'Creuem Fronteres' calls on Andorra’s Government to break its silence on Western Sahara

The association Creuem Fronteres per la Llibertat del Sàhara Occidental believes that the latest episodes of tension surrounding Ceuta highlight the risks of allowing the use of border pressure to become a regular tool of political negotiation.

Days after the mass arrival of people in the Spanish autonomous city, the organisation has sought to draw attention to the Western Sahara conflict and, in its view, the consequences of the international community's lack of response to breaches of international law.

For Creuem Fronteres, the situation can be summed up in three main elements: a pattern of impunity, the legal distinction between the two conflicts, and the human dimension.

The association warns that when the international community allows international law to be repeatedly violated in Western Sahara «without any consequences», it creates a precedent that could end up normalising «the use of border pressure and the manipulation of human vulnerability as a tool of blackmail or political negotiation».

Creuem Fronteres distinguishes the Western Sahara and Ceuta cases

The organisation nevertheless insists that Ceuta and Western Sahara are not legally comparable cases. According to its interpretation, the Sahrawi issue is not a conventional sovereignty dispute between two states, but rather «an incomplete decolonisation process» linked to the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination, which the association says is recognised within the United Nations framework.

«Western Sahara is not and has never been part of the national territory of Morocco or Spain; it is a Non-Self-Governing Territory pending decolonisation under the United Nations», the organisation argues.

By contrast, Creuem Fronteres points out that the situation in Ceuta falls within conventional international relations between states, while in the case of Western Sahara it considers that «the inalienable right of a people to self-determination» is at stake.

The similarity identified by the association is therefore neither territorial nor legal, but rather related to the use of geopolitical pressure. According to Creuem Fronteres, if a state finds that it can breach international law without consequences, it may conclude that this approach is effective and subsequently use it in other areas of negotiation.

Criticism of a policy based on «facts on the ground»

Creuem Fronteres argues that the episodes of border tension expose the limits of a policy based on «facts on the ground», which the organisation associates with an approach to international relations in which power, security and national interests take precedence over legal or humanitarian considerations.

«The policy of facts on the ground and constant concessions do not create stability», the association maintains. It argues that the only genuine guarantee of peace and security in the Maghreb is the «strict enforcement of international law» and a resolution of the Western Sahara conflict.

The organisation also highlights the people who suffer the consequences of these conflicts and tensions. «Peace and security are not achieved by looking the other way, but by defending human dignity and respect for international law», it states.

A direct call to Andorra’s Government

Against this backdrop, Creuem Fronteres is calling for a more active position from the Government of Andorra. The association says it is missing «a firm stance» from the Executive in defence of international law and human rights in Western Sahara.

The organisation contrasts this attitude with Andorra’s position on other international conflicts, particularly Ukraine and Palestine, where it believes the country has publicly defended principles linked to peace and international law.

«When it comes to the Sahrawi people, the response has been silence», Creuem Fronteres says.

For the association, Andorra should maintain a position consistent with its stated commitment to «positive neutrality» and respect for international law. «The Sahrawi cause is not a bilateral conflict driven by partisan interests, but an incomplete decolonisation process recognised by the United Nations itself», it argues.

Creuem Fronteres therefore believes that Andorra should make its position clear in defence of human rights and the «inalienable right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination».