CONASADH Condemns Morocco’s Nomination for Mandela Prize as “Insult to Mandela’s Legacy”
The Sahrawi Human Rights Commission (CONASADH) issued a strongly worded press release on Thursday, denouncing the nomination of Morocco—represented by Amina Bouayach, President of its National Human Rights Council—for the United Nations’ Nelson Mandela Prize. The Commission described the nomination as a “flagrant insult” to the values Mandela championed, particularly anti-colonialism and the defense of oppressed peoples.
According to CONASADH, Morocco’s ongoing occupation of Western Sahara, a territory recognized by the UN as non-self-governing, renders it incompatible with the spirit of the Mandela Prize. The Commission stressed that honoring an official from a regime accused of severe human rights violations in occupied Sahrawi territories undermines the UN’s credibility and distorts Mandela’s legacy.
The statement emphasized that before seeking international recognition, Morocco should end its occupation, release Sahrawi political prisoners, and comply with international legal standards. CONASADH appealed to the Mandela Prize nomination committee to reject what it called a “political dishonor,” asserting that honoring Morocco would amount to a moral and political betrayal of victims of colonial oppression.
