Geneva (Switzerland), September 25, 2025 (SPS) – The International Federation for the Protection of Ethnic, Religious, and Linguistic Minorities, along with the International Youth and Student Movement for the United Nations, have raised concerns that Western Sahara remains Africa’s last unresolved decolonization issue, nearly half a century on, where the Sahrawi people are denied their inalienable right to self-determination.
Activist Najla Mohamed Lamine Selma, who delivered the joint statement on behalf of the two organizations during a session of the Human Rights Council, emphasized that the Sahrawi people continue to face ongoing repression under Moroccan occupation, while their natural resources are being illegally exploited—from phosphates and fisheries to renewable energy projects and critical minerals—all without the consent of the Sahrawi people, in blatant violation of international law and the principle of permanent sovereignty over natural resources.
The statement stressed that the global transition to renewable energy should not come at the expense of fundamental rights, pointing out that massive solar and wind projects in the occupied territories are being used to expand settlements and intensify resource depletion, rather than serving climate justice.
It also noted that the Sahrawi people, particularly those in refugee camps, are among the most vulnerable to climate change, facing growing challenges such as water scarcity, desertification, and extreme temperatures.
The statement concluded by calling for an end to the illegal exploitation of resources in Western Sahara and urging countries and corporations not to profit from occupation. It affirmed that “there can be no climate justice without decolonization, and no sustainable future while Sahrawis are denied sovereignty over their land and resources.”
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