UMNS, UJSARIO and Saharawi Conscience pronounce Final Declaration by the International March against the Wall of Shame

In the meeting hall of the National Union of Saharawi Women (UNMS) in the February 27th refugee camp, UNMS, the Saharawi Youth Union (UJSARIO) and Saharawi Conscience – the name taken by a group of Spanish students who helped organize the march – read aloud a declaration written to conclude their activities in the Western Sahara.

Final Declaration by the International March against the Wall of Shame
April 6-12, 2009

We, the women and men who have participated in the international encounter in the Saharawi refugee camps and who have participated in the International March against the Wall of Shame, as well as the thousands of people who could not be present, but who have shown their support for these activities, STATE:

1) That for over three decades, the Saharawi people have been denied their basic and legitimate right to self-determination and independence, a situation exacerbated by the Kingdom of Morocco, which has driven the Saharawis out of their territory, forcing a large part of the population to live in exile, separated from their families and surviving only off of humanitarian aid, which is becoming less and less sufficient.

2) That, if the abundant natural resources found in the territory were controlled by a Saharawi government, the Western Sahara could become one of the wealthiest countries in the region, which would help to assure stability in the Maghreb region. This natural wealth is at the roots of the political conflict into which the Saharawi people have been driven by Morocco, which continues to exploit the resources of the Western Sahara with the support of other States and the complicity of the international community

3) That the flagrant human rights violations committed against the Saharawi population is well-known by MINURSO (the United Nations Mission for a Referendum in the Western Sahara), the European Parliament and other international institutions, but none of the above take any concrete actions to but an end to the offenses. These violations are especially severe in the Occupied Territories, where the Moroccan army, in a constant and systematic strategy of terror, prohibits the right of peaceful demonstration, partakes in kidnappings, torture and the rape of both men and women, and imprisons the Saharawis in inhumane conditions, which has driven three Saharawi political prisoners to undertake a two-month long hunger strike.

4) That the Wall constructed by Morocco is the longest in the world – stretching around 2,500 heavily-mined km that are guarded by a military force possessing a plethora of modern weapons – and divides and separates the Saharawi people. For over three decades, the Wall has prevented the refugee from accessing their territory, violating the principle of territorial integrity by territories awaiting decolonization as pronounced by the International Court of Justice and the UN. In other words, the Wall’s existence constitutes a crime against humanity.

For all of these reasons, we DECLARE:

1) That in concordance with international law, the Saharawi people have the right to self-determination and to the creation of a free and independent State.

2) That the cessation of all human rights violations in the Western Sahara and the illegal exploitation of its resources are imperative and urgent.


3) That we show our solidarity with the Saharawi political prisoners.

4) That the destruction of the Wall and all of the mines that preclude free access to the Occupied Territories is pressing and necessary.

In pursuit of the above, we PLEDGE:

1) To demand that our governments consistently support the right of self-determination of the Saharawi people and pressure Morocco to abandon the Western Sahara and cease its massive violations of human rights against the Saharawis, so that our governments will no longer be accomplices in this crime against humanity.

2) To publicly denounce, in our own countries, the situation of the conflict, with the goal of building greater social awareness and increased support for the Saharawis’ just cause.

3) And finally, to set in motion a Proposal to Eliminate the Wall of Shame, a symbol of this crime against humanity that divides the Western Sahara in two.