Rabat – Lmaadla Kouri Mohamed Salem, a Sahrawi refugee in Spain, detailed human right abuses by Polisario in the refugee camps in Tindouf, during a UN session, through a letter addressed to Michelle Bachelet, the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
“I am a Sahrawi refugee in Spain after I managed to escape from the hell of Sahrawi refugee camps in Tindouf, which Polisario – with help from Algeria’s army – have transformed into an open prison where the ugliest human rights violations are systematically practiced,” Salem said during the session.
“Perhaps what motivates the leaders of Polisario and Algeria’s army to continue systematically oppressing Sahrawis is their constant avoiding of punishment,” she added, describing how Algerian authorities gave up their authority over the Tindouf camps to armed Polisario groups, despite UN authorities condemning the move.
Salem said Algerian authorities have refused to open investigations into various abuses against Sahrawi people. Among the crimes she detailed was the burning of two young men in the camps and over a 100 cases of Sahrawis disappearing from nearby detention centers.
“Therefore, I ask the High Commissioner to question Algeria through the United Nations system about avoiding its legal and moral duties towards Sahrawi refugees on its soil,” she concluded.
The Polisario Front has come under fire for other human rights abuses recently. The Arab League Council adopted a resolution condemning the recruitment of children in military conflicts.
Pictures and videos showing children wearing military uniforms and holding rifles have sparked outrage among activists, international organizations, and NGOs.
Morocco’s Ambassador to the UN Omar Hilale had voiced similar concerns over the human rights conditions in these camps, calling on the international system to hold the leaders of both Polisario and the Algerian government accountable for human rights breaches.
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