Sir, – As a TD who voted to recognise the illegal de facto annexation of Palestine by Israel, I fully agree with Kathy Sheridan (“Annexations are not confined to Ukraine”, Opinion & Analysis, September 14th). I write to highlight yet another that does not receive any notice, the annexation of Western Sahara by Morocco.
Western Sahara is the largest country on the UN list of non-self-governing territories, a former Spanish colony, it was taken over by Morocco and Mauritania in 1975 as Spain left. While Mauritania withdrew in 1979 and renounced its claim over Western Sahara, Morocco has maintained its occupation since. The Sahrawi people have not to date had a meaningful opportunity for self-determination or decolonisation.
Like the occupation of Palestine, we have also seen transfer of population into the occupied territory, illegal under international law. Since the occupation began, Morocco has been incentivising citizens to move into occupied Western Sahara, shifting the demographics of the occupied territory and undermining the referendum that is part of the UN peace plan.
Like the occupation of Palestine, the occupation of Western Sahara comes with human rights abuses and attacks on civil society. Over the years Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and local Saharwi NGOs have detailed the repression of dissent, arrest and harassment of journalists, arbitrary arrests, beatings, torture, and unfair trials.
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Like the occupation of Palestine, I have raised the issue of the occupation of Western Sahara numerous times in the Dáil and with the Minister directly and will continue to try to raise awareness of this other forgotten annexation. – Yours, etc,
PATRICK COSTELLO TD,
Green Party,
Dublin South Central,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2.