Danish UN Association Hosts Seminar on Western Sahara and Decolonization Efforts

The Danish United Nations Association organized a seminar at Aalborg University on Wednesday, focusing on the Western Sahara conflict and its future. Among the key speakers were former MINURSO Commander General Kurt Mosgaard and Hamdi Toubali, Deputy Representative of the Polisario Front to Sweden, Norway, and Finland. The event aimed to shed light on the last remaining decolonization case in Africa and the challenges facing the UN mission in the territory.

General Mosgaard provided a historical overview of the conflict and the UN’s role, emphasizing MINURSO’s failure to fulfill its 1991 mandate. Other speakers included Swedish UN Association member Claudia Zelinska, who recounted her visit to Sahrawi refugee camps, and Danish parliamentarian Christian Goll, who urged Scandinavian nations to advocate for international law at the UN Security Council. Finn Rasmussen, former head of the UN Mission for East Timor, shared insights on the successful decolonization process there.

Hamdi Toubali outlined the Polisario Front’s vision for a just resolution and proposed ways for the international community to uphold its legal and ethical responsibilities toward the Sahrawi people. The seminar, attended by academics, students, and civil society representatives from Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Norway, concluded with remarks from the Danish Youth Association for the United Nations.