Faced with dwindling humanitarian aid, Polisario has launched the idea of setting up a fund for the proceeds of the exploitation of Western Sahara's natural resources. The Saharawi Minister of Cooperation, Brahim Mokhtar, commented on the proposal yesterday, at a conference in Madrid.
According to Mokhtar, Morocco has made "4,5 billion dollars" in 2012, on the back of the resources of the occupied territory. "Both the United Nations and Polisario know what is sold, so we have proposed that the UN force Morocco to put a fixed percentage of the revenues into a fund, which will have a direct impact on the Saharawi people".
Brahim Mokhtar states that a specific mechanism should be designed for this purpose, to make sure that the shared percentage "reaches the refugee camps in Tindouf and the population of the occupied areas, living under the systematic oppression of their human rights and which requires our help".
The Saharawi Minister stresses that this initiative will only serve to alleviate some of the consequences of a situation created by Morocco, a situation that is "extremely serious, but requires an urgent political solution with the intervention of the international community".
WSRW calls on addressing plunder
WSRW calls on UN Member States to address Morocco's plunder of Western Sahara during Morocco's UPR review in November.
WSRW calls upon UN to halt the plundering
In its statement to the United Nations’ Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee), Western Sahara Resource Watch called for the establishment of a mechanism to place the proceeds from the exploitation of Western Sahara’s natural resources under international administration until the conflict has been resolved, and for the inclusion of a human rights component into the MINURSO mandate.
States urge Spain to respect Saharawi rights in Human Rights Council
Namibia and East-Timor have today recommended Spain to respect the Saharawi people's right to free, prior and informed consent with regard to the exploitation of Western Sahara's natural resources.
WSRW calls on UN Members to question Spain on Western Sahara at UPR
Next month, Spain’s human rights track record will be reviewed by the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. WSRW asks UN Member States to raise the rights of the people of Western Sahara, for whom Spain continues to bear responsibility.