A Press Release by the Actionsgruppe Westsahara on their demonstration in front of the European Commission's representation in Berlin, Germany, on 18 February 2011.
Press release 18/02/2011
Protest against EU fishing agreement with Morocco in front of European Commission Representation in Berlin/Germany
On Friday 18/02/2011 we, the Berlin-based ‘Aktionsgruppe Westsahara’, demonstrated in front of
the European Commission Representation in Germany in Berlin.
In the process we symbolically barred its entrance with a fishing net in order to publically recall the liability of the European Union’s politics and economy for the perpetuation of the status quo in Western Sahara which is a continuous violation of international law, as well as to remind EU citizens of their responsibility regarding the violations of human rights by Morocco in Western Sahara.
November last the situation briefly appeared in world press because Moroccan ‘security forces’ violently cleared a protest camp in the desert near El-Aaiún. Only a few days later Federal Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle visited Morocco in order to “enforce Germany’s strategic co-operation with Morocco”.
Morocco has been occupying Western Sahara since 1976 and, against the provisions of international law, depredates the country’s fossil and natural resources, e.g. fruits, which also fill European shops and markets.
Currently the European Union aims to prolong its fishing agreement with Morocco which first of all regulates the commercialization of the waters off the Western Saharan coast. Undeterred by European Parliament’s suggestion to exclude these waters from the agreement the European Commission as well as some member states such as France and Spain recently appear determined to affect the decision adversely.
Together with groups in other European capitals we will carry on demonstrating against this fateful disposition which spurns every people’s right to self-determination and free pursuance of their economic, cultural and social development as guaranteed by international law.
In this spirit we call on everybody to participate in the Remembrance March in Honour of the African victims of Slave Trade, Slavery, Colonialism and Racist Violence, to be held Saturday 26 February 11 am in Berlin. Western Sahara is the last African country which, due to the Moroccan occupation, has yet to gain its independence.
Contact: Aktionsgruppe Westsahara / aktion.westsahra@gmail.com
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