German Bundestag, Plenarprotokoll 19/223, p.
28316.
Right honorable President. Ladies and gentlemen.
To enforce international law – that subsumes two of the
three motions upon which we are consulting here. This naturally puts the
questions: Of which international law is it a question in this case, and who
are the people thereby affected?
To better understand the conflict in its essence, let us go
back a piece in history; 120, 130 years. The territory of today’s western
Sahara was then a no man’s land. It belonged to none of the regimes in the
entire region of northwestern Africa.Yet it was not an economic and it was also
not a cultural no man’s land; it was to an extent evidently aligned with the
sultanate in Morocco. Besides: Scarcely anyone lived there. It was a sand heap,
a colossal, 250,000 square kilometer, giant heap of sand. This changed somewhat
when the Spanish opened up the territory for their colonial endeavors, initially
for strategic reasons and then, not till much later, when they sought oil
there, found none – but phosphates for sure.
The Spanish colony Saguia el Hamra – so it is called since
1912 – carved up this once economically, culturally and religiously closed
area. When you look at the borders of today’s western Sahara, which were also
those of the Saguia el Hamra colony, then you will ascertain: They were drawn
with a ruler. And this was known from the beginning: There was no notice taken
of ethnic concerns.
With the territory’s de-colonization, there was in no way a
conclusion. When the Spanish withdrew, the large, northern part of western
Sahara went to Morocco, the south nevertheless to Mauritania. Mauritania
withdrew following armed conflicts with the Polisario movement. Morocco
followed up and now occupies the entire area. The Polisario nevertheless rose
up and, as far is known to me, at the bidding of elements of the Mauritanians.
The population figure meanwhile has become somewhat larger.
It is estimated on the whole at approximately 150,000 – that is not much; that
is a German mid-sized city – , in a territory as large as the old, western
Federal Republic. Of these, 40,000 people moreover do not live in this
territory, but in camps in Algeria, where they form the recruitment potential
for the Polisarios.
Morocco has quite considerably developed the territory
economically; that has just been mentioned. Phosphate production continues,
fisheries play a large role.
What however is now the solution for this conflict? One
thing needs to be made clear: Morocco will no longer withdraw from this
territory without a war. Spain has recognized this. France has recognized this.
The U.S.A. has recognized this. Morocco offers a solution which I hold to be
entirely acceptable; namely, an autonomy, one which permits all political areas
pertaining to a Saharan government with the exception of defense and foreign
policy. Much more is, at the moment, not to be attained. The Polisario will
need to give up their maximalism which they in the past have practiced here.
The Federal Republic should also orient itself on this. Pragmatism is demanded
and not the adherence to old dogmas.
Thank you.
[trans: tem]
