Paris (France), May 1, 2026 (SPS) – On the occasion of International Workers’ Day, the Sahrawi community in France affirmed its solidarity with the struggles of workers across the world for justice, dignity and social rights, stressing that these rights remain closely linked to the basic rights of peoples, most importantly the right to self-determination.
In a statement issued on the occasion, the Sahrawi community shed light on the conditions experienced by Sahrawi workers in the occupied areas of Western Sahara, considering that they are subjected to systematic policies based on discrimination, exclusion and harassment, including arbitrary arrests and various forms of repression and deprivation of basic rights.
The community also expressed its deep concern about the conditions of Sahrawi political prisoners detained because of their peaceful positions and activities, denouncing their continued detention in conditions it described as inconsistent with international human rights standards, and the ill-treatment they are subjected to, in an attempt to silence the voices demanding the legitimate rights of the Sahrawi people.
The statement held the Moroccan state fully responsible for what it described as “grave and continuing human rights violations” in occupied Western Sahara.
When addressing the current international context, especially after the Security Council adopted Resolution 2797, the Sahrawi community in France expressed its concern about the efforts aimed at imposing solutions outside the framework of international legitimacy, criticizing some parties’ support for unilateral proposals that conflict, according to the statement, with the principles of international law and the right of peoples to self-determination.
The community stressed that such trends would undermine peace efforts and complicate the path of the international settlement of the conflict in Western Sahara.
At the conclusion of its statement, the Sahrawi community in France called on international organizations, trade unions and all human rights defenders to strengthen solidarity with the Sahrawi people, work for the release of Sahrawi political prisoners, and ensure that the Sahrawi people are able to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination and independence.
It also renewed its demand to organize a free, fair and transparent referendum in Western Sahara under the supervision of the United Nations, as it is the way to enable the Sahrawi people to express their will freely. (SPA)
