ZEINA

My Struggle to Get a Good Education

2008-05-02T17:06:00.000-07:00

I asked myself: “What has impacted me the most as a person?” The answer is my journey to get a good education. This journey has made me sacrifice the most precious things in my life: my family, friends and culture. However, it has made me a young woman of dignity by giving me a purpose in life and by opening the doors of unexpected opportunities.
I was born in one of the biggest refugee camps in the world. It is located in the Southwestern Algerian desert, where the temperature can reach 130 degrees Fahrenheit. It was there where my family and I, as victims of a three-decade-long dispute between Western Sahara and Morocco, took shelter. It was there where knowledge about the outside world was lacking, but where there was a hunger for learning and the determination to improve the rate of illiteracy was found. Growing up, all I knew were the hardships of the desert, mud-brick houses, and the tents made of thick, green canvas material. Nevertheless, things took a turn in another direction when I was selected for a special program that takes children who lost their fathers in the war to spend the summer with a Spanish host-family away from the hardship and the heat of the refugee camps.
It was at the age of ten when I made the decision to stay in Spain to begin my education. It was not an easy decision to make after having to leave behind my most beloved ones for twelve years. This decision made me miss the births and the most important stages in the life of my four younger sisters. Not only has this decision made me sacrifice my family, but also my culture, language and values. However, this sacrifice has taught me the most important principles which have helped me to learn how to live in different cultures and to respect their peoples. In addition to that, I built my character and strengthened my beliefs as an independent young woman.
These principles have helped me to be the young women of dignity that I am today by giving me a purpose that has given me a sense of understanding of my own hunger to get a good education. This hunger is the root of my passion and the dream of being one of the first female ambassadors of my nation to help my people in their fight for freedom. This purpose has given me a sense of belonging that makes me appreciate my own ethnicity, culture and language despite the fact that I have not lived with my people for a long time. It has also helped me maintain my language and culture throughout these years
My determination has opened the doors of unexpected opportunities, making the impossible a reality: first, going to Spain to study and later, being one of the first Saharawi to ever come to the USA and graduate from an American high school. This summer, I had the opportunity to read one of my poems in the presence of dozens of congressmen and senators in a reception on Capitol Hill. Similarly, in October of this year, I spoke as a petitioner before the UN’s Fourth Committee as an advocate for my people making me one of the first Saharawi women to do such a thing. Not only have these opportunities allowed me to meet many ambassadors and representatives from around the world, but also allowed me to have a Saharawi diplomatic-traditional tea and make connections with the Saharawi ambassador to the UN. Moreover, I received lectures by the Saharawi Minister of Foreign Affairs. In fact, when I asked him at the end: “What advice would you give to a young woman like me?” he simply said: “Study, study and study very hard, and be a good diplomat for our nation.”
Having analyzed the impact of education on my journey in life, I ask myself yet again: “Do I regret the sacrifice of being away from my beloved ones?” The answer is: No, I do not regret the sacrifice of being away from my family, or any other sacrifice because those sacrifices are what have given me a purpose to pursue my dreams and the opportunity to live an extraordinary life that leaves me with a unique story to tell. Moreover, my journey and the determination to get a good education will have an impact on my people in the refugee camps as well as others of different nations

By Agaila Abba blog freeewesternsahara

The story of my grandmother

2008-01-08T20:47:00.000-08:00

The night has just worn it black coat with bright stars. My grandmother and I sit on the cold-soft dunes of the Algerian desert. She points with her fingers to the wide sky and
starts to explain the Saharawi astronomy. Though she is utterly blind, she still can sense what once was a reality for her. She usually tells me stories at night, some are fairytales and others she considers real. However, on this night she was about to tell me a different kind of story, a story that does not make me fall asleep, but one that wakes me for the rest of my life. It is her story.

Asisa is a widow and a mother of three daughters. Like many women in her time, she got married at the age of twelve, but did not give birth until twenty. The fact that she did not give birth one year after getting married was a big concern amongst her family members. Yet, her husband was understanding and did not divorce her for that reason. As a mother and a wife, her day usually starts very early in the morning by milking the cattle. “Everything was green and the air was so fresh”, she compares the country side of Smara with Smara camp, where she lived for the last three decades. She went on and on telling me about the fantasies of my homeland. She remembers, the great people, who were separated by a wall bigger than the Palestinian separation wall, the beautiful nature and beaches that she will never again enjoy seeing. All the time I would interrupt with a question in an attempt to imagine where she once lived and really loved. Then, the story got twisted. She started to talk about the point that would change her life for ever.

One morning, of January 1976, something unusual happened. Before that day, Asisa heard about the Moroccan army attacking the region and forcing people to move. Nevertheless, no one in the family really paid much attention until they were victims themselves. On that day, the whole Frigg or neighborhood was forced to abandon their properties and village. “They had strange looks and indeed looked unmerciful”, she describes the Moroccan solders. On that instant, her husband, my grandfather went to fight for his people. She and her three daughters and three sons had to cross the desert to seek refuge in Algeria. They had to cross on feet, no camels, cars or any other form of transportation could be used because they were afraid of airplanes dropping bombs on them. During their journey, they could only walk at night and hide behind trees or rocks during the day to take a rest. “Lala and I had to take turns watching for airplanes, while the other ones took a nap”, Asisa recalls. Lala, my mother, was only twelve years old as the oldest child, while Brahim, the youngest was eight months. Three days later, they run out of food and water since they could carry limited amounts. So, they had to survive on whatever they found in the naked desert. Not long after that, unfortunately, Brahim died of dehydration. Still, they had to continue or worse could happen. Just another two days after that, while taking a break, the other two young boys died on a landmine explosion. “Half of the family was gone. It was a true devastation and heartbreaking”, she tells with tears in her eyes. The tragedy did not end here. As my tears continue to drop, she says: “and then I lost my sight”. On the following day, as they continue their journey, an airplane dropped a bomb before them. Since my grandmother was in the front, some of the ashes got in her eyes and she lost her sight for ever. Nevertheless, they could not stop or else all of them die. With a smile and tears in her eyes, she says: “the next day two men came on a truck and took us to the camps.” A month after they arrived the refugee camps in the southern west of the Algerian desert, she got the message of her husband’s death in one of the battles.

A widow and no sight, Asisa had to take care of her three daughters in the harsh conditions of the Hamada. For me, she is the example of courage and just struggle. Despite all of that she gone through and three decades in one of the most inhospitable corners, she still hopes to go back to her homeland. “They [Moroccans] may have weapons, guns and airplanes; we [Saharawis] have patience and determination”, she always tells me. This is the story of my grandmother, which many other Saharawi women share.

Who I admire the most and Why?

2008-01-08T20:43:00.001-08:00

When a nation gives birth to a man who is able to produce a great thought, another is born who is able to understand and admire it”, Joseph Joubert. Have you ever thought of the person who you admire the most, and have you thought of the reasons why you admire that person? I asked those same questions to myself. Who do I admire, and why?” I realized that the person I admire the most is my Grandfather. I admire him because he’s the foundation of my life. I also admire him for being a freedom fighter and for being the best teacher I ever had.

When I was growing up my mother left to visit my father’s side of our family in a different city. The visit lasted for six months. While she was gone I was under the care of my grandfather. He was the one who made sure I didn’t need anything and he also made sure I was going to school everyday as well as doing my homework. My grandfather had a large part of raising me because I was with him in this important stage of my life. He was with me when I needed a person to be my father, mother, and my teacher. He was all this and more, not only for these six months, but for all of my life. I call him the foundation of my life because he have built my life on the principles that he taught me and for this I am so very thankful to him and I admire him dearly.

He wasn’t only the foundation of my life, but also he was a freedom fighter for my country. In 1976 he fought in the war between the Western Sahara, and Morocco. He left his family and his new bride when he went to war. This war cost him his sight, his legs, and his health. He made this sacrifice because of his belief in freedom for my nation, and for my people. He also fought for the rights of women in our society as well as in my family. He instructed the elderly men of our family and tribe to release the young women from arranged marriages, and encouraged the women to pursue their dreams and to study no matter if it was in the refugee camps or abroad. He’s the reason why I am here today, and why I have such determination to pursue my dreams of an education, and to build a future for myself, my family and my nation. He was the one who believed and fought for the principle of freedom and through that he became my inspiration to do the same. For this I admire him greatly.

Along with being the Foundation, and Freedom fighter he was also my teacher. A teacher that taught me the most important principles of life, respect for others, integrity and character. Those principles have become my best friend in everyday life. Not only did he teach me those principles, but he also taught them to every single member in my family. Because of his gifts my family, tribal members and our leaders rely on his intelligence, wisdom, and his knowledge of the history of our nation, tribe, and the customs of my culture. While I was growing up I have always saw my grandfather’s tent full of people, young and old, listening to his lectures. I also saw many elderly people from my tribe coming and asking him for advice and his blessing on important occasions like a child’s birth, wedding or resolution to a conflict between tribes. He was always trusted with such things. Because of this I have come to love him, and respect him very much.

I have come to admire my grandfather because he has shaped my life and given me my core values. He gave me the strength and courage to face the difficult situations that I encounter. He has shown me the importance of helping other people and sacrificing for others. He has been my guide and inspiration. For these reasons I admire my grandfather. So as Joseph Joubert said “one person is born who is able to introduce great thoughts, and another is born to understand, and admire them.” Let us be the ones who understand the thoughts of the people who we admire the most, and through this understanding and admiration grow into the person that they would be proud of.

From the Blog Free Western Sahara by Agaila Abba Hemeida

Hijab: danger or respect?

2007-12-24T10:29:00.000-08:00

I always wondered how much one can tell about the others from the way they dress. Does it tell you anything about their personality, their social life or whether they are terrorists or not? To me, the answer is: “no.” However, from my personal experience, it seems that that it is not the case for everyone. I have been called socially awkward, a terrorist and stupid simply because of the way I decided to dress. In this essay, I attempt to explore my own experience to better understand how someone can be misunderstood or misjudged from the way she/he dresses.
Eight years ago, after a very long and hot summer day, I was sitting in the shade of my tent in the Saharawi refugee camps in southern Algeria, trying to revise the verses we covered that week in my Qur’an class. The Qur’an is the holy book for the Muslim belief. It is our primary source of information on how to carry out the message that was sent to us from Allah (God). There are things that are not explicit enough, which are then farther explained in the Hadeeth or the prophet Mohamed’s sayings and deeds. While drowned in many other thoughts including the next school year and flipping the pages, a section called Al-Noor (light in Arabic) shone on the page. After reading it, my whole life seemed to have brightened up. I finally discovered it after six years of studying the Qur’an. I found it myself, and no one told me about it. It was the section about Hijab. Hijab is dressing modest and being respectful to one’s self and to their creator. I decided not to start wearing it immediately that summer because of the difficulties I would face from my family and community. I, thus, started wearing it when I went back to boarding school in northern Algeria, for it was easier since most people wear it there. When I first put it on, I felt all the respect and security in the whole world. I then felt free and comfortable walking around without any Algerian giving the usual looks: “Why doesn’t she have some respect for herself?”

Somewhere in the back of my mind I was aware of some of the challenges I would face as a young Muslim wearing the Hijab. However, it never occurred to me my own society’s reaction and especially that of my family and community members. Despite the fact that my society is Muslim, very few Islamic rules are followed and Hijab is just one of them. When I arrived home after a four days long trip in the bus from my school in the north to the camps in southern Algeria, the first thing I received after “welcome back” was criticism. The first person said: “You have become like them [extremist Muslims or commonly known terrorists]”, and then my aunt agreed: “Yes, this is the way they brain wash your young generation.” My grandmother had a whole different approach to it. Even though she was blind and obviously could not see how I was dressing, immediately I was fully described to her by my younger aunt. She then went on to say: “This is not our culture, this is not Islam. Islam is to pray five times a day and fast if you ‘can’.” It seemed that I was coming up with new ‘Islam’. All of these comments entered one ear and left the other. I was and I am still very certain and confident that the decision I made is the best for me.
My first victim was a Spanish security officer. Four years ago, when I first arrived to Murcia in southern Spain for vacation, I encountered my first foreign victim. While waiting for the bus leaving to the main city, I decided to check out the shops in the airport. I was walking in my long white skirt and my head covered with a matching scarf. Then, I saw him approaching closer and closer. When he arrived, he grabbed my hand without asking any questions and took me to the nearest office. He took my bags and documents and asked me what I was doing in the airport, which I found very silly to ask because what else do you do in the airport apart from being a passenger waiting for your next plane or bus to the city! I decided to answer him in plain and simple English and I said: “I am coming for vacations to Murcia.” He seemed lost; perhaps she is threatening me, and so he ran to bring an interpreter but asked someone to look after me until he came back. I then turned back to the appointed ‘guard’ and asked him in Spanish what was wrong with the officer: “Que pasó con él?” He looked at me with great surprise and told me that he went to get someone to translate for me. When the officer came back with an interpreter, I started to speak to him in Spanish and told him the purpose of my visit, yet he still insisted in searching my belongings and performing some security ‘check-ups’. He was not the only security officer that behaved in the exact some way ever since I started traveling in Europe and other parts of the world. Moreover, it was also the public that look at me in suspicion when walking in the street or even worse when I am running my four miles runs in the mornings.

To conclude with, from my experience, not have I learned how to deal with misunderstanding situations, but I also found out that these clashes can happen between different cultures and within the same culture. For instance, in my case I was misunderstood within my Muslim-Arab society and also by Europeans. Moreover, it is very important that one explains her/his situation when such misunderstanding takes place. Similarly, confidence and patience are the best solutions in most of the cases. Hence, if you believe in your decision, go ahead and do it but be aware of the challenges and obstacles in life.

Note : The viewpoint of Author doesnt reflect with the Zeina Staff viewpoint

Language evolution and cultural transitions

2007-12-24T10:11:00.000-08:00

Hassaniya, is it a language, a dialect, both or neither? Where is it spoken and who speak it? These are the common questions directed to me when I say that I speak Hassaniya. They are valid and good questions and the answer is in the past, the present and the future of the culture and the language. The reason Hassaniya has been hard to classify is because of its evolution over time. Moreover, it is not only the case for this language/dialect, which is spoken in Northwest Africa, but also many other languages. Language and culture commonly are hard to separate and in some cases the first is referred to as the carrier of the latter. I always believed in the analogy for one very important reason, which is the fact that both have been evolving of overtime and are affected by time and the surrounding cultural environment. Moreover, language is the mechanism through which we inherit history and culture, and then each individual word functions as a type of gene. In this essay, I attempt to highlight the mechanism by which language is evolving just like a gene and also the complexity of the process of passing on a language.
The analogy that language is like a gene is true in the sense that like genes, language is inherited through parental lineage. We get the language from our parents who got it from theirs and then we pass it on to our children, and they in terns pass it on to the next generation. Moreover, languages undergo changes or mutations genetically speaking. These mutations can be both positive and negative. As for genes, they mutate to give new traits that make an individual unique and different or leads to a disorder that may be fatal to the carrier. In addition, these mutations are caused by external factors such as radiation. Similarly, language changes over time. These changes can be both positive and negative. Languages adopt new words due to the influence of other languages, which is in some cases due to technological advancement and the invention of new techniques and equipments. However, languages are affected by other external factors that lead to the disappearance of that language over time. One of the most important factors – I believe – is that of colonialism. Like radiation which can destroy a chromosome, colonialism can erase the language and its culture.
In most of the Arab world, the official language is Arabic, but how many people do actually speak Arabic, which is referred to as classical Arabic? Very few people do! Each country has its own unique dialect, which is a mixture of Arabic and other languages. In my country, we speak Hassaniya, which is a mixture of Arabic, Spanish, French, Swahili and English. Very few Arabs understand me when I speak it because it is the least close to the classical Arabic and that is due to the colonial powers we experienced. Hassaniya has traditionally been transmitted orally from one generation to the next. It has been the responsibility of each and every individual to carry on this spoken language or else it would have died centuries ago. In addition, it has undergone many changes and transitions, in the same way the culture has evolved. Furthermore, language, any language has a dual character: it is both a means of communications and a carrier of culture. Like many other spoken languages, Hassaniya has mainly been inherited through storytelling. The stories told are the ones that teach lessons and so the parents choose which ones to tell their children. In this sense, the parents have been able to control what aspect of culture they want to pass on to their children.
There are so many aspects to culture, ranging from language, music, history to simply the food. For this, describing language as a gene may be not an accurate analogy because language is much more complex than just a gene. For instance, parents are able to choose and control what aspect of their culture to pass on the next generation, whereas, they cannot decide what genes their children should inherit. Moreover, people can learn a new language and adapt to new culture, meanwhile, it is impossible for one to adapt a new gene and hence new trait. For instance, one cannot change his/her eye color or hair color. However, it is easy for a person to speak multiple languages and experience many different cultures. Moreover, the geopolitics, religion and personal interests affect the culture. For instance, people may be from the same culture but have different music taste and like different foods.
In conclusion, culture is determined by many factors and language is the most important one of them. The latter has been affected over time, which in terns has big impacts on the nature of the corresponding culture. Hence, on the one hand, language is like the human body and each word is a cell that renews its self. On the other hand however, culture is a hard and complex concept to analyze. These complexities give birth to a unique and diverse culture.

Saharawi Women and Their Struggle for Independence

2007-12-24T10:00:00.000-08:00

In the recent years, Africa has been perpetuated in the media – both TV and print – as the symbol of poverty, hunger and oppression. The situation of women especially has been misinterpreted and they are seen as uneducated and uninvolved in the social and political construction of their prospective societies. The people of Africa we hear about and see in the media are starving refugee women and children. In this paper, I would like to present another image of African refugees as an example of women’s important role in the society. The purpose of this research paper is to look at how the Saharawi (natives of the Western Sahara) women have both directly and indirectly participated in the struggle for independence of the Western Sahara. I also attempt to look at the social structure that helped create an environment where more women are becoming involved and empowered. Through personal experience and examples of women who have lived first hand in this erupted region, I hope to give insight into the important role that women have played in more than three-decade-long struggle.
I come from the biggest refugee camp in the world. It has existed for such a long time in such a remote place that I imagine most people elsewhere do not even know about it. I belong to the Saharawi people of Western Sahara, a country currently occupied by Morocco. Western Sahara is situated in the desert region of northwest Africa and it is rich in minerals and oil. It is bordered from the north by Morocco, from the south by Mauritania, from the east by Algeria and Mauritania and from the west by the Atlantic Ocean. This region used to be a Spanish colony for over a century. When the Spaniards left the country, the people did not celebrate their independence for more than a couple of months when both Morocco and Mauritania doubly invaded the territory in 1975 (Hodges 5). Three years later, Mauritania withdrew and Morocco took over the entire region. After sixteen years of violence, which led to the death of hundred of thousands, the kingdom of Morocco and the Polisario Front: the Movement for the Liberation of Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro signed a cease-fire in 1991. Three decades later, this conflict is still to be solved and more than 200,000 refugees still remain in the Algerian desert (Hodges 8).
Historically in the Saharawi nomadic life, women have been involved in many leadership positions in the society. Unlike in many Muslim and Arab societies, Saharawi women could inherit property and could subsist independently of fathers, brothers and husbands (Lippert 638). Moreover, women ruled the tents and played a major role in tribal life. Since most men spent a lot of time away from the frig (a group families or a camp) warring or trading, it was the women who had the full responsibility for everything. They watched over the cattle, took care of the children, the guests and the community as a whole. Moreover, women were the ones consulted when it came to tribal decision-making. There are historical accounts of women’s direct participation in the ait Arbeen’s meetings. Ait Arbeen used to be the highest political and social constitution in the Saharawi society and it was made up of representatives from the forty tribes in the region. In these meetings many issues are discussed concerning matters in the frig as well as in the nation as a whole. Similarly, it was the mothers and the grandmothers who decided upon the value of dowry for the wedding of any girl. Although, most if not all marriages were arranged amongst families and the girls were not to be consulted. This in one way was a struggle for young girls and so nowadays arranged marriages are becoming less common.
When the Polisario Front was founded to fight against Spanish colonialism, Saharawi women responded immediately and started participating in this struggle. The women’s first activities were conventional. They started recruiting their husbands and sons to join the front, provided shelter for the Saharawi Popular Liberation Army (SPLA) members and contributed materially to aid the struggle. Later on, their role widened and they founded the National Union of Saharawi Women (NUSW) in 1974, which participated alongside with the Polisario Front militarily and politically (Lippert 642). When the bloody war started between Morocco and the Polisario guerilla fighters, women from the NUSW were ready to take action. Many young women took up arms and started to fight with the SPLA militants. In addition, they guarded prisoners captured during the war. One of the first martyrs of the war was Chaia Ahmed Sein who was a woman. Moreover, the death of several women was occasionally reported from the different battles between the Front and the Moroccan army. In addition, Saharawi women soldiers took charge of people fleeing the major towns of the Western Sahara for refuge in the Algerian desert. They were the ones who organized shelter, supplies and protection for the refugees who were primarily women and children.
Now in the camps, women play the most important role in all sectors. The Saharawi refugee camps in southern Algeria are 90% women and children (Lawless et al. 190). This is due to the fact that the majority of able men joined Polisario Front’s army and were fighting against Morocco. It was the women who created the camps and still are the most responsible ones in all aspects of life for the refugees. Saharawi women occupy most of the basic jobs in the camps: education, administration and health. At the present, it is believed that more than 90% of the teachers are women. In contrast, in the early years of the camp, there were only two women teachers because females were not allowed to study during the Spanish colonialism. Similarly, the majority of the nurses are females; there are also few female doctors who earned their degrees in foreign countries such as Cuba. My mother for instance graduated from a Libyan university with a degree in education and so she has been a teacher for over twenty years in the camps. In addition, she was just elected as a primary school director this year. This is also very common amongst women nowadays. Despite the fact that all jobs are unpaid, everyone work for the good of the whole community. They all want their children to be the future generation of a free Western Sahara and build an independent nation like other countries. In the same way, my neighbor is currently one of the two surgeons in the camps. She studied in Cuba for twenty-four years and came back to serve the community.
Furthermore, not only are women actively involved in the social construction of life in the camps, but also are involved in the political arena as well. As my grandmother recalls, in the early days of the creation of the camps, women had to start building it from literally nothing. For this, the NUSW has played a major role in the political formation in the camps. The camps are divided into four provinces (Willaya) named after the major cities in the occupied territories of Western Sahara. Each Willaya is subdivided into Daira or camp with a population of about 5,000 people (Lerner 9). The political makeup of each Willaya is entirely in the hands of women, especially in the Dairas. Every four years, a mayor is elected for the Willaya, who is a man in most cases with the exception of Smara, which is the province I live in. It was the first one to have a women mayor in the early 1990s, as my grandmother told me. Nevertheless, the heads of all Dairas are women, who are elected yearly from a group of candidates. In contrast, women’s representation in higher political position is quite small. Currently, there is only one woman-minister who is the minister of culture and sport and there are about two women ambassadors in Germany and Kenya.
In the present, women are fighting in other forms, which is that of education. Sadly enough, there are much fewer women studying abroad than men. However, the ones who have the opportunity are carrying on with the struggle of their mothers and grandmothers. I was born in a refugee camp and have lived as refugee my whole life. I was born in a tent, where seven members of my family still live. The temperature can climb to 125 degrees Fahrenheit. It rains once or twice a year. We get everything from food to cloths from International Humanitarian Aid. Due to unavailability of educational facilities, at the age of eight I had to leave my family to attend a boarding school in northern Algeria, thousands of miles away from my camp. I would come back only for the summer break to see them. After that, I was selected as the first Saharawi to study in United World Colleges in Norway for two years, and now I am yet the first Saharawi woman to ever attend Mount Holyoke College. I represent a group of women who are fighting for a country they have never seen but strongly believe in justice for its people.
The role Saharawi women play internationally is very crucial to the Saharawi struggle for independence because this struggle in general and that of women specifically is virtually unheard of in most parts of the world. As a representative of the Saharawi women, I try to talk about our struggle in the small scale with my friends at the lunch table and on the big scale when speaking before the UN Fourth Committee. In addition, I got the opportunity to give presentations both in Norway and now in the USA about the current situation of the conflict in general and women in particular. Moreover, it is – I believe – the new generation that would make a difference for this on-going struggle.
Women around the world have struggled over centuries for many rights and equal opportunities with the dominant males. Saharawi women, on the contrary, did not have to go through that stage. Nonetheless, they had to struggle for another type of right, which is that of freedom and independence for their country. Saharawi women have played and still play a major role in the liberation of Africa’s last colony: Western Sahara. Over the course of these thirty-three years, Saharawi women have developed many skills, ranging from military to education. In addition, they have gained power in many aspects of life: political, educational and most importantly social. These skills will hopefully help in the development and the creation of free Western Sahara. The occupation of Western Sahara may have been the greatest factor in pushing the Saharawi women to excel in the society compared to many women in the Arab world. This is to say, if life and the situation in the country had been easier there might have not been the need to push the women to do as well. Hence, one of the biggest questions is would the Saharawi women have been in the position they are in today had their country not been occupied?

The Lights of Smara

2007-11-15T20:04:00.000-08:00

A clear night in the liberated zone and the stars as numberless as the grains of sand on the ground.
Staring out into the night I see the lights of Smara glowing in the darkness far away with the luminescence of life of the people that live there.

Families, eating together or sleeping, talking and reading.
I Imagine them, so near to me and yet so far away.
For between us is the Wall that has split our families for 30 years.
The stone and sand, the mines and barbed wire, the soldiers and guns – all reminders of what we’ve lost and how far we are from where we should be.
On nights like this it is the most painful time when you could almost believe that you could walk home out of the desert towards those lights and to the families you’ve left behind.

But it might as well be another world – for all its seeming tangibility it is occupied – waiting to be free.
And so we wait as well, in the liberated zone, in the camps for our return – for our freedom.
We wait to see our families again but all we can see of them now are the lights of Smara.

About the Author

Fred is a Law student at Nottingham University in the UK and he is studying Human Rights. He likes to use poetry to express his feelings about different situations in the world and Western Sahara is one of them. He believes and supports the Saharawi people right to self-determination. He also think that the Saharawi culture should be celebrated and affirmed.

STATEMENT BY THE FRENTE POLISARIO BEFORE THE IV COMMIITTEE

2007-11-15T19:52:00.000-08:00

Mr. President, Honourable Representatives of the UN Member States
On behalf of the Frente POLISARIO, I would like to thank you for giving me this opportunity to address this important Committee on Decolonisation.

Mr. President,
A part of my country, Western Sahara, remains under the illegal occupation of Morocco since 1975.

The Saharawi people have been undertaking a legitimate struggle for their freedom against the occupation and oppression of the occupying power while having full faith in the UN responsibility for eradicating colonialism in all its forms. In 1991, after a protracted war of 16 years, the international community persuaded Morocco to accept the holding of a referendum on self-determination which includes the option of independence. To this end, different peace plans were elaborated such as the Settlement Plan of 1991, the Houston Accords of 1997 and the Baker Plan of 2003. All were approved by the Security Council and accepted by the Frente POLISARIO.

Morocco’s obstruction to the first two plans and rejection to the last one coupled with its persistent policy of violating human rights in the occupied Territory are elements that have caused and continue to cause great damage to the prospects of peace and the UN credibility.

Following its rejection of Baker Plan in 2004, Morocco now is trying to implicate the UN in a process aimed at legitimising its illegal occupation of our country. Its proposal of autonomy for Western Sahara within the framework of what it unilaterally calls “Morocco’s sovereignty” implies, from the outset, the precondition of considering the territory as an integral part of Morocco. This precondition is contradicted by the facts and by international law.
Morocco has no sovereignty over Western Sahara and is not even its legal administering power. Western Sahara is a Non-Self-Governing Territory in the list of the Committee of 24 that is under an illegal occupation. Therefore, its future cannot be decided by the occupying power but by the people of the Territory in conformity with the UN doctrine with regard to decolonisation.

It is on this basis, and with the aim of overcoming the stalemate, that the Frente POLISARIO presented to the UN Secretary-General, on 10 April 2007, a proposal of a just and lasting political solution that provides for the right of the Saharawi people to self-determination (see annex). This proposal, of which the Security Council has taken note, is predicated fundamentally on two pillars:

First, it stresses the inescapable need for a referendum on self-determination that includes the options already agreed on by the two parties and endorsed by the United Nations, namely independence, integration, or autonomy for the Territory. Morocco’s proposal has been thus taking into account. The cases of East Timor and Tokelau proved that all options are possible provided that the peoples of the territories under a decolonization process are given the chance to freely decide their future. Why Morocco is allergic to this democratic exercise?
Second, with the prospect of the independence of Western Sahara as a result of this referendum, the Frente POLISARIO will offer Morocco the valuable opportunity to negotiate today the bases for establishing strategic relations between the two countries in security, economic, social and commercial domains.

On 30 April 2007, the Security Council adopted resolution 1754 (2007) in which it called upon both parties “to enter into negotiations without preconditions in good faith with a view to achieving a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara” (OP 2). It took note of the two proposals, which are equal in value. There is no proposal of first class and one of economic class.

In the context of this resolution, high level delegations of the Frente POLISARIO and of the Government of Morocco held two rounds of negotiations, under the UN Secretary-General’s auspices, in Manhasset in June and August. A third round is expected to take place by the end of this year.

Mr. President,
The Frente POLISARIO has fully cooperated with the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy, Mr. Van Walsum, in the setting in motion and the continuation of the negotiating process. We have already responded positively to his proposals regarding the location, time, and agenda of the third round. We would like these negotiations to achieve success, a success that is predicated on the respect for certain fundamental principles and benchmarks that are laid down by the General assembly for more than 40 years and reaffirmed in the Security Council resolution 1754 on Western Sahara.

First, we are dealing with a decolonisation question in the agenda of this Committee. Consequently, the full meaning and scope of the right to self-determination should be respected and priceless efforts were made in this direction. However, Morocco decided to undermine all UN peace plans based on this principle, including those which were accepted by Morocco itself. Encouraged by this and by an ostensible degree of impunity, it has, these last years, directed its efforts to try to weaken the role and responsibilities of the UNGA toward a question of decolonization by using, and abusing of, its own notion of consensus. What is disturbing in all this is the fact that Morocco has clearly shown that it had not had and has no intention today to comply with any UN resolution adopted by this Assembly or by the Council aimed at assuring the decolonization of Western Sahara. The passing of thirty two years proved this.

Second, the direct negotiations between the two parties should be carried out in good faith. However, we witnessed in Manhasset provocations and selective readings of the terms of the SC resolution 1754 which were reiterated yesterday before this committee. Third, the ultimate objective of this process is to ensure the exercise by the Saharawi people of their right to self-determination. In this exercise it will be the Saharawi people that will decide, in a free and sovereign manner, whether they want to be an independent nation, or whether they want the territory to be an integral part of, or autonomy within, the Kingdom of Morocco. This is the most democratic and legal way to go forward in the right direction.

We are still hopeful that the third round of negotiations would mark a qualitative development of the decolonization process as a whole, and that, this time, Morocco would come to it with good faith to implement what the international community has been calling for since the sixties, namely a free and fair referendum on self-determination for the people of Western Sahara.

Thank you!

Agaila's statement to the UN IV Committee

2007-11-07T18:56:00.000-08:00

Mr. Chairman and members of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee,

It a great honor to be here today as an advocate for the Saharawi people.
My name is Agaila Abba. I was born in one of the biggest refugee camps in the world. It is located in southwestern Algeria, where the temperature can reach 130 degrees. It has existed for 32 years. When I was two years old my father was killed in the war between Morocco and Western Sahara. Losing my father was one of the hardest things that I had gone through in my life. Not only did I lose my father, but I have also suffered hearing lost. While growing up in the camps I had ear infections, doctors later found that the infections had affected my eardrums and actually became a life threatening. Fortunately I came to the Untied States where surgery was performed on both of my ears.
In addition to this loses it was hard to see my mother, a widow suffering from heart problems, having to take care of my brother and me all by herself. Sometimes she did not have food to give us to eat or clothes to wear. My family and I were not the only ones who had to go through this kind of hardship. Our neighbors experienced this along with thousands of other Saharawi people. I saw them suffer in the inhospitable conditions of the refugee camps. I saw them suffer when rain caused flooding, destroying our mud houses and tents and leaving thousands of Saharawis homeless. I saw them suffer because of the lack of food, medicine and shelter. I saw babies die right after birth without a chance to enjoy the life that they were meant to live. I saw mothers losing their husbands and sons and daughters, and children losing their parents and spending their lives as orphans.
Not only are the Saharawi people in the refugee camps suffering, but also the Saharawis in the occupied territory. People from all ages are tortured and put in prisons. They are tortured with electric shocks, given drugs and humiliated while being interrogated by the Moroccan Police. Women have been taken away from their children and unjustly imprisoned, and missing their most important stage of growth. The Saharawi identity and culture is ridiculed and made fun of, and they are insulted with the most disgusting words that could exist in our world today.
Mr. Chairman and the members of the Committee
All this violence by the Moroccan Police is becoming part of the Saharawi people’s daily life. It is making it difficult to walk in the street because the fear for their lives and the lives of their loved ones. This past year many human rights organizations have published reports that showed the evidence of human right violations that the Moroccan regime has been committing against the Saharawis in the occupied territory. Saharawis have been beaten, tortured and imprisoned because they raised the Saharawi flag or they spoke against the Morocco’s illegal occupation of Western Sahara. This occupation started with the Green March in 1975. An occupation that bombed, shut, raped, burned and destroyed when it started and it continues today.
An Occupation that took our land and left us homeless.
An Occupation that has forbidden the beauty of our freedom.
An Occupation that took the blessing of our resources and left us dependent on humanitarian aid.
An Occupation that forced the separation of our nation, half in the occupied territories and half in the refugee camps; both waiting for the promised referendum to self-determination. A referendum that would allow us to return to a free Western Sahara. This promise gave us a hope of freedom, returning our smile back by bringing so much hope and joy that we celebrated this promise by raising our flag, turbans and Melfas that night when we heard on the national radio about the agreement for a national referendum. When we heard about the referendum we started packing our few belonging, thinking that our long nightmare of waiting would be over, and that our dream of returning to our land to see our beloved ones soon would become true. But that dream was crushed and the nightmare continues just as it has for the past 32 years and leaving thousands of Saharawi people, men and women, old and young waiting without a future.
Mr. Chairman and the members of the Committee
Even as the nightmare continues daily, marking it own dark history, using its own hand to crush our dreams with a goal of taking our hopes away and making the Saharawi people wait in the heat of the sun for a promise of the referendum that hangs in the air leaving its own truth and principle of doing justice against colonialism, against the occupation and giving the people the key of liberation and the gift of self-determination. Even to this day we have not lost hope. This hope is the determination that is written in the hearts of every Saharawi person.
As Martin Luther King said a half century ago “I have a dream today.” We the Saharawi have a dream today, for the present moment and for the future, for our children of the upcoming generations.
A dream to overcome the root of the nightmare.
A dream to restore the beauty of our Saharawi identity.
A dream to celebrate our Saharawi culture without being insulted.
A dream to govern our resources and the ability to be able to share it with the widows and orphans.
A dream to see our children’s smile again and have a nation to call their own
Again as Martin Luther King said half century ago“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed” We [the Saharawi] also have a dream today to see the rise of our colorful flag and to see freedom reigns in our capital city of Layooun in a Free Western Sahara soon.
Thank you for your attention!

2007-11-07T18:55:00.000-08:00

Question of Western Sahara

Draft resolution

The General Assembly,

Having considered in depth the question of Western Sahara,
Reaffirming the inalienable right of all peoples to self-determination and independence, in accordance with the principles set forth in the Charter of the United Nations and General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960 containing the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples,
Recognizing that all available options for self-determination of the Territories are valid as long as they are in accordance with the freely expressed wishes of the people concerned and in conformity with the clearly defined principles contained in General Assembly resolutions 1514(XV) of 15 December 1960, 1541(XV) of 15 December 1960 and other resolutions of the General Assembly,
Recalling its resolution 60/114 of 8 December 2005
Recalling also all resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council on the question of Western Sahara,
Recalling further Security Council resolutions 658 (1990) of 27 June 1990, 690 (1991) of 29 April 1991, 1359 (2001) of 29 June 2001, 1429 (2002) of 30 July 2002, 1495 (2003) of 31 July 2003, 1541 (2004) of 29 April 2004, 1570 (2004) of 28 October 2004, 1598 (2005) of 28 April 2005, 1634 (2005) of 28 October 2005, 1675 (2006) of 28 April 2006 and 1720 (2006) of 31 October 2006,
Welcoming the adoption of Security Council resolution 1754(2007) of 30 April 2007,
Expressing its satisfaction that the parties have met on 18 and 19 June and on 10 and 11 August 2007 under the auspices of the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General and in the presence of the neighbouring countries and they have agreed to continue the negotiations,
Calling upon all the parties and the States of the region to cooperate fully with the Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy and with each other,
Reaffirming the responsibility of the United Nations towards the people of Western Sahara,
Welcoming in this regard the efforts of the Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy in search of a mutually acceptable political solution for the dispute, that will provide for self-determination of the people of Western Sahara,
Having examined the relevant chapter of the report of the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples,
Having also examined the report of the Secretary-General,
1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General;
2. Supports strongly Security Council resolution 1754(2007) by which the Council called upon the parties to enter into negotiations, without preconditions in good faith, taking into account the developments of the last months, with a view to achieving a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara;
3. Welcomes the ongoing negotiations between the parties held on 18 and 19 June and on 10 and 11 August 2007 in the presence of the neighbouring countries under the auspices of the United Nations;
4. Commends the efforts undertaken by the Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy for the implementation of Security Council resolution 1754(2007), encourages the parties to continue to show political will and spirit of cooperation in support these efforts and to create the propitious atmosphere for dialogue and for the success of the negotiations;
5. Calls upon the parties to cooperate with the International Committee of the Red Cross and urges them to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law;
6. Requests the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples to continue to consider the situation in Western Sahara and to report thereon to the General Assembly at its sixty-third session;
7. Invites the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its sixty-third session a report on the implementation of the present resolution

Senia's statement to the UN IV Committee

2007-11-07T18:51:00.000-08:00

Mr. Chairman, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good Afternoon!

First of all, allow me to thank you for giving me this opportunity to speak here today before you all on behalf of the Saharawi people in general and the youth specifically. My name is Senia Bachir Abderahman. I am a Saharawi student at Mount Holyoke College, a college that brings young and determined women from allover the world to share, teach and make a difference in the world today.
Four years ago, after a very long and hot summer day, I was sitting in the shade of my tent in the Saharawi refugee camps in southern Algeria, trying to figure out the best way to gain the highest grades in my high school final exams that would eventually allow me to be one of the first Saharawi women to graduate from an Algerian Medical School. At that time, I had one dream; I wanted my people to be free and independent. But I did not exactly know how to go about it, perhaps becoming a doctor was the best option. While drowned in these thoughts, two ladies who did not look Saharawis and a man approached my tent. They asked me whether this was Senia’s family tent and I replied: “yes.” From then, things took a turn to a direction that never was in the back of my mind. The two ladies told me that I was nominated as a candidate for a two years program in an international high school called United World College (UWC). After a long process of writing application, sitting for a written exam and making interviews, I was selected as the first Saharawi student to attend the UWC in Norway. Not only have these two years gave me the greatest insight on the world today and its dynamics, but also give me a better understanding of the Western Sahara issue and what needs to be done about it. For this, I decided to be the voice for those who do not have a voice; the Saharawi Youth.
Since the Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara took place in 1975, the Moroccan government has systematically violated international law, the resolutions of the United Nations and the Geneva Conventions by refusing the Sahrawi people their right to self-determination, by importing several hundred thousand Moroccan settlers into the occupied territories of Western Sahara and by humiliating the Saharawi citizens through imprisonment of thousands, and the "disappearance" of hundreds.
Mr. Chairman
Given that the protest of the Sahrawis in general and the youth specially in the occupied territories of Western Sahara have been focused on the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination and freedom from the Moroccan occupation, it is important to remember that this right has been recognized through various United Nations Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, as well as in the agreements signed between the kingdom of Morocco and the Polisario Front. For instance, the 1991 peace plan stated that Sahrawis are to choose between independence and integration in a free, fair and transparent referendum. However, sixteen years later, this agreement has still not been implemented. Today, the Moroccan government openly rejects these agreements and offers autonomy as the ultimate solution.
As a young Saharawi student, I am lucky to have this opportunity to express my concerns before you today. There are so many other young Saharawis who do not have the opportunity to express their opinion and concerns in simple day to day interactions, let alone before the UN 4th Committee.
Many Sahrawi students and youth at universities and other places all over Morocco and Western Sahara have since May 2005 been attacked in unacceptable ways by the Moroccan police and armed forces. According to many Western Sahara human rights organizations, Moroccan and international press and witnesses, dozens of Sahrawis have been detained and arrested, while many more have been injured. It is also reported that some of the attacks involve severe beatings and sexual abuse, as well as harassment of hospitalized victims.
Mr. Chairman
As I speak now, many Saharawi prisoners are being harassed and tortured in many Moroccan prisons. There are many examples and stories that demonstrate Morocco’s violation of the Universal Human Right Declaration. For instance, Sultana Khaya was cruelly beaten up by the police, which led to the loss of her right eye and severe bruising of her body. Similarly, Elwali Amidane is a 21 year old student who was sentenced to five years in jail for having participated in a peaceful demonstration. Currently, he is not allowed to continue his studies, when according to Moroccan regulations, all prisoners have the right to study while in prison.
On behalf of the Saharawi youth, I urge the UN to look into what can be done and take immediate action to prevent the ongoing human right violations in the occupied territories of Western Sahara.
As these atrocities continue to take place by the Moroccan government in attempt to silence the Saharawi struggle, the Saharawi people continue to fight and stand, and as my grandmother once told me: “they [Moroccans] have bombs and advanced military forces, but we [Saharawis] have patience and determination.”
Thank you for your attention!

The desert "Where the starts shine"

2007-10-16T16:27:00.000-07:00

You were told that there in southern Algeria is the biggest and oldest refugee camp in the world. It is a camp of more than 200,000 refugees and so you decide to take a trip to give a hand to these people who have been waiting for more than three decades. You arrive at Tindouf military airport and the pilot welcomes you to the capital of the Algerian desert and thanks you for traveling with Air Algerie. When you come out of the air plane, a hot and rather charming breeze hits your face. Then, you take a bus to the main administration office, which is about 40 miles away. The bus you are taking goes through the city of Tindouf; you get excited and say: “this is not what I expected, I did not expect proper houses, shops and post office; I thought I would encounter what I read on the internet!” You are very confused and think that may be the information you have read is wrong. About half an hour later, you realize that now you are on a dirt road with a completely deserted landscape. As the bus goes farther, things start to make more sense and you lose that excitement. Now you are entering the far eastern side of Tindouf province. Both the province and the city have the same name. One hour goes by and then two; you wait and wait to see the first person or perhaps the first tent. Two and half hours later, you finally see it. A dark green colored, rather funnel shaped looking object stands in the midst of many similar-looking others shinning in the sunny day. That is what we call El-Khaima and its literary meaning is “tent”.
As the bus enters the camp, things look completely different. You see children running around and playing with basic and their-own-creation toys, women are covered with a long and colorful piece of fabric called Melhfa doing their daily activities. The moment the bus is visible, all the children come running and greeting the new guest. The first thing they ask for after greeting you in Spanish is some candy. The common line which all knows it by heart is: “hola, dame caramelo.” Children are the indicator of the arrival of a new and different-from-us guest; they run before the bus and inform their mothers and then things become noisy.
You just arrived to your intended tent. Many unfamiliar and smiling faces welcome you as you try to lower your head so that you don’t hit the “roof”. The tent from inside looks transformed, one would never be able to guess from looking at it from the outside. Handmade, long and beautiful carpets run through the tent. At the same time, shouters of welcome in different languages; Hassaniya, Arabic, Spanish, French and English surprise you. Minutes later and before you realize it, you are part of the day to day activities, laughter, drinking tea, eating Couscous with camel meant and most importantly discussing politics.
El-Khaima is where I first opened my eyes to this world. It is where eight members of my beloved family still live. Not only is it some piece of fabric donated by the International Red Cross, but also a symbol of patience and love. My family’s tent is a reflection of hope and sharing. This twelve meter square space is the shelter for all of my family and me. It is a protection against the strong and frequent sandstorms. It is the headquarters of every social gathering, ranging from the very long Saharawi tea ceremony (Atay) to simply playing volleyball with a ball made of socks and rapped with plastic bags with my brothers. Atay is the time where family, neighbors or simply people passing by enjoy what one would consider very sweet cup of tea, which is made in a very special way and in three stages, with each stage having a meaning. The first cup is bitter like life, the second is sweet like love and the last one is soft like death.
The El-Khaima where I was raised taught me how to face life with its sweetness and bitterness. I learned how to face life the way it faces nature and its distractive hazards: sandstorms, the 120 degrees Fahrenheit summers and at times the unmerciful floods. Despite all of these natural challenges, El-Khaima never disappointed me and always gave me the best it can give. It has stood for more than seven years at a time. Although, it can also experience aging; it would always hold on until its next sister takes over. In the same way I was taught to face obstacles in life. My ideology is to never give up despite the pressure and that there is always a solution to a problem. Moreover, I learned that family and friends are the most valuable gold one can possess.
I have always thought that the only existing lifestyle was that of being a refugee. Although, I have lived a life that was deprived from many advantages that other children from other parts of the world experience, I have learned many things that allow me to face life in a much stronger way. From my experience, I learned that each experience has its positive and negative side. Also, it is important to be optimistic in life and face it in a strong way, just like the El-Khaima.

Internacional viewpoint on Western Sahara

2007-09-11T15:02:00.000-07:00

Was an honor to have this interview with Will Sommer

1.You have just celebrated your first anniversary of blogging about Western Sahara. Can you tell us about your first encounter with the Saharawi issue and what were the main driving forces for this interest?

I wish I could say I was bumming in Tangiers when I fell in love with a gorgeous Sahrawi, and when she left me I fell in love with her people’s cause. It sounds a lot cooler than what really brought me to Western Sahara. I was playing an online game where players were countries (I was Palestine), and the Moroccan player bragged about how well he oppressed Western Sahara. I had never heard about Western Sahara, and the dearth of information about it online surprised me. To find out more, I started my blog. The positive response I received within days got me hooked.

A couple things interested me about Western Sahara. Few people are talking about it, especially in English. By writing about it I became an authority in an almost empty field, so there was more interaction with people and a better chance of changing things. I had also just been accepted in Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service, so I was interested in international politics.

The best reason for supporting Western Sahara is that it’s such a clear conflict, and it’s comparatively so easy to fix. If you look at Palestine, another occupied territory, you need to constantly hedge and say you support Palestinian nationalism, but not that amorphous term terrorism. With Western Sahara there are no such risks. Give money to a charity that gives Sahrawis food and you know it won’t end up buying bombs, because the Sahrawis aren’t interested in bombs.

Like I said, it’s easy to resolve the Western Sahara dispute: hold a referendum. Morocco already agreed to it, and Polisario wants it. If the United States and France told Morocco, “Hold the referendum or you’ll lose military and financial aid,” there’d be a referendum next month. That’s a simple goal that’s heartening for someone looking for a cause.

2.Being a blogger about such forgotten conflict how is it important for the Western Sahara issue to be covered by the media? Are there any means of getting more media attention to this cause?

The first problem with Western Sahara and the media is getting American media to cover it at all. If it bleeds it still leads, but that charming guideline doesn’t matter when Morocco lets people rot in the Black Prison or kills them in protests. Morocco has also done an effective job of keeping journalists out of Western Sahara.

To their credit the Polisario Front has recognized the futility of war, and the occupied Sahrawis know violent terrorism will only help Morocco. If Sahrawis start blowing up buildings or taking hostages, Morocco will get evidence for its absurd claim that independence advocates are terrorists. The downside is that media is less likely to cover non-violent protests.

I can’t speak for media outside the United States. For example, I know in Spain the former colonial relationship means a lot more coverage. But in the United States if Western Sahara gets written about at all the angle is “Check out this dispute no one cares about.” I had to write that way myself when I got an article published in my school newspaper. It’s better than no coverage at all, but it’s not an angle that’s conducive to change.

I don’t know how to get more media attention for Western Sahara, but I have some ideas. Pitch articles to publications and websites you think might be interested, and give them a targeted angle—for example, I’ve suggested to youth political sites that they write about teen protesters in Western Sahara. Clever protest ideas might get media attention, but those require a lot of people. On that count, I often think of the Vietnam War protest where protesters tried to “levitate” the Pentagon.

The trick is to be clever and timely, or at least one of those things. Working on a paper myself I know that journalists are always desperate for ideas. Most of them will jump at a topical article related to Western Sahara.

Another easy way to get more words written about Western Sahara is writing a blog about it yourself, or a letter to the editor of a newspaper that’s recently written about Western Sahara. The Washington Times is a bad paper, and it spills more editorial ink supporting Morocco’s occupation than most other paper’s do writing about Western Sahara at all. Send them an e-mail and tell them they’re ridiculous.

3.As far as we concerned, you have had a “small” demonstration in front of the Moroccan Embassy. Is that a good way of getting their attention and do you think it made some difference?

That protest was just me and Mikael Simble from the Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara, so you’re right that it was small. Still, I think it showed the people at the Moroccan embassy that some people in the United States know about Western Sahara and aren’t going to forget it.

Since then I’ve distributed flyers on cars around the embassy, informing their neighbors about the occupation. Hopefully some of this educating and shaming will get back to Rabat.

4.Also, you have had the opportunity to meet two very important people from Western Sahara, the president Mohamed Abdelaziz and human right activist and ex-political prisoner Aminatou Haidar. Can you tell us briefly about that and how important was it for you to meet these people?

I met Aminatou Haidar in September 2006 at a congressional reception, so I was still new to the cause then. It was great to meet her because she struggled so much for what she believes. I’d say along with Ali Salem Tamek, Brahim Sabbar, and Mohammed Daddach she’s the leading Sahrawi dissident, and being a woman makes her a great icon for the movement. From what I’ve read, it seems like she’s inspiring young Sahrawi women to become involved, which is great both for an equal post-referendum society and the struggle image internationally.

My pleasure at meeting the president at a dinner in Washington was dampened by his previous reprehensible treatment of the Moroccan POWs and his never-ending presidency. Obviously I support his work but “my excitement at meeting President Abdelaziz was dampened by my disagreements with his police”. It was much more interesting to meet the people who work with Abdelaziz to free Western Sahara. There was a great diversity in the group, which included Algerians, Americans, Spaniards, Sahrawis, and Frenchmen. I enjoyed meeting Khatry Beirouk, who runs Western Sahara Online. He lives in Maryland and has an occupation unrelated to the Western Sahara movement, but he’s still committed and spends a lot of time on his website. To me, that’s the ideal of a dedicated activist. If Western Sahara gets more men and women like Khatry, it’ll be in good shape.

I didn’t speak much with either Abdelaziz or Aminatou Haidar because neither of them speaks much English. That’s a problem because if you’re going to get America to stop supporting Morocco you need a charismatic leader who can go on television and speak eloquently. It seems like Malainin Lakhal, the head of the Union of Writers and Journalists, is doing a good job of this. He’s convincing a lot of in New Zealand and Australia that they should stop accepting plundered Western Saharan phosphates.

5.Being an outsider to this conflict and especially being an American, what can your government and people do? How much hope do you have for a three decade long dispute?

It’s funny you mention it because supporters of the occupation often tell me to tend to my own house (Iraq, Guantanamo Bay, wiretapping), which I’d like to see changed too, obviously. I watched a documentary about the US academic Noam Chomsky last week, and he said the American media should’ve focused more on death squads in El Salvador or East Timor than the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan because those were things Americans could actually change. At first I thought I was doing the same thing in Western Sahara, but then I realized Western Sahara is an American problem. After all, besides France my country is Morocco’s biggest supporter.

It’s the same problem my country had in East Timor: the United States has a predilection for supporting oppressive regimes instead of democratic nationalist movements. Like East Timor, though, I think there’s going to be a turning point with Western Sahara. There are all kinds of signs that a referendum’s gaining momentum: more countries are recognizing the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, activists in Scandinavia are accomplishing great things, and it seems like more Moroccan journalists are willing to ignore official censure to write the truth about Western Sahara. I’ve said for a few months that I expect the Western Sahara to be free by the end of my life, and right now that’s looking pessimistic.

If that’s going to happen, though, more Moroccans needs to be convinced that an independent Western Sahara is better for them than a fallow, occupied Western Sahara. That’ll be the hardest thing to accomplish in the entire 31 years since the invasion, but it’s also the most vital. I hope everyone working for a referendum in Western Sahara, Sahrawi or not, will consider that and be polite to Moroccans. That said, concerns for politeness shouldn’t get in your way when you’re trying to end a grotesque abuse of human rights and international law.

Thanks for letting me go on about my favorite topic.

The Decolonisation Process in Western Sahara

2007-09-07T11:41:00.000-07:00

We thank Kamal Fadel,the representative of Polisario in Australia for his collorabation to our blog.

Western Sahara is situated in northwest Africa along the Atlantic coast. It was a Spanish colony for almost one hundred years. In 1975, Spain signed a secret agreement with Morocco and Mauritania and handed the territory to them. In 1979, Mauritania abandoned its territorial claim over Western Sahara and signed a peace treaty with the Indigenous people of Western Sahara. However, Morocco maintains administrative control and continues to claim sovereignty over most of the territory. The United Nations (‘the UN’) and the Organisation of African Unity (‘the OAU’) are trying to organise a referendum on self-determination in Western Sahara, which is scheduled to take place in July 2000.
In the following article I will discuss whether the Sahrawi people of Western Sahara constitute a people entitled to the right to self-determination under customary international law.The distinctiveness of the Sahrawis as a people who are different from surrounding nations will be examined in both pre-colonial and colonial contexts as well as in relation to Morocco’s claims to sovereignty over traditional Sahrawi territory.
Before the Spanish arrived in Western Sahara, the area was inhabited by a group of tribes who were known as the ahel es-Sahel: people of the littoral or Atlantic Sahara, now known as Sahrawis. They had their own system of government called the ait arbain or ‘The Council of Forty’. The Council would usually meet to discuss the affairs of the population and in times of war or crisis. The Council organised the Sahrawis’ resistance to Spanish, French and Portuguese attempts to occupy their land and succeeded in keeping colonial powers out of the territory from 1500 to 1934. In 1934, the French and Spanish combined forces to ‘pacify’ the Sahrawi resistance to colonisation.
The Sahrawis see themselves as a nation separate and distinct from neighbouring peoples in what is now North Western Africa. Traditionally, they lived as nomads and warriors. The arid terrain, mainly desert, molded their culture and shaped their distinctiveness. They speak a dialect of Arabic called Hassania, which is unlike the Tashelhit dialect spoken by the Berbers of Morocco. Other features such as social customs, diet and clothes emphasize their distinctiveness.
The Sahrawis’ experience of colonisation by the Spanish was different from that of Morocco, which was colonised by the French, further enhancing the differences between Sahrawis and Moroccans. Another factor contributing to Sahrawis’ modern distinctiveness to Moroccans is the growth of nationalism in Western Sahara.
Sahrawi nationalist sentiments grew when more Sahrawis were educated and became aware of the struggles of peoples demanding independence in other parts of Africa and the world. In late 1967, Sahrawis set up a movement called Harakat Tahrir Saguia el-Hamra wa Oued ed-Dahab (Organisation for the Liberation of Saquia el-Hamra an Oued ed-Dahab) to demand a peaceful transition to independence for Western Sahara. In 1970 it was crushed by the Spanish, when most of its leaders and members were either imprisoned or killed.
When peaceful means failed, Sahrawi students set up a liberation movement called the Frente Popular para la liberacion de saguiet el hamra y Rio de Oro (Polisario Front) on May 10, 1973. The new movement adopted armed struggle against the Spanish and soon the overwhelming majority of the Sahrawis rallied to its ranks, making it an Indigenous nationalist movement without support or encouragement from any external powers.

The UN Decolonisation Program

The Charter of the United Nations recognises the right of peoples to self determination.It also recognises that, largely because of colonialism, not all peoples who claim this right will be immediately able to exercise it fully. Peoples in this situation are deemed to be in non-self-governing territories and for them the UN General Assembly has established de-colonisation programs.
In 1963 Western Sahara was included in the UN list of the non-self-governing territories and in October 1964 the UN Decolonisation Committee adopted its first Resolution on Western Sahara, urging Spain to start the process of decolonising the territory.The UN General Assembly issued a similar Resolution on December 16, 1965.
Between 12 and 19 May 1974, a UN mission of inquiry was sent to report on the situation in Western Sahara. The mission visited Western Sahara, Morocco, Mauritania and Algeria. In its report, it stated that support for Polisario and for independence in Western Sahara was widespread and recommended the holding of a referendum for self-determination. Initially, Spain resisted this call but in August 1974 it informed the UN that it was prepared to organize a referendum on self-determination in the territory. In this referendum, the people of Western Sahara could choose either full independence or to remain attached to Spain. Morocco and Mauritania opposed the referendum idea, which excluded the possibility of integration with Morocco or Mauritania.

The Moroccan Sovereignty Claim and the International Court of Justice

In order to postpone the referendum, Morocco, with the support of Mauritania, asked the UN General Assembly to seek an arbitration from the International Court of Justice (‘the ICJ’) and to give legal advice on this matter. On December 13, 1974, the ICJ was asked to give an advisory opinion on: (1) whether or not the Western Sahara had been terra nullius - a territory belonging to no one - at the time of Spanish colonisation; (2) if it was not terra nullius at the time of Spanish colonisation, what was the legal relationship between Western Sahara and Morocco, and Western Sahara and Mauritania?
In international law, sovereignty has two elements: territorial and jurisdictional. Morocco claims that before Spanish colonisation, Western Sahara was Moroccan territory. To satisfy the jurisdictional test for sovereignty, it cites evidence that at the time of Spanish colonisation, some Sahrawi tribes paid allegiance to the Moroccan throne. Specifically, it relies on the Islamic concept of the bayaa or allegiance amounting to ‘a contractual agreement whereby the Muslim community offered a conditional loyalty to its caliph (leader) in response to his recognition of his obligations under the sharia’.
On this basis, it claims firstly that it, not Spain, has a legitimate claim to sovereignty over the territory of Western Sahara. It also claims that the principle of uti possidetis juris, which holds that colonial boundaries cannot be altered on independence or decolonisation, applies to that territory.
The ICJ studied all the documents presented to it by Morocco, Mauritania, Spain and Algeria but the Sahrawis were not allowed to appear before the Court since the ICJ can only hear evidence from States. After twenty-seven sessions, the ICJ issued its opinion on October 15, 1975.
The Court decided unanimously that Western Sahara was not terra nullius when Spain proclaimed a protectorate over it in 1884, since it ‘was inhabited by peoples which, if nomadic, were socially and politically organised in tribes and under chiefs competent to represent them’. The court then gave the conclusion of its opinion regarding the legal ties between Western Sahara, Morocco and Mauritania:
The Court’s conclusion is that the materials and information presented to it do not establish any tie of territorial sovereignty between the territory of Western Sahara and the Kingdom of Morocco or the Mauritanian entity. Thus the court has not found legal ties of such a nature as might affect the application of resolution 1514 (XV) in the decolonisation of Western Sahara and, in particular, of the principle of self-determination through the free and genuine expression of the will of the peoples of the Territory.
The decision of the ICJ is of great significance. As Thomas Frank put it, ‘the judges asserted the supremacy of the norm developed by UN resolutions and the practice of decolonisation: the Sahrawi population was entitled to self-determination within the perimeters of the existing colonial entity’. It is clear that the ICJ decision is a rejection of the Moroccan claim of sovereignty over Western Sahara

The Postponed Referendum

Despite the Court’s decision, Morocco and Mauritania invaded and occupied Western Sahara in 1975 in a grave violation of international law. The UN Security Council adopted a resolution deploring the invasion and calling on Morocco to withdraw form the Territory but the resolution was never enforced. The invasion provoked a prolonged war causing great suffering to the Indigenous Sahrawis who have since been denied their basic human rights. It is a human tragedy rarely noticed by the rest of the world.
In August 1988, as result of war-weariness and international pressure, Morocco agreed to a UN-OAU peace process. Central to the UN-OAU peace plan (‘the plan’) is the holding of a referendum providing an opportunity for the Sahrawi people to exercise their right to self-determination in a free and fair manner. A cease-fire was declared in September 1991 and a UN mission (MINURSO) was deployed in the territory. According to the original plan, the referendum should have taken place in January 1992. However, it was postponed first until 1996, then until 1998, and is currently scheduled to take place in July 2000.
The peace process has witnessed a new vigour since Kofi Annan became the Secretary General of the UN in 1997 and appointed James Baker III as his Special Envoy for Western Sahara. Negotiations between Morocco and the Polisario were held under the auspices of the UN Special Envoy on many occasions and culminated in an agreement, which was signed in Houston, Texas in September 1997 (‘the Houston Agreement’). The Houston Agreement strengthened the key aspects of the original plan: voter identification, refugee repatriation, troop confinement, release of prisoners, freedom to campaign, access for international observers and the UN authority to ensure a free and fair referendum process. The fact that the Houston Agreement was negotiated by the parties involved and signed under UN auspices has created a real momentum for the whole process.
Although the UN mission has made significant progress in the registration of eligible voters and other preparations for the holding of the referendum in July 2000, the whole process remains fragile. There are still doubts about Morocco's good will and readiness to let the referendum take place.
The right of peoples to self-determination is enshrined in the declarations of the United Nations and the Organisation of African Unity. Furthermore, the ICJ verdict upheld that the Sahrawi people are entitled to exercise this right. Therefore, the invasion and occupation of Western Sahara in 1975 was a violation of international law. Unfortunately, Morocco's act of aggression did not attract a strong reaction from the international community similar to that of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait or the war in Kosovo.
The UN has so far failed in its efforts in Western Sahara because of the lack of major powers in the international community politically and publicly supporting the referendum. Unlike the referendum process in East Timor, which has benefited from the involvement of regional and international actors, the Western Sahara peace plan has not yet attracted international attention. Unless there is international pressure on Morocco, the chances of the referendum proceeding in Western Sahara are very slim.
It is the duty of the international community to make sure that a final and lasting decolonisation process is achieved in Western Sahara. The alternative to a peaceful solution will be the resumption of hostilities and the destabilisation of the whole region, something the Sahrawis want to avoid. As we approach the next millennium it is tragic that Africa's decolonisation is still incomplete and that the Sahrawi people are still denied their basic and legitimate right to decide their own future.

We thank Kamal Fadel,the representative of Polisario in Australia for his collorabation to our blog.

2007-08-31T15:00:00.001-07:00

Saharawi Queen

Who is this woman?
Her presence is like the light of the sun,
Her beauty is like the Queen of Sheba,
Her eyes are so deep like the depth of the desert.
Her look is like the vision and admiration she carries for each nation.
Her words are like the lyric of a song or phrases of a poem.
Her arms are refuge for the orphans and help to the widows.
Her hands are those who build the homes that the flood destroyed.
Her heart is an honorable one.
Her heart is a patient one.
Her heart is a joyful one.
Her heart is a faithful one.
Her heart is a kind one.
Her heart is the one you can trust.
Her heart is the blanket of comfort in time of need.
Her character is her strong weapon against any storm.
They call her the Saharawi Queen not only because of her beauty,
But also for her love and passion she has for her people and her nation.

Interview with Malainin Lakhal

2007-08-18T17:01:00.000-07:00

Was an honor to interview Malainin Lakhal, Secretary of the Saharawi Journalist and writers' Union

You’re the SG of the Saharawi Journalists’ and writers’ Union. How is like for you to be a Saharawi journalist when the Western Sahara issue is at a very crucial stage? -

It is my pleasure to appear here in your blog, which is a reflection of the Saharawi youth’s activism, creativity and determination to defend their people’s right. Concerning your question, I was elected Secretary General of the Saharawi Journalists’ and writers’ Union (UPES- in the Spanish abbreviation) in 2005, after I worked with some friends and colleagues to re-activate this union that was sort of dormant for more than 10 years. And to your information, I became a journalist only because I did not have a choice!! I am initially an activist, a poet and a “trouble-maker” to use the words of the Moroccan authorities when I was living in the occupied zone of Western Sahara. I was born and I lived in the occupied city of El Aaiun until 2000, when I was forced to flee the territory, crossing the Moroccan military berm in a three days and three nights dangerous journey through the desert and landmines. I used to be active in the Saharawi students’ movement, in Moroccan universities, and I was detained more than three times to experience the
Moroccan “traditional” torture methods. So, initially I was an activist and a dreamer (a poet), but because of the realities on the ground, and because of the oppression exercised by the Moroccan regime against my people, with many comrades, now known as the human rights activists, we started gathering information about the Moroccan flagrant human rights violations, and this work, which started since 1993/94 was very difficult and dangerous, but we did a lot and we succeeded to raise awareness of the people about their rights and to educate them on how to defend them. In 1999, we organised the biggest popular and peaceful uprising ever organised in Western Sahara. For more than 4 months, we succeeded almost to “liberate” El Aaiun from the Moroccan control since the Moroccan authorities lost control and paid huge efforts to recover it again. There were daily demonstrations, confrontations and struggle with the Moroccan military forces, police and secret services. But, to each choice, there is a price to pay. My choice of directly confronting the Moroccan occupation since 1993, made it difficult for me to continue living in the occupied zone. Starting from September 1999, the month when the uprising started, I was forced to work undercover until August 2000, when all the comrades and my family asked me to leave the country. And this is what I did. Once I reached the camps I started working as a teacher, then a translator, then I found an opportunity in 2003 to join the Saharawi Press Service to launch the English page of SPS, and from that date I definitely decided to focus on my work as a journalist/activist, to help the guys inside the territory get the story outside. My contacts in the occupied zones, and the fact that I know almost all the activists there helped me a lot progress in the work I am doing. So, this is why, I usually say that I am not a journalist; I am a “have to be Journalist”. Concerning the work of journalists in the camps I have to say that it is very difficult. We work in very dire conditions, we almost struggle to keep working, because we do not only struggle against the harshness of the weather conditions in the Saharawi refugee camps, where in the summer we have easily 50 degrees in the shadow, but also against the technical problems we always face with computers for example and other equipments because of the dust in the desert, and because of the heat. This is the main problems. Otherwise, we do have very good contacts and communication with the people inside the occupied zone, and this helps us get daily and urgent news and we usually succeed to cover them the best way we can. Most of the time we try to send them to international medias so as to make sure they are covered well. And we certainly succeeded to help a lot of international journalist get good contacts and information on the conflict and meet with the main activists and actors. The fact that our struggle is in a very crucial stage does not change anything, because we do have to struggle every day, every hour and whenever something happens. This is how I conceive it we have to fight for our people’s right all the time because we are not only journalists but also human rights activists and freedom fighters.

You seem to have travelled a lot over the last couple of years. Last year you went to South Africa and spoke to the youth there, can you tell us little bite about that and how did audience respond?

I did not travel a lot. I travelled only to South Africa, to Kenya, to Mauritania, to Algeria and lately to Australia and New Zealand. I had never thought of doing so before, but you know when you work on the ground for a long time, you make contacts and you find possibilities to defend your cause overseas, and most of the time you have to do it. In South Africa, I was invited by the ANC Youth League who was commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Soweto uprising. The program was for a week. I met with the ANC Youth League leadership, and militants. After that, I had to wait for Mrs. Aminatou Haidar, the eminent Saharawi human rights activist, who is also a very close and dear friend for we used to work together in the occupied zone before I joined the camps. I had to accompany her in her 20 day speaking tour as her personal translator and I really enjoyed her company. She is a wonderful lady, a wonderful militant, a wonderful human being and a real legendary heroine and example of the Saharawi women’s resistance and strength of character but also beauty and intellect. In Kenya, I was a member of a Saharawi delegation participating in the World Social Forum. The Saharawi civil society had a very successful participation then. In Australia I was lately invited by AWSA (Australian Western Sahara Association) and by the Saharawi Representative their, Mr. Kamal Fadel, a very active young Saharawi diplomat, to undertake a very interesting speaking tour, so I said yes immediately.

Your most recent tour was that to Australia and New Zealand as you said, you gave many lectures and held many meetings. Were the people in that part of the world informed about our cause? Do you think your presence there made a difference as a first hand informer?

Concerning the response of the audience, I have to tell you that the visit was very successful, because our cause is just and only need from us to be able to expose it to the audiences. In Australia I was interviewed by the two main Australian National radios, and four or five communities’ radio, in sum more than 20 interviews, and a story was made for the main TV news program in Australia, in addition to couple interviews and articles in newspapers. I was able to speak to students, professors, but also to the officials, parliamentarians, and political parties, representatives of the civil society, artists, and normal people. All of my interlocutors were surprised to know that Morocco is committing all these violations in total impunity, and they were especially shocked to know about the berm. They simply have never heard about it. Our cause is certainly just, but we have to work harder to raise awareness about it around the world. And this is not only the duty of the Saharawi government. All the Saharawi people, each from his or her position, must let his environment know about his peoples’ plight. For example, I would be happy if you are doing this in your university or school in the USA, because believe me this is the best help you can provide your people with. Let the world know that there is still a colonised territory that have a right to self-determination and whose people are deprived of this right because a dictatorship, the Moroccan kingdom, is refusing to respect the international legality, and is unfortunately backed by France and the USA. In Australia and New Zealand I made it clear to everybody that they should not think that the Saharawi struggle is only a Saharawi matter, it is an should be the struggle of all free minds and lover of freedom, because I said “We are struggling for a basic human right, the right to self-determination, to democracy, to freedom of expression, to the right to a safe life, and to independence and these are rights that all human beings must have and defend. And you have to know that if we loose them today because we are weak and because you did not care, you will loose them tomorrow because our case will be a precedent”. So I must say that people do care, and do respond positively to the facts and information I presented to them, they only needed to be informed. We succeeded to get open support from Trade Unions, from the main political parties, and you will hear in the near future a lot of other fruits of this visit that can not be revealed now, because the Moroccans as you may have heard have sent a delegation composed of 10 parliamentarians, chaired by the president of their parliament, Abd Alouahed Radhi, to Australia just after I finished my visit, and we must keep all information about ongoing projects secret for a while.

How can the people of our generation who are journalist and writers use their skills to help our people and impact our nation and others?

Youth is creativity, new blood, optimism and imagination. The youth can do everything, and should never submit to obstacles, this is my opinion. Obstacles are there to be challenged and overcome. I think that young journalists and intellectuals must give proof of their commitment to their people, help spread the word, study and accumulate knowledge and get new experiences and expertise, write and search, this is what we need most now information. Many voices within the Saharawi youth start to call for war and resuming war and this is a pity, because to me we had never stopped fighting. We have always been in war against the Moroccan colonialism, the only difference is that we are now using new weapons, the demonstration, the sit-in, the word, Saharawi political prisoners and activists in the occupied zones are giving their blood and bodies as weapons and sacrifice for the sake of freedom. And they need help; they need from us to watch their backs, to support them and to make the world hear their stories. The youth needs also to learn more about our history, our tradition, our values and our culture, because this is another weapon in the ongoing war. The Moroccan regime worked hard and invested millions to destroy the Saharawi culture, and destroy the Saharawi values, and guess who the main target to such colonial policies was: The youth. The Moroccan generals introduced drugs, alcohol and all kind of destructive and bad things to the occupied zones to destroy our society and values. We had to struggle on all levels. To educate our people, but also to educate ourselves and to keep in mind that the main weapon we have to make use of and to protect is our national union, which is the essence of our strength and which is now targeted by the Moroccans, the Spanish, the French but also by many Saharawis because of their ignorance or imprudence. The youth can give the example, and never forget that your fathers who are now the leaders of the Saharawi national project started this magnificent experience while still young men and women. They believed in their strength and they had sufficient power and imagination to start a real nation-building, and the result is you and me. Here you’re young and well educated young ladies and young men, the leaders of the next stage of our struggle. We only need to work harder to make the difference.

Two rounds of negotiations between the Polisario and Morocco have ended and no significant progress was made. How hopeful do you see the third round and whether you think talks between the two parties will be the ultimate solution to over three decades dispute? Are you overall optimistic on the situation and when do you think will Africa’s last colony be freed?

As far as I am concerned I do not think that the Moroccans are serious in these negotiations. And I think that the negotiations are only an additional proof that the UN is trying to evade its responsibilities in the decolonisation of Western Sahara. They hope that the Saharawis give up their resistance and reach what they call “a political solution” to the conflict. Morocco accepted to negotiate only to:

- Try to impose their autonomy project especially that they succeeded to get the support of the USA, and of course of France and Spain.

- Gain some time with the negotiations, because the Moroccans are not staying still, they are working hard to dissolve the POLISARIO Front, and to try to make use of this so called “war against terrorism”, which became a weapon used by all dictatorships to oppress their people, but also used by some powers to destroy the resistance of oppressed peoples and freedom-fighters.

- Try to calm the Saharawi uprising down, by giving them a new hope in a possible outcome of the talks.
But, on the other hand, I am optimistic, I am even very optimistic, and I think that the Moroccans are now stuck more than ever and more than they can afford supporting in the future.

These negotiations are a new opportunity for the Saharawi negotiators to set things right, to make it clear that it is not possible for Morocco, the USA, France or the UN to avoid the international law. And to make it clear for all these actors that the only way they can violate our right is through abolishing the UN Charter and starting a new international order based on the law of the jungle, because we will never give up resisting. It is also an opportunity for the Saharawi to put the UN to the final test. The UN have got to make up its mind, because any possible new agreement have got to be accompanied with guarantees to be implemented and in the quickest delays, otherwise the Saharawi people will make their choice, and we do have all the cards between our hands. We can start a general war from the Moroccan universities, passing by the south of morocco to reach the occupied zones and the camps, not to talk about the Diaspora. The Moroccan are aware of that now and all the big powers are aware that even in terms of Real Politic, Morocco is not comfortable in Western Sahara and will never be. Even for the natural resources, they will never be comfortable in the exploitation of our resources because we are working everywhere and making it difficult for them day after day. We only need to stop getting scared and believe in the strength of the people, and believe in our strength because we are strong; we are even stronger than in the 70ies and 80ies, while Morocco is certainly not. In the occupied zones, my dear sisters, our kids, 8 years old and 9 years old are organising their own demonstrations, constituting their own organisations and leading their own struggle inside and outside the school against the colonial power! So how can I ever be pessimistic when I am sure that the young generation is aware enough to lead the struggle for decades to come if need be? The Moroccan are aware of that, and so are the Spanish and other big powers this is why they are trying to put and end to the conflict, but their approach is still not mature and wrong, because they opted for the immediate interest they have with Morocco and they forgot that the real interest is and should be strategic, in a stable and safe Maghreb region, where six countries live together in harmony and where economical prosperity is possible because we are rich,we have rich territories in Western Sahara, Algeria, Libya and Mauritania in minerals, oil and gas, while Morocco and Tunisia are very successful countries in terms of tourism and all these countries share the same cultural, religious and historical roots. Finally, to answer the last part of your question, and because I am a poet and an optimist,” I would say that I do believe that we will get our independence in 2010/11, and do not ask me why! We only need to double our work to make it happen smoothly and peacefully.”

Thank you.

2007-08-13T22:01:00.001-07:00

Not forgeting our Saharawi heritage

One of the easiest things one lose when exposed to western culture is that of his own identity and cultural principles. Having been exposed to European and American culture myself; I have met people who denied their belonging to their cultures of origin. It is sad and frustrating because to me, each culture has its unique characteristics and values that distinguish it from the others. These differences set a base for our existence and prosperity. If we did not have this diversity and instead everyone thought in the same way, the world would not have been a better place. However, I have observed one thing about the people from Western Sahara. It is the fact that it does not matter how long they are gone for, still they maintain their Saharawi principles.

It doesn’t matter for how long or where they gone, Saharawis always return to their own people. They also never forget the very long tea process (Atay), the Melhfa or Daraa or most importantly Hassaniya, which is the Saharawi native Arabic dialect. Many Saharawi refugees went to attend school in Cuba. After tens of years they come back and still able to integrate with the society. Warda was a good example of this case. Unlike me, she has lived most of her live abroad, yet she maintains her Saharawi identity. It came to me as a great surprise when I first met her that she spoke a perfect Hassaniya. She even reminded me of many terms that I don’t use anymore. Not only has she kept the language, but also the values and the Melhfa when appropriate.

I must say that it is not easy to keep up with your cultural tradition while trying to mix with the host society. It is particularly true for women in general and Saharawi women specifically. Saharawi female’s expectations are very different from that of an American female, for instance. The Saharawi culture is built upon respect, unity and acceptance. On the other hand, there is nothing wrong with adopting modern ideas that could give a special flavor to one’s lifestyle. However, it – I believe – is essential that one conserves her or his basic cultural principles. Saharawi women have set a great example in this matter. From experience, I have not met a single Saharawi woman who denied her identity and cultural heritage.

While living far away from my people, I began to learn more and more about my culture and integrity. Life abroad had strengthened my beliefs and identity. When meeting others and they start to ask you about your culture, then you start to question yourself. That is what happened to me and that way I learnt even more. In addition, just the fact that I am Saharawi makes me prouder than anything else and hence, I am not ashamed of showing my identity.

Saharawi child

2007-08-13T21:50:00.000-07:00

Saharawi child, take hold of a paper and pencil
and learn literature, math and science.

Saharawi child, sit closely by your elders
and listen carefully to the wisdom; this is the way which in the
future will come to your rescue.

Saharawi child, have your mind open to understanding.
Let wisdom be your best friend.
Let wisdom be your professor.
Let wisdom be your Father your Mother and your Brother.
Let wisdom embrace you; its path will never let you down.

Saharawi child, open your eyes to the world around you;
choose your friends wisely, let every choice be guided
by a good counsellor.

Saharawi child, take advantage of every opportunity
wherever you go, but don’t forgot your principles, language or
culture, or that you are “Saharawi!”

Saharawi child, accept every nation, every race and
every language and the door of blessing will be opened to your
house and to your nation. (Western Sahara)

Saharawi child, don’t be afraid of making mistakes or
be afraid of correction because that is where the lesson is and that is when
you will learn who you are, because you are valuable.

Saharawi child, share your seat with justice and reconciliation that
you may become the turban of peace.

Saharawi child, let the truth be the foundation of your dignity.
It will let your light shine and will build the walls of your generation and your nation.

Saharawi child, be independent!
Be strong
Be humble
Be kind
Be patient
Be honest
Be joyful
Be just
Be trustworthy
Be righteous
Be generous
Be diligent
Be faithful
and the favor of life will always be yours!

Saharawi child, listen, learn, grow, laugh, teach, forgive, love, share, trust, heal, hope, dream, sing and dance; do this and you will never lose your smile.

This Poem is dedicated to all the Saharawi children, especially the children who lost their fathers in the war for the freedom of Western Sahara. Our nation depends on all of you.

Agaila Abba Hemeida
A voice for the Saharawi people

2007-08-12T21:14:00.000-07:00

The Melhfa, the Saharawi female beauty

Melhfa is a four miter long by one miter wide piece of fabric.It is not any ordinary piece of cloth; it is the symbol of the Saharawi female beauty. Melhfa has existed with the existence of the Saharawi culture. Many people may view it as religious, specifically Muslim symbol. However, the Melhfa is strictly cultural and unique to the Saharawi people. It comes in variety of colors, patterns and material. It can be one color, three or ten. It may be simple or with artistic shapes and patterns or even with the flag of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic. The Melhfa has different names depending on the colors; the material is made of and even sometimes group age of the women.

The Melhfa – when you think about it – is very practical in the life of people like the Saharawis. A country like Western Sahara is mostly deserts and hence, the weather is dry and hot. In addition, there are many sand-storms. For these reasons, the Melhfa can serve as a mean of protection from the harsh natural condition. Not only that, but also the fact that the Melhfa makes the Saharawi women exceptional and different from the rest of the women.

Usually, the Melhfas (the plural of Melhfa) with light colors such as pink, white, light green and blue are for young females. Whereas, the darker colors such as black, brown and dark navy are for older women. The thickness of the material can vary as well. The Talab – which literarily means youth – is the thin and more transparent fabric. The Talab is mostly worn by young girl when they first start wearing the Melhfa. On the contrary, there is the Galith – which literarily means thick – is for the elder women. In between Talab and Galith, there is the Sheegaa. In addition, there is Swesra, Sarou, which is more like the Indian Sari and the most important Enilla. The Enilla is the most traditional type of the Melhfas. It is made of a very thick material and gives out a sort of paint called Enilla, which is believed to be very good for the skin and helps against the sun radiations.

The most traditional way of wearing the Melhfa is called Etaglidee. It is basically part of Enilla and plan white Melhfa worn together. The woman would wear the Enilla part on the upper body and the white piece, which is called Le-Zaar around the waist. The Etaglidee is usually worn in special occasions and celebrations, but nowadays it is mostly worn for weddings. The bride would wear the Etaglidee in the first day of the wedding.

Therefore, if there is anything that the Saharawi women should be proud of is that of the Melhfa. I must admit that it is not very easy to learn how to wear it and even more difficult to do daily activities while wearing it. Nevertheless, it is beautiful and is a great symbol of the Saharawi culture.

Women in our Society

2007-08-11T13:17:00.000-07:00

Since 1975 and the early days of exile, women held a primary role in running daily affairs in the Saharawi refugee camps. With the men away fighting, in what became a 16-year long war, the women had to develop skills in different fields such as health, education and administration. According to historians, the Saharawi background prepared the women well for these tasks. In pre-colonial times, the Saharawi women had relative equality and control over two spheres of society. First, she was in control of the tent, therefore the home and was responsible for passing culture from generation to generation

Women and daily life

For these historical and contemporary reasons, the Saharawi women in the camps have been very successful. They established and manage schools, day care centres, hospitals, clinics and museums. At the time of the Moroccan invasion, the legacy of Spanish colonialism was a 90% illiteracy rate amongst women. A refugee woman, Zahara Ramdane, remembers "the first thing POLISARIO (The People’s Liberation Front of Saqiau al-Hamra and Rio de Oro) did in cooperation with the women's organization was to launch a literacy campaign in the liberated zones of the Western Sahara and in the refugee camps. Today, we are proud to say that all Saharawi women can at least read and write." The large majority of women do unpaid work in the vital sectors of health, education and administration. Crèches and nurseries have been set up in each daira (district) in the camps so the women who have little family support can go to work or study. Saharawi women have traditionally had large families, with an average of about four children. The younger generation, influenced increasingly by western ideas, are opting to have much fewer children and are resorting to family planning and the use of contraception when available.

And the result is…Today, there is great respect for the work the women have done in the camps. All Saharawis recognize the central role of women in the camps and they are working to ensure that their gains and freedoms will not be lost upon their return to Western Sahara. Many people think that the Saharawi women are different from the Muslim and Arab women, even thought the majority are recognized as Arabs and Muslims, they [Saharawi women] are more outspoken, powerful and independent.

The tea struggle

2007-08-05T19:46:00.000-07:00

One of the greatest features of the Saharawi culture is that of Tea ceremony. It is special and unique to the Saharawi people. It is a time of unity and celebration of happiness. Family members, neighbors, relatives or simply people passing by gather around to chat about everything and nothing and at the same time enjoy a cup of the special tea. The Atay or tea in Hassania the Saharawi native Arabic dialect is three cups and each one represents a different thing. The first cup is bitter as life, the second is sweet as love and the third is soft as love. The tea ceremony can take few minutes to make or can last as long as hours.
The Atay is the perfect parallel to the Saharawi struggle for freedom and independence. This struggle is three stages and during each period, the Saharawi people drunk from one of Atay’s three cups. Even though the Saharawi struggle has gone through these stages in different order from that of the Atay, still a great comparison can be drown between the two. The bitter stage began with the Spanish colonization, which last more than a century. When the Saharawis got independence from Spain, however, their celebrations of freedom did not last longer than a couple of months before the double invasion by Morocco and Mauritania. The latter withdrew couple of years later and Morocco took over the whole territory until now. During the bloody war with Morocco, which last for years; mothers lost their sons, orphans lost their parents and families separated from their loved one. During this period, the Saharawi people drunk from the bitter cup. Then the Saharawi struggle entered its soft stage, which is not so soft but a lot like death. This period is the time of waiting in one of the most unbearable corners of the planet. Softly and quietly, the Saharawis wait for the international community to act upon their case. For more than three decades, the Saharawi refugees in south west of Algeria have been dependent on the outside world. Food, water, clothes and health care are basic necessities that we [Saharawis] have no control over. This stage of our struggle is -as we say in Hassania- the slow death. This were the first two stages of the struggle, however, the question is when will the Saharawis enjoy that last sweet cup of freedom and independence?
As the Atay may take few minutes or as long as hours to finish and enjoy the last cup, and so it could have taken the Saharawi struggle to be rewarded with justice and freedom. The Western Sahara-Morocco conflict could have taken few years, if not months to be resolved. Instead, it took decades to even think of a solution. Either ways, the Saharawi struggle will enter its third stage sooner than later. Personally speaking, it is everyone’s responsibly in the world to help the Saharawi people to finish their last cup of struggle. It is a process that takes the Saharawis, the neighbors, the strangers and the international community to achieve. As it is said in Arabic: “there is an end to everything”, and so it is the time for the Saharawi people to get their share of justice and freedom. So let’s not give to enjoy the last cup of this struggle and the reward of freedom.

His Story

2007-08-05T19:36:00.000-07:00

Due to unavailability of educational facilities, Saharawi children go to school in foreign countries, namely Libya and Cuba but the majority attends Algerian schools. When I was nine years old, I had to leave my family to attend a boarding school in northern Algeria, thousands of kilometers away from the camps. I would come back only for the summer break to see my family. I was luckier than my father, however. Bachir left to study in Cuba at the age of eight in 1976, just few months after arriving to the refugee camps and returned as a twenty four year-old doctor. Cuba offers more than 600 scholarships every second year to Saharawi students, both males and females. The travel and accommodations are covered by the UNHCR, whereas the Cuban government provides academic assistant for free. Students get degrees in different fields, however, health professions are particularly famous. This is explained by the fact that Cuba is has one of the best medical professionals in the world.
As a young boy, Bachir and his family had to cross the desert to the refugee camps. The Moroccan planes were dropping booms, so they had to hide behind rocks and trees. In his journey, Bachir saw the victims and people injured who died because there was no medical care, there were no nurses or doctors. He then decided to study medicine and become a doctor because he saw the call for doctors in the refugee camps.
While living in Cuba, Bachir –like the other Saharawi students – had to adapt to many things, learn a new language, the weather and most importantly the culture. However, that is not as hard for an eight year-old to adapt as for a twenty four year-old to readapt to his culture of origin. When he came back, Bachir had to learn Hassaniya, which is the native dialect of the Saharawi people. Moreover, the Arab-Muslim costumes and beliefs are very different from that of the Cuban, and so he had to adjust to the costumes fairly quickly. In addition, he had to get use to the heat and the desert life style. Most of the families decided to stop sending their daughters to attend Cuban schools three years ago and that is due to cultural reasons. However, there are Saharawi women who graduated from Cuban schools and most of them are doctors and nurses.
The present medical situation is still in a great need of improvement. The structure of hospital in the camps is that there is a hospital in every willaya (town) and there are four main willayas, a clinic in each daira (district) and there is one big national hospital. Due to lack of supply and equipments, some patients need to be transported to the nearby Algerian hospital, about 50 kilometers away. After working for almost two decades, my father tells me about the desperate need for more doctors in the camps. Most of the health concerns are eye, stomach and nutrition related diseases. Every summer, at least twelve people die and especially the elderly because of the heat and dehydration. Most of the children in the camps are born in the winter and that is because of the heat and hospitals are not equipped with air conditioners.
I myself have seen the desperate medical situation. My dream is to do something for the people whom I have lived with my whole life even though I had never seen my homeland, its green landscape or its beautiful beaches. The Saharawis are considered to be one of the best educated African nations. We want to be prepared for independence by educating all the skilled people, who once would run the independent Western Sahara.

A Brief Overview of the Saharawi Situation

2007-08-05T19:31:00.000-07:00

Declaration of our nation by our Father ( El Wali Mustapha Syed) and true testimony of women during the war

We come from the biggest refugee camp in the world. It has existed for so long and in such a remote place that we imagine most people elsewhere do not even know about. We belong to the Saharawi people of Western Sahara; a country once was a Spanish colony for more then a century. The native population, known as Saharawis at that time was numbering fewer than 100,000 became impatient and began to fight for independence. Not fortunate enough; the Saharawi happiness for independence did not last longer than a couple of months. When Spain decided to leave in 1975, its leader, General Franco, was dying, the northern neighbor, Morocco, saw an interest in the region and claimed it as its own.
In November 25th, 1975, the Moroccan force took control over the capital, Laayoune. Then, Morocco’s tenth king, Hassan II, massed more than 200,000 people on to the territory in a well-known show of force called the Green March. Then, the double operation of Mauritania and Morocco takes its way to the phosphate rich territory. However the Sahara guerrilla movement for the Liberation of Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro, known as the POLISARIO Front, continued to fight, and with great tenacity.
The nasty desert war lasted until 1991 and cost Morocco as many as 25,000 casualties. It displaced half the Saharawi population, pushing them into the desolate southwestern corner of the neighboring Algeria where thirty two years later, we remain there today, more than 200,000 of us. The influx of Moroccans, lured by government perks and subsidies, turned the remaining Saharawi into a minority in their own land .Those who tried to speak-up were viciously suppressed. Hundreds simply disappeared.
We were born in a refugee camp southwest Algerian desert and have lived as refugees our whole lives. We were born in a tent, where our family members still live. The temperature can climb to 125 Fahrenheit. It rains once or twice a year. We get everything from food to cloths and health care from International Humanitarian Aid, which is mostly run by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees and World Food Program. In addition to UNHCR and WFP, there are some 19 NGOs – two Algerian, 16 European and one from the United States – operating complementary assistance programs in the camps.
Medications in particular are provided by UNHCR, International Red Cross and other small NGOs. The nurses and doctors are mostly Saharawis; there are few aid workers, however. These aid workers are mostly from Spain, but there are other nationalities as well. Most of the nurses get their education in the camps, they are mostly women and they are trained by professional nurses who obtained their degrees in Cuba mostly. Medical assistance is not sufficient, and hence far too many children have not been vaccinated and are now at high risk of the lethal combination of malnutrition, acute respiratory infections and diarrhea. Sadly enough, the UNICEF is strangely absent as a UN player in Tindouf, where the camps are located. Although it is know that UNICEF’s regional office in Amman visited Tindouf in February 2003, no interest was showed after the visit.