Conference: Western Sahara, Disputed Resources, and the Struggle for Self-Determination

On March 26, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, the Giorgio Prodi Hall at the University of Bologna will host jurists, institutions, and Sahrawi representatives to discuss EU-Morocco agreements and the role of civil society in a debate focused on international law and European responsibilities.

The Sahrawi people: a population living in exile for over 50 years in refugee camps across the Algerian desert.
Western Sahara: their homeland, currently occupied by Morocco, which exploits its natural resources without consent through trade agreements with the European Union.

This complex international issue will be the focus of the conference: “The Question of Western Sahara: European Court Jurisprudence on Trade Agreements. The Role of Citizenship and Solidarity.”
The event is organized by the Department of Political Science at the University of Bologna and CISP, in collaboration with the Emilia-Romagna Region, the Municipality of Albinea, and the associations Rete Saharawi, Nexus Emilia-Romagna, Kabara Lagdaf, and Rete Tifariti. The objective of this public lecture is to engage citizens in reflecting on a crucial point: Europe’s responsibility in finalizing trade deals without the consent of a people whose resources are being exploited in illegally occupied territory. This issue of international law regarding the Sahrawi people’s self-determination is closely linked to the commitment of Italian citizens in providing humanitarian aid to refugees and advocating for legality and peace.

Program and Speakers

The meeting will be opened by Luca Rizzo Nervo, Delegate for Immigration and International Cooperation Policies for the Presidency of the Emilia-Romagna Region, and Giulia Olmi from CISP, representing the associations and local authorities that support the Sahrawi people through political-diplomatic advocacy, human rights monitoring, and social development projects within the refugee camps in Algeria.
Following the opening, Marco Balboni, Professor of International Law at the University of Bologna, will moderate contributions from:

• Alessandra Annoni, Professor of International Law at the University of Ferrara, on the principle of self-determination in Security Council practice.
• Lucio Gussetti, former member of the European Commission’s Legal Service and expert on the EU-Morocco dossier, speaking on “The European Union and the Future of Western Sahara: Between Foreign Policy and the Rule of Law.”
• Sidi Omar, Representative of the Polisario Front to the United Nations in New York, analyzing the ongoing stalemate: “The Right to Self-Determination vs. Realpolitik.” 

A Divided People, Active Solidarity

For over 50 years, the Sahrawi people have lived divided between refugee camps in the Algerian desert and occupied Western Sahara, asserting their right to self-determination and sovereignty. In April, Luca Rizzo Nervo will lead a delegation from the Emilia-Romagna Region to the camps in Algeria to monitor humanitarian interventions supported by regional territorial cooperation. 

Life in the Refugee Camps

Located in the Tindouf region of southwestern Algeria, these camps have hosted the Sahrawi population for five decades while they await the fulfillment of the 1989 UN Peace Plan, which established MINURSO (United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara). Although the UN defined the voter lists and the roadmap for a referendum, the process stalled following Morocco’s withdrawal from the Peace Plan.
The camps are organized into five Wilayas (provinces) named after cities in their homeland: Al Ayun, Smara, Ausserd, Dajla, and Bojador. The population is governed by the institutions of the SADR (Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic), proclaimed in 1976, and the Sahrawi Red Crescent, which coordinates the external aid essential for survival.
The population of 173,600 people (UNHCR, 2018) holds refugee status under the protection of the United Nations, which entitles them to international protection and life-saving humanitarian aid. This assistance is provided by UN agencies, the European Union (ECHO), bilateral cooperation from states such as Italy and Spain, foreign embassies in Algeria, territorial cooperation, and solidarity associations (primarily from Italy and Spain). However, in 2025, following the withdrawal of US funding for UN agencies and budget cuts from other donors, planned aid was reduced by 40%.
Humanitarian aid is primarily organized by UN agencies and the Sahrawi Red Crescent, which coordinate working groups across various sectors of intervention. These groups include all donors and the 18 international NGOs operating in the camps—including CISP—which are themselves organized into a consortium.