Contrary to conventional knowledge, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) - popularly known as Western Sahara - is not just a territory. It is Africa’s last colony even though, Wikipedia confirms that there are some 81 countries around the world including all member states of the African Union (except Morocco), have recognized SADR as a sovereign nation.
According to BBC Country Profile, SADR came under Spanish rule in 1884 and later became a Spanish province in 1934. Though a former Spanish colony, SADR is currently occupied by Morocco even after Morocco (and Mauratania) were rejected claims to sovereignty of SADR by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 1975. This was the beginning of Sahwaris on-going struggle for self-determination and independence sparking the formation of the Polisario Front, a national liberation movement set up in May 10, 1973. In protest to the ICJ's decision, King Hassan II ordered a "Green March" of over 300,000 Moroccans in November 1975. Though Spain and Mauritania eventually backed down, Mororocco will continue to claim complete control over Sahrawi people.
Between 1978 until now, the Polisario Front have engaged in both low and high-grade war against Morocco. Ongoing conflicts between Polisario and Morocco have resulted in some 100,000 refugees along the Algerian/Mauritanian borders. In part, lack of recognition of SADR from the UN and other politically charged relationships between Morocco and the United States, research information as well as media attention on SADR are almost non-existent. SADR is not included in the United Nations High Commission for Refugee reports, neither does the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre document anything on the status of refugees and displaced Sahrawis. Moreover, most internet sources pertinent to SADR/Western Sahara, rather than focusing on the grave human right violation of this group of people with respect to modern day colonization; emphasis is put on the UN failed missions in convincing Morocco to leave SADR.
According to Freedom for All, there are about 95,000 Sahrawis refugees residing in Tindouf Refugee camp in South-West Algeria. Union de l'action feminine (UAF) asserts that "women and children in the camps are deprived of their most fundamental rights...[they are] compelled to work beyond their capacities and a great number of them have been tortured and beaten... women lost their husbands, killed in the Polisario jails...children are manipulated for political purposes and are used to ask for humanitarian aid that is embezzled by the Polisario separatists..." Many are denied access to health as the camp one hospital facility with minimum supplies are under staffed and incapaciated. Access to education beyond grade school is difficult but for few scholarships program (e.g., he Cuban government). Even with these setbacks, Peace Women confirms that Sahrawi women are not only in charge of their lives but are the champions of propagating high quality education to the rest of their community. Since the war between Morocco and Polisario (1975) a Sahrawis born then have been forced to grow up in barbed wire refugee camps. Many who ran from Morocco to Polisario camps for refuge, have been separated from families they left in Morocco for well over 30 years.
Whilst some argue that Polisario is responsible for these human rights abuses of women and children, others purports that the Moroccan government is to be blamed for denying Sahrawis their right to self-determination and independence. Yet others argue that, the reason for encaging such nomadic group of people by Morocco has to do with SADR's richness in phosphate oil, fish and other minerals. If Polisario truly did not want some closure to this ordeal then they would not have signalled their readiness to accept UN plans to resolve the issue in 2004. Morocco's rejection of this plan forced James Baker, former UN Special Envoy, to resign in June 2004 making the UN process a deadlock.
No progress have been made since talks resumed between Morocco and the Polisario Front in March 2008 in New York, with Mauritania and Algeria in attendance. In January 2009 UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon appointed US diplomat Christopher Ross as his new special envoy to deal with Western Sahara. On April 20, 2009, the Security Council extended the mandate for the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) for another year. The unanimously backed Resolution 1871 calls for continued negotiations surrounding a lasting political solution, including self-determination for the people of Western Sahara.
Today, very little is known of the plight of the Sahrawi people partly due to elfishness, greed, discrimination and double standards in the international legal order. It is important that, as a global community, we maintain consistency in advocating for everyone's rights as enshrined by international law. I hope the media and other humanitarian advocacy groups will see the need to include the people of Sahrawi in their campaigns and awareness projects globally.
Compiled by Veronica Fynn
According to BBC Country Profile, SADR came under Spanish rule in 1884 and later became a Spanish province in 1934. Though a former Spanish colony, SADR is currently occupied by Morocco even after Morocco (and Mauratania) were rejected claims to sovereignty of SADR by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 1975. This was the beginning of Sahwaris on-going struggle for self-determination and independence sparking the formation of the Polisario Front, a national liberation movement set up in May 10, 1973. In protest to the ICJ's decision, King Hassan II ordered a "Green March" of over 300,000 Moroccans in November 1975. Though Spain and Mauritania eventually backed down, Mororocco will continue to claim complete control over Sahrawi people.
Between 1978 until now, the Polisario Front have engaged in both low and high-grade war against Morocco. Ongoing conflicts between Polisario and Morocco have resulted in some 100,000 refugees along the Algerian/Mauritanian borders. In part, lack of recognition of SADR from the UN and other politically charged relationships between Morocco and the United States, research information as well as media attention on SADR are almost non-existent. SADR is not included in the United Nations High Commission for Refugee reports, neither does the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre document anything on the status of refugees and displaced Sahrawis. Moreover, most internet sources pertinent to SADR/Western Sahara, rather than focusing on the grave human right violation of this group of people with respect to modern day colonization; emphasis is put on the UN failed missions in convincing Morocco to leave SADR.
According to Freedom for All, there are about 95,000 Sahrawis refugees residing in Tindouf Refugee camp in South-West Algeria. Union de l'action feminine (UAF) asserts that "women and children in the camps are deprived of their most fundamental rights...[they are] compelled to work beyond their capacities and a great number of them have been tortured and beaten... women lost their husbands, killed in the Polisario jails...children are manipulated for political purposes and are used to ask for humanitarian aid that is embezzled by the Polisario separatists..." Many are denied access to health as the camp one hospital facility with minimum supplies are under staffed and incapaciated. Access to education beyond grade school is difficult but for few scholarships program (e.g., he Cuban government). Even with these setbacks, Peace Women confirms that Sahrawi women are not only in charge of their lives but are the champions of propagating high quality education to the rest of their community. Since the war between Morocco and Polisario (1975) a Sahrawis born then have been forced to grow up in barbed wire refugee camps. Many who ran from Morocco to Polisario camps for refuge, have been separated from families they left in Morocco for well over 30 years.
Whilst some argue that Polisario is responsible for these human rights abuses of women and children, others purports that the Moroccan government is to be blamed for denying Sahrawis their right to self-determination and independence. Yet others argue that, the reason for encaging such nomadic group of people by Morocco has to do with SADR's richness in phosphate oil, fish and other minerals. If Polisario truly did not want some closure to this ordeal then they would not have signalled their readiness to accept UN plans to resolve the issue in 2004. Morocco's rejection of this plan forced James Baker, former UN Special Envoy, to resign in June 2004 making the UN process a deadlock.
No progress have been made since talks resumed between Morocco and the Polisario Front in March 2008 in New York, with Mauritania and Algeria in attendance. In January 2009 UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon appointed US diplomat Christopher Ross as his new special envoy to deal with Western Sahara. On April 20, 2009, the Security Council extended the mandate for the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) for another year. The unanimously backed Resolution 1871 calls for continued negotiations surrounding a lasting political solution, including self-determination for the people of Western Sahara.
Today, very little is known of the plight of the Sahrawi people partly due to elfishness, greed, discrimination and double standards in the international legal order. It is important that, as a global community, we maintain consistency in advocating for everyone's rights as enshrined by international law. I hope the media and other humanitarian advocacy groups will see the need to include the people of Sahrawi in their campaigns and awareness projects globally.
Compiled by Veronica Fynn
SOURCES
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sahrawi_Arab_Democratic_Republic
http://iffctr.com/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/country_profiles/3466917.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3227997.stm
http://static.rnw.nl/migratie/www.radionetherlands.nl/thestatewerein/otherstates/tswi-081025-Western-Sahara-redirected
http://www.countrywatch.com/facts/facts_default.aspx?type=text&topic=SEWSA
http://www.globalpolicy.org/security-council/index-of-countries-on-the-security-council-agenda/western-sahara.html
http://www.internal-displacement.org
http://www.peacewomen.org/WPS/WesternSahara.html
http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/missions/minurso/
http://www.unhcr.org/4a375c426.html
http://www.westernsaharaonline.net
VIDEOS
Sahrawi Demonstration Against Norwegian Oil Hunt
Sahrawi Protest Norwegian Fisheries
Western Saharan Refugees Reach Out to the World
Refugees Return to the Sahara After Cuban Education
