The ceasefire between the conflicting parties Morocco and the Frente Polisario, the political representation of the Saharawis, held for almost thirty years. The conflict escalated in mid-November and now the signs point to war. The young Sahrawi Laila Fakhouri is campaigning for a peaceful solution to the conflict and for the rights of her people. The human rights activist has been stuck in the Sahrawi refugee camps in Algeria since March. From there, she reports to Sylvia Valentin from terre des hommes schweiz about the grueling situation, which runs counter to a peaceful solution to the “forgotten” Western Sahara conflict.
The conflict in the media
“It saddens me that the international media are only interested in us.us only interested in us when the situation escalates. The Moroccan media hardly report hardly report on the conflict. DIn contrast, the Polisario daily from attacks at various points along of the wall. But there are no pictures or videos of it and the western media have no access to the conflict conflict area.“
Laila Fakhouri – where it currently is, what it does
“I am sitting since March 2020 in the refugeecamps fixed. I am very happy, now to be here. I would be afraid to return to Morocco at the moment. Jnow ins prison to comewould be even worse than usual. I am prepared for this, for longere time in the refugee camps to stay.
I work from here as a translator and am in contact with political prisonersincluding a group of studentswho have been in detention for over a year following peaceful protests. They tell me that they e recently even more restricted sare than usual. For example, you may even less often with the outside world and if you do, then for less and less Time. I don’t believe that Morocco will voluntarily release political prisoners.
I work in aegroup with, that against fake news uses. Morocco has hundredsthousands of trolls in actionwho spread misinformation. We sense the fa ke News comment on them on Facebook and Twitter and disseminate our corrections in the social networks.“
The mood and the Ttopics
“The issue of Covid-19 and corona is no longer important in the refugeecamps. At the moment, everything revolves around the ‘War‘it is constantly and everywhere the urgent Topic. There are men from the refugee campswho a militarys training make.
The situation in the occupied territory is dire: Telephone calls are tapped and Houses are stormed. Dhe Moroccan police are everywhere, in front of my mother’s house in Morocco ssits also around the clock a policeman.
The current situation has made it even more difficult for vom Refugeeswarehouse out with family and friends in the occupied territory can have contact. The is natural all not newonly has the situation jets again sharpened.“
How the young Saharawis hegoes
“What shall I say to those of us say to those who ‘go to war‘ or intend to? I understand, that the people have had enougheverything stands still and nothing moves forward. The boys are fed up, that their people ‘forgotten‘ and their country, the Western Sahara, the ‘last colony in Africa‘ is.
The situation of children, adolescents and young adults in the refugeecamps is grueling. Initiatives such as the youth project of terre des hommes switzerland in the refugee camp Smara are enormously important for them. You have to imagine it like this: The young generation in the refugee camps is condemned to do nothingand wait iin no man’s land out. That kills any positive energy. Not s and not Being unable to work means losing perspective and feeling useless. Young people need goals! Young people who are in youth pprojects get up motivated in the morning, do something and are so much less prone toto take up arms to take up arms.“
More protection as a recognized human rights activist?
“Some people think that nothing can happen to me now because I have the Human Rights Award 2019 of the City of Weimar and I am known. I’m not so sure about that. Morocco doesn’t think much of human rights. Aminatou Haidar, winner of the Alternative Nobel Prize, has just been prevented from leaving for Spain.
The awardnaward with a human rights award also means more responsibility for me. Before I was simple a volunteer activist. Now I receive very many requestsfinquiries and messages. In the process experienceI learn also beautiful things: When I once I was out and about in the occupied territory, I was recognized by a woman with her two girls. She saidshe wished that her daughters would one day be like me. like me.
When I attend meetings with activist*activists and Saharawis it’s often just about experiences of violence, sbad things and problems. Then I tell them about myn journeyn to Germany, to Switzerland and to Sweden. I show them pictures of politicians with whom I have spoken. talked to and say, not all of them would completely forgotten. It is important to see: There are there are also positive developments, that give reason for hope despite everything.“
What Switzerland can docan
“Switzerland should ask the UN to do its job do. Nobody wants a war. Nobody wants things to be like they are in Syria or in Libya. Switzerland can exert peaceful pressure and contribute tothat the Saharawis in the occupied territories are protected. It should also demand that political prisonersprisoners can be visited.“
Recording Sylvia Valentincollaboration Anna Wegelin
