A diverse group of concerned American citizens and non-governmental organizations including Seoul Peace Prize Laureate Suzanne Scholte, Robert F. Kennedy Center Director Monika Kalra Varma, Former Reagan Ambassador Frank Ruddy, and Professor Stephen Zunes of the University of San Francisco sent a letter today to President Barack Obama urging him to resolve the long-standing conflict over Western Sahara by supporting a referendum on self-determination and protecting the Sahrawis from the violence perpetrated against them by the Moroccan authorities in the occupied territory.
"As Africa’s only remaining colony, the fate of Western Sahara has been uncertain since Morocco began its occupation over 30 years ago," stated the letter. "In light of the historic friendship between the governments of the United States and the Kingdom of Morocco, as President of the United States, you have the ability to help resolve this long-standing conflict and ensure that the Sahrawi people’s human rights, including the inalienable right to self-determination, are protected."
The letter included Americans who had served with MINURSO and seen the conflict first-hand including attorney Katlyn Thomas and Mara Hanna, and Christian leaders supportive of the Sahrawi cause including Janet Lenz of Christ the Rock Church, Cheryl Banda of Not Forgotten International and Pastor Dan Stanley of RockFish Church as well as a diverse group of NGO leaders including Shaazka Beerle of the International Center for Nonviolent Conflict, Nina May of the Renaissance Foundation and Emira Woods of the Institute of Policy Studies. Recording Artist Cynthia Basinet of California and Sahara Marathon Founder JEB Carney of Virginia were also signatories on the letter.
"The signers of this letter come from very different backgrounds and in many cases totally opposite political views, " said Scholte, "but we all agree and are united in this appeal to President Obama: the Sahrawi people of Western deserve the inalienable right to self-determination and the abuse against them by the Moroccan authorities must stop."
A complete text of the letter follows below.
July 24, 2009
The Honorable Barack Obama President of the United States The White House Washington, D.C. 20500
Dear Mr. President:
We are writing as a diverse group of concerned citizens—Democrats, Republicans and Independents, and representatives of non-governmental organizations—to pledge our strong support for the human rights of the Sahrawi people of Western Sahara. As Africa’s only remaining colony, the fate of Western Sahara has been uncertain since Morocco began its occupation over 30 years ago. In light of the historic friendship between the governments of the United States and the Kingdom of Morocco, as President of the United States, you have the ability to help resolve this long-standing conflict and ensure that the Sahrawi people’s human rights, including the inalienable right to self-determination, are protected.
The Sahrawi people welcome your outreach to the Muslim world and consider it an important opportunity for dialogue. The Sahrawi are a people who have demonstrated a commitment to the rule of law, democracy, human rights, equal rights for women, and religious tolerance. In exercising their rights to freedom of assembly and expression, the Sahrawi people in Western Sahara have been subjected to arbitrary arrests and detention, forced disappearances, abuse, torture and sexual assault. The violence against the Sahrawis by agents of the government of Morocco has been well-documented in reports by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Freedom House, the World Organization Against Torture, Reporters without Borders and the United States Department of State.
Western Sahara represents a clear case of a peoples’ unfulfilled right to self-determination, a right not only embedded in the United Nations Charter, but the very principle on which our own nation was founded. The Moroccan government, rather than facilitating the realization of the long-promised United Nation-backed referendum on self-determination, has worked aggressively to thwart the efforts of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) to implement its mandate.
Therefore, in support of the human rights of the Sahrawi people, we respectfully request that your administration:
1. Calls upon Morocco to end the ongoing repression and human rights abuses against the Sahrawi population in the territory of Western Sahara;
2. Supports a resolution of the conflict over Western Sahara through the long-promised free, fair and transparent referendum administered by MINURSO; and,
3. Organize a meeting with representatives of the undersigned to discuss this issue further.
The conflict in Western Sahara is often forgotten, along with the plight of the Sahrawi people. However, we must not allow the misinformation perpetuated by political interests to seal an uncertain fate for an entire people and obstruct the realization of their fundamental human rights. As a group of concerned citizens and NGOs, we seek to shed light on and present a balanced analysis of the conflict.
Thank you in advance for your consideration of our requests. We appreciate the opportunity for continued dialogue on this important human rights concern. Please do not hesitate to contact the undersigned individuals or representatives of the NGOs, at 703-534-4313 with any questions, concerns or further inquiries.
Sincerely, Letter was signed by 41 USA NGO representatives and American citizens.
Africa's last colonySince 1975, three quarters of the Western Sahara territory has been illegally occupied by Morocco. The original population lives divided between those suffering human rights abuses under the Moroccan occupation and those living in exile in Algerian refugee camps. For more than 40 years, the Saharawi await the fulfilment of their legitimate right to self-determination.
Since 1975, three quarters of the Western Sahara territory has been illegally occupied by Morocco. The original population lives divided between those suffering human rights abuses under the Moroccan occupation and those living in exile in Algerian refugee camps. For more than 40 years, the Saharawi await the fulfilment of their legitimate right to self-determination.
