Introduction:

The Proclamation of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic was a historical event decided and realized by the people of Western Sahara, under the leadership of POLISARIO Front in the 27th of February 1976, one day exactly after Spain, the former colonial power, unilaterally and suddenly withdrew from the territory without finishing the Decolonization process of Western Sahara as it was entrusted to do by the UN.

Polisario Front, which succeeded by 1975 to gather all Saharawi resistant groups, and including the overwhelming majority of the members of the former Spanish-constituted local Assembly (which was a sort of local parliament constituted by Spain in its colony), declared the constitution of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic as the legitimate government and administration of Western Sahara after the end of the Spanish colonialism.

The Declaration was made public at the same time in Bir Lehlou (Western Sahara), but also in Algiers, Tripoli, Tananarive, Conakry and Bujumbura to give it as much voice as possible. It was also sent to Embassies of all countries in various capitals in Europe, Americas and Africa.

On that occasion, the following Proclamation (text) was issued by the Secretary General of the Polisario, El Ouali Mustapha Sayed, who will become the first President of the Saharawi Republic. He will start it with this sentence which will become a symbolic statement highly sherished by Saharawis:

“In the name of the Saharawi people, and in pursuance of their will, the flag of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic has been raised over the land of Saguiat el-Hamra and Rio de Oro.”

Proclamation Of The First Government Of The Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic

Bir Lahlou, 27 February 1976

In the name of the Saharawi people, and in pursuance of their will, the flag of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic has been raised over the land of Saguiat el-Hamra and Rio de Oro. The birth of an African State with deep roots in the history of our people, with a civilization that spreads over the entire Maghreb was thus proclaimed. The strength of this state stems from the faith of its sons in their right to life and freedom, and its main arm is their determination and perseverance in the struggle.

A new page has been started on which is written the struggle of our people who are today defying the colonialism of the neighboring “brothers”, for by their heroic struggle they brought the previous page of the foreign enemy’s colonialism to an end.

Today the Saharawi people have decided to publicly take an important step: to set up the fundamental institutions arising out of revolutionary legality, essential to succeed in the present struggle for liberty and to exercise truly democratic power.

In carrying out the will of our people the POLISARIO Front, with the unanimous agreement of the Provisional National Saharawi Assembly, decided to constitute a government which will assume responsibilities for the continuation of the battle, raising the flag of the liberation struggle always higher until final victory, which will guarantee peace and security for our people and open before them and brother Arabs and Africans the way to unity and liberation.

On this occasion we renew our commitment to the principles of the United Nations Charter and the Organisation of African Unity, in particular those concerned with defending the rights of human beings, territorial integrity and established frontiers, as a guarantee of African and international peace and security.

We want to draw the attention of the United Nations Organisation, the Organisation of African Unity and the Arab League to their historical responsibility towards a peaceful people, victims of an attempt of extermination, a real genocide.

We put this responsibility before all the peoples of the world, for it is their duty to assist the victims of aggression, so that the imperialist plot will fail.
 At this historical moment when the government of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic has been constituted on national soil and proclaimed at the same time in Algiers, Tripoli, Tananarive, Conakry, Bujumbura, we hold out a friendly hand to the brother peoples of Morocco and Mauritania, to ask them to support our liberation struggle and understand that the future belongs to peoples. We call on them to spare innocent blood by demanding that this war, imposed on us by their regimes to serve foreign interests and personal ambitions, be brought to an end.

We hold out the hand of friendship to all the peoples and States of the world, asking them to support our just struggle and recognize the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic. We state on this occasion our sincere desire to establish friendly relations and co-operation with all States on the basis of mutual respect and national sovereignty.

We are determined to continue the struggle until final victory, whatever the sacrifices may be. For as long as this aggression lasts, until our people have completed the liberation of their national territory, there will be neither peace nor stability in this region.