The Nigerian Movement for the Liberation of Western Sahara (NMLWS) has called on the United Nation to stop the genocide in Western Sahara by Morocco.
The group in a statement urges the UN Security Council to declare a ceasefire in the area and mandate the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) to enforce it.
Jointly signed by the national coordinator, Dr. Dipo Fashina, and national publicity secretary, Comrade Owei Lakemfa, the statement said MINURSO be further mandated to protect the fundamental human rights of the Saharawi in the occupied territories.
They further asked the UN to appoint a special envoy to Western Sahara and hold the much-delayed referendum in which the Saharawi will be allowed to decide freely either for full independence or to be part of Morocco.
The movement said African Union must realise that the Western Sahara Question is primarily an African challenge which the continent must meet by ensuring that Morocco respects the rights of the SADR, as a full member of the AU.
The Nigerian Movement for the Liberation of Western Sahara (NMLWS) informs the world that war broke out between Morocco and the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) also known as Western Sahara. Both countries are independent members of the African Union (AU)
We hold that Morocco’s claims that its forces crossed into the buffer zone between both countries to clear roads in El Guerguerat blocked by Saharawi protesters, is unintelligent and baseless. This is because a buffer zone is a neutral territory separating hostile forces or peoples. It is an agreed ‘No-Man’s land’ between two warring groups or nations, so there can be no thoroughfare on it.
On the other hand, the SADR government led by the POLISARIO Front had protested the continued violation of the buffer zone and the Moroccan attacks against unarmed Saharawi who insist that their liberated territories in which the buffer zone lies, cannot be turned into an international highway by Morocco in clear violation of the ceasefire between the two countries.
‘We recall the entreaties earlier this week by the chairman of the AU, President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa asking: “the two countries to ease tension and return to the negotiation” and note that this plea was ignored by the Moroccan monarchy which accuses South Africa of supporting Western Sahara’s inalienable right to independence and sovereignty.
‘Nigeria which in December 1984 with President Muhammadu Buhari as head of state recognised Western Sahara (SADR) as an independent country, should let Morocco know in clear terms that colonialism, whether by foreigners or fellow Africans, is unacceptable,’the group said.
