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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Press Contact: Carlos Wilson 858-755-9440
U.S. Citizens to Rally for Justice for Western Sahara, Sahrawi Refugees
Washington, D.C. ...On July 26, 2007, U.S. citizens will gather at noon at Lafayette Park to rally in support for self-determination for Western Sahara, the only colony in Africa yet to be decolonized. They will be joined by Sahrawi refugee children who are visiting the United States as part the Sahrawi Children’s Program sponsored by Christ the Rock Church (Wisconsin).
“This is a united, one day show of love and support for the Sahrawi,” said Janet Lenz, who organized the Sahrawi Children’s Program to give the children the opportunity to visit the United States during the summer months. Most Sahrawis live as refugees in camps outside of Tindouf, Algeria, where they fled when Morocco invaded their country in 1975. Since 1991, they have been awaiting a vote on self-determination promised by the United Nations when it negotiated a cease fire between Morocco and the Sahrawis.
“The Sahrawis have waited for over 30 years for the right to vote, “said Suzanne Scholte, Chairman of the US-Western Sahara Foundation. “We hope that this focus on their plight will encourage the Bush administration and the Congress to promote a resolution to this conflict through the long promised referendum.”
According to rally organizer, Barry Campbell, American citizens from Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina, and other states will be traveling to Washington, D.C. to take part in the rally and the day’s events which will include visits to Congressional offices and a Congressional reception. “We want to be their voice,” said Campbell, who has traveled to the refugee camps on numerous occasions.
Rally speakers will include Ambassador Frank Ruddy, former Deputy Chairman of the UN’s peacekeeping operation in Western Sahara (MINURSO), Dr. Maria Stephan, Gare Smith, and testimonies from the Sahrawi children, all of whom were born in the refugee camps and have never seen their homeland.
In the evening, Senators Russ Feingold, (D-WI), James Inhofe (R-OK), and James DeMint (R-SC; and Congressmen Donald Payne (D-NJ), Joseph Pitts (D-PA), Tim Ryan (D-OH) and Zach Wamp (R-TN) are honorary Congressional hosts for a reception for the children in which members of Congress and Congressional staff and friends of the Sahrawi have been invited to attend.
The Sahrawi Children’s Program, which began in 1999, has made it possible for over two hundred Sahrawi refugee children to visit the United States and included programs in the camps for children, youth, and the general public, including an English school.
The US-Western Sahara Foundation is a project of the Defense Forum Foundation, which began organizing visits to the refugee camps for Americans in 1993, as well as humanitarian projects and Capitol Hill forums as part of its programs promoting freedom, democracy and human rights abroad.
The conflict in Western Sahara is one of the longest, unresolved conflicts in United Nation’s history.
Facts About the Western Sahara
+ Western Sahara is the only colony in Africa that has not been de-colonized; once a colony of Spain known as Spanish Sahara, it was invaded by Morocco, a former colony of France, in 1975, and currently Morocco occupies most of Western Sahara.
+ The Sahrawi people, the indigenous people of Western Sahara, have strived for over 30 years for self-determination; While still a Spanish colony, the Sahrawis formed the Polisario, a political movement to advocate for self-determination; the Sahrawis have one simple request: the right to vote on self-determination which was first promised by Spain in 1974; their right to self-determination was reaffirmed by the International Court of Justice in 1975 (the day Morocco invaded their country); and the United Nations (UN) promised a vote on self-determination in 1991.
+ The UN became involved in 1991 and arranged a cease-fire between the Sahrawis and Morocco which had been fighting since the Moroccan invasion; the UN established MINURSO to monitor the cease fire and hold a referendum on self-determination.
+ Sahrawis have adopted a constitution guaranteeing the right to vote for all citizens 18 years of age; guaranteeing equal rights for women; calling for free market economy; religious freedom; and elected government; they have run their refugee camps utilizing a democratic system in which elections are held for national leadership and Governors of the refugee camps; Women have served as Governors and currently are well represented in the national leadership; their government is known as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.
+ The Sahrawis, a Muslim people, renounce all forms of terrorism and instead have relied on the rule of law and peaceful demonstrations to achieve their right to self-determination.
+ Most Sahrawis, approximately 165,000, live in refugee camps outside Tindouf in western Algeria where they fled when Morocco invaded; Despite the harsh conditions in the refugee camps the Sahrawi people have achieved an over 90% literacy rate making them the most educated African people group.
+ There are also Sahrawis living in Moroccan-Occupied Western Sahara who have disappeared, been tortured and killed for peacefully advocating for self-determination. The treatment of the Sahrawis in the occupied territory has been documented by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Because of the repression of the Sahrawis, Freedom House has annually designated Moroccan Occupied Western Sahara as one of the world’s worst regimes.
+ Over 80 countries recognize the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR); the Sahrawi Republic is a member of the AU (African Union); when the African Nations voted to accept the SADR as a member, Morocco quit the union.
+ The United States neither recognizes Morocco’s claim to Western Sahara, nor does it recognize the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.
+ Historically, both the Executive and Legislative Branches of the United States have supported the right to self-determination and several resolutions in support of the referendum have unanimously passed the US Congress; The Sahrawis have attracted widespread, bipartisan support for their right to self-determination including for example, from Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Russ Feingold (D-WI), James Inhofe (R-OK), and James DeMint ®-SC; and Congressmen Donald Payne (D-NJ), Joseph Pitts (D-PA), Tim Ryan (D-OH) and Zach Wamp (R-TN).
+ The vote on self-determination, allowing the Sahrawis to vote to be a free nation or part of Morocco, has been repeatedly delayed due to Morocco's obstruction as well documented by former UN personnel including former Deputy Chairman of MINURSO, Ambassador Frank Ruddy. Morocco fears it cannot win a vote that is free, fair and transparent and has used all kinds of ploys to delay the vote (ie trying to get Moroccans to pretend to be Sahrawis to be able to vote in the referendum).
+ Most recently, Morocco has been pushing for an Autonomy Plan that would allow the Sahrawis to return to their homeland, but once again would not allow them to vote on self-determination and would give them only limited control over their country; The Sahrawis insist that any plan must uphold their right to vote on self-determination.
Information provided by the US-Western Sahara Foundation, a project of the Defense Forum Foundation.
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