Sahrawi human rights organizations have issued an urgent call to the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross to intervene and protect Sahrawi children in the occupied territories of Western Sahara. The organizations emphasize the need for an investigation into grave human rights violations and attacks that threaten the wellbeing of children in the occupied region, highlighting the clear breach of international conventions.
Ali Salem Tamek, the president of the Sahrawi defenders of human rights group (CODESA), stated in an interview with the Algerian News Agency that Sahrawi children are subjected to numerous violations by Moroccan occupying forces, including kidnapping, arbitrary detention, physical and psychological torture, and persecution, which cause deep suffering for these vulnerable individuals.
Tamek further revealed that these children face not only the pressures of occupation but also the widespread distribution of drugs, a strategy aimed at destroying them both physically and morally. According to reports, the drug trafficking networks are allegedly backed by Moroccan intelligence services.
He urged the United Nations to take responsibility and end the Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara, calling for an end to these violations that contradict international laws and child protection agreements.
Meanwhile, the Sahrawi Observatory for Children and Women in the occupied city of Laayoune strongly condemned the violations faced by Sahrawi children, urging the International Committee of the Red Cross to protect the Sahrawi civilian population, particularly children, from the practices of the Moroccan occupation.
In a statement, the observatory mentioned that collected evidence indicates the involvement of retired Moroccan military personnel and individuals close to the police in trafficking drugs among Sahrawi children. This illegal activity is allegedly conducted under the direct supervision of Moroccan intelligence agencies.
The statement also highlighted the ongoing arbitrary arrests, as well as the physical and psychological harassment targeting children in schools and communities. Furthermore, it revealed the facilitation of drug use and moral degradation, actions that contravene international conventions designed to protect children’s rights.
In conclusion, the Sahrawi Observatory urged the United Nations to send a monitoring committee to investigate these grave violations and protect Sahrawi children from the systematic threats and abuses they endure in the occupied territories.
