The Spanish government has addressed allegations of double standards concerning human rights, directed at Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez by Brahim Gali, the President of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, in a rather generic statement asserting that "Spain supports and defends human rights worldwide." This response seemed intended to sidestep the controversy that arose through accusations made by Gali, who is also the Secretary-General of the Polisario Front. He highlighted what he perceives as a lack of coherence and inconsistency in Sánchez's actions regarding various international conflicts, particularly in the Sahara, where he claims the Spanish leader is turning a blind eye to the human rights violations committed by Morocco.
Notably, the Spanish Foreign Ministry's assertion of a commitment to uphold human rights globally was not accompanied by any condemnation of Morocco for drone strikes that resulted in fatalities just nine days prior. This attack claimed the lives of three Polisario members, including one of their leaders, Lehbib Mohamed Abdelaziz, who was the son of the late former president of the RASD, Mohamed Abdelaziz. Despite the grave nature of these events, the Spanish government has maintained a conspicuous silence.
In contrast, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs publicly condemned the Polisario Front via social media when they fired three projectiles near Esmara, which is illegally occupied by Morocco, although fortunately, there were no fatalities in that incident. This selective response has drawn criticism and was noted with approval in Moroccan media, further highlighting the Spanish government's reluctance to condemn most of Morocco's actions against human rights in the former Spanish province, particularly since the escalation of conflict in 2020.
Last month, all members of the United Left (IU), a coalition partner of the PSOE, presented an initiative in Congress denouncing the regime of King Mohammed VI for committing numerous atrocities in occupied territories, including the murder of civilians and the use of drones against non-combatants. The resolution criticized Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares for failing to issue a condemnation of Morocco's actions, accusing him of exhibiting a damaging bias that threatens the future of the Sahrawi population and their legitimate representative, the Polisario Front.
As reported by abc.es.
