International institutions have failed the Sahrawi people. Over 100 resolutions adopted by the United Nations have recognised the Sahrawi peoples’ right to self-determination, to no effect. The International Court of Justice condemned Mauritania and Morocco’s claims to Western Saharan land as far back as 1975, but Morocco continues to occupy the land illegally. In 1991, the United Nations promised to hold a referendum on Western Saharan statehood, but that referendum has not yet come to pass.

Today, a part of the Sahrawi population lives in conditions of violent occupation in Western Sahara. The rest lives in refugee camps in Algeria near the Western Saharan border and in parts of Western Sahara under the control of the Polisario Front. A 2,700km wall with an estimated seven million landmines separates the two territories.

In September 2022, at the invitation of the Polisario Front, the Progressive International mobilised an international delegation to the Sahrawi refugee camps near Tindouf, Algeria, to support the Sahrawi people, bring the eyes of the world to bear on their struggle, and help build the infrastructures of solidarity that can help them win and thrive. You can watch a video from the delegation here.

This delegation was just the beginning. The support for anti-colonial struggles is not a one-off event or action, but a long internationalist tradition and commitment. That is why we are now calling on all our members and allies to support the struggle.

You can do so by donating to support our delegation, with every contribution helping cover costs of travel and solidarity donations to our Sahrawi hosts.

And you can do so by downloading our Solidarity Toolkit, which sets out how you can mobilise in your organisations, movements, unions, or communities to advance the project of Sahrawi liberation.

We also invite organisations and individuals to submit ideas for further actions. Please send any suggestions to [email protected].

Photo: Western Sahara Resource Watch