Morocco defying the United Nations in Western Sahara

Morocco defying the United Nations in Western Sahara - New Zealand must help the people of Western Sahara.

Western Sahara Campaign - NZ wants the New Zealand Government to use its influence on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to have UN staff immediately returned to Western Sahara.
Further, the campaign also urges the New Zealand Government to support an immediate holding of the self-determination referendum in Western Sahara.

Over the last few days Morocco has expelled peacekeepers from the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) in Western Sahara.

Morocco has illegally occupied much of Western Sahara for the last forty years. Since 1991 a ceasefire has been place between Morocco and Western Sahara.

This current action by Morocco places that ceasefire in jeopardy. As Mohamed Said Ould Salek, foreign minister to the movement's Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic has said
"Morocco wants to clear the table, erase it all and have nothing to do with the mission. They want to show the question of the referendum is done and doesn't exist." and then further "When Morocco expels civilian staff it puts the ceasefire at risk, because the ceasefire and the referendum are two inseparable twins. You kill one and you kill the other."

Western Sahara was formerly colonised by Spain. When Spain left the region, in 1975, the people of Western Sahara were promised a referendum. This would have decided whether the people of Western Sahara wanted independence or to become part of Morocco. That referendum has been blocked by the actions of the Moroccan government.

New Zealand must act quickly to defend the human right of the people of Western Sahara.

ENDS

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