New York (United Nations), 21 June 2026 (SPS) – The Collective of Sahrawi Human Rights Defenders in Western Sahara (CODESA) has highlighted the serious human rights violations taking place in the occupied territories of Western Sahara during the proceedings of the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization (Committee of 24) in New York.
Speaking on behalf of CODESA, Sahrawi human rights defender Tayeb Malikhaf drew attention to Morocco’s seizure of Sahrawi lands, the destruction of civilians’ homes, and the transfer of these lands to foreign companies and investors as part of a policy aimed at consolidating the colonial status quo and internationalizing the occupation.
The speaker pointed out that, for years, the Moroccan occupation authorities have carried out continuous operations to confiscate lands owned or used by Sahrawis, both in rural areas and along the Atlantic coast of the Territory. He noted that this policy is accompanied by repeated demolitions of Sahrawi civilians’ homes and property and by depriving them of their right to benefit from their traditional lands and sources of livelihood.
He further pointed out that these vast areas of land are being transferred to foreign entities without the consent or consultation of the Sahrawi people, despite their permanent sovereignty over their land and natural resources. He stressed that this policy cannot be separated from the situation of the occupation in Western Sahara, as it seeks to bring about profound demographic, economic, and structural changes within the Territory and to create external economic interests linked to the continuation of the occupation.
The speaker also addressed the issue of landmines planted by the Moroccan occupation, which continue to claim the lives of Sahrawi civilians or cause them permanent disabilities.
CODESA called on the Committee of 24 to condemn the seizure of Sahrawi lands and the destruction of the homes and property of Sahrawi civilians, and to urge all states and foreign companies to refrain from investing in or benefiting from lands located in Western Sahara without the consent of the Sahrawi people.
The Sahrawi organization also called on the United Nations to dispatch independent missions to monitor violations related to land and property rights in the Territory and to reaffirm that any disposition of land, resources, or property in Western Sahara cannot be considered legitimate unless it is carried out with the consent of the Sahrawi people, as the sovereign authority over the Territory.
In conclusion, the organization expressed its hope that the United Nations would fulfill its legal and moral responsibility to protect the lands and rights of the Sahrawi people until the completion of the decolonization process and enable them to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination and independence.
