Still, some analysts fear the deal will lead to more conflict in this volatile part of the world already wracked by a decade of war in Libya, as well as conflict in Mali and the surrounding Sahel region. Several African countries have also acted against the official position of the African Union, of which SADR is a founding member, to open consulates in Western Sahara. Recognition has historically gone both ways as far as the Western Sahara conflict is concerned. Biden announces new incentives to boost vaccination rates, Arab League condemns Israeli air strikes on Gaza, Petrol shortages sweep US as Colonial Pipeline remains down, Instagram, Twitter blame glitch for deleted Sheikh Jarrah posts, Death toll rises as Israel continues air raids on Gaza, Palestinians say 21 killed as Israeli air raids on Gaza continue, Melinda Gates met divorce lawyers when Epstein ties revealed: WSJ, Break the fear barrier and speak up for Palestine, Al Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human Rights. In return, the United States agreed to recognise the disputed territory of Western Sahara as belonging to Morocco. For more information on unresolved disappearances dating from the 1970s, see the Department of State’s 2019 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for Morocco. The CNDH made recommendations to the government that some prisoners be transferred to regions close to their families. On July 8, the Laayoune Court of First Instance convicted Khalidi of falsifying professional credentials as a journalist and fined her 4,000 MAD ($400). There were no reports of disappearances by or on behalf of Moroccan government authorities during the year. Most accusations stated that degrading treatment occurred during or following proindependence demonstrations or protests calling for the release of alleged political prisoners. There were no reports that the Moroccan government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings. Corruption and Lack of Transparency in Government, Section 5. According to the DGAPR, Asfari was in good health and had six medical consultations from January to June. Respect for Civil Liberties, Including: a. For more information, see the Department of State’s 2019 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for Morocco. Reports of mistreatment occurred most frequently in pretrial detention. Algeria on Saturday rejected a decision by outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump to recognise Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, saying the step would undermine efforts to … Freedom to Participate in the Political Process, Section 4. Improvements: According to the CNDH, the Laayoune local prison offered vocational training to prisoners, including women and juvenile offenders, as part of the Mohammed VI Foundation Reintegration of Prison Inmates program. Moroccan law and practice apply. According to the government, authorities granted access to 91,575 foreigners traveling to Western Sahara through Laayoune and Dakhla airports from January to October. For more information, see the Department of State’s 2019 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for Morocco. Moroccan law and practice apply. This number included the Gdeim Izik prisoners as well as members of Sahrawi rights or proindependence organizations. A 2015 revision of the Code on Military Justice eliminated military trials for civilians, and in 2016 the Court of Cassation ruled on appeal that the group should receive a new civilian trial. In 2018 police arrested Brahim Dehani, member of the Sahrawi Association of Victims of Grave Human Rights Violations Committed by the Moroccan State, while he was recording a demonstration in the region of Laayoune. After all, the US supported the reappointment of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (Minurso) in October. Instead, the United States and France have endorsed a Moroccan “autonomy” plan for Western Sahara that is quite limited in scope and would fail … Security forces intervened on occasion to disband both authorized and unauthorized protests when officials deemed the demonstration a threat to public security. The Moroccan constitution and Moroccan law generally provide for freedom of expression, including for the press, although they criminalize and restrict some freedom of expression in the press and social media–specifically, criticism of Islam, of the institution of the monarchy, and of the government’s positions regarding territorial integrity and Western Sahara. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy, 2019 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. Reports of torture have declined over the last several years, although Moroccan government institutions and NGOs continued to receive reports about the mistreatment of individuals in official custody. The Western Sahara (CIA World Factbook) Historically, the Algerian government supported the Polisario and hosts Sahrawi refugees from the fighting in the Western Sahara —nearly 174,000 as counted by the U.N. refugee agency—around its city of Tindouf, near the Western Sahara border. The arrest took place three months after Daoudi gave a statement to a group of foreign human rights visitors about the execution of a Sahrawi family in 1976 and location of the remains. Rabat had long laid claim to the territory, a Spanish colony up until 1975. Human Rights Watch denounced the charges filed against Khalidi for falsifying professional credentials by engaging in journalistic activities without state-issued accreditation as a journalist. For more information, see the Department of State’s 2019 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for Morocco. But the recognition raised eyebrows in Washington and elsewhere with many observers saying the move was not only in contravention of international law, but also likely to lead to a flare-up in tensions between the kingdom and the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, a movement seeking independence for the territory. Moroccan law and practice apply. The October UN secretary-general’s report on Western Sahara also added that the OHCHR continued to receive reports of harassment and arbitrary arrests of journalists, bloggers, and human rights defenders covering human rights violations. According to Moroccan law, groups of more than three persons require authorization from the Ministry of Interior to protest publicly. Generally, the government denied official recognition to NGOs that it considered advocates against Islam’s status as the state religion, the legitimacy of the monarchy, or Morocco’s territorial integrity. Moroccan law and practice apply. Critics of the agreement say it undermines a United Nations-led process to find a permanent solution to the conflict, which the world body said rests on a referendum for the Indigenous Sahrawi people to decide on their fate: independence or autonomy within a wider federation. US Ambassador David Fischer on Sunday began the process of establishing a consulate in the Western Saharan city of Dakhla. Section 1. The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), as it is officially known, has seen the number of countries that recognise its sovereignty over the territory drop to 40 from more than double that number 30 years ago. “It is such an honour for me to visit this stunningly beautiful and critically important region of Morocco, and to begin the process of establishing a US diplomatic presence here,” Fischer said. The highly anticipated trip came a month after Trump announced in a tweet that the United States had recognised Morocco’s claim over Western Sahara in … In November, the Polisario, the movement seeking independence for Western Sahara, abandoned a 29-year-old ceasefire agreement after Morocco intervened in the border town of Guerguerat near Mauritania to end a sit-in by Sahrawi activists and restore the “free circulation of civilian and commercial traffic”. At the conclusion of that meeting, Koehler commended all delegations for their engagement and for demonstrating an awareness of the many individuals placing their hopes in the renewed political process. As of August several human rights organizations and the press reported that authorities denied access to more than a dozen foreigners traveling to Laayoune who were associated with human rights organizations or the press. The Kingdom of Morocco claims the territory of Western Sahara and administers the area it controls by the same constitution, laws, and structures as in internationally recognized Morocco, including laws that deal with religious freedom. Pretrial Detention: Conditions generally were similar to those in internationally recognized Morocco, with large proportions of detainees in pretrial detention; the government of Morocco does not disaggregate statistics for Western Sahara. 2019 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Western Sahara, An official website of the United States government, https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/resources/reports/child-labor/findings/. Two were given reduced sentences (from 25 years to 4.5 years and 6.5 years) and were released, joining two others whose 2013 sentences of time served were confirmed by the civilian court. A former Spanish colony, Western Sahara is mostly administered by Morocco but is home to an independence movement led by the Polisario Front. Western Sahara's much-touted phosphate reserves are relatively unimportant, representing less than two percent of proven phosphate reserves in Morocco. Moroccan and POLISARIO forces fought intermittently from 1975, when Spain relinquished colonial authority over the territory, until a 1991 cease-fire and the establishment of a UN peacekeeping mission. The conflict “increases the risk that some of the complex constellation of armed groups in the Sahel may be pulled into war”, recently wrote Andrew Lebovich, a policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. During the clash two Moroccan Auxiliary Forces vehicles ran over Sabah Othman Ahmida, an English teacher, who died at a local hospital. Analysts say by recognising Morocco’s claims over Western Sahara, Washington is effectively undermining international law and the mechanisms by which conflicts are resolved. The African Union has maintained that the fate of Western Sahara must be decided by a referendum, even after the US endorsed Morocco's control over the breakaway region. and section 5). Then United Nations personal envoy of the secretary-general Horst Koehler convened a roundtable meeting on March 21-22. Office of the Coordinator for Cyber Issues, Office of the U.S. The largest trade union confederations maintained a nominal presence in Laayoune and Dakhla, and most union members were employees of the Moroccan government or state-owned organizations. Western Sahara, formerly the Spanish colony of Spanish Sahara, is a disputed territory claimed by both the Kingdom of Morocco and the Popular Front for the Liberation of the Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro (Polisario Front), which is an independence movement based in Algeria. This is a pretty outrageous move for many of the indigenous people who live there, the Saharawi, who have been fighting for independence for 47 years. For more information, see the Department of State’s 2019 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for Morocco. Nazha Khalidi, a citizen journalist affiliated with Equipe Media, a Sahrawi online news agency not registered with the government of Morocco, was arrested in December 2018 as she attempted to livestream on Facebook security forces dispersing a demonstration in Laayoune. On May 19, Moroccan authorities denied entry into the territory for five Spanish lawyers and two Norwegian human rights activists attempting to observe the Court of First Instance hearing initially scheduled for May 20. You can add more than one country or area. Moroccan law provides criminal penalties for corruption by officials, but the government generally did not implement the law effectively. For more information, see the Department of State’s 2019 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for Morocco. Prison and detention center conditions generally mirrored those in internationally recognized Morocco. In November 2018 the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention released an opinion in favor of Sahrawi human rights defender Mbarek Daoudi and subsequently referred the case to the special rapporteur on torture for allegations of torture when Daoudi was held for questioning in 2013. For more information, see the Department of State’s 2019 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for Morocco. US President Donald Trump agreed last month to extend US recognition of Morocco’s soverignty over the Western Sahara in a deal which included Moroccan King Mohammed VI … Can the next US president – who’s set to take office on 20 January 2021 – reverse Trump’s decision to recognise Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara? Reports on the 15 detainees who willingly participated in the exams were admitted as evidence at the trial, and no link was found between the detainees’ complaints and the alleged torture. The disputed territory of Western Sahara was central to a deal announced by President Donald Trump on Thursday establishing diplomatic ties between Morocco and Israel. Blinken made his request during a … The letter, dated December 15, 2020, referred to the Presidential Proclamation concerning the sovereignty of Morocco over Western Sahara, and the US … The CNDH’s Laayoune branch reported one complaint from an organization that was denied registration during the year. As of August several human rights organizations and the press reported that authorities denied access to more than a dozen foreigners traveling to Laayoune who were associated with human rights organizations or the press. Independent Monitoring: The Laayoune branch of the CNDH conducted six monitoring visits in two prisons and found the local prison in Laayoune remained overcrowded and insufficiently equipped to provide appropriate living conditions to the detainees. Recent Elections: In 2016 Morocco held direct elections for the Chamber of Representatives (the lower house of parliament). “At a very low cost, Biden can signal a new commitment to diplomacy, international law and cooperation, and bipartisan policy-making, not to mention the cherished principle of individual liberty and self-determination,” Huddleston told Al Jazeera. The Auxiliary Forces also report to the Ministry of Interior and support gendarmes and police. Western Sahara, a territory in the northwest of Africa stretching over 266,000 square km, was under Spanish occupation until 1975. It also maintained contact with unrecognized NGOs. Outgoing President Donald Trump’s Dec. 11 proclamation that the United States would recognize Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara marked yet … The government of Morocco claimed it only restricted access when such visits challenged Morocco’s territorial integrity or were perceived to be a threat to internal security and stability. Arbitrary Arrest: Security forces often detained groups of individuals, took them to a police station, questioned them for several hours, and released them without charge. As in internationally recognized Morocco, the Moroccan government limited freedoms of peaceful assembly and association. The Moroccan government did not consider any of its prisoners to be political prisoners and stated it had charged or convicted all individuals in prison under criminal law. On July 29, the Court of First Instance initiated legal proceedings against 11 Sahrawis who were arrested and charged with sabotage, obstruction of a public road, and insulting public authorities. A Proclamation: The United States affirms, as stated by previous Administrations, its support for Morocco’s autonomy proposal as the only basis for a just and lasting solution to the dispute over the Western Sahara territory. The government and employers generally respected freedom of association; Moroccan unions covering all sectors were present but active only in the phosphate and fishing industries. During the year the Laayoune branch of the National Council on Human Rights (CNDH), a publicly funded Moroccan national human rights institution, continued to investigate individual claims of disappearances dating from the 1970s through the 1980s. Ending the Algerian-backed separatists’ fight for control of the Western Sahara is one of Morocco’s top priorities. As an inducement to relocate to the territory, workers in the formal sector earned up to 85 percent more than their counterparts in internationally recognized Morocco. It became a protectorate of Spain in the 19th century and was later claimed by Morocco, Mauritania, and local inhabitants. The DGAPR assigned each prisoner to a risk classification level, which determined visiting privileges. Moroccan law and practice apply. Each of the 11 individuals was also fined 30,000 MAD ($3,000) in damages. Amnesty International stated Sahrawi human rights activists remained subject to intimidation, questioning, arrest, and intense surveillance that occasionally amounted to harassment. The law applies only to journalists accredited by the Ministry of Communication for speech or publications in the line of work; private speech by accredited journalists remains punishable under the law. Until Trump’s tweet neither the United States nor any other country formally recognized Morocco’s alleged sovereignty over the bitterly disputed territory. The CNDH did not receive any complaints relating to allegations of torture in the territory as of October. The DGAPR reported these prisoners were held in individual prison cells in accordance with international norms and standards and had rights to collective social activities with other inmates. Authorities argued that such temporary detentions without charges were not arbitrary but legal under Moroccan law, which allows detention of suspects without charge for preliminary investigations for up to six days for non-terrorism-related crimes and 12 days for terrorism-related crimes. According to the April UN secretary-general’s report on Western Sahara, the OHCHR continued to be concerned by reports alleging excessive surveillance of human rights defenders and journalists in Western Sahara. In 2018 the Supreme Judicial Council established its internal mechanisms and began the process of taking over day-to-day management and oversight from the Ministry of Justice, although the activities of the Supreme Judicial Council experienced delays due to administrative and legal impediments. “The African Union, the United Nations, the International Court of Justice, and the European Union have all agreed – the Sahrawi people have the right to decide their own future,” Ihofe said. That episode highlighted just how susceptible the region was to armed confrontation between the two sides. When warranted, the CNDH recommended reparations in the form of money, health care, employment, or vocational training to victims of forced disappearance (or victims’ families) from previous years. The government generally tolerated but did not recognize local NGOs that exhibited proindependence or pro-POLISARIO views. The United States has adopted a "new official" map of Morocco that includes the disputed territory of Western Sahara, the ambassador to Rabat said. On January 15, Moroccan authorities denied entry to Spanish lawyer Louise Magrane upon her arrival to the airport in Laayoune. Moroccan law prohibits arbitrary arrest and detention and provides for the right of any person to challenge in court the lawfulness of his or her arrest or detention. The specific charges for which each individual was convicted were unknown. On April 29, a Laayoune Court of First Instance sentenced Saadouni to seven months in prison and a fine of 5,000 MAD ($500) for assault and drug charges. The Supreme Judicial Council, mandated by the 2011 constitution, manages the courts and day-to-day judicial affairs in place of the Ministry of Justice. International and local human rights organizations claimed that authorities dismissed many complaints of abuse and relied only on police statements. Authorities were sensitive to any reporting not in line with the state’s official position on the status of Western Sahara, and they continued to expel, harass, or detain persons who wrote critically on the subject. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings, c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Arrest Procedures and Treatment of Detainees, f. Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence. The U.N. has supervised talks aimed at organizing a referendum on self-determination in Western Sahara since a 1991 ceasefire agreement, which recently broke down amid border tensions. Detentions noted by local NGOs were generally less than six days. While the government stated the aim of creating the council was to improve judicial independence, its effect on judicial independence was not clear. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor, c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment, d. Discrimination with Respect to Employment and Occupation, https://www.state.gov/religiousfreedomreport/. As of October the Court of Cassation was reviewing the appeals to the verdicts the Court of Appeals in Rabat issued in 2017. On January 15, Moroccan authorities denied a Spanish lawyer entry to Laayoune; the lawyer intended to observe Dehani’s Court of Appeals hearing scheduled for January 16. WASHINGTON - La présidente de US Western Sahara Foundation, Suzanne Scholte, a dans une lettre envoyée mercredi à la Maison Blanche, demandé au … DAKHLA, Western Sahara - The United States on Sunday started the “process of establishing” a consulate in the Western Sahara, after Washington recognised Morocco’s sovereignty over the disputed territory. Magrane intended to observe Dehani’s Court of Appeals hearing initially scheduled for January 16 (see section 1.d.). According to the constitution, the king appoints the head of government from the political party with the most seats in parliament and approves members of the government nominated by the head of government. Roughly the size of Colorado, it has a population of about 600,000 people according to the U.N. Its main resources are fish and phosphates and it is believed to have off-shore oil reserves. In most cases the organizers proceeded with planned demonstrations in the absence of authorization, and there was no discernable difference in security forces’ reaction to authorized or unauthorized protests. The government generally permitted authorized and unauthorized peaceful demonstrations to occur. Families of detainees from Western Sahara charged that they faced unusually harsh prison conditions. The highly anticipated trip came a month after Trump announced in a tweet that the United States had recognised Morocco’s claim over Western Sahara in exchange for the kingdom normalising ties with Israel. Morocco is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary national legislative system under which ultimate authority rests with King Mohammed VI, who presides over the Council of Ministers. Security force practices were similar to those in internationally recognized Morocco; however, in Western Sahara there was often a higher ratio of members of security forces to protesters. There were some reported cases of authorities preventing Sahrawis from traveling. Conditions improved during the year, but in some cases they did not meet international standards. No Moroccan law limits participation of women or members of minorities in the political process, and the participation of women and minorities was similar to that in internationally recognized Morocco. The United States (US) adopted Saturday a “new official” map of Morocco that includes the disputed territory of Western Sahara, the ambassador to Rabat said. The October UN secretary-general’s report on Western Sahara noted the OHCHR received reports of human rights violations perpetrated against Sahrawis, including arbitrary detention. As Trump’s time in the oval office approaches its end, Al Jazeera takes a look at the stakes involved for the incoming administration of President-elect Joe Biden and the deal’s implications for the region. Most prisons assigned each prisoner a designated “visit day” to manage the number of visits to the prison. Ramid made the remarks while responding to two questions submitted by the Authenticity and Modernity, and Justice and Development Parties in parliament’s Chamber of Representatives about the implementation of recommendations from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Press and Media, Including Online Media: Moroccan government practices concerning press and media freedom, violence and harassment, libel or slander, and national security topics were the same as those in internationally recognized Morocco.
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