
Issue No 32		24 September 1999

International

A Common Struggle for Freedom

By Kamal Fadel - Representative of Polisario

It may not get the headlines, but Western Sahara has some chilling similarities with East Timor.

East Timor and Western Sahara have many parallels, both countries were abandoned by their former colonizers. They were invaded by their neighbors in the same year-1975. They have gone through a very long and arduous struggle to achieve their independence.

East Timor is on the verge of becoming a full independent country. Western Sahara is expecting a UN organized referendum in July next year after many years of delays.

Western Sahara is situated in North West Africa. It was a Spanish colony until 1975, when Spain signed a secret agreement with Morocco and Mauritania and handed the territory to them. Western Sahara is still considered by the UN as the last colony in Africa.

The Polisario independence movement, which was fighting for the liberation of Western Sahara from Spain, resisted the new colonizers and fought against them. Mauritania, which was the weaker side, signed a peace treaty in 1979, with the Saharawi republic and joined the 76 countries, which officially recognise it as a sovereign state. The Sahrawi republic has also been admitted as a full-fledged member of the OAU.

The Moroccan invasion and occupation of Western Sahara was bloody and brutal. The regime used Cluster and Napalm bombs against the civilians who were fleeing the occupation. Those who remained in the occupied territories were subject to imprisonment, disappearance and intimidation. These human rights abuses are well documented by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. 165.000 Sahrawis were forced to flee their homes and live as refugees in one of the harshest deserts in the world in the south west of Algeria.

The occupation of Western Sahara was a grave violation of international law and the resolutions of the United Nations (UN) and the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) and the International Court of Justice. The question of Western Sahara has been on the Agenda of the United Nations as a decolonization issue since 1963.

Because of war-weariness and international pressure, Morocco agreed to a UN-OAU peace plan in 1988. The plan, which Polisario also accepted, included a cease-fire, identification of eligible voters, repatriation of refugees and the organization of a free, fair and transparent referendum. The cease-fire was declared in September 1991, the referendum itself should have taken place in January 1992.

The referendum was stalled until 1997, when the newly elected Secretary General, Kofi Annan, appointed the former USA Secretary of State, James Baker as special representative for Western Sahara. Baker's mission was to find a solution to the deadlock. He called for direct negotiations between Morocco and Polisario. An agreement was reached and signed in September 1997 in Houston (Texas).

The Houston Agreement brought a new atmosphere of optimism. The UN re-deployed its mission and the Identification Commission resumed its work and made great progress. The referendum date was set for 7 December 1998.

Nevertheless, Morocco's relentless violations of the Houston Agreements and its continuous insistence for the inclusion of thousands of its own citizens in the voting lists for the referendum, once again stalled the peace process. In November 1998, Kofi Annan visited the region and met the Moroccan and Polisario leaders. He presented to them a package of proposals aimed at moving forward the implementation of the peace plan. Polisario accepted the package and Morocco reluctantly followed suit.

Morocco's reluctance and delay in its response to the package deal resulted in another delay for the referendum. Now the new date set for the referendum is July 2000. This is the best opportunity for a peaceful resolution of this conflict, which has lasted too long. The Saharawi people and the entire region deserve peace and stability.

Western Sahara is rich in mineral resources such Phosphates, oil, Gas, Iron Ore, Diamonds and is internationally renown for its quality and quantity of fishing resources. It therefore has the potential of contributing to the development and progress of the whole North Africa region.

The trade union movement in Western Sahara has played a very crucial role in the independence movement. During the Spanish colonial period the Sahrawi labour movement organised strikes and demonstration asking Spain to start the process of the decolonisation of the territory.

Since the Moroccan occupation the Sahrawi labour movement has reorganised itself and adapted to the new situation. It has set up a trade union council called: UGTSARIO. It has members in the refugee camps and in the occupied areas of Western Sahara.

The UGTSARIO has been very active internationally. One of its main tasks is to raise awareness about the plight of the Sahrawi people and to establish links with the international labour movement. Now UGTSARIO has close relations with trade unions all over the world and particularly in Europe. UGTSARIO hopes to establish close ties with trade unions in Australia. The ASU. National Office is providing support to a representative from Western Sahara, who is based in Sydney and is hoping to introduce him to other trade unions.

The Sahrawi people need all your support and solidarity as they prepare to achieve their freedom.

As the experience of East Timor has shown, the presence of observers, NGOs and the media during the referendum is vital. There is a need for everyone to be vigil and to keep the pressure on Morocco and the UN. The Australia Government should also play an active role in this issue at the UN.

   For the latest in international labour news, visit Labourstart

  View entire issue - print all of the articles!

  Issue 32 contents

Interview: His Daily Fix
Graham Richardson talks of his transition from national politics to talkback radio and his ongoing jobs as a fixer.

Politics: Requiem to the Third Way
The swing to Labor in Victoria shows clearly that once again Australian voters have rejected economic rationalism. The result, and the reasons for it, should worry John Howard.

International: A Common Struggle for Freedom
It may not get the headlines, but Western Sahara has some chilling similarities with East Timor.

Unions: Woolscour Workers say No to Peter Reith
Workers at Canobolas Wooltopping - a woolscour plant near Orange, in central west New South Wales, have just sent a message to Workplace Relations Minister Peter Reith: thanks, but no thanks.

Legal: Outlawed Acts of Consicence
The recent boycotts in support of East Timorese indepndence highlights the extremism of Reith's second wave.

History: Was Manning Clark A True Believer
A Canberra history conference shines the spotlight on Australia's most famous historian.

Review: Paranoid Echoes
The calls to examine the Australian�Soviet documents in the Moscow Literary archives have grown in volume over the past year.

Labour Review: What's New at the Information Centre
The latest issue of Labour Review - a resource for officals and students.

Satire: Kennett Boosts Chances: Two More Independents Dead
Caretaker Premier Jeff Kennett today admitted that voters perceived him as arrogant and out of touch, but insisted that they were wrong.

» Public Servants Seek Leave For Timor

» Goodbye Green Bans - Dumped by the Wave

» Government Rules Nobble Public Sector

» ACTU Pushes On With Privatised Portal

» Powerful New Years Eve Deal for TransGrid

» Banks Grill Staff on New Fees

» Off the Rails - Workers Gagged

» Staff Frustration Boils Over at Sydney Water

» Kennett Nose-Dive: Botsman Picks It

» Academics Fail Non-Union Deal

» Nike in Indonesia: Military Employed to Intimidate Workers

» The Laugh�s On Barry