The territory of Western Sahara has been occupied by the Kingdom of Morocco for 38 years and the UN mission MINURSO has been on the ground for 22 years. That is exactly how long the UN mission has only been allowed to look on with one eye and not deal with human rights violations. This will remain the case for another year.
Once a year, the UN Security Council is informed about the situation in Western Sahara and also makes decisions. Decisions on whether to continue the UN peacekeeping mission MINURSO and whether the mission should also be tasked with monitoring human rights are debated. According to the NZZ, this is the only UN mission in which this is not the case.
Arrests, abductions and torture
The case of Western Sahara is not only about the occupation by the Kingdom of Morocco, but also about the ongoing violations of human rights: complaints from individuals and non-governmental organizations about unlawful arrests, abductions, police violence and torture are constantly being reported. These complaints would have to be investigated if the UN mission were to be expanded.
Human rights are less important
The last vote in the UN Security Council on Western Sahara took place on 25.04.2013. As every year, the result was disappointing. The occupying power, Morocco, was able to assert its position that the issue is an internal matter. This year too, economic and security policy interests led the permanent members of the UN Security Council to overlook human rights violations.
Lots of words, no action
The latest political initiative, this time from UN Ambassador Susan Rice, has also shown that promises and initiatives fizzle out as quickly as they are made in front of the public. The USA promised a ground-breaking draft for solving the problem and was persuaded to give in just before the finish line.
It’s not just about a piece of land
Since 1975, more than 100,000 Sahrawi refugees have been living in camps around the southern Algerian city of Tindouf. They have fled from the Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara and are waiting for a sustainable political solution to the Western Sahara problem. Despite efforts by international organizations and promises by politicians, the end of this last African colonial conflict is not in sight.
