Activites

• 2010/11/25 Results of vote in Parliament
  • Results of vote in Parliament
  • T7-0443/2010 summary

    The European Parliament adopted a resolution on the situation in Western Sahara. The resolution had been tabled by the ALDE, Greens/ALE, S&D, EFD, ECR, GUE/NGL, and EPP groups. It expresses its greatest concern about the significant deterioration of the situation in Western Sahara and strongly condemns the violent incidents which occurred in Gdaim Izyk camp while it was being dismantled and in the town of Laâyoune. Members recall that several thousand Sahrawi left their cities and pitched tents in the outskirts of El Aaiun, setting up the Gdaim Izyk camp in peaceful protest at their social, political and economic situation and living conditions. However, on 24 October, Nayem El-Garhi, a Sahrawi teenager aged 14, was killed and five others were injured by Moroccan military forces while they were trying to reach the camp in the outskirts of El Aaiun, and on 8 November 2010 a still unknown number of people, including police officers and security officials, were killed during Moroccan security forces‘ action with the aim of dismantling the protest camp of Gdaim Izyk. Parliament calls on all parties to remain calm and refrain from any further violence. While noting that that the Moroccan Parliament has set up a committee of inquiry to investigate the course of events which led to the intervention by the Moroccan authorities, Parliament considers that the United Nations would be the most appropriate body to conduct an independent international inquiry in order to clarify the events, the deaths and the disappearances. It also insists on the necessity to call on UN bodies to propose the setting-up of a human rights monitoring mechanism in Western Sahara.Members calls on the Commission to ensure that the necessary humanitarian aid with increased funding be allocated to Sahrawi refugees, estimated to number between 90 000 and 165 000, living in the region of Tindouf in order to help them to meet their basic needs for food, water, housing and medical care and to improve their living conditions. They  express concern about the detention and allegations of harassment of Sahrawi human rights defenders in the Western Saharan territory, and call for human rights defenders held in prisons in the territory or in Morocco to be treated in accordance with international standards and to be tried swiftly and justly.Parliament regrets the attacks on the freedom of press and information that many European journalists have suffered and demands that the Kingdom of Morocco permit free access to, and free movement in, Western Sahara for the press, independent observers and humanitarian organisations. It deplores the ban imposed by the Moroccan authorities on entry to Western Sahara for parliamentarians, journalists, the media and independent observers.Lastly, Members call on the EU to demand that Morocco abide by international law regarding the exploitation of the natural resources of Western Sahara.

• 2010/11/24 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament

Documents

• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Results of vote in Parliament: Results of vote in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T7-0443/2010

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)