Accuses Paris of “not abandoning” its “expansionist” and “colonialist” policies
Jul 31. () –
The Polisario Front on Tuesday condemned “in the strongest terms” France’s recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the territory of Western Sahara as “the only basis for achieving a fair political solution”, a decision that seeks to “deprive the Sahrawi people” of exercising their “right to self-determination and independence”.
“France, which has never abandoned its colonial and expansionist approach, has also continued to hinder the efforts of the international community to find a peaceful and just solution to decolonize Western Sahara. Its recently announced decision (…) only confirms its deliberate intention to deprive the Sahrawi people and undermine their inalienable right to freedom and independence and expose the entire region to threats and instability,” reads a statement published by the Sahrawi news agency SPS.
In this regard, he has attacked the French Government for “publicly supporting the expansionist war of the Moroccan occupation regime of oppression” and has denounced the recent “dangerous escalation witnessed in the territories occupied by the Moroccan occupying authorities within the framework of the settlement policy”, which “deprives” the Sahrawis of their lands through the confiscation of land by “military force”.
He then thanked Algeria for its decision to withdraw its ambassador to France, Said Musi, “with immediate effect” and to downgrade diplomatic relations to the level of chargé d’affaires in retaliation for this recognition.
Polisario also recalled the responsibility of the UN to ensure respect for international law and to ensure that the Sahrawi population can exercise its right to self-determination in order to “complete the decolonization process in the last colony in Africa, Western Sahara.” Finally, it urged the Sahrawi population to “stay united” and “preserve cohesion” in the face of Morocco’s policies.
The former Spanish colony of Western Sahara was occupied by Morocco in 1975 despite resistance from the Polisario Front, with which it remained at war until 1991 when both sides signed a ceasefire with a view to holding a referendum on self-determination. Differences over the preparation of the census and whether or not to include Moroccan settlers have so far prevented its convening.
The latest setback for the Sahrawis was the Spanish Government’s support for the Moroccan autonomy plan, expressed in March 2022 in a letter from the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, a change of position described as treason by the Polisario, which recalls that Spain is still ‘de jure’ the administering power of Western Sahara.
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