Physical Address
Indirizzo: Via Mario Greco 60, Buttigliera Alta, 10090, Torino, Italy
The Sahrawi Observatory of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection (SONREP) expressed deep concern after the adoption, by the Security Council, of a new resolution extending the mandate of MINURSO, denouncing an “unbalanced” text and “disconnected from the reality on the ground”, which it considers a worrying setback in the treatment of the Western Sahara issue.
In a press release published this Saturday, SONREP affirms that the latest decision of the Security Council illustrates the “incapacity” of the international community to make the law prevail over political considerations. The Observatory says it is “deeply disappointed” by the lack of courage and commitment of the UN to put an end to a conflict which, since 1975, “continues to deprive the Sahrawi people of their inalienable right to self-determination and sovereignty over their natural resources”.
SONREP is concerned about the “substantial changes” made to the final text of the latest UN resolution. These adjustments, asserts the press release, “alter the spirit of the original mandate” and risk “compromising the viability of the political process conducted under the aegis of the secretary general and his personal envoy”.
The Observatory recalls that the personal envoy of the Secretary General must be able to exercise his mandate “based on the clear objective of achieving a just, lasting and mutually acceptable solution”, but while respecting the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination, the only legitimate basis of the process.
The Sahrawi Observatory particularly points the finger at certain powers within the Security Council which it accuses of “seeking to reshape the legal nature of the territory” and “diluting the decolonization framework”. According to him, these unilateral steps aim to legitimize a de facto occupation by moving away from the fundamental principles of international law, in particular the permanent sovereignty of peoples over their natural resources.
SONREP recalls that Western Sahara remains “listed on the agenda of the Special Committee on Decolonization” of the UN as “the last non-autonomous territory of the African Continent”. Any attempt to modify this status constitutes a “serious violation” of UN resolutions and the principle of non-acquisition of territory by force.
The Sahrawi Observatory of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection also warns of the consequences of political disengagement on the credibility of the Security Council. “Ignoring the voice and aspirations of the Sahrawi people is to undermine the very role of the Council as guarantor of peace and international legality,” maintains the Observatory. “This drift will have direct repercussions on the management of the territory’s natural resources,” he adds.
Denunciation of illegal exploitation of resources
SONREP thus denounces the continued exploitation of phosphate, fishery resources and renewable energy projects in the occupied areas, without the consent of the Sahrawi people. Such exploitation, he continues, constitutes “a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law” and “fuels the cycle of economic and ecological injustice”. He specified that international law is however explicit on this subject: any use of the natural resources of a non-self-governing territory must be carried out in the interest and with the consent of the people of the territory. However, underlines SONREP, “no consultation nor any tangible benefit accrues to the Sahrawis, whose sovereignty over their natural wealth remains confiscated”.
Beyond economic considerations, the Observatory highlights the environmental consequences of such exploitation. Overexploitation of fish stocks, degradation of marine ecosystems and anarchic implementation of energy projects presented as “green”, but carried out without an independent impact study. These projects, often financed by foreign companies, are seen as an economic extension of the occupation rather than as instruments of sustainable development. Faced with this situation, SONREP calls on the United Nations and Member States to “act coherently” by reaffirming the centrality of the right to self-determination as the sole basis for a just and lasting settlement.
In addition, the Sahrawi organization also calls for a reform of the mandate of MINURSO to include the systematic monitoring of human rights and the environmental situation in the territory. Warning that “it is no longer acceptable for a UN mission to remain silent in the face of violations occurring before its eyes,” the Observatory calls for a more inclusive approach, involving Sahrawi civil society and independent environmental organizations.
In conclusion, SONREP reaffirms that “true peace, sustainability and legitimacy in Western Sahara can only be achieved through the full recognition of the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination”, strongly maintaining that “this right is non-negotiable and constitutes the cornerstone of any viable political solution”. The Sahrawi Observatory of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection finally urges the international community not to give in to “diplomatic fatigue” nor to the logic of geopolitical balance to the detriment of law, recalling that regional stability necessarily requires justice and the restitution of the fundamental rights of a people still deprived of their independence.