Yesterday, the European Parliament backed a revision of the Moroccan Free Trade Agreement, allowing for further liberalisation of Moroccan agricultural and fisheries products. The agreement fails to specify that it does not apply to Western Sahara.
In today's plenary session, 369 MEPs voted in favour, 225 against and 31 abstained on an agreement that will allow more Moroccan products to enter the EU market.
The new trade regime for agricultural and fisheries products provides for an almost total liberalisation for most products, but contains volume restrictions or tariff quotas for a list of products which are considered "sensitive" to the European Union. These specific conditions apply to tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries, tangerines, garlic, zucchini and sugar.
The agreement fails, however, to specify that production of Western Sahara must be excluded. In its recent report "Conflict Tomatoes", WSRW identified 11 farms in the vicinity of Dakhla, in the south of Western Sahara. All are owned by either French-Moroccan conglomerates or the king of Morocco. These illegal agricultural sites could now be put in competition with the European Union's own producers. (Read the report online here)
Western Sahara is the last colony on the African continent. The international right to self-determination didn’t seem like a valid enough option for half a million Saharawis. Their country is still occupied by Morocco. Since 1975, nearly 200.000 refugees have had to live in camps under the harshest of conditions. This article contains the opininon of representives of Saharawi Student Union (UESARIO) about the needed strategie to realise self-determination of Saharawi people
The Frente POLISARIO fought against Morocco between 1975 and 1991, then the UNO agreed upon a cease-fire to organize a referendum, but this referendum has never come to light. Now many people, especially the youth, are pressuring their government to return to war and bring this forgotten conflict to an end. They don't want to die endlessly waiting in the desert for the United Nations to take action and they have lost trust in the UN. They would rather die fighting for the independence of their people.
Rabat.- Taza comme à Gaza. Comment les forces de l’ordre, dont le matériel a été acheté par le Maroc à l’Etat hébreu, traitent leurs concitoyens marocains. Très peu de commentaire, seulement l’image. Surtout celle où on voit un policier asséner un violent coup de tête avec son casque à un passant. On dirait une scène filmée au Proche-Orient.
The Sahrawi people continue to demand independence after decades of poor treatment under Moroccan rule. Many Sahrawi report being routinely subjected to police brutality and say they suffer widespread discrimination.
Activists in Laayoune face a day-to-day struggle with local authorities. The city is touted by the Moroccan government as a regional development hub, but from the ground looks more like an infantry barracks.
The police station is like an enormous shopping mall. Soldiers are everywhere, patrolling the main streets.
Over the past year the situation has become increasingly tense, with opposition to the Moroccan government leading to frequent demonstrations in the streets. Sahrawi activists have repeatedly said their organised protests are peaceful until the police or military intervene. On January 13, one such intervention left dozens of Sahrawi injured, local activists said. Protesters rallied against the postponement of a verdict on the continued jailing of several Sahrawi people in the notorious Sale prison.
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In today's plenary session, 369 MEPs voted in favour, 225 against and 31 abstained on an agreement that will allow more Moroccan products to enter the EU market.
Western Sahara is the last colony on the African continent. The international right to self-determination didn’t seem like a valid enough option for half a million Saharawis. Their country is still occupied by Morocco. Since 1975, nearly 200.000 refugees have had to live in camps under the harshest of conditions. 