Nouakchott, 16/07/2006 (SPS) The Saharawi human rights activist and ex-political prisoners, Hmad Hamad, affirmed that the Intifada in the occupied territories of the Western Sahara is "a normal answer to the policy of repression and to the plundering of the natural resources", as well as to the "refusal of Morocco to respect the international legality", in an interview he gave to the Mauritanian newspaper, "Al Alam".

The ex-political prisoner has been subjected since 1977 the repression from the Moroccan colonial authorities. He was submitted to all sorts of physical and moral tortures and imprisonment because of his activities in favour of the defence of the human rights in his country and in favour of the Saharawi people’s right to self-determination. 

Mr. Hmad Hamad answered many questions related to the role played by Mauritania in this conflict as well as the future of the settlement of the Saharawi conflict with Morocco.

 

Here is the complete text of the interview translated by SPS:

Al Alam: How do you evaluate the situation of the human rights in the occupied territories of the Western Sahara?

Hmad: First of all, I would like to express my deepest thanks to the Mauritania newspaper, "Al Alam", and to the journalists who pay efforts to inform about the issue of the Western Sahara, which is the last pendent issue of decolonisation in Africa.

Regarding your question, the human rights violations in the occupied territories of the Western Sahara are a fact on which testify reports by international organisations such as Amnesty International, international Human Rights Federation, Human Rights Watch, and even Moroccan human rights organisation.

Another proof on the violations are the big number of victims of these violations, such as the harsh interventions to which are subjected our compatriots in the occupied city of Smara, especially the Saharawi women.

Al Alam: What is the role the Intifada play to resolve the Saharawi question?

Hmad: The Saharawi Intifada in the occupied cities is in fact the expression of the rejection of the Moroccan occupation, because the Moroccan Government refused to respect the international legality. The Intifada claims for the respect of the Saharawi people’s right to self-determination and t olive in freedom, dignity and unity.

It is the irreversible result of the evolution of the pro-independence thought in the occupied territories of the Western Sahara.

It is also a normal answer to the policy of repression and to the plundering of the natural resources by the Moroccan colonial Government, which has already more than 30 years in robbing the Saharawi wealth (fishing and phosphates).

Al Alam: Do you think that Mauritania can play a positive role to accelerate the solution of the Saharawi issue?

Hmad: The brotherly Mauritanian people are the closest people to the Saharawi people with regard to traditions, social constitution, culture and even the language.

Nevertheless, as far as we are concerned as human rights activists and representatives of the Saharawi society. What the Mauritanian Government has done in 1975 will remain a historical responsibility of the later for having participated in the Madrid Accords in November the 14th 1975, which was the main cause of the suffering of the Saharawi people.

What we are expecting now from the free and democratic Mauritania is its support to the Saharawi people and their right to self-determination. We also expected from Mauritania an active role and we also consider as very courageous what is now realised by the current Mauritanian President, Mr. Ely Uld Mohamed Val, who opened the doors to the political parties and to the components of the civil society to resolve the fundamental questions, an in saying this we do not try to interfere in the Mauritanian internal issues.

Al Alam: To what extent is Morocco really to accept the holding of a referendum?

Hmad: I think that Morocco, who is undertaking a war of extermination since October the 31st 1975 against the Saharawi people, will never accept the implementation of the international legality, because it fears the self-determination referendum and because it knows perfectly that the objective of the Saharawis is no more than the building of the Saharawi national State, and consequently the acceptation by the Moroccan Government of the referendum Hill never be realised without a real international pressure that Hill force it hold the referendum.

Al Alam: How do you evaluate the political and diplomatic work of the Polisario Front?

Hmad: The Polisario Front, the legitimate and unique representative of the Saharawi people, was able to change the Saharawi society from a traditional society submerged in tribalism and old sociological structures to a modern and dynamic society that aspires to development and to the presence o the international scene and adopted to the modernity and to the means of communications as well as to the values of democracy and human rights.

Despite of all the Moroccan Government’s attempts aiming to hinder all these, the unshakable will of freedom and independence of the Saharawi people is irreversible. (SPS)

070/090/100/TRD 160950 jul. 06 SPS