decolonisation (C-24)
New York, 16 June 2026
Madam Chair,
Distinguished Representatives of Member States,
It is my pleasure to address the Special Committee again on behalf of the Frente POLISARIO, the sole and legitimate Representative of the people of Western Sahara in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council.
Sixty-three years ago, this Committee placed Western Sahara on its agenda in recognition of the inalienable right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination and independence in accordance with General Assembly Resolution 1514 (XV), which is the heart and soul of the mission of this Committee.
For over six decades, the Sahrawi people have been waiting for the UN to fully assume its responsibility in the decolonization of Western Sahara in accordance with Resolution 1514 (XV) and other relevant General Assembly resolutions.
When this same Committee visited Western Sahara in 1975, it reported back some indisputable facts that continue to resonate through these halls and beyond. First, there was an overwhelming consensus among Sahrawis within the Territory in favour of independence and opposing any integration with Morocco and Mauritania. Second, the Frente POLISARIO was the dominant political force in the Territory and enjoyed massive support from the people for its demand for independence.
Madam Chair, distinguished Representatives of Member States, these two fundamental facts remain as indisputable today as they were half a century ago.
The Sahrawi people, under the leadership of their sole and legitimate representative, the Frente POLISARIO, have been struggling bravely and making the ultimate sacrifice to secure their freedom and independence.
Over five decades of Morocco’s brutal occupation, repression, and terrorisation have only strengthened our people’s unwavering resolve to defend their sovereignty and legitimate national aspirations.
The way forward to complete the decolonization of Western Sahara, the last colony in Africa, is very clear: the Sahrawi people must be granted the chance to exercise their right to self-determination and independence through a free and democratic process. The right of our people to freely determine their own political future is inalienable and non-negotiable; and neither Morocco, the occupying state, nor any other foreign state can take away and trade our rights or decide our destiny for us.
In concluding, I would like to reiterate that the Frente POLISARIO remains fully committed to achieving just and lasting peace and to contributing constructively to the completion of the decolonization of Western Sahara. However, in honour of the memory of our martyrs and the sacrifices of our people, the Sahrawi people will never accept the Moroccan colonial fait accompli and will continue their legitimate resistance and struggle to defend their inalienable right to self-determination and independence.
I thank you for your attention.
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