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My Visit: Jade Blue
I’ve recently returned from my first visit to the Saharawi refugee camps near Tindouf, Algeria. I went over with Desert Voicebox to spend ten days working with the English language teachers on their after school programme: developing their teaching skills and exploring ways they can practically implement teaching and learning principles into their classroom practice.
What struck me most about the teachers I was working with was their warmth, openness and tenacity. They say that it is in the most challenging of circumstances that we show our true selves. These teachers face so many challenges on a daily basis. The camps themselves are a harsh environment in which to live. The shortage of food, water, and adequate healthcare, combined with the inhospitable climate and variety of health problems that arise from a lack of nutrition, make day to day life a struggle. But still, the teachers teach. And not only that, but they engage fully and openly with opportunities to explore and develop their approaches and techniques, and work hard to implement what they’re learning into their lessons. It was a joy to be given the opportunity to share something with such committed, inquisitive, bold, and intelligent women.
All of the Saharawi people I met and spent time with showed me warmth and care. Many of us know, at least in theory, there is unfathomable inequality in the world. But being in this place and spending time with these generous, gentle people, turns that awareness from a cognitive understanding to a tangible reality - something you feel in your very core. But despite all of the physical and emotional challenges, and despite the complex, psychological impacts of living in a refugee camp, still the Saharawi show love, empathy and compassion to their fellow human beings. And still they fight for their freedom and their independence; still they live in hope, that one day their children, or their children’s children, will be free to live peacefully in their homeland.
TESOL Conference: wsactionforum@gmail.com
WSCUK Committee member, Beccy Allen, will be speaking at the TESOL Spain (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) in Cáceres in early March to raise awareness of Sandblast's English and Music teaching programme, Desert Voicebox, in the Saharawi Refugee Camps.
Her presentation, which will describe her own experiences of teaching English for six months in Boujdour Camp, as well as to encourage English teachers in Spain to donate resources, offer training opportunities to the Saharawi teachers, volunteer their time teaching in the Camps and to work with Saharawi solidarity groups to raise money to fund the continuation and expansion of the programme.
Do you have experience of teaching English to speakers of other languages? Get in touch if you would like to support Saharawis in the UK or in the Refugee Camps.
Human rights in occupied Western Sahara
Human Rights Watch stated in its 2023 annual report the “Moroccan authorities systematically prevent gatherings supporting Sahrawi self-determination and obstruct the work of some local human rights groups, including by blocking their legal registration".
Nineteen Sahrawi men remained in prison after they were convicted in unfair trials in 2013 and 2017 for the killing of 11 security force members, who died during clashes in 2010 when authorities forcibly dismantled a protest encampment in Western Sahara’s Gdeim Izik.
In October 2023, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention demanded that Morocco immediately release the Gdeim Izik group of leading human rights defenders as it has concluded that their detention is illegal.
Latest on the Saharawi refugee camps
The Saharawi refugees in the camps near the Algerian city of Tindouf continue to live in dire conditions. In October 2023 UN agencies and humanitarian actors launched the Sahrawi Refugee Response Plan, covering the next two years — 2024-2025.
The Plan calls for $214 million to ensure food stability, a reliable water supply as well as to address the nutritional requirements of people living in camps in Tindouf. The UN agencies revealed that “90% of the Saharawi population residing in the Tindouf camps are either food insecure or vulnerable to food insecurity, leading to severe nutritional deterioration, especially among the most vulnerable, notably children, with one in ten children suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
These camps are home to refugees whose sustenance largely relies on international humanitarian aid, constituting three-quarters of their food supply. In this backdrop, the call for international solidarity is imperative to protect these refugees and mitigate the devastating repercussions of fluctuations in humanitarian assistance.”
Mauritania and Algeria jointly oppose occupation
Western Sahara has recently received a diplomatic boost, and had another of its direct neighbours confirming their support for a process of self determination. Mauritania is the third neighbour of Western Sahara (as well as Algeria and Morocco). Mauritania along with Morocco invaded Western Sahara in 1975. Morocco invaded from the North and Mauritania invaded from the South. Although the Saharawi managed to defeat and repel the Mauritanian army, they could not fully repel the Moroccans, hence the occupation.
Mauritania and Algeria released a joint statement on Western Sahara, stating “The tensions observed at the regional and international levels and the resulting challenges force Algeria and Mauritania to adopt common approaches which are, more than ever, guided by the principle of common destiny”, and going on to also say “Mauritania does not have territorial aims in the Sahara. We respect the UN resolutions and hope to find a solution to this issue”.
Although not explicitly calling for self-determination, this is suggesting a shift in attitudes, the fact Mauritania is willing to turn against Morocco and side with their once rival Algeria could suggest a step in the right direction for the region.
Tory Party once again putting money before morals
It is no surprise that prominent supporter of Israel, Tory MP Liam Fox, has recently thrown his weight into the Western Sahara issue. The right-wing MP, is quoted as saying that the UK needs to offer its “full support to Morocco and recognize its sovereignty over the Sahara”. He was stating in his interview with Medi1TV, that the UK is too far behind the States on this issue and that we must be aligning ourselves with the Imperialist position. Arguing that Morocco is important politically and economically, showing the importance of material gains vs societal gains in the eyes of the Tory Party. Liam Fox is also an individual with some very oppressive and extreme views; he opposes gay marriage and advocated for a near complete ban on abortion. He also supports the reintroduction of capital punishment and has shown himself to have the ideals of the 19th and early 20th century Tory party.
With the Tory party set to be ousted at the next election, the importance of the Labour party to reaffirm its historical position as an anti-imperialist party is more important now than ever, with the situation in Yemen and Palestine deteriorating daily, Western Sahara cannot be forgotten about again.
The UK has since Brexit found itself isolated on the international stage. This allows nations to in a sense hold us over a barrel. This was reiterated when the Moroccan ambassador to the UK, Mr Hakim Hajoui stated that the only thing holding back the friendship of Morocco and the UK, was the UK’s unwillingness to adopt the pro Moroccan position of Western Sahara. Unfortunately this shows again the dire situation Western Sahara find themselves in. Without vocal western support, then Morocco can and will continue to further its claims and put pressure upon Western states.
Hostilities on the increase
The plight of Western Sahara and the restarting of hostilities between Morocco and Western
Sahara has finally been noticed and reported by mainstream Western media outlets. Specifically the American magazine Forbes has reported on the hostilities.
Reported is how the armed wing of the Polisario, the national liberation army, has begun to increase their attacks. This is not surprising given the stalemate and non-progress in the situation.
The President of the Saharawi Republic addresses the Nation
In his speech on the 48th anniversary of the proclamation of the Sahrawi Republic the President, Mr. Brahim Ghali, warned against the Moroccan policy aimed at creating hotbeds of tension in the region.
He addressed the Moroccan people: “We are confident that the free people of Morocco do not accept the injustice and oppression being inflicted on their Sahrawi brothers and neighbours. They know very well how firm and strong the Sahrawi people are in defending their rights, but they also realise how good, peaceful, and generous the Sahrawi people are in the framework of proper relations based on mutual respect, good-neighbourliness, and cooperation among all the peoples and countries of the region.”
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