Leichhardt Town Hall flies WS flag; WS supporters attend ceremony (Images: Shane Teehan and Tony Iltis)

27 February 2021 marks the 45th anniversary of the proclamation ofthe Saharawi Republic (SADR) following Spain’s abrupt withdrawal after almost a hundred years of colonialism.

Saharawi national flags were raised in Sydney and Melbourne to mark the important occasion.

Click on image to listen ; Image: Stefano Montesi/Corbis via Getty Images

There have been many repercussions of the surprise announcement President Trump made in promising to recognise Morocco’s claims to Western Sahara if Morocco recognised the State of Israel. This from a President who admitted in 2019 he knew nothing about Western Sahara….

Guests
Kamal Fadel, Representative of the Polisario Front in Australia
Dr Randi Irwin, anthropologist and casual lecturer at the University of Newcastle

ABC LNL interview
Duration: 21min 2sec
Broadcast: ABC RN, Late Night Live with Phillip Adams, Wed 24 Feb 2021, 10:20pm

AfricaPortal.org, 19 Feb 2021
Kerry Kennedy is president of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, a social justice organisation based in Washington, D.C.

“In August 2012, my daughter Mariah and I took part in an international human rights delegation trip to Western Sahara, where we met with hundreds and hundreds of victims of abuse. People there told us they had been threatened, beaten, raped, tortured and had family members killed, all for criticising the Moroccan regime or calling for self-determination.  (cont….)

Article by Kerry Kennedy

Legislative Assembly Hansard – 18 February 2021

WESTERN SAHARA

Mr JAMIE PARKER (Balmain) (17:11): I raise the issue of the Western Sahara, known as Africa’s last colony. I acknowledge the Australian Western Sahara Association, based in my electorate, and the fantastic work it does to support the Saharawi people. On 26 February the people of Western Sahara will commemorate 45 years of the declaration of the Saharawi republic following the abrupt withdrawal of the Spanish in 1976. We salute them on this important anniversary. Since 1963 Western Sahara has been on the UN’s agenda as a decolonisation issue. The United Nations, the International Court of Justice and the African Union have confirmed that the people of Western Sahara have an inalienable right to self?determination. Continue reading →

Middle East Eye, 19 February 2021

People call for the independence of the Western Sahara in a protest (AFP/Illustration:Mohamad Elasaar/MEE)

Activists in Western Sahara say they are facing a brutal crackdown in the wake of Morocco’s normalisation deal with Israel.
US recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over the Western Sahara has, the activists say, emboldened authorities to carry out abuses against ordinary citizens and those who oppose the decision.

Mahmoud Lemaadel, who regularly sheds
light on violations in the region, said that in recent weeks there had been an unprecedented number of attacks on activists and campaigners.

Report by Nadda Osman