In a powerful plea to the UN Human Rights Council, the Saharawi Youth Union (UJSARIO) joined forces with the International Service for Human Rights on Monday, urging the protection of the Saharawi people’s rights and scrutiny of Morocco’s actions. Addressing the council’s 58th session, they insisted on the need for stronger enforcement of human rights mechanisms, demanding Morocco’s compliance and safeguarding activists from reprisals.
The union voiced concerns over the international community’s failure to uphold decolonization and human rights principles. They lamented the ongoing occupation of Western Sahara, highlighting systematic oppression faced by its people. This oppression includes the stifling of expression among activists, journalists, and civil society, alongside grave human rights abuses like arbitrary detentions, torture, and discrimination.
UJSARIO also called for urgent action against Moroccan authorities to release political prisoners and halt the illegal economic exploitation of Western Sahara’s resources. They pressed the council to confront Morocco’s escalating repression and its disregard for international obligations, as exemplified by restricting access to the UN’s human rights offices.
The Saharawi Youth Union, part of the broader Polisario Front movement, seeks an independent Western Sahara, engaged in an enduring conflict with the Moroccan government. This long-standing dispute sees Morocco claiming sovereignty over 80% of the territory, which it terms ‘Moroccan Sahara’, while the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) asserts it as occupied.
Despite UN recognition of Western Sahara as a non-self-governing territory, the General Assembly stresses the need for the territory’s decolonization, promoting the Saharawi people’s right to self-determination. Currently, 47 UN member states endorse the SADR as a sovereign state. UJSARIO concludes with a heartfelt reminder: “The future of Saharawi people remains uncertain while rulings affirming their right to self-determination remain unimplemented.”
The Saharawi Youth Union (UJSARIO) and the International Service for Human Rights urged the UN Human Rights Council to protect the Saharawi people’s rights. They cited ongoing repression and systemic human rights violations by Moroccan authorities. The union demands accountability and the release of prisoners, calling attention to the need for the UN’s involvement in ensuring the Saharawi right to self-determination amidst a historical context of occupation and conflict.
The Saharawi Youth Union’s call to the UN Human Rights Council underscores a pressing need for action to safeguard the rights of the Saharawi people. Their plight, marked by repression and human rights violations amidst the ongoing occupation, requires immediate international attention and enforcement of protective measures. With growing recognition of the SADR, the unresolved question of self-determination looms large, leaving the future of this territory and its people in precarious uncertainty.
Original Source: www.jurist.org
