The active participation of the Sahrawis in the energy transition experienced by the southern provinces of the Kingdom was highlighted in New York before the 4th Committee of the United Nations General Assembly. Speaking on this occasion, Khadija Ezzawi, renewable energy engineer, originally from the city of Laayoune, stressed that the southern provinces are experiencing the pace of a significant energy transition, noting that she has contributed together with several other Sahrawi engineers in the transformation of the potential energy of these provinces which today have a level of electricity production that exceeds 1,700 megawatts, of which almost 80% comes from renewable energy. Giving his testimony before the 4th commission of the United Nations General Assembly, the rapporteur indicated that, as a young Sahrawi, he was part of the collective efforts aimed at providing sustainable energy solutions for the Moroccan Sahara with enormous potential, which today allow to position this region of the Kingdom internationally in terms of kilowatt hour competitiveness, with first-rate investments. This dynamic has further strengthened the attractiveness of the southern provinces, especially the large cities of Laayoune and Dakhla, she said. He also added that Morocco is working to develop the ultra-high voltage electricity grid on the Agadir-Laâyoune-Boujdour-Dakhla axis, noting that the goal is to prepare these regions for accelerating the production of electricity from renewable sources, to the benefit of the regional economy and local populations. The realization of all these major projects in the Moroccan Sahara is part of the Kingdom’s energy strategy, whose goal is to make this region the forerunner of climate policies that respond to the growing need for renewable energy internationally, particularly in Europe which it is facing. an unprecedented energy crisis, he said, citing the promising high-voltage submarine cable project that will bring green electricity from Morocco’s southern provinces to 7 million households in the U.K. United as many European countries trust Morocco as a partner credible. Ms Ezzawi also noted that while the Sahrawis of the southern provinces of the Kingdom have chosen to exercise their inalienable constitutional right by participating in the democratic management of their affairs within the framework of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Morocco, the people of Tindouf i camps, including women and young people, are exposed to abject living conditions. “The desperation that reigns in these camps makes young people vulnerable” to the criminal networks of the region, she warned her, adding that these populations are abandoned at the mercy of the leadership dictatorship of the separatist armed group of the “polisario”. Host country, “who have an interest in perpetuating the status quo”. In this context, you invited the international community “not to abandon the Sahrawis kidnapped in these camps, forced to live in disastrous conditions, and to serve the destabilizing political agendas of the host country in the region”.
