Join on WhatsApp
Join on Telegram
Rabat – Sahrawis living in the Algeria-controlled Tindouf camps find themselves in a dire situation, grappling with opposition, and struggling to meet even their basic needs.
Enduring harsh living conditions under the watchful eye of Polisario Front’s leadership and the Algerian regime, Sahrawis face limited options in the camps.
In response, many of them have resorted to illegal actions as a means of survival.
The response from the Algerian regime has been brutality and violence instead of addressing the root causes of their desperation, including restrictions and freedom of movement beyond the Polisario-run Tindouf camps.
The latest incident of such brutality against young gold miners was in May, when the Algerian army killed three Sahrawis near the camps.
“The brutal bombing targeted a civilian car, resulting in the death of three individuals,” said the Forum for the Autonomists of Tindouf (FORSATIN), criticizing the Algerian regime’s cruel crackdown on youth for trying to make a living amid the harsh living conditions in the Polisario-run camps.
The forum further noted that the Polisario leadership and Algeria have in recent months intensified pressure on Sahrawis, “deeply affecting residents in the camps.”
In an exclusive interview with Morocco World News (MWN), Algerian political analyst Oualid Kebir also joined the chorus discussing the dire conditions in the Tindouf camps, noting that this latest bombing is not unprecedented.
“The significant difference this time is the high number of fatalities, estimated to be around 12 to 15 deaths, among residents of the camps who earn a living through gold mining,” lamented Kebir, while denouncing the absence of any legal action or investigation to address the situation.
“The ‘public prosecutor’ at the Tindouf court was expected to launch an investigation into the matter,” Kebir told MWN. However, he added, the prosecutor “failed to initiate the investigation, and neither the Algerian press nor the Algerian government issued a statement.”
The analyst also lashed out at the Algerian Defense Ministry for its silence, noting that this “implies that those living in the Tindouf camp are treated as non-human entities deprived of their basic human rights.”
In addition to brutalizing and killing dissidents young Sahrawis, Kebir deplored, the Algerian regime has a long history of instrumentalizing the Sahrawi youth in its long-running rivalry with Morocco. As Kebir put it, Algeria has long used the distressed Sahrai youth “as merely a tool” to legitimize its narrative about the Sahara dispute.
Need for an action
Kebir emphasized the need for action involving international human rights organizations and Algerian organizations to address the situation.
He said it’s crucial to address the crime committed against unarmed youth, who were attempting to earn a living through gold mining in the region.
“What transpired is deplorable, and it is crucial that the international community takes action,” he added.
The Algerian analyst also called on Morocco to draw attention to this crime so that the UN Secretary General will address it in his upcoming report on the Sahara. Kebir hopes that this can at least help to put some relative pressure on Algeria to end this ongoing cycle of brutality.
In recent years, the UN chief’s annual reports on the Sahara dispute have consistently highlighted the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the Tindouf camps.
The reports often stress the challenges facing Sahrawis in the Polisario-run camps, including the scarcity of drinking water and food and the ensuing spread of diseases, particularly among children and women.
Despite these mounting challenges, the Algerian regime continues to refuse its responsibility in the dispute and rejects any engagement in the UN-led political process aimed at finding a mutually acceptable solution.
