[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 192 (Tuesday, November 10, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6634-S6635]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             WESTERN SAHARA

  Mr. INHOFE. Madam President, last week, while most of the world was 
focused on our elections--myself included--and the pending results, a 
very significant action was taking place halfway around the world in 
Western Sahara. Simply put, Morocco chose that time--likely purposely, 
when everyone was occupied doing other things--to threaten to push back 
on protests by Western Saharans on their own land.

  There they are. These are the protesters. These are people who owned 
the land, have been there for generations, and are protesting the 
problems they have with Morocco trying to eject them from their land.
  It seems simple, but you have to remember how we got here. While the 
status of the Sahrawi people is still in question, what we need to do 
to is create a lasting solution. How we got here, as West Africa was 
being decolonized, Western Sahara was clear and declared itself an 
independent nation a long time ago. That was despite Morocco's attempt 
to claim it as a territory.
  In 1966, the United Nations General Assembly resolution agreed that a 
referendum of self-determination should be held. That is a referendum 
of self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. Everyone agreed 
and planned to hold that in 1975.
  Self-determination--merely letting the Sahrawi people decide for 
themselves the imperative principle of action--the right to judge for 
themselves to be independent or to be a part of Morocco.
  This was just the first promise of a referendum. That was 1975. To 
date, none have been kept. An International Court of Justice opinion 
from 1975 also agreed that Morocco did not have sovereignty over the 
land and that a referendum of self-determination should be held. 
Everyone agreed. That was the second promise.
  Morocco maintained its unlawful claim to their land and after 
decolonization, attempted to annex the territory with force. That was 
actually in 1975.
  Western Sahara--officially called the Sahrawi Arab Democratic 
Republic, through the Polisario, defended their rights to land.
  We are talking about this area right here. Morocco is up to the 
north, in Western Sahara. The independent Western Sahara land that 
Morocco is trying to claim as their own is to the south of that.
  After a decade of violence from Morocco, the United Nations finally 
came in, in 1991, and both sides agreed to a cease-fire and a path 
forward. Everyone agreed. It was called the Settlement Plan. It 
solidified that Morocco and Western Sahara agreed to hold a referendum 
and created the United Nations Mission for the referendum in Western 
Sahara. That is called MINURSO.
  For those keeping track, that was the third promise. It is worth 
noting that the United Nations regularly reaffirms the 1991 commitment 
to a referendum for self-determination. This is something that happens 
on a regular basis.
  The planned referendum in 1992 never took place, and the process 
stalled through a cease-fire that was held. Morocco just wouldn't hold 
up its end of the bargain.
  Former Secretary of State James Baker--it is kind of interesting 
because back in 1997, he tried to do this again. I can remember talking 
to him--this was several years ago now, about 15 years ago--saying that 
sometime we have to get this problem resolved. It has been hanging out 
there for generations and decades. He said: Well, good luck. We have 
tried to do everything we could do. Back at that time, he was Secretary 
of State under President Bush.
  He named a special envoy to Western Sahara. Baker worked the multiple 
plans with Morocco and Western Sahara. He thought he could get it done. 
He was a special envoy way back in 1992.
  The former Secretary of State tried again in 1997. He named a special 
envoy to Western Sahara. Baker worked multiple plans with Morocco and 
Western Sahara again.
  The most notable--the Houston Agreement--was signed by Morocco and 
Western Sahara and recommitted to the referendum of self-determination, 
planned for 1998. To keep track, that is the fourth time that was 
promised. That was promised also by Morocco.
  Morocco, recognizing they would likely lose the vote, quickly tanked 
all negotiations the next year by declaring they would never accept a 
referendum that included independence as an outcome, despite years of 
promises.
  It has been called a frozen conflict--where no outcome exists. Yet 
there is no perceived active conflict. It makes it easy for the rest of 
the world to forget about it. But to call this a frozen conflict makes 
it seem harmless, when in reality it is anything but that.
  Tens of thousands of Sahrawi people live in refugee camps, primarily 
in Tindouf, Algeria. They have been forced from their homes, waiting 
for a resolution for decades. Allowing this process to stall has cost 
them a generation of freedom. I have been to those camps many times. I 
have been there. I have seen it. I have talked to the people.
  We are talking about these people here--the ones who are protesting. 
That is where we have been and talked to the individuals. And they 
don't give up. They continue generation after generation with the hope 
that they would get their land back.
  Beyond denying the Sahrawi people the right to freedom and self-
determination, the Government of Morocco is trying to steal and pillage 
as much as possible from the land they have unlawfully claimed. They 
are stealing their natural resources, unlawfully mining and selling 
valuable, critical minerals--specifically phosphate. They are illegally 
fishing in the Western Sahara's waters.
  And what does Morocco do with these riches? They pay millions of 
dollars each year to lobbyists in Washington. Their goal? To convince 
the world they are innocent and demonize the Sahrawi people.
  The Moroccans believe that they can wait out the rest of the world. 
They want us to forget about the human rights of these people, in this 
picture, who are peacefully protesting today--right now--as we are 
speaking on the floor.
  They know a frozen conflict benefits them and hurts the cause of 
independence. They know that they can push the boundaries of what is 
acceptable. That is how we got to this point. That is why we are here 
at this point now--where just a few weeks ago, while the people of 
Western Sahara were peacefully protesting in Guerguerat--that is the 
region. The Guerguerat region is down there. It is not even close to 
Morocco. It is down to the south end of Western Sahara. It actually 
comes into Mauritania down there.

[[Page S6635]]

  That is the area that has the red square around it. That is what we 
are talking about. That is where they are now. That is where these 
people are right now.
  Morocco has repeatedly attempted to use a road in this region to 
transport the goods in violation of the U.N. cease-fire agreement. 
Let's keep in mind, it is the U.N. cease-fire agreement. They are the 
ones who are supposed to be promoting--not just protecting a cease-fire 
on both sides but promoting a referendum. It was this illegal use of 
the territory that Western Saharans were peacefully protesting
  Rather than recognizing their rights to protest, Morocco has once 
again raised a call to arms and is threatening to crush these 
legitimate protesters.
  In fact, I heard just the other day--3 days ago--that they have some 
200 trucks coming down from Morocco down to Guerguerat--that area down 
there where the peaceful protests are taking place.
  Rather than recognize their right to protest, Morocco has once again 
raised a called to arms and is threatening to crush these protests that 
are going on.
  King Mohammed of Morocco this past weekend said: ``Morocco will not 
waiver in its position.'' That is in spite of what the--all the 
agreements that have taken place, including the United Nations.
  We are also hearing concerned reports that he is sending military 
forces to the region as well as in a clear escalation. This isn't a new 
problem. Morocco has been trying to illegally use the Guerguerat issue 
for a long period of time.
  That is the bridge that goes across from Western Sahara to 
Mauritania. The problem has been there for a long period of time. It is 
a concern for a couple of reasons. The first is simple. Morocco is 
escalating this situation again to claim more and more land, resources, 
and rights that they have no law behind them to claim. And they know 
it. They are fully aware of this.
  In 2017, the United States was encouraging the United Nations to send 
a technical team to Guerguerat. Western Sahara welcomed this. Morocco 
blocked it because they didn't want to be exposed.
  The second is that no one else--no one around the world--is raising 
the cause for alarm. Where is the United Nations now? They are charged 
with enforcing the 1991 cease-fire agreement. Yet they are nowhere to 
be found. They have been very silent, tolerating Morocco's abuse for 
years and Morocco's violations of the U.N. orders.
  That is why the time is now to move from this frozen conflict and 
force Morocco to live up to their agreement of nearly 30 years and hold 
a referendum, not in a year and not in 3 years--they are always talking 
about what they are going to do out in the future--but now. Now is the 
time that we can do that. We need to take steps to hold the referendum 
for self-determination now.
  Morocco is escalating and, left unchecked, they are going to keep 
their escalation going. The result would be inevitable. We would risk 
turning back to the times of open conflict. The U.N. needs to step up 
now and enforce their agreement, and the world needs to prove we all 
stand for our values of freedom and democracy by extending those values 
to the Sahrawis. They have waited too long.
  Everyone is for this agreement--everyone is. I mean, we have the 
African Union, which is comprised of some 55 member states, and they 
are strongly in support of this independence for the Sahrawis. We have 
most of the European Community that supports the U.N. efforts. The 
European Court of Justice also ruled that Western Sahara is not a part 
of Morocco and that no EU economic agreements can cover Western Sahara.
  In 2004, the United States and Morocco had a free-trade agreement 
where they did reaffirm--and that is the United States reaffirming--the 
independence of Western Sahara.
  That is what is happening right now. The rest of the world is on our 
side on this issue. Who does Morocco have? They have paid lobbyists. 
Some of the lobbyists Morocco has employed: JPC Strategies, Third 
Circle, Neale Creek--averaging over $1 million each year. In total, 
they have had some 10 lobbyists since 2016. And they have actually put 
in $11 million--$11 million in the Sahara. In Western Sahara, they have 
nothing. They have no resources. They are the giant with all of their 
lobbyists.
  I made it clear earlier when I testified--and by the way, I did 
something I don't think has been done before since then: As a Member of 
the U.S. Senate, I testified at a House hearing that they had on this 
issue way back 15 years ago. This has stalled because there is just no 
money on our side. Morocco has it all.
  Here is what we need to do. The time is right, and we have waited 
long enough. While we were to schedule a referendum, we need the United 
Nations to send a team to the Guerguerat area and confirm that Morocco 
is in violation of the agreement. Everyone knows they are in violation 
of the agreement. The agreement is very specific. It says that they are 
there to enforce this--the United Nations. This is the key part. They 
need to enforce the 1991 cease-fire agreement. This will restore faith 
with all parties and make real progress in reaching a referendum.

  The reason we are concerned today is that we know Morocco, right now, 
is sending military equipment down to the area--some 200 trucks full of 
equipment. That is why this time is right, and it is going to have to 
happen.
  Here they are. These are the people we are talking about. These are 
the people who are peacefully protesting to keep and use the land that 
is theirs and that has been theirs and that the whole world knows is 
theirs. They are the victims. They deserve a referendum for separate 
termination, and the U.N. is going to have to make this happen. I don't 
know any other way this can happen.
  First of all, they have agreed to it, and the U.N. is a party that 
can put that together. We are calling on them now to go ahead and do 
what they have agreed to do and end this conflict that has endured 
generation after generation.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Cassidy). The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered

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