Brussels – Participants at the International Conference of Jurists for Western Sahara, held on Tuesday in Brussels, emphasized the need to utilize media platforms to raise awareness about the Sahrawi people’s struggle and their just cause, according to the Sahrawi Press Agency (SPS).
Exposing Media Manipulation and Advocacy for Justice
During the conference’s second day, a session titled “The Hidden War of Morocco’s Makhzen and Media Coverage of the Sahrawi Issue” featured notable speakers, including Rosa Fernandez Lopez, a lawyer and member of the International Union of Jurists for Western Sahara, and Spanish journalist Ignacio Cembrero.
The speakers extensively detailed the Moroccan regime’s underhanded tactics, including media propaganda, influence-buying, espionage, and coercion, all aimed at discrediting the Sahrawi cause and bolstering Morocco’s image.
Cembrero, an expert on Morocco and Northwest Africa, shared his personal experiences, recounting legal and political battles with the Moroccan regime. He revealed that anyone addressing Western Sahara or criticizing the Moroccan government often becomes a target of its intelligence and media apparatus.
He urged the international community to harness free media and social media platforms to expose misinformation and amplify the Sahrawi people’s legitimate fight for self-determination.
Legal Challenges and European Court Decisions
Prominent legal experts also highlighted Morocco’s attempts to manipulate public opinion and fabricate charges against Sahrawi officials. Manuel Ole Sese, a lawyer and professor at Complutense University in Madrid, detailed how Moroccan intelligence’s false allegations were systematically dismantled, exposing them as baseless propaganda.
The day also featured a lecture on the rulings of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) regarding the Sahrawi people’s sovereign rights over their natural resources. The session, led by Sahrawi lawyer Sidi Taleb Bouya Hassan, alongside Polisario Front lawyer Manuel Dever (participating remotely) and Sahrawi defense team member Sahaba Massoud El-Ghazi, underscored the importance of recent ECJ rulings.
Landmark Legal Victories for Western Sahara
Key topics included the ECJ’s October 4 decision, which invalidated agreements between the European Union and Morocco that affected Western Sahara. The rulings reaffirmed that Morocco and Western Sahara are distinct and separate entities under international law, solidifying Western Sahara’s legal status.
Strategic Recommendations
The conference concluded with critical recommendations:
- Leveraging ECJ Decisions: Participants emphasized the need to use the ECJ’s rulings to pressure Spain to fulfill its legal obligations as the administrative power for Western Sahara and to advance decolonization efforts.
- Targeting France’s Position: Calls were made to hold France accountable for supporting Morocco and to compel compliance with European judicial decisions.
- Engaging the European Union: The EU was urged to act as part of the solution rather than exacerbating the conflict, aligning its policies with international law and judicial rulings.
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Author: Nor-Eleslam
Keyphrase: Western Sahara struggle, European Court of Justice, Sahrawi people’s rights, media advocacy for justice
