Gali calls on EU to abide by ECJ ruling on fisheries agreement with Morocco

 President of Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) and Secretary General of Frente POLISARIO, Brahim Gali, on Wednesday called on the European Union (EU) to abide by the ruling of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) on EU-Morocco fisheries agreement, signed in 2014, and declared "invalid" by the ECJ Prosecuting Attorney Melchior Wathelet.

In his closing address at the annual conference of Sahrawi diplomatic corps, President Gali underlined the various successes achieved by the Sahrawi cause in the judicial and legal fields, especially on the European scene.

In this regard, he called on the EU member states to abide by the ECJ ruling.

On 21 December 2016, the ECJ ruled that no trade or association agreement with Morocco could be applied to the territory of Western Sahara, since Western Sahara is not part of the kingdom of Morocco.

Gali denounced the plundering of the natural resources of Western Sahara by Morocco, and urged the EU "to assume its legal and moral responsibilities for a just, democratic and lasting solution to the conflict by abiding to the ECJ ruling," said the Sahrawi news agency (SPS), quoting the Sahrawi president.

He also urged the European Commission to stop unjustified attempts to ignore the ruling, especially regarding the EU-Morocco fisheries agreement, which should not include the territorial waters of Western Sahara, he insisted.

"Western Sahara and Morocco are two separate countries, thus, including Sahrawi waters in the trade agreement constitutes a blatant violation of the ECJ ruling, European law and international law," he added.

Gali hailed "Sahrawi people's resistance and struggle in the occupied territories for independence despite the repression and blockade."

"This peaceful resistance and the issues of human rights and natural resources are at the centre of the Sahrawi diplomatic action to defend Sahrawi cause and expose Morocco's violations," he stressed.SPS