"Notre échec collectif à s’atteler aux violations continues par le Maroc des multiples résolutions de l’ONU, à faire cesser le pillage illégal des ressources naturelles du Sahara Occidental, permettant que les atteintes aux droits de l’homme soient perpétrées en toute impunité, diminue l’Angleterre, cela diminue l’ONU et c’est un affront envers tous ceux qui croient en la justice" a déclaré le président du groupe, le député Jeremy Corbyn dans un communiqué de presse le 12 juin.

Le communiqué de presse annonce qu’une délégation de députés, hauts-commissaires et représentant du gouvernement du Sahara Occidental en exil s'est rendu le 12 juin au 10 Downing Street pour appeler le gouvernement britannique à prendre l’initiative dans la résolution du conflit du Sahara Occidental.

Lire le communiqué de presse Lire le communiqué de presse (en anglais).

"Nous demandons à Gordon Brown de prendre une position de principe, et des mesures urgentes pour s’assurer que le UK prendra l’initiative au conseil de sécurité pour qu’il s’acquitte de son obligation de veiller à la mise en place du référendum d’autodétermination tel qu’il a été déterminé dans le cadre du cessez le feu conclu sous les auspices de l’ONU en 1991", a déclaré M Corbyn.

Le groupe multiparti de parlementaires sur le Sahara Occidental a envoyé aujourd’hui la lettre suivante au Premier ministre britannique.

The Rt Hon Gordon Brown
Prime Minister
10 Downing St
LONDON SW1A OAA

12th June 2009

Dear Prime Minister

We are delivering this letter on the day of the launch of a major new awareness-raising campaign to urge your Government to take immediate steps to resolve the crisis in Western Sahara, now in its 33rd year. The continuing occupation of the Western Sahara by Morocco, in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions and the judgement of the International Court of Justice, has left 165,000 indigenous Saharawi refugees to languish in camps in the Algerian desert for over three decades. Mindful of your long-standing commitment to Africa, we hope you will take urgent steps to ensure that the UK takes a lead within the UN Security Council to fulfil its obligation to ensure a referendum on self-determination takes place, as was agreed under the terms of the UN ceasefire agreement in 1991.

Two areas that require immediate action are:

1. Human rights
It is incumbent upon the UN Security Council to install human rights monitoring in occupied Western Sahara as recommended by the OHCHR report, and as called for in recent reports by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and most recently the European Parliament. We were pleased to see the statement by John Sawers, the UK Ambassador to the UN, referring to Security Council resolution 1871 (2009): extending the mandate of the United Nations Mission for a Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), saying that it explicitly includes humanitarian measures and human rights.

The UK must also demonstrate its stated commitment to promoting human rights by taking a lead in Europe to address the failure of the EU to tackle Morocco's occupation of Western Sahara in its relations with the kingdom of Morocco. The EU is in a position to exert influence on Morocco to respect international law and human rights.

2. The illegal exploitation of the resources of Western Sahara
Large reserves of phosphate, vast fishing grounds and potential offshore reserves of oil and gas have meant that many Western governments and companies are involved in lucrative trade deals with the Moroccans, in defiance of international law. Agreements between the EU and Morocco,
whether the Neighbourhood Policy or the Fisheries Agreement, must be limited to the territory of Morocco and these limits must be clearly stated.

The failure to address Morocco’s ongoing violation of over 100 UN Resolutions preventing the illegal plundering of Western Sahara’s natural resource, and thus to allow human rights abuses to be committed with impunity diminishes Britain. It also diminishes the United Nations and it is an affront to all those with a belief in justice. By ensuring human rights are respected and the illegal exploitation of the resources are challenged, the UK Government will show the moral leadership that is necessary to resolve the conflict, through ensuring a UN supervised referendum on self-determination.

Yours sincerely

Jeremy Corbyn (Chair of the APPG on Western Sahara)

NOTE: Members of the APPG on Western Sahara
Jeremy Corbyn MP
David Drew MP
Hywel Williams MP
Ann Clwyd MP
Joan Walley MP
Sally Keeble MP
Katy Clark MP
Kelvin Hopkins MP
Mike Hancock MP
Paul Flynn MP
John Grogan MP
Bob Spink MP
John Austin MP
John Bercow MP
Mark Williams MP
Daniel Kawczynski MP
Peter Bottomley MP
George Young MP
Nigel Evans MP
Robert Walter MP