Sahrawi summer university closes: Bloc reaffirms its support for self-determination

Ladies and gentlemen, representatives of the Embassy of the Sahrawi Republic in Algiers,

On the occasion of the closing of the Sahrawi Republic's summer university, I have the honour to address you on behalf of the Hisn Al-Mateen Bloc, all its cadres and members, led by its president Mr Djelloul Chetouane, and in my capacity as officer for public freedoms and human rights, Ms Widad Hamza, with our warmest greetings and sincere solidarity with the brotherly Sahrawi people.

Our response to your invitation today, through the presence of the institution's representatives, is not a mere protocol formality; it expresses our firm conviction that the right of peoples to freedom and self-determination is an inherent and imprescriptible right, and that the Sahrawi people, like all peoples, have every right to decide their future freely and to exercise their right to self-determination and independence.

Given its commitment to public freedoms and human rights, the Hisn Al-Mateen Bloc affirms its attachment to the universal principles of justice and freedom and its rejection of all violations of peoples' rights, and renews its support for the legitimate right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination, in accordance with international legality and the relevant United Nations resolutions.

We also salute the steadfastness of the Sahrawi people and their attachment to their rights and identity, and we value the summer university as a space for dialogue, training, exchange of ideas and awareness of national and human-rights issues.

As this summer university draws to a close, we hope such initiatives will remain bridges of communication and solidarity, and that efforts towards a just and lasting solution guaranteeing the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination in freedom and dignity will be strengthened.

Our thanks to the organisers of this summer university, and our full solidarity with the Sahrawi people in their struggle for freedom, dignity and independence.

Widad Hamza
Officer for Public Freedoms and Human Rights
Hisn Al-Mateen Bloc