Swedish Western Sahara Committee
Political Statement of the Annual Assembly 2007
Stockholm, 24. March 2007
Sweden must defend international law in Western Sahara
The situation in Western Sahara is now drastically deteriorating.
In the coastal part occupied by Morocco the Saharawis are subjected to inhumane oppression. Anyone who dares to whisper a support for independence is summarily detained, maltreated and imprisoned. The occupying power allows no transparency and no scrutiny by foreign media.
In the self-administered refugee camps outside Tindouf the desperation and scepticism of the international community is growing. The food rations are cut. The chance to return to a free Western Sahara seems increasingly remote.
The Royal Dictatorship of Morocco is richly rewarded by the USA and the EU, with France leading the pack. Because of its promises to limit refugee flows and to curb terrorism, Morocco is permitted to plunder Western Sahara of its fish, phosphate and oil. Morocco is permitted to violate the UN-negotiated agreements for a referendum. Morocco is permitted to deal with Western Sahara as its own back yard, putting it behind barbed wire and mine fields.
The Moroccan King is now trying to present a "new solution", a limited autonomy for the inhabitants in Western Sahara – most of whom are state sponsored Moroccan settlers. It is ominous that the French President and the Spanish Prime Minister have praised the Moroccan deceit. Autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty is no alternative.
We expect the Swedish Government to continue defending international law, as when voting against the illegal EU-Morocco fishing agreements.
We demand that the Swedish government:
Political Statement of the Annual Assembly 2007
Stockholm, 24. March 2007
Sweden must defend international law in Western Sahara
The situation in Western Sahara is now drastically deteriorating.
In the coastal part occupied by Morocco the Saharawis are subjected to inhumane oppression. Anyone who dares to whisper a support for independence is summarily detained, maltreated and imprisoned. The occupying power allows no transparency and no scrutiny by foreign media.
In the self-administered refugee camps outside Tindouf the desperation and scepticism of the international community is growing. The food rations are cut. The chance to return to a free Western Sahara seems increasingly remote.
The Royal Dictatorship of Morocco is richly rewarded by the USA and the EU, with France leading the pack. Because of its promises to limit refugee flows and to curb terrorism, Morocco is permitted to plunder Western Sahara of its fish, phosphate and oil. Morocco is permitted to violate the UN-negotiated agreements for a referendum. Morocco is permitted to deal with Western Sahara as its own back yard, putting it behind barbed wire and mine fields.
The Moroccan King is now trying to present a "new solution", a limited autonomy for the inhabitants in Western Sahara – most of whom are state sponsored Moroccan settlers. It is ominous that the French President and the Spanish Prime Minister have praised the Moroccan deceit. Autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty is no alternative.
We expect the Swedish Government to continue defending international law, as when voting against the illegal EU-Morocco fishing agreements.
We demand that the Swedish government:
- work within EU to ensure that Spain assumes its responsibility to complete the unfinished decolonization of Western Sahara
- work in the United Nations Security Council to ensure that the Saharawi people's right to self- determination is materialized through the promised referendum on independence
- follow the position of the African Union and recognize the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR)
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Forwarded by:
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Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara
*** Referendum now! ***
Forwarded by:
___________________________________________
Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara
*** Referendum now! ***
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