The international community and, more specifically, organizations working in the field of human rights preservation are called upon to assume their responsibility in protecting the detainees in the Tindouf camps and to put an end to the impunity enjoyed by the polisario militias, said Inmaculada Ocaña, President of the Alhayat for International Cooperation association, a Seville-based NGO.
“Closing one’s eyes to the atrocities committed every day in the Tindouf camps on Algerian soil is unacceptable. The time has come for the international community to take action,” Ocaña told MAP on the sidelines of a conference organized by her NGO at the prestigious Pablo Olavide University in Seville.
“The credibility of international organizations is at stake. Each party must assume its responsibility to end the suffering of a population victimized by a deplorable situation,” added the Spanish activist.
Furthermore, she noted that several reports from international bodies have confirmed the inhumane practices of the polisario, with the “silent and complicit” gaze of the Algerian regime, hence the need for a “determined and firm reaction” to uncover what is really happening in the camps and ensure that the perpetrators are held accountable for their actions.
“While the southern provinces of Morocco are open to international observers, who can witness the progress made in all areas, those detained in the Tindouf camps continue to suffer countless violations,” continued Ocaña, who recently visited Laayoune and Dakhla as the head of a delegation from her association.
In this regard, she emphasized the development taking place in the southern provinces, highlighting the “dynamic” progress made in recent years to make Laayoune and Dakhla into “investment and development hubs.”
The significant projects launched by the Moroccan government, encompassing all sectors of activity, guarantee a “dignified life” for local populations who also participate effectively in managing their affairs, noted the president of the Spanish NGO.
“Thanks to the investments made by Morocco in recent years, the cities in the Moroccan Sahara have nothing to envy from the most developed European cities in terms of infrastructure and well-being,” Ocaña insisted, expressing her “impression” at the involvement of young people and women in this development process.
According to her, “the only solution to the suffering of detainees in the Tindouf camps is the resolution of the artificial dispute over the Moroccan Sahara, based on the autonomy initiative presented by Morocco in 2007, which enjoys the support of the international community.”
“The United States of America, Germany, Spain, and several influential European countries have already expressed their support for the approach presented by Morocco. Thus, all paths lead to autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty,” she emphasized.
“The United Nations must exert pressure on Algeria and the polisario to accept this solution, which is the most realistic and just way to break the impasse and end the suffering of thousands of families held against their will in the Tindouf camps,” concluded the human rights activist.
MAP: 06 October 2023
