NGO calls for exerting pressure on Morocco to respect human rights in Western Sahara

Paris, May 15, 2011 (MAP) -The Platform of Solidarity with Western Sahara has called on the European governments to exert pressure and sanctions on Morocco to comply with the international law and respect human rights in Western Sahara.
“French government placed itself once again as speaker for the Moroccan authorities when refusing to extend mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) and support the Moroccan project of Autonomy, despite it violates international law which based on right of peoples to self-determination,” the NGO said.

It pointed that that the UN Security Council refused, under pressure from France, to include human rights monitoring within mandate of MINURSO on last April, expressing determination to continue work for UN mechanism to monitor human rights and for a quick application to the referendum of self-determination, which enable the Saharawi people to freely choose its future.

It underlined that 1979 resolution approved by the UN Security Council on last April “does not proposes any measure that can oblige Morocco to end its obstructing maneuvers and respect human rights.”

It added that mobilization of many governments, human rights organizations and personalities “has forced the UN Security Council to recognize the importance for improving human rights situation in Western Sahara .