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Tifariti (liberated territories),
27/02/2007 (SPS) The President of the Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz,
declared that the POLISARIO Front, can in no way accept the futile
approach called «internal autonomy», which is a vain attempt to
legitimise the Moroccan occupation and Fait accompli in the Western
Sahara".
The President of the Republic gave a speech on the occasion of the
31st anniversary of the Saharawi Republic in Tifariti, of which SPS
received a copy:
Speech of Mr. Mohamed Abdelaziz,
President of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic and
Secretary-General of the Frente POLISARIO on the occasion of the
31st anniversary of the proclamation of the Saharawi Arab
Democratic Republic and the International Conference of Solidarity
with the Saharawi People
The liberated town of Tifariti, 27 February 2007
Combatants of the Saharawi People’s Army,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Brothers and Friends, Honourable Guests,
As we gather today in Tifariti, in the liberated territories, to
commemorate the 31st anniversary of the proclamation of the Saharawi
Arab Democratic Republic, the embodiment of the will of all the
Saharawi people, allow me to pay homage to the memory of the Martyr
El-Wali Mustapha Sayed, the founder of the revolution, who
proclaimed the Saharawi State not far from this place on 27 February
1976, and to the memory of all martyrs of our national cause.
Whilst paying tribute to the memory of the two martyrs of the
Intifada for independence, Lembarki Hamdi and Lekhlifi Abba Cheick,
we also bow to the memory of a group of heroes who have devoted
their lives for the cause of freedom and dignity and the right of
the Saharawi people to self-determination.
We pay tribute to Brahim Sabar, Yhdith Tarouzi, Hedi Mahmoud Keinan,
Ahemd Sebai, Moulay Omar Ben-El-Yazid, Hafed Tawbali, Bechri
Ben-Taleb, Ghali Zegheim, Moulay Cheick Ben-Alal, Mohamed Salem
Bahaba, Mohamed Mouloud Hadjaj, Abdsalam Deida, Ahmed Salem Hmeidat,
Mohamed Habib Gasmi, Abd Salam Lumadi, Shubeida Arousi, Benka
Cheick, Wali Amidan, Lumadi Siad, Abdallah Ali Salem Hassan, Brahim
Ali Lehssen Kdjut, Salama Mouloud Brahim Lhmam, Dris Mulay, Faradji
Mansuri, Mohamed Sueilem Mohamed Abd Tamek, Agdi Hussein, Hamdi
Ahmed Mbarek Beid, Bachir Yehdih, Abdallah Nadji , Cheibata Ould
Zdef Mudafa, Kawara Taquiallah, Omar Ould Hamudi Ould Mokhtar, Salek
Assri, Amidan Saleh, Mahmoud Mbarek Cheick Abu Kasem, Buannan
Mohamed, Abdeldjalil Mudjahid, Lutfi Mouloud.
They represent a group of heroes of the Intifada that the Saharawi
people are carrying out in the occupied territories and Southern
Morocco against the arrogance and oppression of the Moroccan
occupation. They have chosen to go on an open hunger strike, which
has so far lasted for a few weeks, at the Black Prison in the
occupied Saharawi capital, El Aiún, and in Anzigan, Tiznit, Ait
Meloul in Morocco. Despite all forms of terror, torture and
degrading treatment to which they have been subjected, and although
their healthy situation is deteriorating every day, they remain
steadfast in their courageous resistance.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The holding of the International Conference of Solidarity with the
Saharawi People in Tifariti, in the liberated zones, is an event
with great importance and implications.
This year will also be marked by the holding of the conference of
the councils and towns twinned with Saharawi councils in which the
participants will discuss the possibilities of cooperation not only
with the Saharawi refugees but also with the liberated towns of the
Saharawi Republic.
The organisation of the different stages of the Sahara Marathon,
which will involve the liberated territories, is also a qualitative
step in the direction of deepening and diversifying solidarity with
and support for the struggle of the Saharawi people.
The Saharawi Republic intends to destroy the remaining part of its
stockpiles of landmines, which will be done soon in Tifariti, in
line with the commitments it has undertaken in this regard and as a
gesture of its sincere will to achieve a just peace on the basis of
the respect for international legality. However, the Moroccan
Government continues to reject the implementation of these
resolutions, whilst reneging on its commitments and violating human
rights.
Not far from this place, a crime against humanity is still taking
place represented by the Wall of Shame, the wall of terror and
separation that was erected by Morocco to divide Western Sahara and
its people by the presence of many thousands of soldiers, huge
military arsenal and millions of landmines, which have killed dozens
of innocents. It represents the brutal face of a deplorable and
abhorrent colonial reality that the world should move to put to an
end.
The international solidarity, which had begun in the first years of
the tragedy resulting from the Moroccan occupation of our country,
faces serious dangers at the moment in terms of the human rights
situation in the Saharawi occupied territories and the food
situation in the refugee camps as well. It is shameful to see some
quarters officially seeking to suppress the report of the UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights on Western Sahara, or trying hard to
reduce the humanitarian aid destined for the Saharawi refugees as a
means of political pressure in order to force them to give up their
right to live in their homeland in freedom and dignity.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Thirty one years have elapsed during which the Saharawi State has
been consolidated and has become an irreversible legal and
institutional reality as well as a national, regional and
international reality and a factor of stability in the region. The
struggle of the Saharawi people and their heroic determination has
not and will never be in vain. Today, the Saharawi people are more
determined than ever; the liberation march continues and new
generations are embracing and carrying on the struggle, which has
taken the Moroccan colonial authorities by surprise when
demonstrations began to challenge the occupation audaciously and
resolutely even in places on which the colonial power has been
tightening its iron grip for more than thirty years.
The Saharawi people are today more cohesive and united behind the
vanguard of their struggle, the Frente POLISARIO; wherever they are
they remain very attached to their national aspirations, be they in
the occupied territories, in the liberated zones and the refugee
camps, in Southern Morocco and the Moroccan universities, where
Saharawi students study, or in the diapsora.
This fact is the expression of their national unity that is
continuously becoming stronger and more inclusive whereby all
Saharawis are united behind the Saharawi Republic. It is also an
indication of their unwavering determination to remain steadfastly
attached to their sacred rights knowing that international legality
is on their side and counting on a long history of admirable
struggle and on a massive international solidarity which is
reflected today by the overwhelming presence of representatives of
countries and governments, solidarity groups and networks worldwide.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
There will be no solution to the conflict in Western Sahara outside
the framework of international legality, and there will be no
respect for international legality without enabling the Saharawi
people to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination and
independence. The Moroccan presence in Western Sahara represents an
illegal occupation of a non-self-governing territory pending
decolonisation. International conventions clearly stipulate that
this process should be concluded by means of respecting the right of
colonial peoples to self-determination, and not by entrenching a new
colonial reality and imposing the views of the Moroccan occupying
power, simply because it does not have sovereignty over the
territory.
Form this land that has been liberated thanks to the sacrifices of
the martyrs and the suffering of our people, we would like to tell
the world that the Saharawi people, under the leadership of their
sole and legitimate representative, the Frente POLISARIO, will never
accept any baseless approach such as the so-called “autonomy”
proposal that aims to legitimise Morocco’s illegal occupation of
Western Sahara and entrench the colonial fait accompli in the
territory.
This misconceived and dishonest proposal, which is utterly
inconsistent with the minimum international norms, is a blatant
violation of international law, and could only lead to more tension
and instability. It is a new form of the Moroccan illegal military
invasion of Western Sahara, which took place on 31 October 1975. It
could therefore lead only to the same disastrous consequences of
that invasion for both the Saharawi and Moroccan peoples and the
peoples of the region as a whole.
It is high time to implement the democratic and civilised solution
that is consistent with international law and UN resolutions as well
as the agreements between the two parties to the conflict, the
Kingdom of Morocco and the Frente POLISARIO, with regard to giving
the Saharawi people their legitimate chance to express their
sovereign wishes through a free, fair and just referendum.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The repression carried out by the Moroccan colonial authorities in
the occupied territories of Western Sahara has reached unprecedented
propositions. Civilians are constantly subjected to persecution for
no reason rather than their engagement in peaceful demonstrations to
demand the respect for the fundamental human rights and freedoms in
Western Sahara and the world at large.
The international community should not remain idle in the face of
the gross violations of human rights that are being perpetrated in a
territory under the supervision and responsibility of the United
Nations. What does the world await after the report of the UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights has recognised that the absence of the
fundamental right, the right to self-determination, is the root
cause of all those violations?
It is inconceivable that the world will remain as a passive
spectator regarding the situation of innocent victims who live under
a tight security siege and a total information blackout that have
nothing to do with the sprit of the 21st century.
We would like to call on this honourable gathering of solidarity,
and through it on all peoples and governments of the world, to act
urgently to save the lives of dozens of political prisoners who have
gone on a hunger strike to defend some universal ideals and values.
We also call on them to act to put an end to the brutal oppression
against innocent civilians, assassination, and torture, which has
even targeted women, children and elderly, abduction, detention,
forced deportation, and the voracious plundering of the Saharawi
resources.
We also call on the United Nations to put in place all necessary
mechanisms to protect our citizens in the occupied territories that
are under its supervision, by enlarging the mandate of MINURSO to
include the protection of human rights. We also call on the United
Nations to act to ensure the release of all Saharawi political
prisoners and to account for more than 500 civilian disappeared and
151 prisoners of war.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Like other Saharawi zones, this land, in which we have our
celebrations today, has witnessed remarkable episodes of our
national struggle that were made by the combatants of the Saharawi
People’s Army who remain resolutely prepared to defend the homeland
and achieve justice and peace. To all of them, we would like to
express our deepest gratitude and most sincere thanks for the warm
reception that they have extended to all of us in this part of the
liberated territories.
We would also like to express our many thanks to the sisterly
Algeria, the Government, the people and the civil society, under the
leadership of His Excellency President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. The
land of one million and a half martyrs, Algeria, which is
represented today by a very distinguished delegation, has constantly
remained attached to its principled position in favour of just
causes and the implementation of the dictates of international
legality relating to decolonisation and self-determination.
Likewise, we would like to welcome our brothers and sisters from our
dear continent Africa. The Saharawi Republic, a founding member of
the African Union, is proud and highly appreciative of the positions
taken by African countries and peoples that have embraced the
Saharawi cause, and have translated into practice their conviction
that their freedom would always be incomplete without the
decolonisation of the last colony in Africa.
The great gathering of activists representing the Spanish solidarity
movement is an opportunity for us to express the deepest gratitude
of the Saharawi people to all Spanish peoples for their noble
positions that are consistent with the distinguished ties binding
us, which we intend to strengthen in order to remove that big stain
on the Spanish modern history, namely the singing of the tripartite
Madrid Accords.
We together, Saharawis and Spaniards, are expecting the Spanish
State to fully assume its historical, legal and moral responsibility
towards the Saharawi people by rectifying this error and completing
the decolonisation of Western Sahara.
Obviously, some actions of the current Spanish Government, such as
its abstention from voting on a UN resolution regarding the
self-determination referendum for the Saharawi people and providing
the Moroccan occupying power with arms, indicate that it has no
willingness at all to assume that responsibility.
I
would like to avail myself of this opportunity to express, on behalf
of all Saharawis wherever they are, our many thanks and profound
gratitude to all members of the international movement of solidarity
with the Saharawi people in Europe, Latin America, Australia and the
United States.
I
would also like to express special thanks to the Moroccan party,
Nahdj Dimukarati (the Democratic Path) and to all organisations,
personalities, intellectuals and all free voices in Morocco that
have called for the respect for international legality and enabling
the Saharawi people to exercise their right to self-determination in
order to be able to join their Moroccan and Maghrebian brothers and
sisters in building a great Maghreb on the basis of democracy,
fraternity, neighbourly relations and mutual respect.
Long live the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic |
