On May 18, 2026, the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia was the venue for an impactful international seminar titled "Human Rights and the Right to Self-Determination in Occupied Western Sahara." This significant event featured the esteemed Sahrawi human rights advocate, Aminatou Haidar, and drew a diverse audience comprising academics, human rights activists, journalists, and representatives from Slovenian media outlets, including the national television network. The seminar was skillfully moderated by the internationally recognized photographer, Arne Hodalič, who presented a compelling series of documentary photographs that depicted the ongoing suffering of the Sahrawi people under occupation, alongside the dire conditions faced by Sahrawi refugees and the various human rights violations occurring in the occupied territories.
During her keynote address at the seminar, Aminatou Haidar, who serves as the president of the Sahrawi body against Moroccan occupation (ISACOM), emphatically declared that Western Sahara continues to be "the last colony in Africa." She reminded the audience that for over fifty years, the Sahrawi people have valiantly fought for their legitimate right to self-determination and independence. Haidar recounted her harrowing experiences as a human rights defender, revealing that she, like countless other Sahrawis, has faced enforced disappearances, torture, and arbitrary detention as a direct result of her peaceful advocacy for the right to self-determination. She also shed light on what she described as a "systematic policy of repression" implemented by Moroccan authorities against activists, journalists, and human rights defenders within the occupied territories.
Furthermore, Haidar pointed out that the Moroccan authorities suppress all peaceful expressions that advocate for self-determination, resorting to various oppressive tactics such as arrests, unjust trials, defamation campaigns, and invasive electronic surveillance using the notorious "Pegasus" spyware. These actions are compounded by the significant restrictions placed on Sahrawi human rights organizations. She also highlighted the illegal exploitation of Sahrawi natural resources, asserting that the ongoing extraction of these resources by the occupying state constitutes a blatant violation of rulings issued by the European Court of Justice, which has consistently affirmed that Western Sahara and Morocco are distinct and separate territories.
On a political note, Haidar expressed her concerns regarding the stances of certain international powers that, she claimed, provide political backing to Morocco within the United Nations Security Council. Such support hinders the decolonization process and obstructs the implementation of the self-determination referendum outlined in the 1991 UN Settlement Plan, which adversely affects the overall human rights situation for the Sahrawi people. Haidar also cautioned against the rising threat of military escalation in the region, particularly referencing the deployment of Moroccan drones targeting Sahrawi civilians, which have resulted in casualties and the displacement of thousands, further exacerbating tensions.
In her closing remarks, Aminatou Haidar urged Slovenia and the European Union to take decisive action in favor of Sahrawi rights. She called for the deployment of an international fact-finding mission to the occupied territories, advocacy for the release of Sahrawi political prisoners, an expansion of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) to include human rights monitoring, and support for organizing a fair and free self-determination referendum. Following her address, an engaging discussion ensued, with participants actively raising questions about the latest developments in the Sahrawi issue, the future of the UN settlement process, and the humanitarian and human rights conditions prevailing in the occupied territories.
Aminatou Haidar arrived in Ljubljana on Sunday evening, greeted by the representative of the Polisario Front in Slovenia, accompanied by representatives from Sweden and Norway, who supported her throughout her scheduled activities. Additionally, the human rights defender engaged in several meetings with media representatives and met with the Deputy Speaker of the Slovenian Parliament, where a joint press conference was held earlier in the day. As reported by spsrasd.info.
