Lisbon, 24 July 2025 (SPS) - The Portuguese Friendship Association with Western Sahara has condemned Morocco's attempts to draw countries into expansionist actions that violate international law and United Nations resolutions regarding the conflict in Western Sahara.
The Association stated that the joint declaration issued between Portugal and the Moroccan occupation government constitutes "a step in the wrong direction" and is "nothing but part of a blatant strategy aimed at distorting the nature of the occupation and turning it into partnerships - apparently about cooperation but in reality, an attempt to 'legitimize' colonialism."
In a statement, the Association emphasized that "the legal reality of Western Sahara is clear: it is a non-self-governing territory under military occupation, requiring the completion of the decolonization process in accordance with international legitimacy."
It added that Morocco "continues its attempts to circumvent international law by securing bilateral positions that contradict UN resolutions and the rulings of the International Court of Justice," noting that promoting false narratives about the nature of the conflict is "nothing but political camouflage aimed at undermining the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination and imposing a fait accompli that lacks any legal or legitimate recognition."
The Association recalled the anniversary of Morocco's invasion of Sahrawi territories on October 31, 1975, despite the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) the same year, which unequivocally confirmed the absence of any ties of sovereignty between Morocco and Western Sahara and stressed the need to respect the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination under UN Resolution 1514.
It also referenced the final ruling of the European Court of Justice in October 2024, which reaffirmed Western Sahara's separate legal status and rejected its inclusion in EU-Morocco economic agreements.
The Association argued that this ruling proves that attempts to lend "legitimacy" to the occupation—under the pretext of an "autonomy plan" or "practical solutions"—do not change the fundamentally colonial nature of Morocco's occupation.
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