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PUSL.- Due to the ineffectiveness and lack of information from the UN and its mission in Western Sahara (MINURSO) on the current serious situation in the occupied territory of Western Sahara, from porunsaharalibre.org (PUSL) we have promoted the sending of a letter to all members of the UN Security Council before the meeting to be held on April 21.
The porunsaharalibre.org (PUSL) initiative has been joined by more than a hundred collectives, organizations, associations, unions, political parties and academics at the international level.
H.E. Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy Permanent Representative of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, President of the United Nations Security Council
H.E. Members of the United Nations Security Council
There have been dozens of letters, communications and complaints sent over the decades concerning the serious human rights situation of the Saharawi in the occupied territories of Western Sahara.
The United Nations resolutions are clear, the legal status is clear, the right of the Saharawi people is clear in all opinions, resolutions, declarations that, the International Court of Hague, the United Nations, the African Union and the Court of the Justice of the European Union have issued over the decades.
This is not a new conflict, the cease fire that was sadly broken by the Moroccan occupation authorities last November 13th with the attack against Saharawi civilians in a buffer zone and with the withdrawal of all MINURSO personal hours before, lead to the end of the cease fire and resumption of armed conflict.
The occupied territories of Western Sahara are under a military siege and the Saharawi population has been under brutal attack by the Moroccan forces. This escalation in the situation on the ground is due to the silence of the international Community and in particular in the absence of a mandate including a protection mechanism of the civil population in the MINURSO, Morocco enjoys therefore impunity and free reign in the occupied territories.
Even Saharawi children have been beaten brutally and are victims of arbitrary detentions, torture and sexual harassment. Nobody is spared. Hundreds of members of the Moroccan security forces, notably policemen, gendarmes, paramilitary forces and Comando Groups are participating in the violent attacks. Night and day raids into the houses of the Saharawi have be continues with the destruction of their belongings and arbitrary detentions. Injured people go to the hospital in fear of being immediately arrested or are denied treatment.
The Saharawi political prisoners are victims of farce trials, detained in Prisons in Morocco, which in itself constitutes abduction and is contrary to International law, are victims of prolonged solitary confinement, intentional medical neglect, ill-treatment and torture.
Hundreds of official Moroccan vehicles of the various forces have been deployed with manpower to the occupied territories enlarging even further the massive Moroccan military and police force in Western Sahara.
The Moroccan military separation wall that was 2720km long has been extended 50km and is now 2770km long, yet another violation on International Law.
Thousands of new mines were placed by the Moroccan forces in a area that should be under MINURSO control, but nothing happened.
What is happening in Western Sahara is contrary to all the values the UN advocates and to International Law and Human rights. The actions of Morocco cannot lead to a peaceful settlement of the conflict.
The Saharawi People and their legitimate representative, Polisario Front, have respected all conventions, agreements and International Law since the cease-fire agreement in 1991. Morocco does not.
The Saharawi are being punished for trusting the International Community and the United Nations. The continues silence and lack of protection of the Saharawi by the International community has led to the current the situation which is far from “calm” and resulted in renewed armed conflict.
The undersigned recall that the Security Council has primary responsibility, under the United Nations Charter, for the maintenance of international peace and security. It has completely failed to do so in Western Sahara.
It is our believe that the full scope of the violations perpetrated by the Moroccan occupation forces are not known to the Security Council members, and that independent reports do not reach the members.
To consult with the Moroccan regime and its institution as only source of information is not acceptable. The Saharawi have neither the means nor the opportunity to give their testimonies to your Excellences in your meetings, the UN mechanisms are not able to be active on the ground and the MINURSO mission, if not empowered in its mandate is not able to protect neither the Saharawi civil population nor to implement a referendum that has been agreed on by both parties. The MINURSO includes “local civil personnel” composed by Moroccan settlers, please reflect on this fact and see the lack of impartiality and independence it conveys.
H.E. we send in attachment, news and reports on the current situation on the ground. We sincerely hope that escalation of the situation can be prevented by finally implementing expedite solution for the long promised self-determination of the Saharawi People which are a symbol of nonviolent resistance and have proven over decades to be a factor of stabilization in the region, respecting International Law and even in the most difficult situation living partly in refugee camps and liberated areas have developed their State with democratic values that honor the UN Charter and its principles.
Respectfully,
1. Amal Association Centre Andalousie
2. Amal Nanclares
3. Asociación Alcorcón por el Pueblo Saharaui
4. Asociación Alouda amigos del pueblo saharaui del Alto Aragon
5. Asociación Chilena de Amigos de la RASD
6. Asociación DAJLA Solidarios con el Pueblo Saharaui
7. Asociación de Amigos del Pueblo Saharaui de las Islas Baleares (AAPSIB)
8. Asociación Ecuatoriana de Amistad con el Pueblo Saharaui (AEAPS), Ecuador
9. Asociación Latinoamericana de Amigos de la RASD, Childe
10. Asociación Mexicana de Amistad con la República Ärabe Saharaui A.C. (AMARAS)
11. Asociación Navarra de Amigas y Amigos de la R.A.S.D
12. Asociación Panameña Solidaria con la Causa Saharaui, APASOCASA. Panamá.
13. Asociación Tolosaldea Sahararekin G.K.E.
14. Associação de Amizade Portugal-Sahara Ocidental(AAPSO) Portugal
15. Associação de Escritores da Zambézia (AEZA)
16. Associação de Solidariedade e pela autodeterminação do Povo Sauraui/Brasilia/DF
17. Associação Lusófona para o Desenvolvimento, Cultura e Integração(ALDCI)
18. Association des Sahraouis de Valdepeñas
19. Association « Une seule main ne peut pas Applaudir seule »
20. Association ARDI Hurrah à Séville
21. Association Culture Sahara – centre de France
22. Association Culturelle Franco-Sahraouie
23. Association de la Communauté Sahraouie en France
24. Association des Avocats Sahraouis en Espagne
25. Association des Femmes Sahraouies en France
26. Association des médecins Sahraouis en Espagne
27. Association des Sahraouis à Alicante
28. Association des Sahraouis à Bal
29. Association des Sahraouis à Fuerteventura
30. Association des Sahraouis à Jerez de la Frontera
31. Association des Sahraouis à Lebrija
32. Association des Sahraouis à Tenerife
33. Association des Sahraouis de Ávila
34. Association des Sahraouis de Bordeaux
35. Association des Sahraouis de la Norvège
36. Association des Sahraouis de Navarre
37. Association des Sahraouis de Périgueux
38. Association des Sahraouis de Suède
39. Association des Sahraouis de Toulouse
40. Association des Sahraouis en France
41. Association Filles de Saguia et Rio
42. Association of Ethical Shareholders Germany
43. Association Sahraouie « LBJAOUI »
44. Association Sahraouie pour la Sauvegarde de l’Environnement du Sahara Occidental (ASESO)
45. Association Zamour Valence
46. Associations du Martyr Sidi Cheikh ( Mauritanie)
47. Casa Internacional de São Tomé e Príncipe(CISTP)
48. Centro de Documentación en Derechos Humanos “Segundo Montes Mozo S.J.” (CSMM), Ecuador
49. Círculo de Escritores Moçambicanos na Diáspora(CEMD)
50. Colectivo “Albacete por la República
51. Collectif de la Communauté Sahraouie d’Oum Laasal ( Algérie)
52. Collectif de la Communauté Sahraouie de Bechar ( Algérie)
53. Collectif de la Communauté Sahraouie de Tindouf ( Algérie)
54. Collectif des Associations du Centre( Mauritanie)
55. Collectif des Associations du Martyr Ali Mayara ( Mauritanie)
56. Collectif des Associations du Martyr khalil Sidemhamed ( Mauritanie)
57. Collectif des Associations du Martyr Sahla Edaf ( Mauritanie)
58. Collectif des Associations du Martyr Sidemhamed Elab ( Mauritanie)
59. Collectif des Associations du Martyr Sidi Othman Sidahmed ( Mauritanie
60. Collectif des Sahraouis à Estepona
61. Collectif des Sahraouis à Jaén
62. Collectif des Travailleurs de la Communauté Sahraouie (Algérie)
63. Collectif Sahraoui à GIPUZKOA
64. Comision Nacional Saharaui de Derechos Humanos (CONASADH)
65. Comitê anti-imperialista general Abreu e Lima, Brasil
66. Comité de Amistad con el pueblo Saharaui, Argentina
67. Comité National Algérien de Solidarité avec le Peuple Sahraoui (CNASPS)
68. Communauté Sahraouie de Castille y León
69. Communauté Sahraouie en Aragón
70. Communauté Sahraouie à Grenade
71. Communauté Sahraouie à Las Palmas
72. Communauté Sahraouie de Catalogne
73. Communauté Sahraouie de Murcie
74. Communauté Sahraouie en Castilla-la Mancha
75. Coordinadora de Asociaciones de Solidaridad con el Pueblo Saharaui de la Provincia de Alicante
76. Coordinadora por la Paz, la Soberanía, la Integración y la No Injerencia (CPAZ), Ecuador
77. DISABI Bizkaia
78. ERNA- Espaço Rui de Noronha Portugal
79. Escola en Pau, Baleares, Spain
80. Federación Sáhara Extremadura – FEDESAEX
81. Fundación Constituyente XXI, Chile
82. Fundación Sahara Occidental
83. Groupe Sahraouis à Lanzarote
84. International Platform of Jurists for East Timor
85. La Asociacion para la cooperación con el pueblo saharaui “Río de Oro” de Fuenlabrada
86. La ligue des Etudiants en Espagne
87. Le Sahara n’est pas à Vendre – Association Sahraouie à Bruxelles
88. Liga Argentina por los Derechos Humanos, Argentina
89. Ligue des athlètes Sahraouis en Espagne
90. Ligue des Jeunes et des Etudiants Sahraouis en France
91. Ligue des journalistes sahraouis en Espagne
92. Nigerian Movement for the Liberation of Western Sahara (NMLWS).
93. NomadsHRC – Fundación Concordia 21, Spain.
94. Porunsaharalibre.org
95. Sahara Euskadi Vitoria
96. Sahara Gasteiz Vitoria
97. Sahrawi association USA SAUSA
98. Tawasol lludio
99. Tayuch Amurio
100. VZW de Vereniging van de Saharawigemeenschap in Belgie – Belgium
101. ZEOK – Zentrum für Europäische und Orientalische Kultur e.V.
102. Antonia Mertsching, member of the Saxon Parliament, Die Linke
103. Parti Communiste Français
104. Unión do Povo Galego-UPG
105. Bloque Nacionalista Galego (BNG)
106. CGT Aragón-La Rioja
107. CONFEDERACIÓN INTERSINDICAL
108. Confederación Intersindical Galega (CIG), de Galiza
109. FENPROF – Federação Nacional dos Professores, Portugal
110. Intersindical Valenciana
111. Unión General de Trabajadores (UGT)
112. Antônio Carlos de Andrade, psicólogo, Brasil
113. Berenice Bento – University of Brasilia – Brazil
114. Catalina Rosselló presidenta de la Asociación de Amigos del Pueblo Saharaui de las Islas Baleares
115. Christine Nuttal,British national healthcare worker
116. Eda Nagayama, writer, São Paulo, Brazil
117. Fatma Brahim Salem, Delegada del Frente Polisario en la Region de Murcia
118. Isabel Lourenço, researcher of the Centre of African Studies of the Univ. Porto
119. Jorge F. Teixeira, researcher of the Centre of African Studies of the Univ. Porto