The European Liberal Youth demands the termination of the controversial EU fisheries agreement with Morocco that lets European vessels fish in occupied Western Sahara. Read statement from the Liberal Youth's annual Lymec congress, Barcelona 1-4th May 2008.
Download the statement form Lymec 2008 here.
Stop exploitation of occupied Western Sahara
Whereas
- The territory of Western Sahara has been under occupation by Morocco since 1975.
- The International Court of Justice in 1975 ruled against Moroccos territorial claim on Western Sahara.
- Western Sahara is on the UN list of Non-Self Governing Territories and is considered Africa's last colony.
- Under the terms of the UN's settlement plan in 1991, Western Sahara should decide its own future status in a referendum.
Noting that
- Morocco has repeatedly blocked the execution of a referendum.
- Human rights agencies and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights have reported grave and systematic violations of human rights in the occupied territories.
- The people living in the occupied territories are subject to severe restrictions on their freedom of speech, assembly and movement.
- Human rights activists and pro-independence journalists and editors have been arrested.
Observing that
- None of the the income from the exploitation of Western Sahara's rich fish and phosphate natural resources is diverted back to the people of Western Sahara.
- The EU has signed an agreement with the government of Morocco that allows EU vessels to fish in occupied territorial waters off the coast of Western Sahara, in clear violation of international law.
- The USA has specifically excluded from its free-trade agreement with Morocco all products that originate from the occupied territories of Western Sahara.
LYMEC - European Liberal Youth calls upon
- The EU to terminate its fishing agreement with Morocco.
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.