Western Sahara

Human rights | Society

Human rights | Society

"Mass exodus" from Western Sahara cities

Camp outside El Aaiun, housing over 10,000 protesting Sahrawis © UPES/afrol News

Concerns are mounting for thousands of civilians taking part in protests following a mass exodus from major cities in Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara earlier this month. The protesters are denied food and medical supplies.

At least 10,000 Sahrawis since 9 October moved out of the occupied territory's cities and are camping in the area of Gdeim Izik, 12 kilometres outside the capital El Aauin. The exodus was organised in protest against the Morocco occupation of Western Sahara, and the "ongoing discrimination, poverty and human rights abuses against Sahrawi citizens," according to the protesters.



Sources in the exiled government of Western Sahara, based in Algerian refugee camps, claim that the number of protesters camping outside the major cities and towns in the territory reach "at least 14,000." In addition to those camping outside El Aaiun, protest camps were also erected outside Smara, Dakhla and Bujador.



The number of protesters is "continuously growing," Sahrawi government sources confirmed today. The campers document their protest action and their numbers on various videos uploaded on YouTube.



The latest reports from the protesters indicate that tensions with the Moroccan occupants are rising. Moroccan security forces have exercised violence against the protestors there are reports they are preventing supplies of food, water and medicine reaching the camps, sparking concern that this could become a major humanitarian issue.



The Saharawi Red Crescent yesterday launched an appeal "urging" donor countries and organisations around the world, to "provide as quickly as possible humanitarian assistance to populations" located in the protest camps outside El Aaiun.



Mohamed Abdelaziz, the President of the exiled Sahrawi government, has called on UN refugee agency to provide supplies to the protesters and asked the UN High Commissioner for human rights to intervene, warning t

Also outside the town of Smara, protesters are camping © UPES/afrol News

By staff writers

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