Paris, May 1, 2026 (SPS) – The Sahrawi community in France reaffirmed, on the occasion of International Workers’ Day, its solidarity with workers around the world, emphasizing that social rights are inseparable from fundamental rights, particularly the right of peoples to self-determination.
In a statement issued on May 1, 2026, it denounced the situation of Sahrawi workers in the occupied territories of Western Sahara, where they are subjected, according to the statement, to “a systematic policy of discrimination, exclusion, and repression,” marked by arbitrary arrests, violence, and deprivation of rights.
The Sahrawi community in France expressed deep concern about the fate of Sahrawi political prisoners, detained for their peaceful activism. It condemned their continued detention under conditions that violate international standards, as well as the ill-treatment they reportedly endure, considering this an attempt to silence any legitimate demands.
The statement held the Moroccan state directly responsible for these “serious and repeated human rights violations.”
Referring to the current international context, particularly following the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2797, the Sahrawi community in France expressed concern over initiatives aimed at imposing a solution outside the framework of international law. It denounced support for unilateral proposals deemed contrary to international legality, warning that such actions undermine peace efforts and violate the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination.
Finally, the Sahrawi community in France called on international organizations, trade unions, and all human rights defenders to mobilize in support of the Sahrawi people, demand the release of political prisoners, and ensure the exercise of their inalienable right to self-determination and independence.
It also reiterated the urgent need to organize, under the auspices of the United Nations, a free, fair, and transparent referendum in Western Sahara.
