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NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Veronica Mayer
Thursday, February 18, 2021 (703) 566-3041

GLA Joins International Coalition, Urgent Appeal
Red Cross Exhorted to Deploy Resources to Western Sahara

(Washington, D.C.) The Global Liberty Alliance has co-signed a letter to the International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as part of an international effort led by CODESA, the
Collective of Saharawi Human Rights Defenders in Western Sahara, urging the ICRC deploy
a humanitarian operation to Western Sahara.

With the breakdown of the 30-year ceasefire between Morocco and Western Sahara on
November 13, 2020, the armed conflict has resumed. The region has become increasingly
unsafe for the Saharawi people living there. The ICRC has not sent a humanitarian
deployment to the Western Sahara for almost 20 years. According to the signed coalition
letter, included at the end of this post:

“Considering the legal status of Western Sahara under international
humanitarian law and the fact that international observers are continuously
denied access to Western Sahara, the undersigned call upon the International
Committee for the Red Cross to immediately deploy a humanitarian operation
to Western Sahara.”

Also included at the end of this post is a bipartisan letter sent today to President Joe Biden
signed by 27 Senators urging the President to honor America’s commitment to the Sahrawi
people and to through the referendum. “The Sahrawi people deserve the right to freely
choose their own destiny,” the Senators said.

Global Liberty Alliance President Jason Poblete: “as former Secretary of State James Baker
stated this year ‘mixing the Abraham Accords with the Western Sahara conflict, clearly and
unequivocally an issue of self-determination, will not strengthen or expand the accords.’ The
United States should refocus energies on efforts that better reflects America’s long-
standing support for a referendum to decide the territory’s future status.”

GLA defends worldwide individual fundamental rights, free markets and the rule of law.
Learn more at the GLA website.


A part of The Global Rule of Law & Liberty Legal Defense Fund
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