Geneva (Switzerland), 24 March 2026 (SPS) – Sahrawi human rights activist Ghalia Djimi expressed her surprise at the silence of the international community regarding the continued human rights violations in the occupied areas of Western Sahara.
In her intervention before a session of the Human Rights Council, Ghalia Djimi renewed her call for respect for human rights in Western Sahara, highlighting the ongoing suffering of the Sahrawi people amid the failure to complete the decolonization process.
She also stressed the Council’s commitment to the principles of the United Nations Charter, emphasizing that the right to self-determination remains an inalienable right and that the Sahrawi people must be allowed to exercise it through a fair and transparent political process under United Nations supervision.
Djimi also raised the issue of the exploitation of natural resources in the territory, warning against the continuation of such exploitation without respect for international law or the will and interests of the Sahrawi people, which constitutes a clear violation of international legitimacy.
In a related context, she expressed deep concern about the restrictions imposed on fundamental freedoms, particularly the systematic discrimination faced by Sahrawi women because of their opposing positions. She stressed that this situation deprives them of employment opportunities and a dignified life and limits their ability to participate effectively in society.
She also called for the immediate release of Sahrawi political prisoners held in Moroccan prisons.
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