"We want our right to independence to be respected"
• Interview with Malainine Etkana, ambassador of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) in Cuba

MORE than 37 years have passed since Morocco invaded Western Sahara. Its colonization continues in spite of negotiations and United Nations resolutions. In a climate of international and regional tensions in North Africa, the Polisario Front held its 8th Congress last December. Malainine Etkana, SADR ambassador to Cuba, gave an interview to Granma about his people’s conflict

This Congress took place at a very complex juncture at the international and regional levels, above all in relation to what has been called the Arab Spring.

More than 2,200 Sahrawi delegates and close to 300 foreigners, including of course a Cuban delegation participated. There was very serious debate and we came out of it with a lot of optimism.

There are a number of issues which have been given priority for the next three years. In the first place, to strengthen and support the Sahrawi army, given that the hoped for negotiations have not ended. We consider that we are still a country at war, because part of our territory is occupied by Morocco. Because of that, having an army in place is fundamental.

It was also decided to improve the situation of Sahrawi citizens in the camps, to strengthen institutions and improve certain social indicators such as health.

The other priority is to support and strengthen what we call the peaceful Intifada in the occupied territories. And, speaking of this, this 8th Congress was distinguished by the participation of 50 Sahrawi activists from the occupied territories. That never happened before because the occupation forces prevented it. Now, after a long struggle, we have succeeded in having the Intifada struggle recognized.

To the peaceful Intifada in the occupied territories of Western Sahara. Now that weapons have been laid aside, we are confronting the enemy, the occupiers, with banners, slogans, protests. The 50 members I was talking about have returned to the occupied territories without the Moroccans being able to prevent them doing so, and are already on a tour to inform all our population of the Congress results.

The Intifada is growing stronger. And last year Sahrawis were able to carry banners in the streets, demonstrate, write pro-independence slogans. We believe that these are important steps toward attaining our total sovereignty.

Yes, that was one of the messages. The Congress sent a message to Ban Ki-Moon, members of the Security Council and the new president of the Spanish government, given that Spain continues having an important responsibility in this conflict.

A message was also sent to the Moroccan people, who do not have to follow their government in this policy of occupation. We are not against Moroccans, a neighboring people, a sister people. We only want our right to independence to be respected.

Yes, lamentably the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) played a highly negative role, joining the position of France. That contributed to Morocco’s lack of will to reach an agreement with the Sahrawis.

As it is known, we are taking part in a series of meetings with Morocco. The next one is scheduled for the first week of February under the auspices of the UN. But up until now Morocco remains intransigent.

We are only asking that the Sahrawi people be allowed to exercise their right to self-determination via a free referendum, so that the Sahrawis themselves can say whether they want to be Moroccan or if they want to be independent. We are already a state recognized by more than 80 countries.

We hope that the Partido Popular (People's Power) will play a positive role. We have immense solidarity in Spain, not only in the People's Power but also within the PSOE. Our problem was only with the PSOE leadership.

Yes, it could pressure Morocco given that there are many common interests. Put pressure on Morocco to let the Sahrawis organize a referendum, in which to vote for a number of options: independence, integrity or autonomy. We are prepared to accept any one of these three.

But Morocco is refusing, supported by the Western powers, above all France. That is why we are hoping that the new Spanish government will support us. The people of Spain are with us. We have a great solidarity movement in that country. We have thousands of children who have gone on peace vacations to Spain, welcomed by Spanish families.

We know that Spain has interests in the region, but as it now also has relations with Morocco, it could have them with an independent Sahrawi state.

It’s a very long history. France considers that this region belongs to it, for being a former colony of Algeria, Morocco and Mauritania. The Sahrawi Republic is in the middle and we were the only people colonized by Spain. The Algerian Revolution got rid of France by force, but it continues to believe that this region is under its authority.

Morocco is a monarchy, a highly reactionary country, allied to the West. France has always been behind Morocco’s expansionist policy in the Western Sahara.

No, there are different positions, but France is in the vanguard of negative positions against the Sahrawis, and because our cause is always discussed at the Security Council level, France opposes it.

For example, when the brutal Moroccan intervention in the Sahrawi camp in Aaiún took place, France was against any condemnation of the human rights violations committed by Morocco.

For that reason, when we confront Morocco we are confronting a French policy. Moreover, the Moroccan monarchy is also supported by some of the Arab Gulf countries.

Well, in the case of the United States there is nothing positive either. We can’t say that it is like France, but it does not have a very clear position in terms of defending the rights of the Sahrawi people.

We have support from the rest of the international community. The Sahrawi Republic is a member of the African Union, we have embassies in many countries, particularly throughout the Latin America continent, with which we have many links, above all cultural ones. We are the only Arab country to speak Spanish as a second language, and the second in Africa after Equatorial Guinea. There are solidarity movements on all continents with the Sahrawi cause, which is a just cause, a people who are fighting for their independence. We have had more than 37 years of struggle against a reactionary monarchy which obeys the West, imperialism, and is working against freedom.

We are still following the negotiation process. We are sure that the day of our independence will come. Morocco will have to obey the will of the Sahrawis because it is a right. The longer the conflict lasts, the more the people will suffer, including the Moroccan people. Social and economic problems in Morocco are being left aside because they say there is a national problem, and that is a lie on the part of the Moroccan monarchy. I am convinced that one day they will have to obey the international community and allow the Sahrawis to decide, as has happened in the case of other movements.

We have four camps, occupied communities. Aaiún, the capital of the Sahrawi people, Smara, Ausser and Dajla. Within the camps, the Sahrawis organized their institutions, as if they were liberated provinces. Living standards in the camps are established via Sahrawi state institutions. We are experiencing a somewhat difficult situation because the camps are in a region called Tinduf, which is part of Algerian territory, because we have liberated territories but are still at war, and we have the experience of some years ago when the Moroccan leadership bombed the camps, the liberated territories. So now, the camps in which children and the sick live are in Tinduf, where at least there is a certain security, so that these Sahrawis can freely engage in work…

It is a fact that, because we live in this region, in one way or another there are repercussions for us. Above all what took place in Libya, where there was a foreign intervention. Before I came to Cuba, I was the ambassador in Libya, I knew the country very well; we also received aid from that country. We had close to 1,000 students there before what took place and we had to pull them out when the intervention began. Terrorist groups have been able to gain access to weapons and, moreover, this is a desert area in which these groups move freely, and that is of concern to us.

That is why the Congress final declaration reflects the disposition of the Sahrawi Republic to confront any movement which could foment instability in our region, and we are prepared to cooperate with all countries with which we share borders to confront this new situation.

There was extensive discussion in Congress on this subject. The new Sahrawi generations are calling for armed struggle. There has been an arms freeze since 1991, I am not saying a ceasefire.

We are prepared to take up arms once more at any point if we do not attain our legitimate right to self-determination and independence. But we are still optimistic. We have the hope of reaching agreement, because war is definitely not beneficial for anyone, neither for Morocco, nor for Sahara, nor for the region.

We are convinced that we are going to obtain our independence, full rights.

I would like to take advantage at this point to thank Cuba for its support for the Sahrawis; thousands of Sahrawi students have graduated here. We have a Cuban medical brigade working in our country. Cuba recently donated 530 tons of sugar for Sahrawi refugees. The most important aspect is political support in all international forums, at the level of the UN.