The Sahrawi youth in the refugee camps in southern Algeria had something to celebrate yesterday. The European Court of Justice ruled in a final judgment that goods from Western Sahara are not covered by the free trade agreement between Morocco and the EU. Switzerland has been following this principle for some time.
In its ruling published yesterday, the European Court of Justice ruled that Western Sahara is not part of Morocco. The Court also emphasizes the Sahrawis’ right to self-determination. And this was also not taken into account in the case of the trade agreement. In its reasoning, the Court wrote: “It is not obvious that the people have consented to the agreement [the trade agreement, editor’s note] being applied to Western Sahara.”
With this groundbreaking judgment, the European Court of Justice has ruled that Western Sahara is not part of Morocco from the EU’s point of view. A reason to celebrate!
Politics and business closely linked
Economic activities are closely linked to the fundamental problem in Western Sahara. Morocco is exploiting resources in Western Sahara in violation of international law. By trading in phosphate, tomatoes, fish and other goods and resources from Western Sahara, it treats Western Sahara as part of Morocco. This cements the occupation status and the companies and countries involved profit from the occupation.
Western Sahara is not part of Morocco
Meanwhile, the third generation of young Sahrawis is growing up in the refugee camps in southern Algeria. With increasing impatience, they are demanding the referendum on the final status of Western Sahara, as negotiated by the UN in 1991 and agreed to by all parties.
