United and divided: Western Sahara at WSF

One march was organised by the Association Sahraouie de Solidarite pour le Projet d’Autonomie et de Developpement Durable based in the Netherlands. The demonstrators taped black scotch tape over their mouths and marched to the media centre of the World Social Forum. Mohammed Cherif, president of the organisation, says that the march was organised against what he calls the ‘Polisario’ delegation to the World Social Forum. Cherif claims that a participant in the forum from the Polisario, Bachir Sghir, tortured a number of people and says that his presence in the forum constitutes a ‘moral offence.’ In the organisation’s tent set up close to the media centre, a number of people spoke about what they believe is the oppression of the Saharawi people by the Polisario. (Note: The Polisario is a liberation movement and has been officially recognised by the UN as representative of the people of Western Sahara).

At the same time, a second demonstration took place outside the media centre, organised by the Saharawi delegation to the World Social Forum. The demonstrators taped red crosses over their mouths to symbolise their experience of being silenced during the World Social Forum. Earlier in the week, the delegation was harassed and intimidated by a group of Moroccans allegedly working for the Moroccan state. The Moroccan group prevented the Saharawis from holding a workshop titled ‘Western Sahara, the last African colony.’ On Saturday, during the march held to open the World Social Forum, reports allege that the same group of Moroccans asked facilitators not to chant slogans in support of the decolonisation of Western Sahara. The delegation has since had to deploy the help of Senegalese security to ensure that no further acts of aggression take place.

Cheikh Lehbib Mohamed, General Secretary of UGT SARIO, the trade union of Saharawi people said in an interview that the Saharawi delegation simply wants to speak at the World Social Forum and to voice its demands for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.

Listen to an interview with [mp3], president of the Association Sahraouie de solidarite pour le projet d’autonomie et de developpement durable (French/Francais).

BROUGHT TO YOU BY PAMBAZUKA NEWS AND [email protected] or comment online at Pambazuka News.