TR: Posturing, posture.
The PSOE on the Sahara. Cartoon of 20/03/2022 in CTXT
Spain occupied the Sahara in 1883, ninety years later the Saharawi people was born Polisario Front which claimed its independence would be born.
A year later, in 1974, with Franco's regime in its last days, Spain proposed to hold a referendum on self-determination. Morocco then decided to pass over the referendum and opted to fight the Polisario Front in the desert. On 6 November 1975, King Hassan II sent 350,000 civilians to occupy what was called the "Moroccan Sahara". This was the beginning of the so-called Green March.
In 1976, Spain cedes its colony to Morocco and Mauritania without the support of the Polisario Front and thousands of Sahrawis go into exile in the desert in camps near the town of Tindouf (Algeria). The Polisario Front goes to war with Mauritania and Morocco.
"The Saharawi people were condemned to a fate similar to that of the Palestinian people, which is summed up in the expulsion from their lands and the plundering of their wealth, enduring processes of ethnic cleansing and harsh apartheid" Source.
Peace was signed with Mauritania in 1979, and a ceasefire with Morocco in 1991.
Shortly afterwards, peace was signed before the United Nations and the UN created the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (Minurso), with the aim of supervising the process.
The rest of the PSOE's movements have passed by the posturing in opposition demanding a free Sahara, but turning their backs on them when they have governed.
Self-determination tururu
On page 286 of the the PSOE's electoral programme the general lessons of 2019 one could read this:
-"We will promote a solution to the conflict in Western Sahara through compliance with the United Nations resolutions, which guarantee the right to self-determination of the Sahrawi people. To this end, we will work to reach a solution to the conflict that is just, definitive, mutually acceptable and respectful of the principle of self-determination of the Sahrawi people, as well as to promote the monitoring of human rights in the region, favouring the dialogue between Morocco and the Polisario Front, with the participation of Mauritania and Algeria, key partners of Spain, which the UN envoy for Western Sahara is facilitating".
Now, Pedro Sánchez has written another page a pitiful story to add to the history of a botched decolonisation and the consequent abandonment of the people of Western Sahara. And his coalition partners swallowing, for the umpteenth time.
The prime minister has unilaterally accepted Mohamed VI's demands for autonomy within Moroccan sovereignty as "the most serious, realistic and credible basis" for a solution to the Sahara conflict. The agreement, the text of which is not known, at least by sources in our government, "obliges"Morocco to give up Ceuta, Melilla and the Canary Islands. A swap of cards.
Mobilisations
Mobilisations have already been reported in different cities in Spain.
CEAS Saharafor example, the Coordinadora estatal de Asociaciones Solidarias con el Sahara por la autodeterminación e independencia del pueblo saharaui has called a rally in Madrid on 26 March under the slogan "No en mi nombre. For self-determination for the Saharawi people".
This is the text accompanying the call:
"We read with astonishment the exchange of communiqués between the Governments of Spain and Morocco in which it seems that our Government, considers the Autonomy Plan proposed by Morocco for Western Sahara, as the only credible solution to the conflict that Spain generated after an inconclusive process of decolonisation.
We wonder, on the basis of what argument, the Government sides with the Moroccan occupier as if it were unaware of its historical, legal and political responsibility in the question of Western Sahara, a territory of which Spain continues to be the administering power. And we are convinced that it is unaware of the Saharawi people's capacity for peaceful struggle and that of the Sahara solidarity movement.
From CEAS-Sahara we ask the parties that make up the government, those who support it, and the opposition parties, to redouble their efforts to enforce international law and strongly reject this decision taken by the government, which breaks with the consensus that has characterized the last 46 years of Spanish foreign policy with respect to Western Sahara.
The only just, realistic and political solution is the one chosen by the Saharawi people on the basis of international law, through the holding of a referendum of self-determination.
We reaffirm our commitment to the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic and its legitimate representative, the POLISARIO Front. CEAS-Sahara will be with them until the final victory.
The Government of Spain, always, will have us in front and with all the forcefulness that gives us the knowledge that we are right to defend the right to self-determination and independence of the Sahrawi people.
We ask all entities of friendship with the Saharawi people, the Saharawi community, and all defenders of international law,to be attentive to the mobilisations that will be proposed to demonstrate our rejection of this nonsense.
the Saharawi people need us now more than ever! For the self-determination and independence of the Saharawi people!"