US Congressmen met in Washington on Western Sahara

US Congressmen met in Washington on Western Sahara

on Friday, May 11 @ 19:10:00 EDT

In a press conference held in the US Congress premises in Washington , many US Congressmen denounced last Wednesday May 9th, fundamental rights violations of the Sahrawi people, including its right to self-determination, a right ensured by the International community and yet denied by Morocco.

The press conference, organised by the African Committee of the Foreign Affairs Commission at the US House of Representatives, focused on the latest developments as well the challenges facing the self-determination process in Western Sahara.

The presser was chaired by Mr. Donald Payne, Chairman of the committee and gathered a large panel of personalities, including the MINURSO vice-president, Ambassador Franck Ruddy, the Chairperson of the US Western Sahara Foundation, Mrs. Suzanne Scholte, a leading expert at the Middle East Institute of Washington, Mr. Jacques Roussellier in addition to many US parliamentarians.

On this occasion, Participants underlined the necessity to find a political solution to the last decolonisation issue in Africa, in respect International legality and push the US government to back an “unbiased” negotiated solution under the auspices of the United Nations.

“The Moroccan government wants to avoid the international legality by imposing its autonomy plan, despite the UN Security Council resolution of last April 30th which calls for unconditioned direct negotiations, for a mutually acceptable political solution, under the aegis of the United Nations, taking into account the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination” noted the Chairman of the Africa Committee Mr. Donald Payne.

Recalling the core issues of this conflict and the different attempts to find peaceful solutions to it, notably through the relevantt UN Security Council’s resolutions backing the principle of self-determination, the panellists pointed out that any solution which does not enshrine the right of the Sahrawi people to decide “its own future”would be a denial of justice.

The US parliamentarians who stressed the appropriateness of the unanimously passed UN Security Council’s resolution 1754, expressed their support for the Sahrawi cause which they call “an independence cause.”