Mr President,
Sahrawi civil society associations and organizations from the occupied territories of Western Sahara, Sahrawi refugee camps, and the Diaspora have the honor to address this message to your Excellency, expressing sincere congratulations on your election as President of the United States of America.
We would like to inform you of our desire for the United States to take an honorable stance that corrects the improper mistake of your predecessor, former US President, Donald Trump, who recognized Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, in a blatant violation of the requirements of international law, and to ask you to reverse that decision, which is contrary to international legality.
Allowing this unjust decision to be maintained will seriously undermine the reputation of the USA on the African continent and challenge respect for international law, maybe even encouraging other countries to believe that they can expand their territory at the expense of other countries with impunity.
Mr President,
The legal nature of the issue of Western Sahara, the last colony in Africa, is easy to understand. It is not an ethnic or religious conflict nor a civil war, but rather a basic issue of decolonization not yet resolved – as has been recognized by the United Nations and its different bodies since 1963.
In spite of the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice of 1975 and many UN resolutions affirming the right of our people to self-determination and independence, Morocco continues to occupy Western Sahara illegally by force since October 31, 1975. The continued occupation of parts of our land by Morocco and other regional security challenges makes it imperative to reach a swift, peaceful, lasting and just solution to decolonize it.
Morocco continues to systematically violate human rights in occupied Western Sahara and unlawfully plunder the natural resources of the Sahrawi people. These human rights violations have been documented and reported by several international organizations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Robert F. Kennedy for Human Rights, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, to name only a few. We hope that the United States will actively engage as a defender of human and peoples’ rights and values of democracy, as you indicated in your first speech after assuming the presidency, and that you make sure to work towards the protection of the human rights of Sahrawi civilians living in the territories illegally occupied by Morocco.
Mr President,
The Sahrawi people have eagerly waited for a long time to be able to exercise their legitimate rights. What is required now is to exert all necessary diplomatic pressure so that the United Nations can resume the implementation of the peace plan without further delay by allowing our people to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination and independence through the free and true expression of their will without any restrictions or impediments by organizing the self-determination referendum.
The ideals of freedom, equality and popular sovereignty embodied in the founding principles of the United States of America have made many peoples across the world, including the Sahrawi people, view the United States as a beacon of hope and a defender of freedom, democracy and respect for human and peoples' rights in the face of oppression, tyranny and injustice.
Being aware of the international responsibility of your country and its vanguard role, we hope that you will work, Mr. President, to cancel the decision of your predecessor and work effectively within the framework of the international efforts aimed at reaching an urgent, peaceful and lasting solution to the issue of decolonization of Western Sahara on the basis of our people's exercise of their inalienable right to self-determination and independence.
Comisión Nacional Saharaui de Derechos Humanos (CONASADH)
Unión Nacional de Mujeres Saharauis (UNMS)
Unión Nacional de Trabajadores de Saguia El Hamra y Rio de Oro (UGTSARIO)
Unión Nacional de la Juventud de Saguia El Hamra y Rio de Oro (UJSARIO)
Unión Nacional de Estudiantes de Saguia El Hamra y Rio de Oro (UESARIO)
Unión de Juristas Saharauis (UJS)
Unión de Periodistas y Escritores Saharauis (UPES)
Asociación de Familiares de Presos y Desaparecidos Saharauis (AFAPREDESA)
Asociación de Víctimas de Minas (ASAVIM)
Unión de Abogados Saharauis (UAS)
Unión de Juristas Saharauis
Unión de Artesanos Saharauis
Unión de Médicos Saharauis
Unión de agricultores Saharauis
Unión de ingenieros Saharauis
Unión Saharaui de trabajadores de educación y formación
Instancia Saharaui Contra la Ocupación Marroquí (ISACOM)
Asociación Saharaui de Victimas (ASVDH)
Comite Defensa del Derecho de Autodeterminación (CODAPSO)
Liga de Defensa de los Presos Politicos Saharauis
Asociacion Saharaui de Control de los Recursos Natirales y la Proteccion del Medio Ambiente
Asociacion Saharaui para la Proteccion de la Cultura
Coordinadora de Gdeim Izik-Aaiun
Comite de Familiares de los 15 Jovenes Secuestrados
Grupo contra la Nacionalidad Marroqui
Observatorio Saharaui de Proteccion del Niño
Cordinadora de las ONGs en Aaiún
Comite de Proteccion de los Recursos Naturales
Asociacion Saharaui contra la Tortura s.o
Liga Saharaui de Defensa de DDHH y Proteccion de RW –Bojador
Comite Saharaui de Defense de DDHH – Smara
Comité de Proteccion de los Defensores Saharauis
Freedom Sun – Smara
Observatorio –Marsad - Media Goulimin
Comité Saharaui para la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos Goulimin
Comision Saharaui para los Funcionarios y Trabajadores Despedidos de Forma Arbitraria
Equipe Media
Association de la Communauté Sahraouie en France
Association des Femmes Sahraouies en France
Association des Sahraouis en France
Association Culture Sahara – Centre de France
League des Jeunes et des Etudiants Sahraouis en France
Association Culturelle Franco-Sahraouie
Association des Sahraouis de Bordeaux
Association d’Amitié avec le Sahara Occidental en Midi -Pyrénées (Toulouse)
Association des Sahraouis de Périgueux
Association pour la Sauvegarde de l’Environnement du Sahara Occidental (ASESO)
Association Sahraouie CARASO
Association Sportive des Sahraouis de France
Vereniging van de Saharawigemeenschap in Belgie – Belgium
Le Sahara n’est pas à Vendre – Association Sahraouie à Bruxelles
Association Sahraouie Bjaoui – Pays de Loire Atlantique
On Ne peut pas Applaudir d’une seul Main-centre ouest France
Association des Sahraouis de Suède VGS
Association des Avocats Sahraouis en Espagne
Association des Médecins Sahraouis en Espagne
Ligue des Athlètes Sahraouis en Espagne
Ligue des Journalistes Sahraouis en Espagne
Communauté Sahraouie à Las Palmas
Association des Sahraouis à Tenerife
Association des Sahraouis à Fuerteventura
Groupe Sahraouis à Lanzarote
Association des Sahraouis à Bal
Association ARDI Hurrah à Séville
Association des Sahraouis à Lebrija
Collectif des Sahraouis à Jaén
Association des Sahraouis à Jerez de la Frontera
Collectif des Sahraouis à Estepona
Communauté Sahraouie à Grenade
Amal Association Centre Andalousie
Communauté Sahraouie de Murcie
Association des Sahraouis à Alicante
Association Zemour Valence
Communauté Sahraouie de Catalogne
Communauté Sahraouie en Aragón
Association des Sahraouis de Valdepeñas
Communauté Sahraouie en Castilla-la Mancha
Association des Sahraouis de Ávila
Communauté Sahraouie de Castille y León
Association des Sahraouis de Navarre
DISABI Bizkaia
Sahara Euskadi Vitoria
Sahara Gasteiz Vitoria
Amal Nanclares
Tawasol lludio
Tayuch Amurio
Collectif Sahraoui à GIPUZKOA
League des Etudiants en Espagne
Association Filles de Saguia et Rio
Association Sahraouie en USA (SAUSA)
Collectif des Associations du Martyr Ali Mayara ( Mauritanie)
Collectif des Associations du Martyr Sahla Edaf ( Mauritanie)
Collectif des Associations du Martyr Sidi Cheikh ( Mauritanie)
Collectif des Associations du Martyr khalil Sidemhamed ( Mauritanie)
Collectif des Associations du Martyr Sidemhamed Elab ( Mauritanie)
Collectif des Associations du Centre(Mauritanie)
Collectif de la Communauté Sahraouie de Tindouf ( Algérie)
Collectif de la Communauté Sahraouie de Bechar ( Algérie)
Collectif de la Communauté Sahraouie d’Oum Laasal ( Algérie)
Collectif des Travailleurs de la Communauté Sahraouie (Algérie)
Photo: Gage Skidmore, Wikimedia
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