Morocco: International Organizations Call for the Expulsion of Morocco From the African Union

Juba (South Sudan) — International organizations and associations called for the expulsion of Morocco from the African Union, due to its occupation of parts of the Sahrawi Republic, the founding member of the African Union, during a conference called “From Conflict to Beloved Communities”, which held as series of international gatherings on Peace, Justice, and Nonviolence in Juba, South Sudan, from 3 to 21 November 2022.

The conference concluded with a statement called “JUBA DECLARATION ON WESTERN SAHARA/SAHRAWI REPUBLIC”, in which the international organizations and associations called for the expulsion of Morocco from the African Union, due to its occupation of parts of the Sahrawi Republic.

Below is the full text of the Juba Declaration:

“JUBA DECLARATION ON WESTERN SAHARA/SAHRAWI REPUBLIC

Conference: From Conflict to Beloved Communities:

A Series of International Gatherings on Peace, Justice, and Nonviolence

Juba, South Sudan

3-21 November 2022

We, activists, academics, and all participants in ONAD, IFOR AND IFPRA including numerous organizations present at the abovementioned conference, gathered in Juba, South Sudan, on 3-21 November 2022, after having examined the situation in Western Sahara and the Sahrawi Republic (SADR) and Africa,

– Strongly urge African governments to immediately expel Morocco from the African Union because of its continued breach of the Constitutive Act of the African Union, particularly articles 3 and 4, and its violation of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

– Demand Morocco to immediately end its criminal military occupation of parts of the Sahrawi Republic (SADR) in flagrant violation of the Constitutive Act of the African Union, the Charter of the United Nations, the UN General Assembly resolutions 1514 (XV) and 2625 (XXV) and all relevant UN resolutions related to the inalienable right of the people of Western Sahara to self-determination and independence.

– Strongly urge the African Union to mobilise all its relevant policy-making bodies to play a proactive role in bringing about the decolonisation of Western Sahara, the last colony in Africa.

– Strongly urge the United Nations to expedite the holding of the long-awaited referendum on self-determination for the people of Western Sahara and to fully assume its responsibility regarding the Territory and its people.

– Express strong solidarity with the people of the Sahrawi Republic (SADR) and with their legitimate struggle for self-determination and freedom and call upon all African governments and peoples to provide material and moral support to the Sahrawi people.

– Condemn in the strongest possible terms the systematic, gross violations of human rights perpetrated by Morocco in the Occupied Western Sahara as well as Morocco’s plunder of the Sahrawi natural resources, and demand Morocco to immediately end its unlawful actions in the Territory.

– Strongly urge all African governments and public and private sectors to impose economic and trade sanctions on Morocco and to subject the occupying power to economic, academic, and cultural boycott.

– Call upon all African governments and public and private sectors to scrupulously observe the rules of international law applicable to Western Sahara and to refrain from carrying out any economic, political, diplomatic, sport and cultural actions or otherwise in the Occupied Western Sahara”.

Signed by:

Matt Meyer, Secretary General, International Peace Research Association

Zoughbi alZoughbi, President, International Fellowship of Reconciliation