African Activist Archive

The statement by the Ad Hoc Committee to support POLISARIO opposes the United States providing arms to King Hassan of Morocco, as he requested on a recent trip to the U.S. The arms would be for use in Western Sahara against POLISARIO, which is fighting Morocco's occupation. Among the weapons that King Hassan wants are counter-insurgency aircraft and helicopters similar to those used by the U.S. in Southeast Asia. The statement summarizes the history of Western Sahara since late 1975 when Spain, Morocco, and Mauritania signed the tripartite Madrid Agreement that partitioned Western Sahara between Morocco and Mauritania. The Madrid Agreement violates all norms for decolonization, and POLISARIO declared it null and void. Since the Madrid Agreement, POLISARIO has made significant victories. No country recognizes Moroccan and Mauritanian claims to Western Sahara; even Spain has renounced the accord. Seventeen African countries recognize POLISARIO, including Tanzania, Nigeria and Mozambique. Following a coup in Mauritania last spring, POLISARIO declared a ceasefire with that country, and the two are currently holding negotiations. Morocco has used genocidal tactics, including napalm, and an estimated 100,000 Saharan people have fled to POLISARIO from refugee camps in Algeria. Slogans on the statement are NO WEAPONS FOR MOROCCO, SELF-DETERMINATION FOR WESTERN SAHARA, END THE GENOCIDE, and SUPPORT POLISARIO. [Note on date: King Hassan visited the U.S. November 13-16, 1978; and the leaflet refers to a coup in Mauritania last spring, there was a coup July 1978.]

African Activist Archive

- NO U.S. ARMS TO MOROCCO - SUPPORT SELF-DETERMINATION FOR WESTERN SAHARA -

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