Excellency,
I, the undersigned, Rosa Díez González, member of the Spanish parliament, in my
own name and in the name of the more than 8,500 members of the political party I
represent, Unión Progreso y Democracia, UPyD, and representing the opinion of
the more than 300,000 Spanish electors who voted for us during the March 2008
Spanish general elections, address this letter to you, the representative of the
Kingdom of Morocco, to express the following:
1) That, as a democratic party of Spain, we are seriously concerned by the daily
violation of individual rights suffered by thousands of Western Sahrawis,
including the denial of their right to self-determination, theirs being a
territory undergoing an unfinished process of decolonization, as upheld by a
number of UN resolutions.
2) That we consider that, in 1975, the Kingdom of Morocco forcefully and
illegally occupied Western Sahara, making reference to the so-called “Madrid
agreements “, an international treaty considered void as it violates UN General
Assembly resolution 1514 of 1960 on the right of independence of former
colonies, applicable to Western Sahara.
3) That we understand that this occupation, over the past 33 years, has caused
the death, disappearance or displacement of thousands, together with massive
destruction, misery and forced exile; and that this act of invasion has brought
to the Moroccan people nothing but heavy war casualties, and the wasting of
resources which would have been otherwise employed to their benefit. The Kingdom
of Morocco’s stubborn refusal to comply with UN resolutions and with the
International Court of Justice’s 1975 decision, which upholds the Western
Sahrawis’ right to self-determination, cannot but prolong this state of war,
which benefits neither population and which, moreover, damages Morocco’s
relations with its neighbours.
4) That UPyD, appealing for the respect and compliance of the above mentioned
international resolutions, as a political party of Spain, the then colonising
power responsible for the decolonisation process of the territory, urge the
Kingdom of Morocco to return to international legality, hold a referendum on the
basis of the census organised by Spain as the former administrative power of the
then colony and, in the event that the result should require it, withdraw its
occupying troops from the entire territory and recognise the SADR ( Sahrawi Arab
Democratic Republic ).
5) That UPyD has no stronger wish than for good relations between Spain and its
neighbours, and especially with the Kingdom of Morocco, based on mutual respect
and compliance with international law. In this context, we consider that the
citizens of Western Sahara must be able to exercise their right to
self-determination and that their civic and political rights must be restored.
I should be very grateful if you would transmit this message to the government
your
Excellency represents.
[Addressed to:]
Excellency Mr. Omar Azziman
Moroccan Ambassador to Spain
Madrid
6 November, 2008