It is the European Left Party’s will to express its utmost condemnation of the brutal repression exerted by Morocco since last Saturday -October 19th- against the Saharawi population who were demonstrating in El-Aaiún for their legitimate right to self-determination, coinciding with the visit of Christopher Ross, Especial Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Western Sahara.

Since Saturday afternoon Saharawi people have gone out into the streets in the occupied town of El-Aaiún in order to demonstrate peacefully against the Moroccan occupation and the violation of human rights and in favor of self-determination. Following the call of different Saharawi human rights associations, the demonstration took place simultaneously in many streets and met a fierce intervention of the Moroccan occupation forces using tear gas, hot and filthy water, and stones against demonstrators.

So far the list of Saharawi injured adds up to 118. Among these are outstanding Saharawi human rights defenders such as Brahim Dahane or Galia El Djimi and young journalists and activists who are revealing the sad facts through images and videos.

We denounce the complicit silence of most European media regarding these facts, as well as the repression carried out in other Moroccan towns such as Smara where police charges took place against Saharawi demonstrators trying to show Christopher Ross their rejection of the illegal Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara and their wish to reach the long awaited Self-determination Referendum by peaceful means.

An ELP delegation headed by its Vice-president Maite Mola travelled last April to the Western Sahara Occupied Territories and directly witnessed the deployment of Moroccan occupation forces. Members of that delegation have now contacted the Saharawi activists in the Occupied Territories to take an interest in their health condition and to newly convey all our solidarity and support.

We deplore the indifference of the international community towards the Moroccan Government especially that of the European Union and its preferential agreements with a government that constantly violates human rights. We also want to recall that last September 23rd young Saharawi Rachid Elmamoun Chain died in a demonstration in the town of Assa after being shot in the back by the Moroccan Gendarmerie.