Message from the Civil Society in Western Sahara to the Participants in Crans Montana Forum

Dear Respected Sirs,

It’s a great pleasure indeed for us the components of the civil society in the occupied territories of Western Sahara, to write the present letter through which we request you to engage with us in the protest campaign against the Crans Montana Forum scheduled from 12 to March 14, 2015 in the occupied city of Dakhla, Western Sahara.

Dalein au Forum de Crans Montana, Ebola en débat !

The Crans Montana Forum is, as u know, an International Organization, Swiss owned and managed, but based in the Principality of Monaco. Although the International campaign against this annual session of Crans Montana Forum has started since more than two months and included calls and requests to cancel that meeting planned in the occupied city of Dakhla, the organizers of that session still insist on that decision which represents in fact a blatant aggression against the Sahrawi people and a  flagrant violation of the international law.
We, the components of the civil society in the occupied territories of Western Sahara, while we condemn Crans Montana Forum’s decision we stress on the reasons behind our worries which stems from the following :

• The conflict in Western Sahara is an international issue which is still taking place between the Popular Front for the Liberation ofSaguia el-Hamra  and Wadi Al-Dhahab or simply POLISARIO ( from the Spanish abbreviation of Frente Popular de Liberación de Saguía el Hamra y Río de Oro); the unique and legitimate representative of Sahrawi people and the Kingdom of Morocco. The territory of Western Sahara is a host to the last unresolved issue of decolonization in Africa and a case of self-determination according to the UN resolution 1514. In 1963,Western Sahara was considered on the UN’s list as one of the non-self governing territories. In its Advisory Opinion the 16^th October 1975, the International Court of Justice’s conclusion was that the materials and information presented to it do not establish any tie of territorial sovereignty between the territory of Western Sahara and the Kingdom of Morocco or the Mauritanian entity . Therefore, the Court has not found legal ties of such a nature as might affect the application of General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) in the decolonization of Western Sahara and, in particular, of the principle of self-determination through the free and genuine expression of the will of the peoples of the Territory. After the cease fire in 1991, the UN and its mission MINURSO have failed in organizing a referendum of self determination of the Sahrawi people. The UN Security Council has repeatedly stressed its commitment to assist the parties to achieve a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution that would provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara consistent with relevant resolutions. Thus, we think that to choose a month before the submission of the Secretary General’s annual report to the Security Council is indeed in contradiction with the efforts of the international community to resolve the conflict in Western Sahara. It only shows the real intentions of both the kingdom of Morocco and the Crans Montana Forum and its participants to violate the inalienable Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination.
• The Moroccan authorities continue to commit daily human rights abuses against the Sahrawi people in the occupied territories, a fact which was detailed extensively in the local and international human rights’ reports. These violations range from assassination, arbitrary detention, torture, forced disappearances, military trials for civilians to restrictions on freedoms of movement, association and assembly. Moreover torture and ill-treatment are still used to extract confessions along with patterns of excessive use of force in repressing demonstrations and arresting demonstrators calling for self-determination for the Sahrawi population.

These violations take place in a tight military, police and media siege imposed by Morocco over the territory. Several foreign delegations, international media and Human rights’ observers have been expelled from the occupied territories by Moroccan authorities during the second half of the last year. This media blockade is still going on till now.

• The kingdom of Morocco is also violating the Sahrawi people sovereignty over the Sahara’s wealth through the systematic looting of natural resources in the occupied territories of Western Sahara by international companies in complicity with the Moroccan state of occupation through illegal agreements. The forthcoming Crans Montana forum would only encourage the Moroccan occupying authorities to looting more natural resources of Western Sahara.

Hence, and from what precedes and accordingly with the positive attitudes of International figures and organizations, we request you to take the necessary measures to ensure the following:

• To call upon the United Nations, the European Union, and all regional and international organizations to follow the African Union’s decision in boycotting the next annual session of Crans Monatana Forum in the occupied city of Dakhla.
• All supporting parties and Donors should stop their support to the Crans Montana Forum and boycott all its forthcoming events and call upon other organizations and institutions to do the same.
• The companies, the organizations and the institutions should be aware of their responsibility towards the rights of the people of Western Sahara and consider the organization of any international conference in the current circumstances in Western Sahara to be against the efforts made by the International Community to resolve the conflict in Western Sahara, and can only create an atmosphere of confrontation in the territory.

We, the components of the civil society in the occupied territories of Western Sahara,  along with expressing our protest to organize the annual session of Crans Monatana Forum in the city of Dakhla, we would like to stress on the fact that we will use all the available legitimate means to perform wide campaigns against that forum and all the participant organizations, institutions, companies and individuals.
These campaign days will start the 9^th March and goes on till the forum expiration date. Therefore, we would request all the people of the occupied territories of Western Sahara, in the south of morocco, the Sahrawi communities abroad, and all the Sympathizers and friends of Sahrawi people to fully participate in these campaign days through daily manifestations, seminars and solidarity evenings.
Finally, we would like to kindly request you, through the present letter, to participate in this condemnation and boycott of the Crans Monatan Forum so as to perform our legitimate goals and to call upon the above mentioned institutions to take all necessary measures in that direction.
Please do accept the assurances of our highest consideration.

Signature:

The components of the civil society in the occupied territories of Western Sahara
* El Comité de las familias de los desaparecidos saharauis en paradero desconocido CFDS
* El Comité delegado por las familias de los mártires de Agdez, Kalaat Megouna y El Aaiún CDFM
– El Comité encargado de seguimiento de dosiers de los saharauis víctimas de Kalaat Magouna Agdez y El Aaiún CCDSVKAL

• Comité de Soutien au Plan de règlement de l’ONU et de la protection des ressources naturelles au Sahara occidental
• Comité sahraouie De défendre les droits de l homme a smara sahara occidental
• forum avenir pour la femme sahraouie
• la liga saharaui para la defensa del los derechos humanos y la proteccion de las riquezas
• Freedom sun organisation for protection of sahrawi human rights defenders
• Observatoire Sahraoui D’Enfant et De La Femme

– Comité de Defensa del Derecho de Autodeterminacion del Pueblo del Sahara Occidental CODAPSO
-Equipe media
-Sahrawi Association of Victims of Grave Violations of Human Rights Committed by the Moroccan State ASVDH
– comité des mères des 15 portés disparus sahraouis
-Saharawi Center For Media and Communication
-La lige Sahraouie pour la protection des prisonniers
-Association Sahraouie pour la protection et la promotion de la culture et du patrimoine sahraouie ASPDCPS
-Centre  sahraouie  pour la protection de la mémoire
– Association dignité justice Pour les droits de l’homme
-groupe de Sahraouis qui rejète la nationalité marocainede
-équipe TV RASD
-La coordination de Gdim izik