"This is a historic chance to end colonization on the continent," he said.
A U.N.-negotiated truce in 1991 called for a referendum on the region's future, but that has never happened because the two sides cannot agree on voting lists. The stalemate has been supervised by U.N. peacekeepers.
The desert territory, about the size of Great Britain or Colorado, is estimated to have about 400,000 people. It is rich in phosphates and the waters off its shores contain some of the best fishing grounds in the Atlantic Ocean.
Tens of thousands Saharawis who fled Moroccan rule live in refugee camps across the border in Algeria, where Polisario, the liberation movement, is also based.
The United States and most Western nations back a new round of United Nations talks to solve the protracted problem through a plan for autonomy within Morocco, but Polisario insists on a referendum on self-determination.
In Brussels, Abdelaziz met with European Union External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner, as leaders of the 27-nation bloc gathered for a summit Thursday and Friday. It was the first high-level meeting between a top EU official and members of Western Sahara's government-in-exile.
The European Union has a fishing agreement with Morocco which allows European fishing fleets to operate in the territorial waters off Western Sahara. Human rights groups have demanded that the accord be terminated, saying it violates international law by allowing foreign fishermen to exploit the resources of a territory under occupation.
"We have nothing against agreements between Morocco and the European Union," Abdelaziz said. "But we made it clear that any such accord must exclude the territory, resources and waters of Western Sahara since this represents an act of aggression against international legality."
"This is a historic chance to end colonization on the continent," he said.
A U.N.-negotiated truce in 1991 called for a referendum on the region's future, but that has never happened because the two sides cannot agree on voting lists. The stalemate has been supervised by U.N. peacekeepers.
The desert territory, about the size of Great Britain or Colorado, is estimated to have about 400,000 people. It is rich in phosphates and the waters off its shores contain some of the best fishing grounds in the Atlantic Ocean.
Tens of thousands Saharawis who fled Moroccan rule live in refugee camps across the border in Algeria, where Polisario, the liberation movement, is also based.
The United States and most Western nations back a new round of United Nations talks to solve the protracted problem through a plan for autonomy within Morocco, but Polisario insists on a referendum on self-determination.
In Brussels, Abdelaziz met with European Union External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner, as leaders of the 27-nation bloc gathered for a summit Thursday and Friday. It was the first high-level meeting between a top EU official and members of Western Sahara's government-in-exile.
The European Union has a fishing agreement with Morocco which allows European fishing fleets to operate in the territorial waters off Western Sahara. Human rights groups have demanded that the accord be terminated, saying it violates international law by allowing foreign fishermen to exploit the resources of a territory under occupation.
"We have nothing against agreements between Morocco and the European Union," Abdelaziz said. "But we made it clear that any such accord must exclude the territory, resources and waters of Western Sahara since this represents an act of aggression against international legality."
Published: December 11, 2008
Herald Tribune
A U.N.-negotiated truce in 1991 called for a referendum on the region's future, but that has never happened because the two sides cannot agree on voting lists. The stalemate has been supervised by U.N. peacekeepers.
The desert territory, about the size of Great Britain or Colorado, is estimated to have about 400,000 people. It is rich in phosphates and the waters off its shores contain some of the best fishing grounds in the Atlantic Ocean.
Tens of thousands Saharawis who fled Moroccan rule live in refugee camps across the border in Algeria, where Polisario, the liberation movement, is also based.
The United States and most Western nations back a new round of United Nations talks to solve the protracted problem through a plan for autonomy within Morocco, but Polisario insists on a referendum on self-determination.
In Brussels, Abdelaziz met with European Union External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner, as leaders of the 27-nation bloc gathered for a summit Thursday and Friday. It was the first high-level meeting between a top EU official and members of Western Sahara's government-in-exile.
The European Union has a fishing agreement with Morocco which allows European fishing fleets to operate in the territorial waters off Western Sahara. Human rights groups have demanded that the accord be terminated, saying it violates international law by allowing foreign fishermen to exploit the resources of a territory under occupation.
"We have nothing against agreements between Morocco and the European Union," Abdelaziz said. "But we made it clear that any such accord must exclude the territory, resources and waters of Western Sahara since this represents an act of aggression against international legality."
"This is a historic chance to end colonization on the continent," he said.
A U.N.-negotiated truce in 1991 called for a referendum on the region's future, but that has never happened because the two sides cannot agree on voting lists. The stalemate has been supervised by U.N. peacekeepers.
The desert territory, about the size of Great Britain or Colorado, is estimated to have about 400,000 people. It is rich in phosphates and the waters off its shores contain some of the best fishing grounds in the Atlantic Ocean.
Tens of thousands Saharawis who fled Moroccan rule live in refugee camps across the border in Algeria, where Polisario, the liberation movement, is also based.
The United States and most Western nations back a new round of United Nations talks to solve the protracted problem through a plan for autonomy within Morocco, but Polisario insists on a referendum on self-determination.
In Brussels, Abdelaziz met with European Union External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner, as leaders of the 27-nation bloc gathered for a summit Thursday and Friday. It was the first high-level meeting between a top EU official and members of Western Sahara's government-in-exile.
The European Union has a fishing agreement with Morocco which allows European fishing fleets to operate in the territorial waters off Western Sahara. Human rights groups have demanded that the accord be terminated, saying it violates international law by allowing foreign fishermen to exploit the resources of a territory under occupation.
"We have nothing against agreements between Morocco and the European Union," Abdelaziz said. "But we made it clear that any such accord must exclude the territory, resources and waters of Western Sahara since this represents an act of aggression against international legality."
Published: December 11, 2008
Herald Tribune
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