MINURSO 2018: Write to your MP and Security Council Members
Progress towards a political solution to the conflict in Western Sahara remains deadlocked. For the Saharawi, the day-to-day grim reality of stalemate persists. All continue to be denied the right to self-determination which the UN ceasefire agreement promised them some 26 years ago.
We need supporters to write to their local MP in the UK to urge the UK government to take the lead in the UN Security Council in the run-up to the MINURSO vote in April to include a human rights monitoring mandate for the mission.
Morocco continues its efforts to gain economically from the occupation of the territory. And repression and human rights abuses continue in the areas of Western Sahara under Moroccan occupation. Unchecked Moroccan power – manifest in violence against civilians, and the illegal exploitation of Western Sahara’s resources – brings instability to the territory. Above all, the continued denial of the Saharawi’s right to self-determination creates tension and frustration.
Not only are the ongoing human rights abuses committed by Moroccan forces in Western Sahara unacceptable in themselves, but they can only hinder a peaceful resolution of the conflict. In our recommendations we therefore once again highlight the need for MINURSO to be given a legal mandate to, at the very least, monitor human rights in Western Sahara.
The UN needs to take action to build confidence among the people of the region, especially the Saharawi, that law and human rights will be respected in the future of Western Sahara. Without that confidence, renewed conflict remains a danger; with it, a peaceful solution becomes a possibility.
To find the contact details for your MP, use this link.
Join WSAF in taking action. You can write to members of the UN Security Council ahead of the annual MINURSO vote at the end of April. Find out how you can get involved here.
WESTERN SAHARA CAMPAIGN UK
The Western Sahara Campaign works in solidarity with the Saharawi people to generate political support in order to advance their right to self-determination and to promote their human rights.
Our role is to lobby the UK Government and the EU. You can help us to ensure the UK does not ignore the voice of the Saharawi people.
Follow the news about EU's illegal fisheries in Western Sahara