EFA stresses the need of Western Sahara’s right to self-determination after intolerable statements from the Spanish Prime Minister

Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, sided with the Moroccan King in this conflict, putting Spain’s geopolitical aims before the Saharawi people’s rights

The European Free Alliance stresses the need to respect Western Sahara’s right to self-determination, following intolerable statements made by the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, last week. His comments represent a reversal of decades of Spanish policy, siding finally with Morocco. Concretelly, Sánchez sent a letter to King Mohammed VI stating that autonomy for Western Sahara within Morocco would be the best solution to the conflict. As the Secretary-General of the UN, António Guterres, stated “the UN Charter is based on the sovereign equality of all its members. It calls for ‘respect for the principle of equal rights & self-determination of peoples’. These norms must not be undermined”.

The Saharawi people have been suffering under Morocco’s illegal occupation for more than 46 years now, living in inhumane conditions and facing repression. EFA believes that the only possible solution is a referendum in in which the people of Western Sahara can express their will and choose their own future, as allowed for the International law and recommended by institutions such as the UN, the African Union, the European Court of Justice, and the European Court of Human Rights. The Saharawi people should be granted the right to decide, instead of foreign interferences by those who put their geopolitical aims above the self-determination rights of the people of Western Sahara.

Western Sahara’s situation in EFA’s General Assembly

The situation in Western Sahara has always been of a grave concern for the European Free Alliance. We have repeatedly warned European institutions about the extreme situation and the violation of the Saharawi people’s human rights. We have also asked the EU to work on a democratic and peaceful solution to the conflict through a referendum. For this reason, our General Assembly this year will open with a debate about the situation of the Saharawi people. The event will be held in the Canary Islands, the EU territory closest to Western Sahara.