Distinguished comrades, esteemed fighters, and courageous Saharawi people,
I stand before you today, filled with unwavering hope and indomitable spirit, as we mark the 50th anniversary of the Frente Polisario. It is a momentous occasion, where we reaffirm our commitment to the just struggle of the Saharawi people and declare our unwavering support to their cause. We gather here not only to commemorate the past but to ignite a fire of revolutionary fervor that will guide us towards a future where victory is within reach.
My journey to the Saharawi refugee camp has reinforced what history has taught us time and again: oppressors do not willingly set their captives free. We cannot appeal to the moral values of those who occupy our lands; we cannot expect them to relinquish their grip on power without resistance. The path to liberation is paved with the unwavering determination and active resistance of a united people.
The Frente Polisario has already struck a permanent blow to the predatory forces of Morocco, long before the so-called UN-led negotiations. Let us not be deceived by the illusion of progress through empty talks. The Moroccan authorities are unwilling to relinquish their super exploitation of Saharawi resources. They seek only to humiliate our people and break our spirit of resistance. We have witnessed this same script before, with the evil apartheid regime in South Africa. The Moroccan predators can only be defeated through a revolutionary and liberation war. This is the path that has proven successful in history, and it is the only sure way to break the chains of oppression.
Look to the people of East Timor who did not negotiate with the brutal Indonesian army. Look to the Kenyan people who did not ask for a referendum from the parasitic British imperial army. In both cases, it took a bloody fight, a fight against all odds, to reclaim their freedom. Today, we declare that the Moroccan authorities are dishonest, slandering the Frente Polisario as terrorists in Nairobi while simultaneously engaging in talks under the guise of the UN process. The Saharawi people do not deserve a life of humiliation. We have every right to employ all necessary means to defeat our oppressors.
Let the world bear witness to the brutality of the Moroccan dominance class, who not only oppress the Saharawi people but also their own citizens, including innocent children languishing in Moroccan jails. Such an animalistic regime will not restore dignity to a people they seek to enslave. We know that the Moroccan king will only relinquish Western Sahara when his very statehood and life are under extreme threat. Our duty, comrades, is to make the ailing empire of Morocco shake.
We, the Kenyan people, stand united with our Saharawi brothers and sisters in this noble struggle. We share a common history of resistance against colonial and imperial forces. We understand the price of freedom, and we are prepared to pay it. We will not falter in our support, for the cause of the Saharawi people is just, and victory is within our grasp.
Let our spirits be infused with the unyielding determination of the Mau Mau warriors, who faced the British imperial army and emerged victorious. Let our actions echo the resounding call for freedom and justice, reverberating across the mountains and deserts of Western Sahara. Together, comrades, we shall overcome the Moroccan occupation. Together, we shall build a future where dignity and self-determination are the birthright of every Saharawi child.
Long live the Saharawi people!
Long live the spirit of resistance!
Long live the Frente Polisario!
Solidarity forever!
Booker Ngesa Omole
The National Organizing Secretary of the Central Organizing Committee of the Communist Party of Kenya and the National Chairperson of the Kenya-Western Sahara Solidarity Committee.