As you read through the United Nations Resolution 1514(XV) you begin to get a feel of its prose, of its ideals, and the people who put it to paper and for all those who benefit and have yet to benefit. This was in 1960, an era of European decolonization and where nations, particularly in Africa, came into being.
The resolution is more than just a declaration on the granting of independence colonial countries and peoples, it is an affirmation of fundamental rights and a pillar in the UN Charter. And yet these rights, the right to self-determination, the right to dignity and the promotion of social progress, is being flaunted by Morocco in the Western Sahara. It is being flaunted by the Security Council as well as several prominent European nations. And the world remains silent.
Resolution 1514 addresses seven features that the Saharwi people have been struggling to achieve. I will briefly elaborate on the first.
1. The subjection of peoples to alien subjugation, domination and exploitation constitutes a denial of fundamental human rights, is contrary to the Charter of the United Nations and is an impediment to the promotion of world peace and co-operation.
Alien subjugation and domination –
When Spain withdrew its colonial rule over the Western Sahara, both Morocco and Mauritania laid claim to this vast area of desert, home to indigenous peoples known as the Saharwi. Both Morocco and Mauritania took their claims to the International Court of Justice in 1974. But in October 1975, the ICJ rules against the claims in favor of self-determination. King Hassan II of Morocco then sends in 350,000 Moroccans into the disputed territory. The Western Sahara had once again been colonized.
Exploitation
Today the situation has hardly progressed. The Saharwi are marginalized and those who continue to push for self-determination are subject to harassment and jail. The Association of the Saharwi Unemployed says Moroccans account for nearly 90% of available jobs (Shelley, 2004).
50,000 Saharwi live in slums near Laayoune with no running water and no electricity (ibid). In the meantime, the European Union is set to sign the ‘Advanced Status’ to Morocco, a trade agreement that will include the Western Sahara. The accord provides preferential treatment and opens up a “common economic space.”
However, the exploitation of natural resources in the Western Sahara is a violation of international customary law. Morocco's annexation of the Western Sahara is not a forgone conclusion. The United States signed a similar contract but specifically excluded the Western Sahara. The EU should do the same.
Shelley, T. (2004) “Endgame in the Western Sahara.” Zed books. London and New York.
