WSSC Mission Report: Visit to Western Sahara, August 2025
Working Group on Human Rights in Western Sahara – 10 December 2025
On this International Human Rights Day, the Working Group on Human Rights in Western Sahara urges the international community to address the worsening human rights situation in the occupied territories. Today, Sahrawis continue to face a climate of repression, impunity, and systematic violence that undermines their most basic freedoms.
Seventy-seven years after the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the principles of dignity, justice, and freedom remain out of reach for thousands of Sahrawis. Conditions have further declined in the five years following the former U.S. administration’s decision to recognize Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara—a move that intensified repression and deepened impunity across the territory.
A Worsening Pattern of Abuse
Findings from the Working Group’s most recent report highlight a troubling pattern of systematic violations, particularly targeting Sahrawi human rights defenders and activists. Many faces:
- daily surveillance and harassment,
- intimidation and physical attacks,
- and restrictions on their freedom of movement.
Local human rights groups also operate under increasing pressure. Their work is obstructed through confiscation of materials, bans on meetings, and the forced closure of community spaces.
Arbitrary arrests remain common. Individuals are detained for peacefully protesting or expressing critical opinions. Court proceedings often lack transparency, rely on coerced confessions, and take place without adequate legal defense—leading to severe sentences designed to discourage civic participation.
Excessive force continues to be used during demonstrations and home raids, with reports of property destruction, threats against families, and mistreatment of detainees. Testimonies also document:
- economic retaliation against activists,
- land appropriation for colonial and foreign investment projects,
- and gender-based violence aimed at silencing women human rights defenders.
Restrictions on expression, culture, and identity remain widespread. Independent journalism is effectively suppressed, and gatherings related to Sahrawi cultural heritage are frequently banned. Access to the territory for international observers, NGOs, parliamentarians, and journalists remains blocked, limiting independent verification and reinforcing the environment of impunity.
Lack of International Monitoring
A major barrier to protecting Sahrawi civilians is the absence of a permanent international human rights monitoring mechanism. For nine consecutive years, Morocco has barred the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from entering its territory.
Despite these limitations, earlier this year, eight UN Special Rapporteurs issued an unprecedented communication in response to a complaint jointly submitted by the Working Group on Human Rights in Western Sahara and several local human rights organizations. Their statement condemned Morocco’s escalating campaign of repression and highlighted 79 documented victims, noting “a widespread pattern of violence and systematic attacks demonstrating racial discrimination against Sahrawis.”
Without international access, these abuses continue unchecked.
Urgent Call to the International Community
On this symbolic day, the Working Group on Human Rights in Western Sahara urges UN Member States, the African Union, and regional bodies to:
- Demand an immediate end to all forms of repression against Sahrawi civilians.
- Release all individuals detained for exercising their fundamental rights.
- Ensure full access to the territory for international observers and organizations.
- Establish an independent UN-led human rights monitoring mechanism.
- Provide effective protection for Sahrawi human rights defenders.
- Support a fair and transparent political process grounded in international law and the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination.
As we mark International Human Rights Day, we reaffirm that the Sahrawi struggle for justice, dignity, and freedom is a human rights struggle—one that demands urgent global attention and solidarity.
Contact: Working Group on Human Rights in Western Sahara
Email: wghrws2020@proton.me
Or visit the Western Sahara Solidarity Committee website
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