Western Saharan Leader Doesn’t Rule Out “Return to Armed Struggle”

Excerpt from report by state-owned Algerian TV on 20 May

[Presenter] [Western] Saharans celebrated today the 35th anniversary of the creation of the [Western Sahara independence movement] Polisario Front and the beginning of the armed struggle. The celebrations took place in Tifariti area in the liberated Saharan lands with the participation of more than 450 foreign guests from all over the world and personal representatives of several African presidents. During the celebrations, the Saharan people’s right to self-determination and the independence of the Western Sahara were renewed. This was confirmed by the Saharan president, the secretary-general of the Polisario Front, Mohamed Abdelaziz, who renewed his call on the UN to shoulder its responsibilities towards the continuing violation of human rights by the Moroccan Kingdom in the Western Sahara.

[Mohamed Abdelaziz - Recording] We take this opportunity to greet these heroic masses, pay our homage to all the martyrs of the uprising and to show our support for all the Saharan political prisoners. We call on the international community to intervene rapidly to release them and to reveal what happened to more than 500 disappeared civilian and 151 Saharan prisoners of war at the hand of the Moroccan state.

We condemn the acts of repression carried out increasingly and in a dangerous manner by the Moroccan occupation forces against the unarmed children of our people who have peacefully risen, making the same demands which the United Nations defends.

[Presenter] A military parade was held this morning in Tifariti, in the liberated Saharan territories. The celebrations which will last for two days were characterised by several statements by the foreign delegations from all over the world. They supported the Saharan people’s legitimate rights. Over to [reporter] Souhila Lahouansia:

[Lahouansia] Units of the People’s Liberation Army of the [self- proclaimed] Saharan Arab Democratic Republic [SADR] [paraded in front of] Saharan President Mohamed Abdelaziz and the defence minister Mohamed Lamine Bouhali, kicking the celebrations for the 35th anniversary of the beginning of the armed struggle in the Western Sahara. [Passage omitted: see Algerian TV 1107 gmt 20 May 08]

[Mohamed Abdelaziz appearing in the middle of the report] We do support this peaceful uprising and call on the international group to protect the freedoms of the Saharan people, because their uprising is legitimate and its nature is peaceful. We call on the UN to protect human rights and release all the Saharan political detainees. This goes hand in hand with serious preparations by the Saharans to resort for all resistance means, including the preparation of the Saharan People’s Liberation Army to return to armed struggle if the Moroccan government imposes on us once again the return to armed struggle. In self-defence, we will fight the war, as was approved in the resolutions of the 12th conference which took place here in this town in December 2007.

[Passage omitted: Foreign delegates expressing their support for the Saharan people]

Originally published by Algerian TV, Algiers, in French 1900 20 May 08.

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