Joint-Statement
for a Western Sahara without violence and
racism
Since 25 September 2011, the Saharawi
civilians in Dakhla, in the south of Western Sahara ,
are facing brutal and oppressive attacks from Moroccan armed militias. These
militias reside in the Alwakala neighbourhood, home to thousands of Moroccan
settlers brought into the territory by the Moroccan government in 1991, to
participate in the envisioned referendum in Western Sahara .
Saharawis´
lives and physical safety are in danger, their houses raided and private and
public property burned. The military has sealed off the road to Dakhla, thereby
obstructing the media so as to hide the serious crimes committed with impunity
by the Moroccan intelligence services and armed militias. This Moroccan
aggression is rooted in racism, and has resulted in dozens of casualties among
Saharawi, who try to flee the city to save their lives.
We note
that the Moroccan authorities attempt to distort the facts on the events in
Dakhla, as they have done many times before when they´ve also supported the
armed militias in attacking Saharawi civilians and their properties.
As a
result, the Saharawi Human rights NGOs and committees wish to announce the
following;
1.
Our absolute solidarity with the victims of the vicious attacks
perpetrated by the armed militias of the Alwakala neighbourhood and the
Moroccan authorities´ agents.
2. Our condolences and solidarity with the
family of the Saharawi martyr Maichane Mohamad Lamine Lahbib Echiaa, who has
been kidnapped and beaten to death by the militias.
3. We denounce the Moroccan authorities´
attempts to distort the Dakhla reality, and misinform the local and
international public opinion.
4. We demand the Moroccan government allow an
independent and fair investigation into all the crimes committed by the armed
militias and the Moroccan secret services against the Saharawi civilians in
Dakhla, Western Sahara .
5. We call on the United Nations and the UN
Human Rights Council to send an international commission to investigate the
grave violations of human rights committed by armed militias backed by the
Moroccan authorities.
6. We ask the international community, NGOs
and all the free voices to immediately act on the following:
a. Respect for human rights in Western Sahara , including the Saharawi people´s right to
self-determination. The political conflict and the military siege in Western Sahara must end.
b. Work for a UN mechanism to protect the
Saharawi civilians and report on the human rights situation in Western Sahara .
c. An immediate response to the Saharawi
civilians´ demand to be protected from the armed militias and repression by the
Moroccan state.
d. Increase pressure on Morocco
i.
Clarify the fate of abducted Saharawi;
ii. Release all the Saharawi political prisoners;
iii. Guarantee civil, political, economical,
social and cultural rights for the Saharawi people, including their right to
benefit from their natural resources.
Signed by:
- Family of the Saharawi martyr Said
Dambar
- CODESA (Collective of Saharawi Human
Rights Defender)
- ASVDH (Saharawi association for
victims of grave human rights violations committed by the Moroccan state)
- CODAPSO (Saharawi Committee to Defend
Self-Determination)
- CSPRON (Saharawi committee for UN
settlement plan and protection of Natural resources of Western
Sahara )
- Gdeim Izik Coordination Committee
- Victims of enforced disappearance and
arbitrary arrest in the Sahara
- Committee to Defend the Public Freedom
and Human Rights in Western Sahara
- Saharawi Association to Protect
Prisoners
- Saharawi Committee for the Defence of
Human Rights in Smara, Western Sahara
- Organisation against Torture in
Dakhla, Western Sahara
- Committee of families of kidnapped
Saharawi
- FAFESA, Forum of Future for the
Saharawi Women in Western Sahara
- Committee of Mothers of the 15
disappeared Saharawi
- Saharawi Committee for the Defence of
Human Rights in Glaimim, South Morocco
- Freedom Sun for the Protection of
Human Rights Defenders in Western Sahara
- Saharawi Centre to Protect the
Collective Memory
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