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Congressional Record—Senate S6634 S6634 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE November 10, 2020 But that is for another day. Right erendum of self-determination should to Western Sahara. Baker worked mul- now, there is a lot President-Elect be held. That is a referendum of self- tiple plans with Morocco and Western Biden can do to break the political log- determination of the people of Western Sahara again. jam fossil fuel money has built: Inves- Sahara. Everyone agreed and planned The most notable—the Houston tigate it, expose it, and then over- to hold that in 1975. Agreement—was signed by Morocco whelm it. Recruit allies to help push Self-determination—merely letting and Western Sahara and recommitted back hard. Give no audience or corner the Sahrawi people decide for them- to the referendum of self-determina- to corporations funding climate ob- selves the imperative principle of ac- tion, planned for 1998. To keep track, struction. Make lobbying groups dis- tion—the right to judge for themselves that is the fourth time that was prom- close who their big donors are so the to be independent or to be a part of Mo- ised. That was promised also by Mo- American citizen isn’t played for a rocco. rocco. chump—the mark in a giant con game. This was just the first promise of a Morocco, recognizing they would If you don’t think big American in- referendum. That was 1975. To date, likely lose the vote, quickly tanked all dustries are capable of committing none have been kept. An International negotiations the next year by declaring massive fraud, read the decision of the Court of Justice opinion from 1975 also they would never accept a referendum Federal judge in the fraud case the agreed that Morocco did not have sov- that included independence as an out- United States won against Big Tobacco ereignty over the land and that a ref- come, despite years of promises. for that scheme of lies or read the deci- erendum of self-determination should It has been called a frozen conflict— sion of the U.S. Circuit Court of Ap- be held. Everyone agreed. That was the where no outcome exists. Yet there is peals upholding her verdict. It took in- second promise. no perceived active conflict. It makes vestigation to get to the truth, not pol- Morocco maintained its unlawful it easy for the rest of the world to for- itics. Indeed, investigation had to claim to their land and after get about it. But to call this a frozen pierce through a fog of industry poli- decolonization, attempted to annex the conflict makes it seem harmless, when tics and lies. But at the end of the day territory with force. That was actually in reality it is anything but that. and, more specifically, at the end of in 1975. Tens of thousands of Sahrawi people the investigation, the truth was out, Western Sahara—officially called the live in refugee camps, primarily in and the truth was massive industry Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Tindouf, Algeria. They have been fraud. through the Polisario, defended their forced from their homes, waiting for a I yield the floor. rights to land. resolution for decades. Allowing this I suggest the absence of a quorum. We are talking about this area right process to stall has cost them a genera- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The here. Morocco is up to the north, in tion of freedom. I have been to those clerk will call the roll. Western Sahara. The independent camps many times. I have been there. I The bill clerk proceeded to call the Western Sahara land that Morocco is have seen it. I have talked to the peo- roll. trying to claim as their own is to the ple. Mr. INHOFE. Madam President, I ask south of that. We are talking about these people unanimous consent that the order for After a decade of violence from Mo- here—the ones who are protesting. the quorum call be rescinded. rocco, the United Nations finally came That is where we have been and talked The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without in, in 1991, and both sides agreed to a to the individuals. And they don’t give objection, it is so ordered. cease-fire and a path forward. Everyone up. They continue generation after Mr. INHOFE. Madam President, I ask agreed. It was called the Settlement generation with the hope that they unanimous consent that I be recog- Plan. It solidified that Morocco and would get their land back. nized as if in morning business for such Western Sahara agreed to hold a ref- Beyond denying the Sahrawi people time as I shall consume. erendum and created the United Na- the right to freedom and self-deter- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without tions Mission for the referendum in mination, the Government of Morocco objection, it is so ordered. Western Sahara. That is called is trying to steal and pillage as much f MINURSO. as possible from the land they have un- For those keeping track, that was lawfully claimed. They are stealing WESTERN SAHARA the third promise. It is worth noting their natural resources, unlawfully Mr. INHOFE. Madam President, last that the United Nations regularly reaf- mining and selling valuable, critical week, while most of the world was fo- firms the 1991 commitment to a ref- minerals—specifically phosphate. They cused on our elections—myself in- erendum for self-determination. This is are illegally fishing in the Western Sa- cluded—and the pending results, a very something that happens on a regular hara’s waters. significant action was taking place basis. And what does Morocco do with these halfway around the world in Western The planned referendum in 1992 never riches? They pay millions of dollars Sahara. Simply put, Morocco chose took place, and the process stalled each year to lobbyists in Washington. that time—likely purposely, when ev- through a cease-fire that was held. Mo- Their goal? To convince the world they eryone was occupied doing other rocco just wouldn’t hold up its end of are innocent and demonize the Sahrawi things—to threaten to push back on the bargain. people. protests by Western Saharans on their Former Secretary of State James The Moroccans believe that they can own land. Baker—it is kind of interesting because wait out the rest of the world. They There they are. These are the pro- back in 1997, he tried to do this again. want us to forget about the human testers. These are people who owned I can remember talking to him—this rights of these people, in this picture, the land, have been there for genera- was several years ago now, about 15 who are peacefully protesting today— tions, and are protesting the problems years ago—saying that sometime we right now—as we are speaking on the they have with Morocco trying to eject have to get this problem resolved. It floor. them from their land. has been hanging out there for genera- They know a frozen conflict benefits It seems simple, but you have to re- tions and decades. He said: Well, good them and hurts the cause of independ- member how we got here. While the luck. We have tried to do everything ence. They know that they can push status of the Sahrawi people is still in we could do. Back at that time, he was the boundaries of what is acceptable. question, what we need to do to is cre- Secretary of State under President That is how we got to this point. That ate a lasting solution. How we got Bush. is why we are here at this point now— here, as West Africa was being He named a special envoy to Western where just a few weeks ago, while the decolonized, Western Sahara was clear Sahara. Baker worked the multiple people of Western Sahara were peace- and declared itself an independent na- plans with Morocco and Western Sa- fully protesting in Guerguerat—that is tion a long time ago. That was despite hara. He thought he could get it done. the region. The Guerguerat region is Morocco’s attempt to claim it as a ter- He was a special envoy way back in down there. It is not even close to Mo- ritory. 1992. rocco. It is down to the south end of In 1966, the United Nations General The former Secretary of State tried Western Sahara. It actually comes into Assembly resolution agreed that a ref- again in 1997. He named a special envoy Mauritania down there. VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:05 Nov 11, 2020 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 4637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G10NO6.016 S10NOPT1 SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE November 10, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6635 That is the area that has the red Morocco is escalating and, left un- victims. They deserve a referendum for square around it. That is what we are checked, they are going to keep their separate termination, and the U.N. is talking about. That is where they are escalation going. The result would be going to have to make this happen. I now. That is where these people are inevitable. We would risk turning back don’t know any other way this can hap- right now. to the times of open conflict. The U.N. pen. Morocco has repeatedly attempted to needs to step up now and enforce their First of all, they have agreed to it, use a road in this region to transport agreement, and the world needs to and the U.N.
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