Rabat – Several civil society organizations in Geneva have published their “Geneva Declaration,’ calling for the lifting of an ongoing “state of emergency” in the Tindouf camps that severely restricts resident’s freedom of expression. On the sidelines of the 52nd session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, several NGOs issued the declaration based on the work of a panel by the Observatory for Peace and Human Rights (IOPDHR).
The IOPDHR monitors developments on democracy, peace and human rights in the MENA-region, with a particular focus on the Sahel and Sahara regions. The observatory has denounced the ongoing human rights situation in the Polisario-controlled TIndouf camps in Algeria, where an ongoing “state of emergency” is restricting people’s rights of free expression.
The Geneva Declaration, based on the IOPDHR’s concerns, called on host country Algeria and Polisario to end the continued repression against any form of dissent in the camps as part of its state of emergency measures. The document describes “serious violations” by Algeria against the camp’s populations and calls on the international community to consider the rights of the camp’s population and ensure international standards for refugee care are maintained.
As part of efforts to ensure the ill-defined population of the camps are protected from repression, the document calls on Algeria to allow international human rights groups to finally access the camps to allow direct interaction between inhabitants and provide much-needed aid.
Because the Tindouf camps are located in Algerian territory, its inhabitants should be ensured the rights granted by Algerian law, the document highlights. According to the Geneva Declaration, current forced disappearances and reports of torture of camp residents need to end and international human rights law should be respected.
Finally, the document calls for the boosting of living standards in the impoverished camps, to meet basic living standards and ensure the development of the region as part of Algeria’s overall development.
The IOPDHR’s concerns regarding the situation in Tindouf mirror the findings of a recent World Food Programme evaluation which detailed continued inhumane living standards of camp residents.
