Spanish Expert calls for Spain to fulfil its legal responsibilities in protecting Western Sahara’s natural resources

Chahid El Hafed (Sahrawi Refugee Camps) 25 July 2026 (SPS)– Jesús Garay, a member of the Basque solidarity movement in support of the Sahrawi people, affirmed that Spain bears clear legal obligations toward Western Sahara as the Territory’s administering Power, calling for Madrid to fulfil its responsibilities to protect the Sahrawi people and their natural resources.

Garay made the remarks during the international Conference on “The Legal Battle and the Sahrawi People’s Permanent Sovereignty over Their Natural Resources,” held on Saturday at the Presidency of the Sahrawi Republic in Chahid El Hafed.

He argued that the central issue is not to provide moral or political justifications for protecting Western Sahara’s natural resources, but rather to demand the implementation of Spain’s legal obligations under international law and the Charter of the United Nations. He stressed that Spanish society must recognize that Spain continues to bear responsibility for Africa’s last colony.

Garay further maintained that Spain’s responsibility extends beyond the government and official institutions to encompass the broader Spanish state and society. He called for greater public awareness of the persistence of a colonial mindset, arguing that it continues to shape policies and attitudes toward the Sahrawi people and their cause.

He also urged a reassessment of the terminology commonly used in reference to Western Sahara, criticizing expressions such as “former colony” and “Spain’s historical responsibility.” According to Garay, these formulations obscure the fact that Spain’s obligations are current legal responsibilities, not merely matters of historical accountability.

As the administering Power recognized under international law and a Member State of the United Nations, he said, Spain remains legally bound to prevent the unlawful exploitation of Western Sahara’s natural resources and to safeguard the rights of the Sahrawi people.

Garay further noted that Spain, both before and after 1975, played a role in the exploitation of Western Sahara’s resources, including its fisheries, phosphate, sand, and other natural wealth.

He warned that this pattern of exploitation continues through other actors today and emphasized that the Territory’s natural resources should be regarded as the collective heritage of the Sahrawi people rather than as economic assets available for exploitation. (SPS)

090/500/60 (SPS)