London 27/07/2013

Morocco and the European Union have recently signed a fishing treaty

covering a period of four years which includes the waters of the Western Saharan territory.

The signing of this treaty signifies the exploitation of Western Sahara’s natural resources. The treaty itself goes against a consultation undertaken by a UN legal advisor, Hans Corell, (29 January 2002) which stated that Western Sahara is a territory awaiting decolonisation and that any exploitation of its natural resources, without the consent of the indigenous people, is a flagrant violation of international law.

It is with this in mind that we, the members of Adala UK, condemn the treaty and its signing by Morocco and the European Union.

We remind the European Parliament and all those involved in the looting of natural resources and the exploitation of the country’s riches, either directly or indirectly, that the treaty has been made without the will of the Saharawi people. It goes against UN resolutions and simultaneously causes the impoverishment of more Saharawis. We expect all countires to respect the resolutions of the United Nations and the UN Secuirty Council so as to aid a just and honest solution to the question of Western Sahara. 

We call upon the UN Security Council to put the riches of the Western Saharan territory under the protection of the UN, with the aim of reducing their excessive and illegal exhaustion by the Moroccan State.

We call upon the UN and the UN Security Council and interested countries to assume their responsibilities in the application of international legitimacy and permit the Saharawi population their right to free determination and to vote on their future.

We also call upon the European Parliament to take urgent action to reject this illegal treaty and work to stop the exploitation of these resources and hold off the threat that it respresents to the Saharawi natural resources and equally to the environment.

 

By Sidi Ahmed Fadel  (ADALAUK)

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