{"id":6220,"date":"2026-02-05T22:15:44","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T22:15:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adalauk.org\/?p=6220"},"modified":"2026-02-05T22:15:48","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T22:15:48","slug":"adala-uk-writes-to-whd-regarding-misstatements-on-western-sahara","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adalauk.org\/?p=6220","title":{"rendered":"Adala UK Writes to WHD Regarding Misstatements on Western Sahara"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Adala UK has formally addressed a letter<\/a> to the World Humanitarian Drive (WHD) <\/a>concerning public statements made by its founding president, Dr Abdelbasset Sayed, regarding the status of Western Sahara. These statements, published in Morocco\u2019s\u00a0Assahra Al Maghribia<\/em><\/a>, endorsed Moroccan sovereignty over the territory and presented the Moroccan autonomy initiative as a definitive solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We consider it necessary to clarify that these views do not represent the official position of the United Kingdom<\/strong> and conflict with established international law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Legal Context<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Western Sahara is recognised by the United Nations as a Non-Self-Governing Territory<\/strong>. Its people retain the inalienable right to self-determination<\/strong>, as affirmed by the International Court of Justice<\/strong> in 1975. The Court explicitly rejected any claims of Moroccan sovereignty, establishing that the future governance of the territory must respect the will of its people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU)<\/strong> has consistently affirmed that Western Sahara is legally separate from Morocco<\/strong>, and that any agreements affecting the territory require the consent of the Sahrawi people<\/strong>, represented by the Polisario Front<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UK Government Position<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The UK Government, as confirmed in a formal correspondence dated 9 January 2026<\/strong>, remains committed to a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution<\/strong> and supports the principle of self-determination<\/strong>. UN Security Council Resolution 2797<\/strong> is regarded as a step in the ongoing political process, not as an endorsement of Moroccan sovereignty or of any predetermined solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adala UK\u2019s Letter to WHD<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the letter, Adala UK:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Emphasised that the statements published in the Moroccan media reflect personal views and\u00a0do not represent UK policy<\/strong>;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Clarified that international law, UN resolutions, and EU jurisprudence\u00a0do not recognise Moroccan sovereignty<\/strong>over Western Sahara;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Reaffirmed the\u00a0central and lawful role of the Polisario Front<\/strong>\u00a0as the representative of the Sahrawi people;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Highlighted the responsibility of civil society actors to ensure their advocacy\u00a0respects international law and factual accuracy<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    We have urged WHD to publicly clarify these points and to ensure that all future engagement with the issue of Western Sahara aligns with international law, UN mandates, and the rights of the Sahrawi people<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Upholding Justice and International Law<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    The situation in Western Sahara remains a matter of decolonisation and legality<\/strong>. Adala UK continues to advocate for a resolution that is just, sustainable, and grounded in law<\/strong>, reflecting the freely expressed will of the Sahrawi people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We remain open to constructive dialogue with organisations and actors who share our commitment to human rights, international law, and the principles of justice<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Adala UK has formally addressed a letter to the World Humanitarian Drive (WHD) concerning public statements made by its founding president, Dr Abdelbasset Sayed, regarding the status of Western Sahara. These statements, published in Morocco\u2019s\u00a0Assahra Al Maghribia, endorsed Moroccan sovereignty over the territory and presented the Moroccan autonomy initiative as a definitive solution. We consider it necessary to clarify that these views do not represent the official position of the United Kingdom and conflict with established international law. The Legal Context Western Sahara is recognised by the United Nations as a Non-Self-Governing Territory. Its people retain the inalienable right to self-determination, as affirmed by the International Court of Justice in 1975. The Court explicitly rejected any claims of Moroccan sovereignty, establishing that the future governance of the territory must respect the will of its people. Further, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has consistently affirmed that Western Sahara is legally separate from Morocco, and that any agreements affecting the territory require the consent of the Sahrawi people, represented by the Polisario Front. UK Government Position The UK Government, as confirmed in a formal correspondence dated 9 January 2026, remains committed to a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution and supports the principle of self-determination. UN Security Council Resolution 2797 is regarded as a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6221,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[93,1,95],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adalauk.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6220"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adalauk.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adalauk.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adalauk.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adalauk.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6220"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/adalauk.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6220\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6222,"href":"https:\/\/adalauk.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6220\/revisions\/6222"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adalauk.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6221"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adalauk.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6220"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adalauk.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6220"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adalauk.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6220"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}