The Un Reckless Leader Does It Again in Morocco

Correspondent

The unprecedented decision by former United States president Donald Trump to recognise Kingdom of morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara on December 10, 2022 was met with widespread criticism as it contradicts international law.

Although no position has been taken so far on this step, all indications ostend that the new assistants will reverse the mistake, giving the impression that the US -- every bit the penholder of Western Sahara conflict in the Security Council -- volition push button for a solution inside the framework of international legality.

Background

The former 53rd Spanish province until 1976, Western Sahara has been on the Un list of Non-Cocky-Governing territories since 1963 pending decolonisation. In 1974, Spain accepted to organise a referendum after conducting a demography of the indigenous population, in sight to manus over power to the POLISARIO Front, which represented the population's demands for independence.

The Polisario Front (Frente Popular para la Liberación de Saguía el Hamra y Río de Oro) was created in 1973 equally a result of a large popular movement enervating the difference of Spanish colonialism.

Unfortunately, the Spanish authorities ceded the territory in 1975 to the Kingdom of Morocco, simply a few days later the International Court of Justice (ICJ) rejected the latter's claims to the territory.

Kingdom of morocco took advantage of the transitional menstruation that followed the death of General Franco to push the Spanish government to violate the UN Charter and resolutions and repeated calls of the Organisation of African Unity at that time.

In pursuance of the will of the people of Western Sahara, the Polisario Front declared the Sahrawi Arab Autonomous Republic (SADR) on February 27, 1976 to fill up the legal vacuum created past Spain's withdrawal. The SADR joined the OAU in 1984, and afterward became ane of the founders of the African Marriage.

Subsequently xvi years of escalation, a ceasefire understanding was reached in 1991 between the SADR, represented by the Polisario Front, and the Kingdom of Morocco.

The ceasefire is a part of a settlement program signed by both parties, with the aim of organising a fair, just and transparent referendum nether the auspices of the UN and OAU where the people of Western Sahara tin can choose between their independence or integration with Morocco.

The settlement plan was based on the OAU resolution 104 (1983), which was endorsed by the United nations General Associates in its resolution 4050 (1985) and adopted by the Security Quango in its resolution 658 (1990) nether the Secretarial assistant-General's report S/21360.

But the referendum was disrupted, and the past 30 years remained fraught with the repetition of Moroccan obstacles in the absenteeism of pressure from the UN, which led to the resumption of armed confrontation at the stop of last year.

Breaching international constabulary

The importance of the establishment of the Un in 1945 lies in the set of rules and regulations of its charter and resolutions adopted by its member states. The independence of more than 80 former colonies was a qualitative jump accomplished by the United nations.

But its failure to consummate the decolonisation of non-self-governing territories, such as the Western Sahara, reflects the double standards of today's international decision-makers in the application of international law.

The UN Lease and the huge corporeality of resolutions, legal advisories and judicial rulings recognise the inalienable correct of the people of Western Sahara to cocky-determination and independence.

Instead, neither the UN Charter nor its resolutions nor judicial rulings recognise Morocco's claims, but rather consider it an occupying power of the territory.

The failure of the United nations also affected the protection of Sahrawi citizens from the systematic repression of the Moroccan occupation regime, as the Security Council could non hold to expand the mandate of MINURSO to include the report on human being rights.

By recognising Morocco's sovereignty over the Western Sahara, Trump deliberately abused the values and principles on which the United nations was founded, which the new administration must address to preserve the US' abroad reputation every bit an international decision-maker.

The Joe Biden administration's intention to review Trump'southward decisions is an optimistic sign that the The states, every bit the penholder of Western Sahara, volition reconsider the awarding of international law in a manner consistent with respect for the territory's legal status.

Hope increased a lot when the exercises of the African King of beasts 2022 did not include the Western Sahara territory, contrary to what was promoted by the Makhzen. For its office, the European Union ignored the legal condition of Western Sahara and the relevant judicial rulings to conclude trade agreements with the Kingdom of Kingdom of morocco that include the territory.

Nor did the European Union respect the conditions of partnership with the African Spousal relationship regarding the sovereignty of its members, such equally the Sahrawi Republic.

Europeans should encourage Spain to live up to its historical responsibility in decolonising its former colony, every bit it is all the same the administrating power that does non fall inside the statute of limitations. Portugal'southward host of the East timor cause is a vivid example for Kingdom of spain to follow.

The lack of an objective cess of the outcome of the awarding of international law in Western Sahara by the decision-makers of the United nations Security Council is a mistake that anybody will pay for.

The support of some international actors for Morocco's occupation of Western Sahara dates back to the Cold War menstruation, which calls for a comprehensive review to be in line with the development taking place in the region and the aspirations of its peoples for peace and stability. Thus, the question of Western Sahara, like the previous decolonisation problems, must be resolved with full respect for the right of its people to self-determination and independence.

Otherwise, no one can blame the Sahrawis for whatsoever kind of escalation in the context of their defence of their legitimate right.

The international decision-makers must rule out any threat to security and stability that might exist caused by the establishment of a new state in the region, every bit has promoted by Morocco.

In this context, it is important to take into consideration the reality of coexistence of the SADR and the Kingdom of Kingdom of morocco on an equal footing inside the African Union and their delivery to respect colonial frontiers. In this sense, the role of the African Union is vital in any hereafter international efforts.

The annoying neighbour

The US considers the Kingdom of Kingdom of morocco a strategic marry due to the many services it provided during the Cold State of war, and later under the rubric of terrorism. For its part, the EU granted it an advanced condition for guarding the southern gate. However, it seems that neither the The states nor the EU has made an effort to reveal the truth about the Moroccan Makhzen.

First, the Makhzen took advantage of the protection offered to information technology by the West during the Cold State of war to attack its neighbours and constantly works on destabilising them.

Prior to its illegal occupation of Western Sahara in 1975, the Kingdom of Morocco had claimed Islamic republic of mauritania and parts of People's democratic republic of algeria.

Therefore, information technology opposed the independence of Islamic republic of mauritania in 1960, and launched a war against People's democratic republic of algeria a year after its independence in 1963. Morocco has likewise repeatedly claimed Spanish territories, where its borders accept been subjected to continuous attacks, such as the Perejil isle in 2002, and more recently Ceuta and Melilla, where the Makhzen used minors as human being shields to occupy the two cities.

Second, the interest of the Moroccan intelligence services in supporting terrorism, which was non express to People's democratic republic of algeria during the 1990s and across, nor to the region and the Sahel, but that most of the terrorist attacks in Europe were linked to Moroccan names, such as in Madrid, Barcelona, Paris, Brussels etc.

In addition, the joining of thousands of Moroccans to terrorist organisations in Iraq, Syrian arab republic, Libya and others is another bear witness that Morocco is a base for the consign of terrorists.

The fate of the Moroccan terrorists, who have returned to Morocco, will remain a time bomb in the hands of Moroccan intelligence, waiting for the right place and time to detonate it.

Third, the 2022 reports of the UN Part on Drugs and Crime and the European Observatory on Drugs and Addiction have ranked Kingdom of morocco equally the number 1 producer and exporter of cannabis. Thus, drug trafficking gangs were not express to dumping European countries with cannabis and hashish, but also with cocaine and heroin.

While the regular flow continues to neighbouring countries and the Sahel, which contributes to the financing of armed terrorist groups and threatens to destabilize the region.

4th, Kingdom of morocco systematically uses illegal immigrants to obtain financial support or to extract political positions from Spain or the Eu.

Ostensibly, Morocco is dressed as the custodian of migration towards Europe, simply information technology is secretly bringing in migrants via a long-running program.

The Makhzen'southward intelligence services allocate trips to ship African migrants from their countries to Morocco, giving them promises that they will exist given opportunities to pass to Europe. Fifth, The almost unsafe thing is that Morocco is pursuing a policy of starving its population to attack its neighbours, every bit happened recently with Spain, including the employ of minors to blackmail and abuse the latter's frontiers.

Once once more, the Makhzen is investing in Trump's reckless decision to recognize his sovereignty over the Western Sahara past launching a heinous and widespread entrada against positions opposing this determination, using muddied bribery methods.

The campaign primarily targeted Europe to follow Trump'south atomic number 82, especially key countries such every bit Spain and Deutschland, with whom Morocco threatened to cut ties, and took decisions against them that had nix to exercise with the ethics and standards of affairs.

The spiral of instability

The era of colonialism in the African continent was supposed to have been over past the cease of the twentieth century, but it is notwithstanding lurking in its north, especially in the Western Sahara, where its people are subjected to heinous crimes and barbarous methods.

Unfortunately, once the traditional colonial powers had left the region, the Kingdom of Morocco stabbed its peoples in the back by putting the Makhzen itself at the service of the muddied French politics.

Appropriately, Kingdom of morocco waged an asymmetric state of war against the pocket-size people of Western Sahara, which came within the framework of a long-term plan aimed at destabilising the entire region. Not only to antagonise its countries, but besides to aggravate their internal conditions.

The region was given reasons for optimism nigh the agreement betwixt the Polisario Front and the Morocco to organise a referendum of self-decision for the people of Western Sahara at the end of the eighties every bit a result of tireless efforts undertook by the African bloc.

This atmosphere immune the leaders of Algeria, Great socialist people's libyan arab jamahiriya, Tunisia, Islamic republic of mauritania and Morocco to organise a preliminary coming together in Algiers in 1988, in calorie-free of the annunciation of the establishment of the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) in 1989 in Marrakesh, Morocco. In this regard, Algeria'due south genuine will was axiomatic in overcoming differences and make progress for the benefit of the region, without ruling out the outcome of the referendum in Western Sahara.

However, the countries of the region were disappointed by the retreat of the Kingdom of Morocco from its delivery to the referendum, which once once again showed that it does not want to stop its expansionist ambitions.

The geopolitical considerations of the Maghreb region, in terms of its enormous natural resources, proximity to waterways and borders with Europe, made it a place for global powers to compete in the style they benefited from at the expense of the evolution and integration of the region. Thus, the region was subjected to instability and strange interference in its internal affairs for ane goal, which is to prevent these countries from achieving their own arroyo that guarantees contained political decision-making and command over their economies.

The footing for the desired stability is full respect for the legitimate rights of peoples and the sovereignty of states, based on the colonial frontiers. In this regard, People's democratic republic of algeria plays a major role, equally a regional power, in living upwardly the countries of the region and its African depth to the level of resolving their issues, formulating their own policies and views that must be accepted by its partners.

Factor of stability

Forty-five years were enough to refute Morocco's claims about the potential threats to security and stability that might event from the establishment of an independent state in Western Sahara.

Time has proven that the Saharawi Republic has made many concessions, out of its concern for Africa's unity, security and peace, and it has maintained good-neighborly relations. Fifty-fifty the Kingdom of Kingdom of morocco, which all the same occupies parts of Western Sahara, has benefited from the policies of the Saharawi Republic in the liberated areas to combat terrorism and organised crime.

Today, the Saharawi Commonwealth has get an irreversible national, regional and international reality, with its autonomous institutions, rational policies and wide international relations. Thus, the Saharawi people experience satisfied with the gains achieved on the path of establishing the dominion of law under a gratis and independent homeland.

The SADR's assumption of its natural position within the African bloc in 1984 was an inevitable issue that affirmed the unanimity of Africans to uphold international legality. Therefore, the SADR is at present one of seven African countries that plant the Northern region of the African Union, along with Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Islamic republic of mauritania, Tunisia and recently Kingdom of morocco. The SADR participates normally in all the activities of the Spousal relationship, including partnership meetings, and enjoys respect and a prestigious position.

Kingdom of morocco abandoned the OAU in protest of the Sahrawi state's membership inside it, to join the African Union in 2017, of which the Sahrawi Republic is 1 of its founding members, on the status that the colonial frontiers of each of the union's 55 states exist respected.

Resumption of hostilities

The resignation of the well-known one-time Usa Secretarial assistant of State James Baker from his position as Personal Envoy of the Un Secretarial assistant-General in 2004 demonstrated beyond whatever incertitude that some permanent members of the Security Council are not interested in resolving the problem of Western Sahara in accordance with the provisions of international lawyers.

This encouraged Morocco to carelessness its commitments regarding the referendum and to act with absolute sovereignty over the territory, which fabricated the presence of the United nations confined to the terminate-burn down.

The Makhzen expelled the civilian component of MINURSO and took strict measures confronting its personnel to limit the motility of the mission in the territory, fifty-fifty the plates of its cars are Moroccan.

It established a merchandise line linking Europe with Africa by opening a loophole in the Guerguerat in the south of the territory. It also terribly plunders fish, phosphates, and other economic resource, and uses some of the proceeds from these resource to buy silence and loyalty.

Finally, the Makhzen has mortgaged the Sahrawi coasts into a game of interests with the aim of complicating the solution and prolonging its occupation of the territory.

The Moroccan security forces continue to commit flagrant human rights violations against Saharawi citizens in the part occupied past Morocco. The reports of many international and humanitarian organisations accept documented systematic and unsafe repression and intimidation in these areas, with arbitrary arrests, judicial prosecutions and unfair trials, especially against political activists, journalists and media.

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All of these actions inconsistent with the legal status of the territory, were culminated in a deliberate assail past the Moroccan army on Nov thirteen, 2022 on Saharawi civilians who were protesting against the pillaging of their natural resource through Guerguerat. Thus, the Makhzen took advantage of this opportunity to build a new defense wall linking that point with Mauritania, through which Morocco occupied new function of SADR territory.

The United nations did not lift a finger or utter a word of protest. Even one-time Secretary-General Ban Kim Moon did non get enough support when he told the truth past calling Morocco an occupier of Western Sahara.

The Polisario, which had repeatedly warned of the dire consequences of the stalemate and intransigence of the Kingdom of Kingdom of morocco, had no selection but to declare the finish of the ceasefire and return to armed struggle. Not surprising that the situation volition see further escalation, which may ignite the whole region.

In his recent volume "Resolved Uniting Nations", Ban Ki-moon revealed that during his visit to the Saharawi refugee camps in Tindouf in March 2016, he saw the pent-upward indignation of thousands of women and men "at having to live in these crude camps, and their fury that the Un had failed to end their struggle against Kingdom of morocco." He added that he "was surprised and embarrassed to see so many angry young men property signs such equally 'No to 40 years of occupation!' and 'UNfair!'"

It was Ban Ki-moon'south accurate clarification of the situation that justified the return to armed struggle. This is what happened immediately later the announcement of the finish of the ceasefire, when thousands of young volunteers joined the battlefronts with a strong conclusion to go on their struggle until the complete liberation of all their territories occupied by the Kingdom of Kingdom of morocco.

Conclusion

The people of Western Sahara have waited nearly 60 years for the UN to grant them their inalienable right to self-determination and independence. But this was not achieved due to double-standards dominion applied by international decision-makers, who are indifferent to the suffering people of this minor and peaceful country. It is this rule that has been a stumbling block in the face of all efforts.

The large error fabricated past the international determination-makers in the Security Council was their opposition to the application of the provisions of international constabulary to satisfy a country similar Kingdom of morocco on the pretext of sponsoring of their "interests". Cypher is expected from a medieval government simply to assault its immediate neighbours, deprive people of their rights, plundering their wealth and operate gangs.

International actors, especially today's decision-makers, must break gratuitous from the complex of fear and domination. Their lack of seriousness is the most serious threat to their interests. However, no one would accept to be deprived of his legitimate right and remain idly past. Therefore, they should reverberate well on what they take inflicted on the people of Western Sahara through this long look, and bustle to grant them their inalienable right to cocky-determination and independence in accord with the provisions of international legality.

How grateful the region will be to the international determination-makers for such a decision.

The desired lasting peace cannot exist achieved at the expense of the rights and aspirations of peoples. Therefore, in that location will be no lasting peace without recognising the reality of the SADR, which was embodied in the long struggle of its people and proved to exist a gene of rest and stability in the entire region.

Deich Mohamed Saleh is a one-time main of the Saharawi president office and former Ambassador to the Republic of Zimbabwe.

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Source: https://allafrica.com/stories/202108310220.html

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