Sydney, (Australia) 09 November 2025 (SPS)— The Australian Western Sahara Association and Green Left hosted a film screening and public forum in Sydney on Saturday to mark the 50th anniversary of Morocco’s 1975 invasion of Western Sahara and to reaffirm support for the Saharawi people’s right to self-determination. The event was supported by Jews Against the Occupation ’48 and Families for Palestine.
Rachel Evans of the Socialist Alliance opened the evening by situating Western Sahara within the broader process of decolonisation, noting activities held to commemorate the tragic anniversary of the invasion and occupation. She described Western Sahara as “Africa’s last colony,” pointed to growing global solidarity with the Saharawi cause, and conveyed her organisation’s support for the Saharawi people’s struggle for freedom.
Mohamed Fadel Kamal, the representative of the Frente Polisario in Australia, briefed attendees on the UN Security Council’s decision to extend the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO). He condemned attempts to circumvent the UN Charter and the sacred principle of self-determination, stressing that no lasting solution is possible without enabling the Saharawi people to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination and independence. Decolonisation, he said, remains the mandatory path to resolving the conflict.
The Polisario representative warned that tolerance of Morocco’s continued occupation would set a dangerous precedent for other decolonisation cases and undermine the post–World War II international order. He affirmed the Saharawi people’s determination to reclaim their homeland and called for strengthened international solidarity with a just cause that defends not only Saharawi rights but also international legality and the founding principles of the United Nations.
Dr Randi Irwin of the University of Newcastle discussed the re-emergence of colonial practices in new forms and efforts to erase peoples’ rights and identities. She highlighted the plunder of Western Sahara’s resources through renewable-energy projects and what she described as attempts to “greenwash” the occupation to entrench the status quo.
Two short films were screened during the event: The Worst Police State I Have Ever Seen, offering an overview of the conflict, and Unsubmissive, focusing on the situation of Saharawi women in the occupied territories under Moroccan rule.
The evening concluded with an extended discussion on practical ways to expand advocacy efforts in Australia. Organisers renewed their call for a free and fair UN-supervised referendum and for an end to Morocco’s occupation. (SPS)
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