Oubi Buchraya Bachir Reaffirms Sahrawi People’s Exclusive Sovereignty Over Western Sahara’s Final Status
Oubi Buchraya Bachir, Special Adviser to the President of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic in charge of natural resources, affirmed that the Sahrawi people alone hold exclusive sovereignty over determining the final status of Western Sahara. He emphasized that this position is rooted in the fundamental legal and political principles underpinning the Sahrawi cause.
In an interview broadcast by Deutsche Welle, the Sahrawi official stressed that the right to self-determination is an inalienable and exclusive right of the Sahrawi people, who alone are entitled to decide the future of their territory. He explained that the stance of the Polisario Front is based on two interconnected frameworks: international law, which classifies the Western Sahara conflict as a decolonization issue, and the historical mandate linking the Polisario Front to the Sahrawi people in leading their struggle until they can exercise this right.
Bachir also sharply criticized the policies of the Moroccan authorities, arguing that they rely on imposing a fait accompli and consolidating an illegitimate political and territorial reality. He noted that this approach includes obstructing the United Nations settlement process and attempting to replace the referendum option with unilateral proposals lacking international legitimacy. According to him, this strategy reflects a continued reliance on force rather than compliance with UN resolutions.
He warned that such policies have contributed to rising tensions in the region and undermined peace efforts, particularly following the breach of the ceasefire in the Guerguerat area in 2020. Bachir concluded that any genuine resolution to the conflict depends on ending the policy of imposed realities and enabling the Sahrawi people to exercise their right to self-determination, describing it as the only viable path toward a just and lasting solution in line with international legitimacy.
