New York (United Nations), October 8, 2026 (SPS)– The Representative of the Polisario Front to the United Nations and Coordinator with the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), Sidi Mohamed Omar, said that Morocco’s repeated attempts to disrupt statements by advocates of the Sahrawi cause before the UN General Assembly’s Fourth Committee reflect its inability to confront facts with argument and logic.
In a statement to the Algerian Press Service (APS), Sidi Mohamed Omar said that the repeated interruptions targeting the intervention of Jacqueline Fontan, representative of the French Association of Friends of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, during the Fourth Committee meeting were an attempt to disrupt her presentation on the situation of Sahrawi civilians and political prisoners held in Moroccan prisons.
He described such practices as “evidence of defeat in the face of the strength of argument and logic,” adding that resorting to “verbal bullying” reflects an inability to address the facts raised before the United Nations.
During her intervention before the Fourth Committee, Jacqueline Fontan highlighted the situation of Sahrawi political prisoners, particularly those on hunger strike, and called for the implementation of decisions and recommendations issued by relevant UN mechanisms, including the release of prisoners and investigations into the conditions of their detention.
She also addressed the situation of Sahrawi youth in the occupied territories, citing testimonies received by her association concerning arrests, ill-treatment and pressure forcing some young Sahrawis to leave the territory.
Despite the attempts to interrupt her, the French representative resumed her intervention and continued presenting testimonies on the situation of Sahrawi youth, reaffirming the importance of bringing the voices of victims to international forums.
The incident comes amid the ongoing work of the UN General Assembly’s Fourth Committee and preparations for the UN Security Council’s upcoming meetings on Western Sahara later this month.
According to Sahrawi sources, attempts to disrupt interventions by advocates of the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination have repeatedly occurred during UN meetings, as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic continues to present its cause and defend the rights of its people before international forums.
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