Call for extension of the mandate of MINURSO

The rights of the Saharawi people were reaffirmed at a conference in Bologna (Italy), trade unionists and civil society organizations that are committed in a statement to strengthen their solidarity with the people, officials said Saturday with the Saharawi representative in Rome. “With the continuing stalemate that prevents up to the people of Western Sahara to access their right to self determination, the actions of institutions, unions and associations, should be directed to support a political solution,” states be in their statement.

These actions must also reaffirm “the solidarity and cooperation with the SADR (Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic)” and “expanding the mandate of MINURSO (UN Mission for the Referendum Western Sahara) to monitor rights in the occupied Saharawi territories and the establishment of an independent commission to check what happened to Gdeim Izik between October and November and the identification of persons arrested and the conditions of their imprisonment, “they added. Camp Gdeim Izik near El Ayoun where thousands of Sahrawi had gathered to demand their rights, including self-determination, was violently broken up, as a reminder November 8, 2010 by Moroccan forces that have made dozens of Sahrawi victims.

The speakers called Morocco “the respect of international law, to prohibit the exploitation of Saharawi natural resources and conventions organizations, including the Geneva Convention. ” The speakers have committed to continue the cooperation and solidarity with the Saharawi people, including support for vocational training projects for young people and women Sahrawi. They also denounced “the silence surrounding the massive violations of human rights in the occupied territories,” inviting “the media to information and effective communication around the question of Western Sahara to counter disinformation and black-out imposed by Morocco on the situation in the occupied territories. ”

Participants called “the Kingdom of Morocco to release the Saharawi political prisoners, end human rights violations against civilians Sahrawi and guarantee their right to expression, assembly and association, in accordance with international law. ” They, in this context, called for “freedom of movement in Western Sahara independent international observers, media and humanitarian organizations,” asking “the Italian government to seek the European Union, to monitor the human rights situation in Western Sahara , by sending regular field missions. ”