Tomorrow will mark forty years of the constitution of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) formed by the towns of Western and Rio Sahara Gold, who were Spanish colony until the middle of last century and whose possession remained in dispute until 1967, Spain, Morocco and Mauritania, while the original settlers Saharawi broke its colonial rags and began their struggle for independence united in the Polisario Front (Front for the Liberation of the Sahara and Rio de Oro). After failing in 1967 the UN proposal to Spain to grant independence to Western Sahara, because of opposition from Morocco and Mauritania, and the illegal occupation of much of the Saharawi territory by Moroccan settlements militarily supported by King Hassan II, the Polisario Front declared war on the invaders.
the struggle of the Saharawi patriots, on the one hand, and on the other the struggle between Spain, Morocco and Mauritania, gave rise to a climate of serious instability in the region. At the initiative of Spain the three countries in Madrid met and signed agreements creating a tripartite administration of Western Sahara, effective until February 28, 1976, in a referendum, proposed by Morocco was held, in which the Saharawi people decide your future. On the eve of the agreed date, and considering that Morocco made all sorts of maneuvers to sabotage the referendum, Spain withdrew on 26 February 1976 and 27 Saharawis proclaimed the creation of SADR.
the Polisario Front, supported by Algeria, continued the war against Morocco and Mauritania. In 1979 the conflict left Mauritania withdrew its troops from the occupied territory in Western Sahara, and also recognized the legitimacy of the SADR and the Polisario Front. Morocco illegally occupies since that date (de facto) 65 percent of the Saharawi territory. The bloody war waged between the patriots of the Polisario Front and Moroccan invaders went from the military phase to the diplomatic phase at the end of the last century. SADR has achieved to date official recognition of 84 member states of the UN, to support the early realization of the Saharan referendum, sabotaged by Morocco for years, then determine its full withdrawal from the territory of the SADR and the release of thousands of Sahrawis now suffering under the relentless oppression of the Moroccans.
Colombia was among the States established relations with the SADR. He gave his support to the referendum and the final end of the conflict between SADR and Morocco, to set the political and economic stability of the region. However the current Colombian government has cooled relations with the SADR, bending, inexplicable and unnecessarily, the Moroccan side, where they face a regime that is not democratic and whose relations do not represent any commercial advantage for Colombia. The economies of Colombia and Morocco are not complementary. Instead Saharan themselves are related with the Colombian economy. SADR is able, when you regain control of its territory and democratic republican sovereignty, offer many products that Colombia requires, and buy us many they need.
Also Colombians and Sahrawis live a similar political situation. Both took decades at war and we are now in pursuit of a just, sustainable and lasting peace. President Santos of Colombia is committed to a national plebiscite to endorse the support of our people to the peace accords in Havana. Saharawis demand the referendum, so often procrastinated, allowing them to express their political decision to be a free, republican, sovereign and democratic people. The war in Colombia would aggravate to no end if the referendum received a majority of negative votes. Sahrawis are determined to resume war if Morocco insists on sabotaging the referendum and succeeds in doing so. Both countries face a similar dilemma, which the contradictory position of Colombian diplomacy sowing doubts and confusions that are not conducive to Colombia, when our South American neighbors and the South African Union have expressed unhesitatingly support both the peace process in Colombia and the SADR. Nor is underestimating the factor that Colombia and Rasd unites tacit certain fraternity, which does not exist anywhere between Colombia and Morocco.
Colombia asked and found in the world sincere effort to bring to fruition, in one of the stormiest passages in its history, the peace process, as you well know today ancient marine ship captained the Republic support. How can deny the government that has played all for peace, its fundamental support for a nation that also are playing it all for peace and freedom?
Such inconsistency can be resolved easily by restoring relations with SADR and the manifest support of Colombia to the referendum that will bring peace and freedom for the Saharawi people.
Enrique Santos Molano
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