Sydney (Australia) 23 March 2026 (SPS)– The University of Sydney hosted a high-level public forum on Western Sahara titled *“Western Sahara: Self-Determination, Conflict, and the Path Forward”*, bringing together international law experts and Sahrawi representatives to examine the current state of Africa’s last active decolonisation
Organised at the university’s New Law School Building, the event was co-sponsored by the Indigenous Studies programme (SSESW, FASS) and the Australia Western Sahara Association, attracting a wide audience of academics, students, and supporters of the Sahrawi cause.
The panel featured Ben Saul, Challis Chair of International Law and United Nations Special Rapporteur, Kamal Fadel, representative of the Polisario Front in Australia, and was chaired by Randi Irwin.
Morocco’s Occupation “Manifestly Illegal”
Professor Saul delivered a comprehensive legal analysis of the conflict, focusing on UN Security Council Resolution 2797. While noting that the resolution reaffirms prior commitments to a UN-supervised referendum, he criticised its direction as departing from the Council’s traditionally neutral stance.
“Morocco’s claim to sovereignty over Western Sahara is manifestly illegal under international law,” Saul stated, citing violations of the prohibition on the use of force and the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination, as affirmed by the International Court of Justice.
He further pointed to Morocco’s transfer of civilian populations into the occupied territory as a breach of Article 49(6) of the Fourth Geneva Convention, describing it as a war crime.
Professor Saul also rejected recent efforts in the United States to label the Polisario Front a terrorist organisation, stressing that it has never been sanctioned by the UN Security Council, the United States, or the European Union.
Fifty Years of Exile
For his part, Kamal Fadel highlighted the humanitarian dimension of the conflict, stressing that Sahrawi refugees have endured five decades in exile.
“What we are talking about today concerns real people who have endured 50 years in exile, waiting for justice,” he said.
Fadel described worsening conditions in refugee camps in southwestern Algeria, citing food insecurity and the growing impact of climate change, while emphasising the resilience and determination of the Sahrawi people.
He also referred to recent preliminary talks held in Madrid and Washington involving Morocco, the Polisario Front, Mauritania, and Algeria as observers—the first such contacts since 2019. Despite these efforts, he noted that Morocco continues to insist on its 2007 autonomy proposal as a fixed framework.
Fadel reiterated that the Polisario Front’s proposal submitted to the UN Secretary-General in October 2025 offers three options—independence, integration, or autonomy—in line with UN General Assembly Resolution 1541 and UN General Assembly Resolution 2625.
“Autonomy under occupation is not self-determination,” he affirmed. “It is the formalisation of annexation by force.”
Call for International Action
The speakers also raised serious concerns about human rights violations in the occupied territories, citing restrictions on media access and reports of harassment, arbitrary detention, and repression of Sahrawi activists.
Both participants concluded by urging the international community to uphold international law consistently, drawing parallels with the decolonisation of East Timor, Namibia, and Eritrea.
“No occupation is permanent when international law is upheld and international solidarity is maintained,” Fadel declared, reaffirming the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination.
Professor Saul echoed the call, warning that recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara and exploitation of its natural resources without the consent of its people constitute violations of international law.
The forum concluded with a strong appeal for a genuine, UN-supervised referendum that includes the option of independence, and for renewed international commitment to a just and lawful resolution of the Western Sahara conflict. (SPS)
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