Diplomats barred from entry into Western Saharan territory
Morocco are preventing three Basque parliamentarians from visiting Western Saharan territories, stopping them from making contact with pro-independence Saharawi groups .
According to left wing Spanish news source El Público on January 28th, Spanish diplomats Mikel Arruabarrena, Amancay Villalba, and Jon Hernández were not allowed to disembark their plane in the city of El Aaiún, as they were quickly sent back to Spain.
The Moroccan government have a history of preventing such visits. On January 19th, Público journalist Jose Carmona and two Saharan activists were expelled from territories in Western Sahara. Carmona and the activists were in Dakhla to observe the political situation in the region.
According to Al24News, Morocco’s refusal to let the delegation in represents a cover up attempt to hide their crimes in occupied Sahrawi territories.
The parliamentarians who were prevented from entering Saharawi territory have been returned “without any explanation” from Morocco.
The aim of the trip was to affirm the right to the self-determination of the Saharawi people, denouncing violations of human rights, and to celebrate the recent ruling of the EU Court that declared the signing of trade agreements between the EU and Morocco to be illegal.
Morocco have had historical issues with Saharan separatists, banning groups such as the Polisario front who claim to represent the indigenous Saharawi’s, they have repeatedly rejected calls to partition the disputed region.
El Publico, Al24News, BBC News, Maghrebi
