By Owei Lakemfa
A TRAGEDY engineered by Morocco, watered by Western Europe and the United States, US with the connivance of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is unfolding in Africa. War has become inevitable on the continent with the UNSC reversing the peace process in Western Sahara and abolishing the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara, MINURSO
Africa had experienced colonialism, but all 55 countries had become independent. However, a sister country, Morocco had tried to recolonize the Sahara Arab Democratic Republic, SDAR better known as Western Sahara. Africa had put its foot down. On February 22, 1982, the Organisation of African Unity, now, the African Union, AU recognized the independence of Western Sahara and admitted it as its full Member. A gluttonous Moroccan monarchy would not accept the decision of the African people and on November 12, 1984, worked away.
After 33 years of wandering about and being rejected by the European Union, it returned on January 31, 2017 like a prodigal son. Unfortunately the AU did not sufficiently interrogate Morocco but simply accepted it as a lost son. Now, that Morocco has repudiated the peace agreement and wants to colonize Western Sahara by force of arms, it is clear that the Moroccan establishment, had ulterior motives.
Also, Africa had not been critical of the United Nations, believing that its offer of peace which led to the establishment of MINURSO was genuine. The UN which is now pretending to be working for peace, has repudiated one of its basic principles in order to pamper Morocco and its Western backers. The UN Resolution 1514 of 1960 had proclaimed that: “All peoples have the right to self-determination; by virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.”
In line with this, the UNSC on April 9, 1991, passed Resolution 690 directing that a referendum be held in Western Sahara. Today, 35 years later with Morocco refusing to allow the referendum, the UNSC has rather than uphold its resolution, canceled the referendum and, decided that only Morocco’s dubious plan in which Western Sahara will be ruled by King Mohammed VI, would prevail. This leaves our Saharawi brothers and sisters little or no alternative but to return to armed struggle.
On the other hand, this has sent the Moroccan establishment into celebratory mood. The Moroccan Monarchy celebrated with what it called “Unity Day” It declared that: “A 35-year chapter has now come to a close. Rooted in an anachronistic and outdated context, this Mission (MINUSO) has long served as a tool for internationalizing the regional dispute concerning the Kingdom of Morocco’s legitimate recovery of its Saharan provinces.”
On the other hand, Western Sahara warned that it is willing to completely abandon the peace negotiations. The Representative of the Polisario Front to the UN, Sidi Mohamed Omar warned that if the UN draft is: ” approved without substantial and significant modifications, the Polisario Front will have no choice but to withdraw from the entire peace process.”
Ambassador Mike Waltz, US Representative to the UN in endorsing the end of the UN peace mission asked: “each of the concerned parties to negotiate a lasting peace.” He added: ” Under President Trump’s leadership, the United States has done more for peace in Western Sahara this year than in decades.”
China had warned the UNSC against what it considered a one-sided approach to the Western Sahara issue.
Algeria which has for decades given political, moral and material support to the Saharawi including granting them shelter in its Tindouf region, pointed out that the: “tragedy being endured by the Sahrawi people has oddly been diluted to the concept of refugee populations” It pointed out the well known fact that the Polisario Front is the legitimate representative of the Sahrawi and decried the: “failure of this Security Council”.
The UN Secretary-General António Guterres in his usual double speak, said ending the peace mission: “does not abrogate” the Saharawi people’s “inalienable right to self-determination” He called on all parties: “to respect and promote the rights of the people of Western Sahara.” The question is why has this not been respected for the nine years he has been in office? With the planned departure of MINURSO, he asked all: “to respect and promote the rights of the people of Western Sahara.” So, why is it that even with MINURSO, those rights are not respected. How does he expect King Mohammed IV who rules by decree even over Moroccans, to respect the fundamental rights of the Saharawi?
Tragically, the African Union whose founding Member is about being recolonized, has kept mute. If war breaks out again between Morocco and the Saharawi people, it is Africa that will suffer. So, why are African leaders quiet?
The move against the Saharawi is just one more step being taken by Western Europe and the US who amongst them, still own over sixty colonies. They are working for a world that would accept colonialism as normal. As part of this plan, the US in October, 2026 asked the UN to end the mandate of its Special Committee on De-colonisation. It claims the UN Hearings on decolonization is a waste of resources.
The US which once proclaimed that all men are equal and advertises a statute of Liberty does not want to end colonialism. Neither does it want the colonized to have a voice, not even at a UN Committee level.
If colonialism were to become normal as the West wants, it will not be long before they begin to campaign for the recolonization of free countries. So, in fighting for the people of Western Sahara against Moroccan colonialism, we in the under-developed countries like Nigeria and South Africa would actually be fighting for our freedom.
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