Country : Togolese Republic

Committee : HGA (Historical General Assembly)

Topic : Decolonization of Western Sahara & The First Gulf
War Refugee Crisis

The conflict in Western Sahara could be seen as one of the last remnants of vestiges of colonialism in
Africa. Spain, left untouched by the ravages of the Second World War- hung into their former
colonies in Western Sahara. Their lack of cooperation and good faith left the region in turmoil during
the decolonisation process. As a result, this left room for Violent Non-State Actors such as Frente
Popular de Liberación de Saguía el Hamra y Río de Oro (POLISARIO) to gain ground. Initially
founded to topple the Spanish colonial government violently, the group turned into delegitimising the
recently liberated state of Morocco and Mauritania, claiming Western Sahara to be an independent
region.
Thousands of kilometres away, a new conflict emerged. The illegal invasion of Kuwait by the
Iraqi government resulted in a response by a coalition of willing countries. However, the impact of
this aggression affects geopolitics and people on the ground. Thousands of marginalised population,
mostly Palestinians- were sidelined and barred from politics and governance. The mass movement of
refugees may result in a loss of livelihood and increased tensions- boosting the security risks in the
region.
Togo believes that the issue in West Sahara is the issue of self-determination. The Republic of
Togo thinks that even though, in principle, Morocco sees the territories of West Sahara to be part of
their sovereign territory, the plight of the people that live within the region cannot be left unignored.
According to the ICJ Advisory Opinion on West Sahara (1975), there were indeed historical legal
allegiances between the Sahrawi tribes that live in the area to the Sultan of Morocco. However, this
fact does not establish a clear justification for Morocco's annexation of the territories. Thus, even
though Morocco aims to welcome West Sahara to be part of their territory, any other decision,
especially on sovereignty, had to be explicitly approved by the people who live within the region. The
concept is further reinforced by the principles of Self-Determination, where people have the right to
choose their status and determine their form of government. On the issue of the Refugee Crisis caused
by the gulf war, Togo believes that statelessness is a vice that needs to be eradicated. Hence we need
to support, in spirit, the principles within the 1951 Refugee Convention, the 1954 Convention on the
Status of Stateless Persons, and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.
To better tackle the risks that may emerge from the decolonisation process in West Sahara and
to bridge the humanitarian hurdle in the Middle East, the Togolese Republic proposes the solution
that will result in positive peace under the SALAAM framework- based on the concept of Peace
under Arabian philosophy.
- Referendum for the population of West Sahara, and to be observed the recently founded
UN DPPA. In addition to the referendum, We support additional appropriate confidence-
building measures and community rapprochement programs to reduce the security risks.
- Support the principle of Humanitarian Intervention under additional pillars of assisting
states in helping their population, the responsibility of states to protect their people, and
for the intervention to be conducted promptly. Any repatriation must be done in the
confidence of safety for the groups expelled, following the non-refoulment and no harm
principle.

The Togolese Republic hopes that such solutions can be discussed and improved within the assembly.