Social Justice in Africa Requires Ending Moroccan Occupation of Western Sahara, UGTSARIO

The Secretary-General of the General Union of Sahrawi Workers (UGTSARIO), Nafei Ahmed Mohamed, stressed that achieving genuine social justice in Africa is impossible without the continent’s full liberation from all forms of colonialism, including the end of Morocco’s occupation of Western Sahara.

Speaking at the 46th session of the General Council of the African Trade Union Unity in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, he described the dire consequences of Morocco’s occupation, highlighting the suffering caused by exile, blockade, and displacement, which compound the tragedy of the Sahrawi people. He also denounced the systematic impoverishment, starvation policies, exclusion, and ongoing human rights violations, including the plight of Sahrawi political prisoners in Moroccan jails.

Reviewing recent developments, Nafei Ahmed Mohamed condemned Morocco’s resumption of war since breaching the ceasefire in November 2020, noting crimes against unarmed Sahrawi civilians and the use of prohibited weapons. He stressed that while the Sahrawi people await an African and international solution to end their decades-long suffering, Morocco—backed by foreign states and companies—continues plundering Sahrawi natural resources in blatant violation of rulings by the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the European Court of Justice. The gathering brought together dozens of trade unions from across Africa alongside multilateral labor and union organizations.