{"id":28047,"date":"2020-12-09T08:00:11","date_gmt":"2020-12-09T06:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.terredeshommesschweiz.ch\/laila-fakhouri-on-the-situation-in-the-sahrawi-refugee-camps\/"},"modified":"2025-04-01T15:21:12","modified_gmt":"2025-04-01T13:21:12","slug":"laila-fakhouri-on-the-situation-in-the-sahrawi-refugee-camps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.terredeshommesschweiz.ch\/en\/laila-fakhouri-on-the-situation-in-the-sahrawi-refugee-camps\/","title":{"rendered":"Laila Fakhouri on the situation in the Sahrawi refugee camps"},"content":{"rendered":"

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<\/span>. <\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The conflict in the media<\/span><\/b> <\/span><\/p>\n

“<\/span>It saddens me that the international media are only interested in us.<\/span>us<\/span> only interested in us when the situation escalates.<\/span> <\/span>The Moroccan media hardly report <\/span>hardly report on the conflict. <\/span>D<\/span>In contrast, the<\/span> <\/span>Polisario<\/span> daily from<\/span> attacks<\/span> <\/span>at various points along <\/span>of the wall<\/span>. <\/span>But there are no pictures or videos of it<\/span> and the western media have no access to the conflict <\/span>conflict area.<\/span>“<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Laila <\/span><\/b>Fakhouri<\/span><\/b> <\/span><\/b>– where it currently is, what it does<\/span><\/b> <\/span><\/p>\n

“<\/span>I am sitting<\/span> <\/span>since March 2020 in the refugee<\/span>camps<\/span> fixed<\/span>. <\/span>I am very happy, <\/span>now <\/span> to be here. I would be afraid to return to Morocco at the moment. <\/span>J<\/span>now<\/span> <\/span>i<\/span>ns<\/span> prison <\/span>to come<\/span>would be even worse than usual. I <\/span>am prepared for this<\/span>, <\/span>for <\/span>longer<\/span>e time<\/span> <\/span>in the <\/span>refugee camps <\/span>to stay.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

I <\/span>work from here<\/span> <\/span>as a translator<\/span> and <\/span>am in <\/span>contact with political prisoners<\/span>including a group of students<\/span>who have been in detention for over a year following peaceful protests<\/span>. They tell me that they <\/span>e recently even more restricted s<\/span>are<\/span> than usual. <\/span>For example, you may <\/span>even <\/span>less often<\/span> with the <\/span>outside world<\/span> and if you do, then for <\/span>less and less <\/span> Time. I don’t believe that Morocco will voluntarily release political prisoners. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

I work<\/span> in a<\/span>e<\/span>group <\/span>with, <\/span>that <\/span>against fake news<\/span> <\/span>uses<\/span>.<\/span> Morocco has <\/span>hundreds<\/span>thousands of trolls<\/span> in action<\/span>who spread misinformation. We sense the fa <\/span>ke News<\/span> comment on them<\/span> on Facebook and Twitter and disseminate our <\/span>corrections in the social networks<\/span>.<\/span>“<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span><\/b>mood and <\/span><\/b>the <\/span><\/b>T<\/span><\/b>topics<\/span><\/b> <\/span><\/p>\n

“<\/span>The issue of Covid-19 and corona is no longer important <\/span>in the <\/span>refugee<\/span>camps<\/span>. At the moment, everything revolves around the <\/span>‘<\/span>War<\/span>‘<\/span>it is constantly and everywhere the <\/span>urgent <\/span> Topic. There are <\/span>men<\/span> from the refugee camps<\/span>who<\/span> a<\/span> military<\/span>s<\/span> training<\/span> <\/span>make.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

The situation in the occupied territory is dire: <\/span>Telephone calls are<\/span> tapped<\/span> and<\/span> Houses are stormed. D<\/span>he Moroccan police are everywhere, in front of my mother’s house <\/span>in Morocco <\/span>s<\/span>sits <\/span>also <\/span>around the clock<\/span> a policeman<\/span>.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

The current situation has made it even more difficult for v<\/span>om <\/span>Refugees<\/span>warehouse<\/span> out with family and friends in the occupied territory <\/span>can have contact<\/span>. <\/span>The <\/span>is <\/span>natural <\/span>all<\/span> not new<\/span>only <\/span>has <\/span>the situation j<\/span>ets<\/span> again<\/span> sharpened.<\/span>“<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

How the young <\/span><\/b>Saharawis<\/span><\/b> <\/span><\/b>he<\/span><\/b>goes<\/span><\/b> <\/span><\/p>\n

“<\/span>What shall I <\/span>say to those of us<\/span> say to those who <\/span>‘<\/span>go to war<\/span>‘<\/span> or intend to<\/span>? I understand, <\/span>that the <\/span>people<\/span> have had enough<\/span>everything stands still and nothing moves forward<\/span>. The boys <\/span>are fed up<\/span>, <\/span>that their people <\/span>‘<\/span>forgotten<\/span>‘<\/span> and their country, the Western Sahara<\/span>,<\/span> <\/span>the <\/span>‘<\/span>last colony in Africa<\/span>‘<\/span> is<\/span>.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

The situation of children, adolescents and young adults in the refugee<\/span>camps<\/span> is grueling. <\/span>Initiatives<\/span> such as <\/span>the youth project<\/span> of <\/span>terre<\/span> des <\/span>hommes<\/span> <\/span>switzerland<\/span> in the refugee camp <\/span>Smara<\/span> are enormously important for them. You have to imagine it like this: <\/span> The young generation <\/span>in the refugee camps<\/span> is condemned to do nothing<\/span>and wait<\/span> i<\/span>in no man’s land <\/span>out<\/span>. That kills any positive energy. Not <\/span>s and not<\/span> Being unable to work means losing perspective and feeling useless. Young people need goals! Young people who are in <\/span>youth p<\/span>projects<\/span> get up motivated in the morning<\/span>, <\/span>do something<\/span> and<\/span> are so much less prone to<\/span>to take up arms <\/span>to take up arms.<\/span>“<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

More protection as a recognized human rights activist?<\/span><\/b> <\/span><\/p>\n

“<\/span>Some people think that nothing can happen to me now because I have <\/span>the <\/span>Human Rights Award 2019 of the City of Weimar <\/span> and I am known. I’m not so sure about that. Morocco doesn’t think much of human rights. <\/span>Aminatou<\/span> Haidar, winner of the Alternative Nobel Prize, has just been prevented from leaving for Spain.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

The award<\/span>n<\/span>award<\/span> with a human rights award<\/span> also means more responsibility for me. Before I was <\/span>simple <\/span>a volunteer activist. Now I receive <\/span>very many <\/span>requests<\/span>f<\/span>inquiries and messages<\/span>. <\/span>In the process<\/span> experience<\/span>I learn<\/span> <\/span>also beautiful things: When I<\/span> once<\/span> I was out and about in the occupied territory, I was recognized by a woman with her two girls. <\/span>She said<\/span>she wished that her daughters would one day be like me. <\/span>like me.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

When I attend meetings <\/span>with activist<\/span>*activists<\/span> and <\/span>Saharawis<\/span> it’s often just about experiences of violence<\/span>,<\/span> <\/span>s<\/span>bad<\/span> things<\/span> and problems. <\/span>Then I tell them about my<\/span>n<\/span> journey<\/span>n<\/span> to Germany,<\/span> to Switzerland<\/span> <\/span>and to Sweden<\/span>. I <\/span>show them pictures of politicians with whom I have spoken. <\/span>talked to <\/span>and<\/span> say<\/span>, <\/span>not all of them would <\/span>completely forgotten. <\/span>It is important to see: There are <\/span>there are also <\/span>positive developments, <\/span>that give reason for hope despite everything.<\/span>“<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

What <\/span><\/b>Switzerland<\/span><\/b> can do<\/span><\/b>can<\/span><\/b> <\/span><\/p>\n

“<\/span>Switzerland should ask the UN to do its job <\/span>do<\/span>. Nobody wants <\/span>a <\/span>war<\/span>. <\/span>Nobody wants things to be like they are in Syria or <\/span>in <\/span>L<\/span>ibya<\/span>. Switzerland can <\/span> exert peaceful pressure and<\/span> <\/span>contribute to<\/span>that the <\/span>Saharawis<\/span> in the occupied territories <\/span>are protected<\/span>. It should also <\/span>demand that political prisoners<\/span>prisoners can be visited.<\/span>“<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Recording Sylvia Valentin<\/span><\/i>collaboration Anna Wegelin<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

More on Laila Fakhouri and the situation in Western Sahara<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":24851,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[156],"tags":[181],"class_list":["post-28047","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-western-sahara","tag-laila-fakhouri-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.terredeshommesschweiz.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28047","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.terredeshommesschweiz.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.terredeshommesschweiz.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.terredeshommesschweiz.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.terredeshommesschweiz.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28047"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.terredeshommesschweiz.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28047\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.terredeshommesschweiz.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24851"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.terredeshommesschweiz.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28047"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.terredeshommesschweiz.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28047"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.terredeshommesschweiz.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28047"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}