Portuguese Labor Union Reaffirms Support for Sahrawi People’s Right to Self-Determination

By HICGI News Agency at 1645 EAT on Tuesday 28 October 2025

Lisbon, Portugal – The General Confederation of Portuguese Workers (CGTP) has reiterated its long-standing support for the Sahrawi people’s struggle and their right to self-determination, reaffirming solidarity with what it described as a “just cause” for freedom and independence.

The declaration was made during a meeting between Mohamed Salem Hama Abdullah, head of foreign relations, cooperation, information, and Sahrawi communities, and Denis Lourenço, an official with the CGTP’s foreign relations and international solidarity department, according to the Sahrawi Press Service (SPS).

The discussions reportedly focused on joint cooperation programs and upcoming initiatives aimed at strengthening ties between the CGTP and Sahrawi labor organizations.

Lourenço underscored the confederation’s commitment to international solidarity, stating that the CGTP’s support for the Sahrawi cause “is rooted in the principles and objectives of the labor movement, which stands with all peoples pursuing justice, dignity, and freedom.”

He also highlighted the Portuguese Parliament’s position in rejecting any proposals that “contradict international law or relevant United Nations resolutions on the decolonization of Western Sahara,” reaffirming Portugal’s adherence to international norms concerning the territory’s status.

Western Sahara, a disputed territory in North Africa, has been the subject of a decades-long conflict between Morocco, which claims sovereignty over the region, and the Polisario Front, which seeks full independence for the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR).

The United Nations continues to advocate for a peaceful resolution through a referendum on self-determination, though progress has remained stalled for years.

While Sahrawi representatives have welcomed Portugal’s labor movement’s continued backing, analysts note that the issue remains deeply sensitive, involving complex regional dynamics and differing international perspectives on sovereignty, autonomy, and decolonization.