Western Sahara, in west Africa, was a direct colony of Spain from 1884 to 1975. Facing a growing struggle by the Sahrawi people led by the Polisario Front for national independence, the Spanish government relinquished direct control of Western Sahara and handed it over to the regimes of Mauritania and Morocco in 1975, which swiftly moved in to militarily occupy the territory.

Today, Morocco, ruled by a pro-imperialist monarchy, still occupies two-thirds of Western Sahara. Mauritania withdrew its forces and recognized the Sahara Arab Democratic Republic after being militarily defeated by the Polarsario Front in 1979.

Fadel explained that the Moroccan National Office of Oil Exploration and Exploitation (ONAREP) signed a "reconnaissance contract" in October with the American oil company Kerr-McGee. This contract covers an offshore zone of 11,400 kilometers (7,068 miles) situated north of Boujdour, Western Sahara, and provides for geological and geophysical studies to be done over 12 months. This was the first time that such a contract has been signed between a for eign company and Morocco for petroleum research in Western Sahara.

Within a matter of weeks the French company TotalFinaElf signed a contract in Rabat for oil exploration with ONAREP. This contract concerns the offshore zone near Dakhla, with an area about 114,500 square kilometers (71,000 square miles) and lasts one year.  
 
'Support for Moroccan colonialism'
Sahrawi foreign minister Mohamed Salem Ould Salek denounced the contracts, saying they represent the "sabotage" of United Nations–sponsored negotiations on the Western Sahara. He described them as "sheer aggression against the Sahrawi people, clear support for Moroccan colonialism, and flagrant violation of international law."

At the forum, Fadel pointed to the resolve of the Sahrawi people to fight for their independence despite these moves. "Even after 25 years of living in the desert where there is nothing, we will continue to fight. A 1,200 mile wall and a million land mines cannot keep Western Sahara divided," he said. In addition to the wall, land mines, and military occupation of large portions of Western Sahara, the Moroccan regime has moved thousands of people into the region and claims they have the right to vote in a referendum on the future status of the country.

In 1991 the Moroccan government and the Polisario Front agreed to a cease-fire and signed a UN-brokered agreement in which the Moroccan government pledged to hold a referendum by Sahrawis to decide on independence or integration with Morocco.

The Moroccan government and UN have stalled the implementation of the referendum agreement and as of today no date is set for the vote. United Nations officials recently announced that due to budget constraints it is cutting the number of people assigned to work on registering voters and preparing the referendum from 120 to 36. Such a move will make impossible the implementation of the 1991 UN Peace Plan any time soon.

Fadel was joined on the platform by Annalucia Vermunt, who recently visited Western Sahara representing the Young Socialists in New Zealand.  
 
Fighting capacity of Saharawis
"In visiting the Smara refugee camp and meeting with representatives of many of the civic organizations we were not meeting with victims of a 25-year-long war," said Vermunt, "but with a people preparing for a free independent Western Sahara. The fighting capacity of the Sahrawi people came through in many ways."

Vermunt, along with Young Socialists from several other countries, visited the camps following the 15th World Festival of Youth and Students. The world anti-imperialist youth festival was held in Algiers, Algeria, last August.

A large delegation of Sahrawi youth participated in the festival and widened knowledge of their struggle among many of the 6,500 young people present from around the world. "One which particularly impressed me was how many Sahrawi study for professional qualifications around the world," she said. "When their studies are complete most choose to return to advancing their people when they have opportunities for professional careers in Europe or elsewhere."

In discussion Fadel responded to a question about international support for the struggle of the Sahrawi people by explaining that the aid of the Cuban revolutionary government had been decisive along with the support of the Algerian people. "Many Sahrawi students have been given the opportunity to study in Cuba. We now have a much higher standard of education than, for example, in Morocco."

Fadel commented on the impact of the deepening world economic crisis on countries in Africa, including Morocco. The Moroccan regime, he said, "is becoming increasingly fragile, and this instability is heightened because of the economic, social, and political problems and the widening gap between rich and poor. The occupation of Western Sahara only adds to the burden."

Vermunt said the Young Socialists extend solidarity to the struggle in Western Sahara "not simply because it is good, but because it is necessary. As we seek to take power out of the hands of the imperialist warmakers who are today joining the war against the people of Afghanistan, we are strengthened by anti-imperialist struggles being waged around the world. The 15th World Festival of Youth and Students was a recent opportunity to make links with these kind of struggles."  
 
 
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