European Liberals demand termination of fisheries agreement
The European Liberal Youth demands the termination of the controversial EU fisheries agreement with Morocco that lets European vessels fish in occupied Western Sahara. Read statement from the Liberal Youth's annual Lymec congress, Barcelona 1-4th May 2008.
The territory of Western Sahara has been under occupation by Morocco since 1975.
The International Court of Justice in 1975 ruled against Morocco’s territorial claim on Western Sahara.
Western Sahara is on the UN list of Non-Self Governing Territories and is considered Africa’s last colony.
Under the terms of the UN’s settlement plan in 1991, Western Sahara should decide its own future status in a referendum.
Noting that
Morocco has repeatedly blocked the execution of a referendum.
Human rights agencies and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights have reported grave and systematic violations of human rights in the occupied territories.
The people living in the occupied territories are subject to severe restrictions on their freedom of speech, assembly and movement.
Human rights activists and pro-independence journalists and editors have been arrested.
Observing that
None of the the income from the exploitation of Western Sahara’s rich fish and phosphate natural resources is diverted back to the people of Western Sahara.
The EU has signed an agreement with the government of Morocco that allows EU vessels to fish in occupied territorial waters off the coast of Western Sahara, in clear violation of international law.
The USA has specifically excluded from its free-trade agreement with Morocco all products that originate from the occupied territories of Western Sahara.
LYMEC – European Liberal Youth calls upon
The EU to terminate its fishing agreement with Morocco.
Since 1975, three quarters of the territory of Western Sahara has been occupied by Morocco. A majority of the population is still living in refugee camps in Algeria. Those who remained in their homeland are subjected to serious harassment from the Moroccan occupiers. For more than 40 years the Sahrawis have been waiting for the fullfilment of their legitimate right to self-determination.
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A 20 page long booklet on the Western Sahara conflict has been published by the Norwegian Refugee Council. Order a hard copy version of the publication "Occupied Country, Displaced People" here.
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Since 1975, three quarters of the territory of Western Sahara has been occupied by Morocco. A majority of the population is still living in refugee camps in Algeria. Those who remained in their homeland are subjected to serious harassment from the Moroccan occupiers. For more than 40 years the Sahrawis have been waiting for the fullfilment of their legitimate right to self-determination.
