Moroccan forces destroy a camp near Western Sahara’s capital in 2019. Photo: File
For more than six decades, the people of Western Sahara have been denied their inalienable right to self-determination. The Moroccan “autonomy plan” is not a path to peace — it is a repackaging of colonial rule. Africa’s history teaches us that such arrangements never produce justice; they only prolong suffering and suppress freedom.
As Africans, committed to the full decolonisation of our continent, we must stand united in rejecting any proposal that seeks to rebrand occupation as “autonomy”.
From its inception, the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) recognised the strategic and moral importance of fully decolonising the African continent. Its charter committed unequivocally to “eradicating all forms of colonialism from Africa”. In 1983, this vision was formalised through Resolution AHG/Res. 104 (XIX), which called for a ceasefire in Western Sahara and a referendum allowing the Sahrawi people to freely determine their future.
This resolution laid the groundwork for UN General Assembly Resolution 40/50, introduced by the OAU chairperson on behalf of African states and adopted unanimously in 1985. It reaffirmed the international community’s support for a just, peaceful and African-led solution to the Western Sahara conflict.
This diplomatic momentum led to the establishment of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (Minurso) in 1991, in cooperation with the OAU. Although the mission remains in the territory, its central task — the organisation of the referendum — has yet to be fulfilled. More than 30 years later, the Sahrawi people still wait.
The African Union, as the successor to the OAU, has maintained its commitment to the Saharawi question. On the ground, the AU office in Western Sahara, established under UN Security Council Resolution 690 (1991), worked in tandem with Minurso.
AU observers participated directly in the identification of potential voters for the proposed referendum and maintained consultations with all relevant stakeholders. The AU deployed senior representatives — such as ambassador Yilma Tadesse of Ethiopia — who were based at Minurso’s premises to ensure that Africa’s voice remained present and influential.
One of the AU’s foundational legal principles — enshrined in its Constitutive Act — is the respect for borders existing at the time of independence. This principle, known as uti possidetis juris, is central to the AU’s peace and security framework and applies directly to Western Sahara, a distinct colonial territory whose incorporation into Morocco violates both African and international legal norms.
Support for Morocco’s “autonomy plan” not only undermines international law but also betrays pan-African unity. In its 1975 Advisory Opinion, the International Court of Justice found no sovereign ties between Morocco and Western Sahara sufficient to justify annexation. The Frente Polisario — recognised by the UN as the legitimate representative of the Sahrawi people — has consistently rejected Moroccan rule and so-called autonomy offers, insisting on a fair referendum that includes independence as a valid option.
The Moroccan monarchy is a highly centralised regime where dissent is not tolerated, and core democratic principles are lacking. The ”autonomy” plan remains vague and unenforceable within the Kingdom of Morocco. Autonomy under occupation is not decolonisation — it is domination by another name.
Moreover, granting such “autonomy” in Western Sahara, while denying it elsewhere in Morocco, could have destabilising consequences for the absolute monarchy, particularly in historically restive regions like the Rif. Far from a solution, Morocco’s proposal is a geopolitical gamble that threatens not just the Sahrawi people, but the fragile stability of North Africa.
Africa must not allow external powers — motivated by economic interests, strategic alliances or neo-colonial agendas — to impose a solution on Western Sahara. The path forward must be guided by African values, African law and African unity. As President Cyril Ramaphosa rightly stated: “The decolonisation of Western Sahara is essential to the achievement of the Africa we want.” Until the Sahrawi people are free to choose their destiny, Africa’s liberation remains incomplete.
The principle of “African solutions to African problems” must move beyond rhetoric and into action. The AU must reclaim its leadership role in resolving the conflict and reinforcing Africa’s credibility as a guardian of justice and decolonisation. To this end, it must urgently:
- Reinforce the AU high representative for Western Sahara by giving them a clear mandate, adequate political support and the resources necessary to engage with both parties and the UN;
- Reopen the AU Office in Laayoune, with full logistical and financial backing, to ensure Africa’s institutional presence on the ground;
- Dispatch a fact-finding mission to Western Sahara to assess the political, humanitarian and security conditions and report directly to the AU Assembly;
- Push for direct talks between Morocco and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, facilitated by the AU, and supported by the broader international community;
- Engage the UN Security Council to allow the AU high representative to address future deliberations on Western Sahara; and
- Mobilise political and diplomatic support among all AU member states to prioritise this issue in regional and international forums.
This is not merely a matter of international law, it is a test of Africa’s moral compass and political maturity. To abandon the Sahrawi people is to betray Africa’s past — the struggles against apartheid, colonial occupation and imperial domination. To stand with them is to affirm the values that built the OAU and sustain the AU today: solidarity, justice, self-determination and African dignity.
The referendum must be held. The people of Western Sahara must be allowed to decide their future freely. Anything less is a betrayal — not only of them, but of the African continent’s enduring promise of liberation.
The AU must act. Africa must lead. Justice for Western Sahara cannot wait.
Kamal Fadel is a lawyer and representative from Western Sahara based in Australia.