Abuja — The Nigerian Movement for the Liberation of Western Sahara (NMLWS) has condemned the decision by the ruling political party in France-“La Republique en March”(On the move) to, as part of its 5th anniversary commemoration, open a branch in Dajla, an Occupied Territory that it said rightly belongs to the people of Western Sahara.
Western Sahara otherwise called the Saharawi Arab Republic, has been struggling for freedom from the occupation of its territory by Morocco allegedly with the tacit support of France. The Saharawi people have through the Polisario front, fought for a referendum to determine their independence from Morocco. This move has remained a subject of intense politics at the level of the United Nations.
The NMLWS in a statement it issued recently through its coordinator, Dr. Dipo Fashina, noted that It is a well-known historical and political fact that the issue in Western Sahara is decolonisation. It added that France’s persistent support for and sustenance of Moroccan colonial rule in Western Sahara demonstrates clearly that France’s proclaimed values: Freedom (Liberte), Equality (Egalite) and Brotherhood (Fraternite) remain essentially ideological slogans.
“The French game, in support of continued Moroccan colonial occupation of Western Sahara is a denial and abuse of the values of freedom, equality and brotherhood. France has over the years used its privileged position in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to frustrate the United Nations prescribed referendum of self-determination that would allow the Saharawi people determine their fate.
“This surreptitious move by the ruling party in France aimed at recognising Moroccan illegal occupation of Western Sahara in blatant violation of International law and diverse UN and AU resolutions stands condemned, and we believe will end up in a disgrace for agents of and accomplices in human and historical injustice. This act is historically retrogressive and should be condemned by all governments, all defenders of the right of nations to self-rule, independence.”
The statement lamented that the illegal move by the ruling party in France was coming on the backdrop of the ongoing war and increased human rights violation in the occupied territories of Western Sahara by Morocco.
“Morocco’s historical crime of abuse of human rights of the people of Western Sahara ought to be condemned by all citizens of the world who value freedom. So much for a political party in a Republic that proclaims its motto as: Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity,” the statement added.
It noted that history is on the side of the people of Western Sahara, adding that the people of Western Sahara shall win their war of liberation.