NAN – The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, on Monday, June 1, 2015 in Abuja demanded that Morocco should put an end to its colonisation of Western Sahara.
The NLC President, Mr Ayuba Wabba, made the call during a protest match under the broad platform of the Nigeria Movement for Solidarity with the Western Sahara.
The platform comprises the Nigerian students from University of Abuja and Nasarawa State University, Amilcar Cabal Ideological School, Centre for Popular Education and Partners for Electoral Reform.
Others are Socialist Workers League and Protest to Power Movement, among others.
Wabba, who was represented by Mr Kiri Mohammed, the Deputy NLC President, led the protest to the Moroccan Embassy and the UN House, where the group submitted petitions respectively.
The protesters, who carried placards with various inscriptions such as “Saharawi people must be free in their own country”, “World and Africa people should unite to liberate Western Sahara now.”
Other inscriptions read “Denying Saharawi their independence is an injustice”, “Moroccan oppression of the Saharawi people”, “Morocco should get out of Western Sahara.”
The letter submitted at the Moroccan Embassy called on the country to respect the resolutions of the UN to conduct a referendum to enable the people to determine whether the people want to belong to Morocco or to be an independent country.
“The only viable, peaceful and democratic solution to the decolonisation of Western Sahara is for Morocco to allow the conduct of free, fair and democratic referendum.
“This will ensure the exercise by the Saharawi people of their inalienable rights of self-determination and independence.
“We need the Western Sahara as a free country, as much as we respect the rights of Morocco as an independent country.
“We need the African people as a united Africa nation in the pursuit of African development and global peace.
The letter, which was also read by the leader of the protest, appealed to Morocco to withdraw from further occupation of the Western Sahara and that the people should be free to express themselves.
While saying that Saharawi children must have a future in their own country, the letter also appealed that Morocco should immediately stop the human rights violation in the Western Sahara and that it should also denounce its fisheries agreement with EU.
“Because this is a historical and legal fraud that cannot stand the test of time.”
Another copy of the protest letter addressed to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon was also submitted at the UN House in Abuja.
The letter demanded that the UN should unfold an action plan to enforce its resolution on the referendum.
The letter, read by Mr Abiodum Aremu, the Secretary, Labour and Civil Society Coalition, urged the Secretary-General to hold a special session of its General Assembly to consider an action plan to decolonise western Sahara.
It stated that the action plan should set the democratic processes and dates and address the security concerns that should pave the way for the conduct of a free, fair and democratic referendum.
“United Nations should immediately ensure that European and America powers should stop interference in the Saharawi phosphate and fish business.
“We want the UN to declare that Moroccan oppression of Saharawi people is a crime against humanity.
“We also want the UN to impose sanctions on Morocco for its violation of universal human rights, ” it stated.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Femi Falana, a human rights lawyer, Dr Nasiru Fagge, President, Academic Staff Union of Universities, and Mr Basirat Nahibi, President, Women Advancement for Economic and Leadership Empowerment in Africa, participated in the protest.
