France objects to human rights in Western Sahara. Some twenty people demonstrated for respect of human rights in front of France's embassy in Oslo today.
France is every year preventing the UN mission in Western Sahara to report on human rights situation in the territory. Norway, UK and several other states have expressed that the mandate of the UN mission should be extended to include human rights observation. France, however - Morocco's closest ally - objects to such human rights monitoring in the territory that Morocco is illegally occupying.
"France should stop sabotaging human rights in Western Sahara. It is hypocritical that they demand human rights observers in some countries, while they veto any attempts in the occupied territories of Western Sahara", said Senia Abderahman, a Saharawi living in Oslo, in a speech to those attending.
The mandate of the UN mission, MINURSO, is up for renewal in the UN Security Council end of April. If Sarkozy gets it the way he wants, the operation will be denied the ability to report on human rights violation again this year.
Similar demonstrations have taken place in 14 countries today, 14 April 2012, all in front of the French embassies.
UN body calls for the release of imprisoned Saharawi student
In a decision published yesterday, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concludes that the detention of the Saharawi student and human rights defender Al-Hussein Al-Bachir Ibrahim is arbitrary. The UN Working Group called on Morocco to immediately release him from the deplorable prison conditions.
Two Norwegians Are Now Being Deported from Occupied Western Sahara
Two more Norwegians, who travelled to occupied Western Sahara to learn about Morocco’s controversial energy projects in the territory, were detained by Moroccan police this afternoon and deported.
Norwegians deported from occupied Western Sahara - wanted to learn about renewable energy
Today, 25 Moroccan police officers showed up to expel two Norwegians from occupied Western Sahara. The two had traveled to learn what the Sahrawis think about Morocco's controversial renewable energy projects on occupied land.
UN committee highlights Moroccan impunity in occupied Western Sahara
Sahrawi civil society welcomes a new report from the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearance, and urges exhumations and identification of victims in the Morocco-occupied Western Sahara.