Auserd, 21 October 2026 (SPS) – Oubi Bouchraya Bachir, Adviser to the President of the Republic in charge of Natural Resources and Legal Affairs, has stressed that the struggle over Western Sahara’s natural resources is essential to affirming the Sahrawi people’s sovereignty over their national territory and securing their inalienable right to self-determination.
Speaking at a session on Sahrawi natural resources, Oubi Bouchraya said legal victories had strengthened the legal framework affirming Western Sahara’s status as a decolonisation issue that can only be resolved by guaranteeing the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination.
He cited European court rulings affirming that Morocco and Western Sahara are distinct and separate territories and recognising the Polisario Front’s legal standing as the legitimate representative of the Sahrawi people. He also referred to African court decisions upholding the Sahrawi people’s rights to self-determination and sovereignty over their natural resources.
Oubi Bouchraya emphasised that continued legal action, alongside diplomatic efforts, is essential to challenging the exploitation of Sahrawi resources without the consent of the Sahrawi people and their legitimate representative, the Polisario Front.
He added that the legal framework provides grounds for pursuing accountability against those involved in the exploitation of these resources, stressing that any such exploitation without the consent of the Sahrawi people is unlawful under international law.
