Boumerdes, August 15, 2026 (SPS) – The activities of the Summer University for Executives of the Polisario Front and the Sahrawi Republic featured today, Saturday, lectures and presentations by Sahrawi and Algerian speakers addressing international law, the transformations taking place in the international system and their impact on global issues, including the Sahrawi cause.
The speakers also addressed the current situation of the Sahrawi cause, the human rights situation in the occupied territories, crisis management, and the risks posed by transnational crime.
The first lecture was delivered by Dr. Sidi Mohamed Omar, member of the National Secretariat, permanent representative of the Polisario Front to the United Nations and coordinator with the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO). He addressed developments concerning the national cause at the United Nations, stressing the Sahrawi people's determination to secure its inalienable right to self-determination.
The second lecture, entitled “Transformations in the Current International Situation and Their Impact on Decolonization in Western Sahara,” was delivered by Professor Omar Ben Mohamed. He clarified that the current international situation is characterized by uncertainty over the future of the world, a widening gap between international law and international practice, the concept of building peace through force while disregarding ethics and international law, and declining confidence in international institutions.
The lecturer stressed that the will of peoples cannot be defeated and that the international situation cannot determine their destiny. He cited the experiences of peoples and revolutions in which colonial powers attempted to impose solutions that were rejected and resisted, including the Algerian Revolution. He concluded that the current international situation may delay the achievement of a solution, but cannot determine the fate of the Sahrawi people, who remain determined to secure its rights.
The third lecture, entitled “The Human Rights Situation in Western Sahara: Africa’s Last Colony,” was delivered by Mr. Abdessalam Omar, President of the Association of Families of Sahrawi Prisoners and Missing Persons. He spoke about the human rights situation in Western Sahara, describing it as tragic, and stressed that all human rights violations are linked to demands for the right to self-determination.
The speaker highlighted the Moroccan occupying authorities' settlement policy, noting the large number of Moroccan settlers compared with the relatively small number of Sahrawis in the occupied territories. He also addressed cases of enforced disappearance, killings and executions carried out by the occupying state, the siege of homes, and the prevention of human rights organizations and international observers from visiting the occupied territories. He further discussed the situation of Sahrawi political prisoners held in Moroccan occupation prisons.
He highlighted achievements in the human rights field, particularly efforts to expose and document crimes committed by the occupation and the issuance of rulings against individuals directly involved in grave crimes and violations against the Sahrawi people.
The fourth lecture was delivered by Dr. Bakri Nour Eddine on transnational organized crime, particularly in the Sahel countries and its impact on neighboring states. He stressed the need for cooperation among these countries and the development of strategies to confront the phenomenon.
Dr. Bakri addressed Morocco's attempts to prolong the conflict, stressing that the Sahrawi people's resistance and determination to secure their rights will thwart all attempts aimed at denying their established right to self-determination.
