Agony in Western Sahara
By Guest Post • Oct 28th, 2009 at 17:24 • Category: Features, Mary's Choice, Newswire, Resistance, War
WRITTEN By SOLA BALOGUN (from The Sun News Online)
At the mention of Western Sahara to many Nigerians, they would immediately think of the Sahara desert. Not many Nigerians, and indeed Africans realise that there is a country on this continent called Western Sahara. But then, perhaps it is not so popular because it remains shackled by bondage of Morocco.
Yes, in this age and time, a country still remains oppressed by another, worse still, they are both African countries. Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (the people are known as Saharawi) is a former colony of the Spanish protectorate which is rich in mineral resources like phosphate mineral rock, it also has some of the best fishing grounds in the world, and its off-shore oil resources are currently being explored.
When Spain pulled out of the colony in 1975, it didn’t finish the decolonisation process and Morocco as its neighbour quickly invaded and took over. Mauritania also seized part of the land but soon returned it to the Saharawi and made peace with the Polisario Front, the political movement that continued to fight against Morocco.
Africa’s Last Colony: Spain’s Error, Morocco’s Sin aptly describes the situation and dire circumstances under which the Saharawi live. Water poisoning, torture, forced disappearances and other inhumane situations are some of the conditions under which the Saharawi live.
The book relays the experience of the author, Ike Abonyi who visited the country; Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic. In his foreword, he laments that the story of the country as being an emotional one which has since been ignored by the rest of the world.
The book is divided into three parts with an easy to read and understandable style. Its full title is apt; Africa’s Last Colony: Spain’s Error, Morocco’s Sin; An African Journalist’s Diary On Western Sahara.
The foreword was written by Prof. Nuhu Yaqub, the immediate past Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja who described it as a timely addition to literature on Africa’s decolonization process. Yaqub also agrees that many Africans even enlightened ones are ignorant of a country called Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic, not to mention its struggle for independence from Morocco.
His foreword decries the hypocrisy of some of the Western countries who claim to uphold human rights; (France, Germany and Spain) for turning a blind eye to Morocco’s flagrant abuse of human rights. He adds that it is Nigeria’s duty to the African continent to assist Western Sahara secure its independence.
The first part of the book collates the history of Western Sahara, its history with Spain, Spain’s pullout, and Morocco/Mauritania invasion of the country. It also explains how Mauritania returned the land it had seized while Morocco stubbornly held on to its seized part.
Abonyi and other analysts blame Spain for not finishing the decolonisation process i.e., handing over to the Polisario Front, a political group which had been formed in 1973 to fight Spanish colonial rule.
Despite the 1975 ruling of the International Court of Justice that Western Sahara was a country on its own at the time of its colonisation by Spain, its sovereignty still belonged to its people, while Morocco refused to leave the occupied land and the war with the Polisario Front continued. In 1992, the United Nations brokered a cease-fire and passed referendum on self-determination of the Saharawi people but Morocco refused to allow it.
Over 150,000 Saharawi are internally displaced refugees living on a daily ration provided by the United Nations Food Programme while many are hounded into detention without trials or forced into exile.
In the second part, Abonyi narrates his personal experience on the trip to the country; how as a presidential guest, his bed was a six-inch mattress usually used in boarding schools in Nigeria. According to him, the camp has enjoyed some peace in the last 17 years, but most young Saharawi are disillusioned especially since Morocco simply exploits the resources of the country for itself alone, while ignoring the needs of the Saharawi.
The narration by Abonyi would elicit sympathy from every reader; he narrates how young Saharawi have lost their limbs, and in some cases their lives, with explosion of the mines, which Morocco has placed at the 2500km long wall erected on occupied Western Sahara.
He also narrates gory details of about 140 inmates of the Rehabilitation Centre for Victims of Mines and War located at the headquarters of administrative headquarters of the Saharawi camp.
The third part of Africa’s Last Colony is a collection of interviews with some dignitaries of Saharawi Government. In the interview, President Mohammed Abdulaziz praised Nigeria’s attitude towards other African nations, and its leadership role in the African continent. Other dignitaries who spoke to Abonyi include Mohamed Salem, the Commander of the Saharawi Military School, and Mohammed Yeslem Beisat, who is the Minister of African Affairs.
The author raises some very important questions; why did Spain not complete the decolonisation process by handing over to the Polisario Front? Why is the commonness of religion, language and geography not helping solve the problem between the two nations? Who manufactures and provides the weapons being used by the Moroccans to unleash terror on the Saharawi? Which other countries are benefitting from Morocco’s exploitation of the Saharawi? What is the role of France, as the former colonial master of Morocco, in the whole situation?
Some other questions begging for answers are; why is the rest of the Arab world adopting an indifferent approach to the oppression of their ‘brothers’? How much pressure are the African Union and other regional organisations applying to Morocco especially as Western Sahara is also being recognised as a sovereign state.
Africa’s Last Colony brings to fore a true but pitiable situation that, while other people have moved on to battling internal problems such as ethnicity, nepotism and so on, an African nation is being deprived of self-rule by another African nation. The gruesomeness of the situation is that soldiers readily torture and kill, without a war situation in Saharawi, regardless of age or gender.
http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/arts/2009/oct/27/arts-27-10-2009-002.html
Guest Post is the author as indicated in the tagline. He/she (or the source that is indicated within the post) reserves the rights to the material published.
Email this author | All posts by Guest Post
To begin with, I have to admit that I am a biased observer in favor of Morocco. As some who has been traveling and doing business in Morocco for the last 25 years, the issue of the Moroccan Sahara is an issue which I have followed closely for many years, and yes, I do keep up to date on most of the development in this Moroccan Sahara province and I know a number of people, average citizens and also some of the Saharan who are part of the government.
Colonial Spain nor different than Colonial England. Spain leaving big mess and seeds of conflict, with criminal intent diverting the attention of people and nations. Spain left a big mess, deliberate mess when it decided to “vacate” the Moroccan Sahara without formal hand over the government of Morocco, knowing well that this will create a conflict that will split countries and people and takes away from the much needed focus on development and will create an armed conflict between so called Polisario (armed and funded by Algerian military, Libya , Cuba and Nasser’s Egypt and Morocco as part of the Cold War conflict, ( it should be noted that Nasser decided to dispatch his failed army of 67 the one that lost the war, lost Jerusalem, lost what is left of Palestine, lost Sinai, decided to dispatched his army to fight Morocco) One has to wonder how much better use could Algeria and Libya could have the tens of billions they spent on killing people rather than building nation, on making rich arms suppliers rich while taking every one to the poor house. The so called “Western Sahara was never an issue for Morocco… it was and is an integral part of the nation and people, and it is more of an issue for the Algerian military than an issue of the people of the Sahara. The Polisario leadership for its own selfish interest allowed itself to be used as pawns by the Algerian military mafia, forcing Morocco to divert much of its needed and meager resources to this armed conflict. Not only that but Morocco committed as ever to its people in the Sahara Province shifted its priorities of development from the North and the rest of the country and did a miracle job in developing the province, building roads, schools, hospitals, infrastructure and giving the people an excellent chance for a decent living. This is of course in contrast to the miserable living conditions that the Polisario force the people it hold hostage to live in. One only needs to see the contrast between cities like Layoun, or Dhakla and Tendouff. The Polisario leadership have no sense of honor or duty to the people it claims to represent. One can only remember that the Polisario and the Algerian military held thousands of Moroccans kidnapped and prisoners of war in miserable conditions for years. Perhaps the longest prisoners of war in modern town and for what?
Morocco went much beyond what any one expected when King Mohamed VI proposed couple of years ago a very dynamic and innovative “autonomy” for the region within the Kingdom of Morocco. Too bad the Polisario leadership opted for its own selfish interest rather than what is good for the people and the region.
One can understand the conflict in Palestine between colonial and racist Israel and the Palestinians, but there is simply no excuses whatsoever for the continuation of this man-made conflict that serves no one interest, not even the Algerian military leadership that keeps this conflict going.
One has to come to Morocco and see the “miracle” of the last 10 years, with roads every where, billions being spent on infrastructures, cities and towns much better than those in Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Algeria and Libya. Affordable housing every where, and King Mohamed VI is on his way to meet the commitment he made to 7 million Moroccans who were living in slums and shacks to have a decent housing, and one can see it… in every town and in every village and yes, by end of this year, there should be no slums in Morocco.. Something that the US failed to have in so many years of Great Society. One has to travel the country like I do by car to see the development every where, to see the local markets with fruits, food and meat in so much abidance. To walk to a local bakery even in the most remote village and see the much different bread offered to local consumers. With much limited resources Morocco is emerging as a great place to live and work. I can only encourage people to visit the Sahara Region of Morocco and see for themselves and compare it to Tendouff. I think the die hard revolutionary should see what their revolutions did to the people of the Soviet Union, to the people of Palestine, to Iraq, to Libya to Sudan to Egypt. Enough of revolutions that only serve the leadership. It is time to put the efforts in giving the people a chance at decent living. Enough dying for the leadership time to live for oneself and family.
As much as I do love and admire you, Sami, and I do know that you are intimately familiar with Morocco, and I am not, I see the Saharawi struggle as being a liberation struggle, no matter who may help those by financing it. I don't think Saharawis want revolution for the sake of revolution. I can only say this from direct experience of a limited nature, but nonetheless, which affected me deeply. My town hosts children from the Saharawi population each year for three weeks. A few times, several children came to live with us for that period, and through the interpreter, (and of course, through the international language of play, ice cream and smiles) we understood much more than we knew before. These are people who really do not want "material things" as much as they simply do not want to be under the rule of a king that they do not recognise as having sovereignty over them. They want to have access to their lands, they want to know that they have a future and will not be considered as second-class citizens in their own place of birth. They told us about lack of schooling, high rates of illness and imprisonment, and they believe this can and must end. They want their identity and the adults agree that the decolonialisation has not happened and that they are paying the heavy price for all of this. They do consider the Polisario front as their own liberation front and they really do want to be fully Arab, African, Muslim, Sahrawi.
I was ignorant of this situation for a long time, because I did not know about it until I personally came in contact with these people, and that was merely by accident, and I am enriched by knowing these children and the adults that accompany them. The trips are no longer happening, because the financing ended, so it hurts my heart to think too of how these children maybe feel that they have been forgotten by those who provided them just three weeks a year of a change and release from feeling imprisoned, as well as getting some health treatments that for some reason were never provided. I have a few friends who are Arab nationalists and they don't understand the Sahrawi feelings for autonomy, thinking that it will fragment Arab unity. I personally have not seen the contrast as such. It to me is the same as the Palestinian self-determination needs and the recognition of Arab unity. I realise that this is a dividing line for some activists, I realise that, but I am happy too that this issue is being aired.
[...] here: Palestine Think Tank » Mary's Choice Newswire Resistance War … Share and [...]
Mary thanks… Believe me the Polisario leadership is like the Palestinian leadership self serving and selfish. One has to see what is going on the Sahara Region and what is happening in Tendouff. Many people forget that the Polisario leadership kidnapped Sahara children and sent them to Cuba against the will of their parents… It is the selfish interests of the Polisario leadership and the Algerian military elite that keeps the conflict going. One has to think of all the tens of billions wasted, the thousands killed in this conflict. Who would believe that the borders between Morocco and Algeria are closed for years. Why? Frankly speaking and yes, I am biased and for good reasons, this conflict has nothing to do with liberation, but to perpetuate a failed leadership. all the best.
Free the Sahrawi Prisoners:
The 07 human rights activists known as "the Group Degja Lachgrar", the only woman among them: Brahim Dahanne, Dagje Lachgar, Ahmed Nassiri, Ali Salem Tamek, Lebaihi and Rachid Sghaer, and Terouzi Yahdih who were arrested on 08.10.2009 after their visit to the Saharawi refugee camps appeared yesterday 15/10/2009 in front of the judge of the court of appeals in Casablanca who decided to make them appear before the military court due to incompetence.
In the same day in the afternoon of that same day, they appeared before a military court judge in Rabat who detained them until 01: 00 am on 16/10/2009.
The 07 detainees were brought afterwards to the prison of Sale (Morocco).
Therefore, they are charged with heavy allegations.
We demand their immediate release. Can you help?
http://www.my-cause.com/cause/free_the_sahrawi_prisoners
Hello, Sami!
I see that Morocco’s Intoxication Services have bettered very much since last time we had the opportunity to meet here, on PTT. Now the method has changed a little… Isn’t it?
“To begin with”, you “have to admit that” you are something more than a mere “biased observer in favor of Morocco”, isn’t true? Obviously you will deny it at all, as expected.
Well, I am going to write my comments later on. But for the moment, I think it is enough with the following question:
You (a mere “biased observer in favor of Morocco”, don’t forget it) say: “Many people forget that the Polisario leadership kidnapped Sahara children and sent them to Cuba against the will of their parents…”
Instead, Many people and you self forget:
What did Morocco with more than 500 Sahrawi citizens?
Where are they even today, 35 years thereafter?
Asked Morocco these “kidnapped Sahara children” (“sent to Cuba”) before invading Western Sahara, before bombing them with napalm and white phosphorus, before pursuing them and trying to exterminate the whole people?
Why do you (a mere “biased observer in favor of Morocco”) forget these things, that is, the very reason and the very problem’s origin?
Now, you (a mere “biased observer in favor of Morocco”) will answer following Phase 2 of the Intoxication Protocol, Isn’t it?
In my opinion, "Agony in Western Sahara", the article written by Sola BALOGUN (from The Sun News Online) outlining the book of the Nigerian author Ike ABONYI, is a very timely, illuminating and balanced one, easy to be read by both citizens of Nigeria as also by readers of other African countries (including Morocco, of course…!) and, in general, by citizens around the world interested in a topical issue, despite being one of the oldest issues in the UN’s decolonization agenda.
The review of the book is very well written, in a clear and simple language, and the title of the work is also very telling: “Africa’s Last Colony: Spain’s Error, Morocco’s Sin; An African Journalist’s Diary On Western Sahara”. As Professor Nuhu YAQUB (former Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja) has described in the book's Foreword, it is a timely addition to literature on Africa’s decolonization process.
But having said this, I wish to state the following:
1) Concerning Mary Rizzo: I am very grateful to her by her high sensitivity towards such catastrophic tragedies like the Western Sahara, and her great heart bringing to PTT the Saharawi cause and articles relating to the forgotten Saharawi people. I know this causes her many problems. So, thank you very much again, Mary, on behalf of the forgotten Saharawi people.
2) Concerning Mr. Sami Jamil: I fear that only a few (very few, if any) Sahrawis will be willing to squander or waste their scarce and valuable time by replying to Mr. Sami Jamil’s malicious comments, after ¡34 years! suffering in the refugee camps of Tindouf, as well as in the Territories of Western Sahara occupied by Morocco, or elsewhere in the Diaspora. On the contrary, they need (and really should) save their energy and time for tasks more pressing and necessary for its people and their freedom. (Simply, they may be weary of falling into the trap of the “monologues” designed by Morocco’s Poisoning Services, no matter the “new” name of the persons who write these comments).
By the way, "Agony in Western Sahara", the article written by Sola BALOGUN, has been translated into Spanish and also into French by TLAXCALA, and you can find it also in many other websites:
“El martirio del Sáhara Occidental”,
http://www.tlaxcala.es/pp.asp?reference=9138&lg=es
You can sign the petition: "Stop the EU fisheries in Western Sahara!" by clicking on my name above.
Thank you very much for your attention.