Communique on the situation in Western Sahara

COMMUNIQUE

The 1st meeting of the Task Force of the African Movement of Solidarity with the Saharawi People held in Algiers on 14^th December, 2013, as it was decided during the last Conference on Western Sahara held in Abuja on 28^th -30^th October, 2013.

The meeting RECALLS the Abuja Declaration where African countries unanimously adopted a resolution to support the struggle of the people of Western Sahara, and stressed on the urgent need to speed up the process of decolonisation of the last colony in Africa.

The Task Force meeting PAID tribute to the heroic resistance of the Saharawi people and called on the African Union (AU) and individual African countries to intensify efforts to ensure the right of the people of Western Sahara to freedom and independence are fully respected.

In furtherance of the above, the meeting URGES the United Nations (UN) to grant the Saharawi people their inalienable right to self-determination through the actualisation of a genuine, fair and transparent referendum.

The meeting strongly CONDEMNS the on-going systematic violation of human rights in the Occupied Territories by the Government of Morocco and called for the international community to expand the mandate of the MINURSO to include the protection of Human Rights in Western Sahara.

The meeting DENOUNCES the recently-passed Fishering Agreement between the European Union and the Government of Morocco, and called on all governments and the business community to fully respect international laws by abstaining from signing agreement with the occupying authorities that colonised the territory of Western Sahara.

The meeting CALLS on all African Movement of solidarity to join hands and grant support to the Benin Movement of Solidarity with the Saharawi People to successfully host the next edition of the African Conference of solidarity with struggle of Western Sahara as decided in Abuja.

The meeting THANKS the Algerian Committee of solidarity with the Saharawi people for organising the conference and hosting the first Meeting of the African Task Force.

Algeria

14^th December, 2013.