|
Washington,
08/06/2007 (SPS) The Committee in charge for the study of the
application of the Declaration for the granting of independence to
colonial countries and people, which resumed its works on Tuesday at
the seat of the UN, examined on Wednesday the question of Western
Sahara, diplomatic source in New York reported.
With the presence of the Representative of POLISARIO Front to the
UN, Mr. Ahmed Boukhari, the Committee debated the question of
Western Sahara, which is listed in the UN list of Non-Self-Governing
territories that should be decolonised.
The question of the decolonisation of Western Sahara is on the
agenda of the programme of the Committee since 1965 and already was
the subject to 41 resolutions so far, all of which demanding the
self-determination of the Saharawi people through a referendum.
In his intervention, Mr. Boukhari declared that Moroccan persistence
in occupying Western Sahara is "a real defiance to the UN".
"The persisting colonial occupation in Western Sahara by Morocco
constitutes a real defiance to the UN Charter and a challenge to the
credibility of the organisation".
Recalling that no country in the world has ever recognised the
Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, he deplored that the
government of Rabat "sabotages" the efforts deployed by the UN for
decades to decolonise the territory, and also perpetuates human
rights violations and systematic theft of the natural resources of
the Western Sahara.
Referring to the report on the situation in Western Sahara,
presented last April by Ban Ki-moon to the Security Council,
Boukhari recalled that this latter recommended the opening of direct
and unconditioned negotiations between the kingdom of Morocco and
POLISARIO Front, under the auspices of the UN so as to reach a
mutually acceptable political solution that guarantee the right to
self-determination to the Saharawi people.
This position of principle was reaffirmed by the UN Security Council
in its resolution 1754 adopted last April the 30th, it should be
recalled.
These negotiations, according to concordant sources including the
new President of the Security Council, Johan C. Verbeke, will take
place in June the 18th in Long Island, New York, for a first contact
between the delegations of the two countries.
Evoking the Moroccan "proposition" so-called plan of autonomy,
Boukhari estimated that the latter aims simply to "try to legitimise
the occupation of the country", and thus create, according to
political experts, a premiere for other forces of occupation to
follow the example.
Recalling that the UN has classified the Western Sahara as a
Non-Self-Governing territory sine the 60ies, he considered that the
Moroccan proposition is just "unacceptable" and a flagrant violation
of the principle of self-determination recognised in the UN
resolution 1514.
He also mentioned the proposition lately presented to the UN
Secretary General by POLISARIO Front and which suggests the
organisation of a self-determination referendum that includes three
options: independence, autonomy of integration to Morocco, and leave
the choice to the Saharawi people.
If the referendum results in independence, he recalls, the POLISARIO
proposition also shows an open mindedness since it proposes to have
privileged relations with Morocco on the economic, commercial and
security levels stressing that this proposition also aims to
contribute to consolidate peace in the region.
On the other hand, he qualified as an "obstructive attitude" the
movement of the government of Rabat aiming to hinder the
negotiations an denounced the increase of repression and human
rights violations committed by the Moroccan police and army in the
occupied territories of Western Sahara.
He further questioned the good will of Morocco in this negotiations,
which are planed to start in June the 18 under the auspices of the
UN between the two parties to the conflict, to try to reach a
solution that would provide for the self-determination of the
Saharawi people. (SPS)
010/090/700 071458 JUN 07 SPS |
