IFOR STATEMENT ON THE U.S. RECOGNITION OF MOROCCAN SOVEREIGNTY OVER WESTERN SAHARA

On this day, December 14th 2020, which marks the 60th anniversary of the Declaration on the Granting of Independ-ence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, 1 IFOR is issuing a statement on the recent developments regarding the con-flict in Western Sahara.

STATEMENT ON THE U.S. RECOGNITION OF MOROCCAN SOVEREIGNTY OVER WESTERN SAHARA

The International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR) was founded over 100 years ago, and at the heart of the fellowship is the steadfast belief in multilateralism as a way to engage within the international community.

On December 10th, President Donald Trump issued a proclamation stating that the United States will recognize Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara. 2 A departure from decades of U.S. policy, the move follows last month’s breakdown of the nearly 30-year ceasefire between Morocco and Western Sahara and the resumption of hostilities.

In 1991, the United Nations and the international community made a promise to the Saharawi people that a referendum would be organized, and that they freely and fairly would get to decide their own fate. 30 years later, that promise remains unfulfilled. Neither renewed fighting nor unilateral moves that disregard interna-tional law absolves the international community of this promise. On the contrary, it highlights the urgency of finally implementing the right to self-determination. Saharawi organizations have long sounded the alarm about the consequences of continued inaction and the eroding trust in the international community that fol-lows. 3

The initial reactions to the U.S. Administration’s announcement have been somewhat encouraging, with many countries denouncing the move. IFOR calls on all UN Member States to also act collectively in demonstrating their commitment to abide by international law and to be accountable for the implementation of funda-mental rights. In 2017, following the Trump administration’s announcement that the U.S. would recognize Je-rusalem as the capital of Israel – another example of unilateral action that disregarded international law– the UN General Assembly held an emergency special session and decisively backed a resolution that rejected the move. 4 Such action is again appropriate and necessary to reaffirm the primacy of international law.

With the current administration on its way out, it is also imperative that the new leadership in the U.S. act. IFOR urges President-Elect Biden to, immediately upon taking office, reverse the Trump administration’s de-cision and reaffirm the principles of international law, as the foundation for settling international conflicts, and multilateralism to strengthen international cooperation.

Further, IFOR calls once more for the UN Secretary-General António Guterres to immediately appoint a new UN Personal Envoy for Western Sahara 5. The vacancy at this position, and the continued wait of a credible path to a peaceful resolution, leaves the door open for the kind of negative developments seen in the last month.

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1 General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960. https://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/Independence.aspx

2 https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/proclamation-recognizing-sovereignty-kingdom-morocco-western-sahara/

3 Open Letter to the UN Secretary General on the 45th Anniversary of the Western Sahara Conflict, released on November 14th by NOVA, a local nonviolent Saharawi youth organization. 4 General Assembly resolution 11995 of 21 December 2017, adopted at the 10th Emergency Special Session.

5 IFOR Statement on the current situation in Western Sahara, released on November 13th 2020. http://www.ifor.org/news/2020/11/13/ifor-statement-on-the-current-situation-in-western-sahara

You can download the statement by clicking here.

IFOR STATEMENT ON THE CURRENT SITUATION IN WESTERN SAHARA

STATEMENT ON THE CURRENT SITUATION IN WESTERN SAHARA 

Today, on November 13th 2020, several media outlets have reported that the Moroccan army launched an op eration near the border crossing at Guerguerat against a group of Saharawi protesters.1 The representatives of  the Saharawi people had previously stated that any such Moroccan action would be considered an aggression  to which they would respond, and that this would mean the end of the ceasefire agreement between the parties.2 While early reports are still unclear, the developments today represent a clear threat of an outbreak of a new  war. 

In 1991, the United Nations and the international community made a promise to the Saharawi people that a  referendum would be organized, and that they freely and fairly would get to decide their own fate. 30 years  later, that promise remains unfulfilled. Today’s events demonstrate that a continued status quo and continued  inaction is not sustainable and not acceptable.  

The International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR) was founded over 100 years ago in response to the  horrors of the First World War. Since then, IFOR has taken a consistent stance against war and its preparation.  When people and organizations commit themselves to action, war and conflicts can be prevented and trans formed through nonviolent means.  

Such action is urgent and well overdue. The UN needs to take concrete steps to deescalate the current situation  and demonstrate a serious commitment to renewed negotiations. IFOR welcomes any efforts by the UN to  immediately seek an end to the current military escalation. These efforts must be intensified. Further,  IFOR calls upon the UN Secretary-General António Guterres to without delay appoint a new UN Per 

sonal Envoy for Western Sahara to demonstrate that continued status quo is not acceptable. The position  has been vacant for 18 months. With the vacancy, the main avenue for non-violent engagement between the  parties is closed and the peace process is at a standstill. The immediate appointment of a new Personal Envoy  is the very least that the UN can do to signal to those desiring a non-violent resolution to the conflict that such  a path is still possible. The consequence of continued stalling has been made clear today.  

IFOR also calls on the governments in the region and around the world to contribute to a peaceful  solution of the Western Sahara conflict and the implementation of the fundamental rights of the people  living on those territories. The UN Member States must act in accordance with the UN Charter3and demon strate that continued military escalation is unacceptable. The outbreak of a new war in the region would con stitute a grave risk for people’s lives and livelihoods. The Covid-19 Pandemic has put severe strains on an  already difficult situation and would further complicate any humanitarian and other relief efforts that would  follow a war. It is imperative that this is avoided and that a credible path to a peaceful resolution is established. 

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Notes

1. For example, Al-Jazeera. Morocco troops launch operation in Western Sahara border zone. Retrieved November 13, 2020.  https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/11/13/morocco-launches-operation-in-western-sahara-border-zone

2. Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Ministry of Information. Press Release November 9, 2020.  

3. In particular, Article 1 of the UN Charter: “The purposes of the UN is to maintain international peace and security, and to that end:  to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression  or other breaches of the peace, and to bring about by peaceful means, and in conformity with the principles of justice and international  law, adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations which might lead to a breach of the peace”.

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You can donwload the whole statement here.