2011 Western Saharan protests
Encyclopedia
The 2011 Western Saharan protests began on 26 February 2011 as a reaction to the failure of police to prevent anti-Sahrawi looting in the city of Dakhla
, Western Sahara
, and blossomed into protests across the territory
. They were related to the Gdeim Izik protest camp in Western Sahara established the previous fall, which had resulted in violence between Sahrawi activists and Moroccan
security forces and supporters. The protests also purportedly drew inspiration from the Arab Spring and successful revolts in Tunisia
and Egypt
, though according to some commentators, the Arab Spring proper did not reach Western Sahara.
No protests were reported beyond May 2011, though international media coverage of Western Sahara is incomplete at best.
, the second largest city of Western Sahara. The unrest started late that night after the "Sea & Desert" Dakhla music festival concerts when, according to Sahrawi sources, "hundreds of Moroccan
youths armed with sticks, sword
s, and Molotov cocktail
s attacked and looted Sahrawi houses, burning their cars".
The next day, hundreds of protesters gathered on the city center, protesting against police inaction on the previous night. They attacked government buildings, banks and shops using stones and gas cylinders, without police intervention. The music festival was then suspended. On the night, riots started again without police presence. On Friday, police were deployed in the streets to prevent new protests.
According to Mayor Hamid Shabar, "Separatist elements tried to take advantage of a quarrel that occurred among some youths late last Friday night/early Saturday morning in order to disrupt the peaceful atmosphere that this area enjoys." Official Moroccan press agency (MAP) reported that 2 civilians were intentionally run over by a four-wheel drive vehicle driven by protesters, and that 14 people were injured.
According to a Radio France International reporter, at least 100 people were injured, but many were afraid to go to the hospital for treatment.
student graduates, members of the dialogue committee of the Gdeim Izik camp and families of political prisoners, made a sit-in in front of the Mining and Energy Ministry in El Aaiun
; they asked for the release of all prisoners of conscience. The Moroccan security forces intervened then and dispersed the demonstration.
According to the Polisario, between 13 and 68 people were injured during the intervention of the Police, including three people carrying Spanish
citizenship.
On 8 April, families of "political prisoner
s" held a new protest in the Moroccan-administered city in a bid to draw attention to the alleged poor treatment of Sahrawi detainees and call upon Moroccan authorities for their release, a Sahrawi human rights group said. The group also claimed that though police and intelligence officers kept a close watch on the vigil, protesters were nonviolent and no clashes erupted. Similar to major days of demonstration in other Arab states
experiencing concurrent protests
, the vigil was held on a Friday, though it was unclear if this was intentional on the part of protest organizers.
Later in the month, peaceful protests in El Aaiun became tri-weekly events, taking place on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, accompanying an "indefinite" sit-in held by unemployed university graduates outside of the Moroccan Ministry of Labour building in the city that started 20 April, according to several Sahrawi interest groups who spoke to media in mid-May. These groups also claimed other protests were being held in solidarity with El Aaiun's activists in several more cities and towns in Western Sahara. However, these reports have not been independently verified.
n Sahara.
Protests were also reportedly held in Guelmim
and Assa in southern Morocco proper to protest the death and arrest of several Sahrawi youth activists in late April, though Sahrawi sources claiming knowledge of these events did not specify when they took place and their reports could not be immediately verified by independent media or observers.
, the popularly dubbed wave of pro-democracy, anti-government protests throughout North Africa
and the Middle East
that started in December 2010, and celebrated the downfall of Egypt
ian President Hosni Mubarak
in a popular revolution
. Some Sahrawis called for organization in protest camps to replicate the events of the Egyptian uprising, though opinion was reportedly divided on whether they believed they could join forces with a protest movement in Morocco
proper. According to afrol News, the initial protest in Dakhla appeared to be an isolated reaction to the alleged violence of the night before, though more organized demonstrations had apparently spread to El Aaiun and possibly throughout the territory by March and April.
While Foreign Policy reported in April that the Arab Spring seemed to have not had much effect in Western Sahara
, with the international community not reacting strongly to the 2010 Sahrawi protests and the Moroccan security clampdown in early 2011, Polisario Front
official and president of the partially recognized Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
Mohamed Abdelaziz
said in early April, "Like our brothers and sisters in Tunisia
, Egypt
, Libya
and Bahrain
, the Saharawi people just want a vote to freely decide their own future. It worked in South Sudan
. It will work in Western Sahara too."
Dakhla
Dakhla may refer to:*Dakhla Oasis, Egypt*Dakhla, Western Sahara*Dakhla Airport...
, Western Sahara
Western Sahara
Western Sahara is a disputed territory in North Africa, bordered by Morocco to the north, Algeria to the northeast, Mauritania to the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Its surface area amounts to . It is one of the most sparsely populated territories in the world, mainly...
, and blossomed into protests across the territory
United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories
The United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories is a list of countries that, according to the United Nations, are non-decolonized. The list was initially prepared in 1946 pursuant to Chapter XI of the United Nations Charter, and has been updated by the General Assembly on recommendation...
. They were related to the Gdeim Izik protest camp in Western Sahara established the previous fall, which had resulted in violence between Sahrawi activists and Moroccan
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
security forces and supporters. The protests also purportedly drew inspiration from the Arab Spring and successful revolts in Tunisia
Tunisian revolution
The Tunisian Revolution is an intensive campaign of civil resistance, including a series of street demonstrations taking place in Tunisia. The events began in December 2010 and led to the ousting of longtime President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011...
and Egypt
2011 Egyptian revolution
The 2011 Egyptian revolution took place following a popular uprising that began on Tuesday, 25 January 2011 and is still continuing as of November 2011. The uprising was mainly a campaign of non-violent civil resistance, which featured a series of demonstrations, marches, acts of civil...
, though according to some commentators, the Arab Spring proper did not reach Western Sahara.
No protests were reported beyond May 2011, though international media coverage of Western Sahara is incomplete at best.
Dakhla riots
On 25 February 2011, clashes were reported in DakhlaDakhla
Dakhla may refer to:*Dakhla Oasis, Egypt*Dakhla, Western Sahara*Dakhla Airport...
, the second largest city of Western Sahara. The unrest started late that night after the "Sea & Desert" Dakhla music festival concerts when, according to Sahrawi sources, "hundreds of Moroccan
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
youths armed with sticks, sword
Sword
A sword is a bladed weapon used primarily for cutting or thrusting. The precise definition of the term varies with the historical epoch or the geographical region under consideration...
s, and Molotov cocktail
Molotov cocktail
The Molotov cocktail, also known as the petrol bomb, gasoline bomb, Molotov bomb, fire bottle, fire bomb, or simply Molotov, is a generic name used for a variety of improvised incendiary weapons...
s attacked and looted Sahrawi houses, burning their cars".
The next day, hundreds of protesters gathered on the city center, protesting against police inaction on the previous night. They attacked government buildings, banks and shops using stones and gas cylinders, without police intervention. The music festival was then suspended. On the night, riots started again without police presence. On Friday, police were deployed in the streets to prevent new protests.
According to Mayor Hamid Shabar, "Separatist elements tried to take advantage of a quarrel that occurred among some youths late last Friday night/early Saturday morning in order to disrupt the peaceful atmosphere that this area enjoys." Official Moroccan press agency (MAP) reported that 2 civilians were intentionally run over by a four-wheel drive vehicle driven by protesters, and that 14 people were injured.
According to a Radio France International reporter, at least 100 people were injured, but many were afraid to go to the hospital for treatment.
El Aaiun sit-ins
On 2 March, a group of about 500 people, comprising old workers of Bu Craa, fishermen, vocational educationVocational education
Vocational education or vocational education and training is an education that prepares trainees for jobs that are based on manual or practical activities, traditionally non-academic, and totally related to a specific trade, occupation, or vocation...
student graduates, members of the dialogue committee of the Gdeim Izik camp and families of political prisoners, made a sit-in in front of the Mining and Energy Ministry in El Aaiun
El Aaiún
El-Aaiún , is a city in Western Sahara founded by the Spanish in 1928. Administered by Morocco since 1976, El-Aaiún is the capital of what the Moroccan government call the region of Laâyoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra, and POLISARIO call Occupied Territories...
; they asked for the release of all prisoners of conscience. The Moroccan security forces intervened then and dispersed the demonstration.
According to the Polisario, between 13 and 68 people were injured during the intervention of the Police, including three people carrying Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
citizenship.
On 8 April, families of "political prisoner
Political prisoner
According to the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, a political prisoner is ‘someone who is in prison because they have opposed or criticized the government of their own country’....
s" held a new protest in the Moroccan-administered city in a bid to draw attention to the alleged poor treatment of Sahrawi detainees and call upon Moroccan authorities for their release, a Sahrawi human rights group said. The group also claimed that though police and intelligence officers kept a close watch on the vigil, protesters were nonviolent and no clashes erupted. Similar to major days of demonstration in other Arab states
Arab world
The Arab world refers to Arabic-speaking states, territories and populations in North Africa, Western Asia and elsewhere.The standard definition of the Arab world comprises the 22 states and territories of the Arab League stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the...
experiencing concurrent protests
Arab Spring
The Arab Spring , otherwise known as the Arab Awakening, is a revolutionary wave of demonstrations and protests occurring in the Arab world that began on Saturday, 18 December 2010...
, the vigil was held on a Friday, though it was unclear if this was intentional on the part of protest organizers.
Later in the month, peaceful protests in El Aaiun became tri-weekly events, taking place on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, accompanying an "indefinite" sit-in held by unemployed university graduates outside of the Moroccan Ministry of Labour building in the city that started 20 April, according to several Sahrawi interest groups who spoke to media in mid-May. These groups also claimed other protests were being held in solidarity with El Aaiun's activists in several more cities and towns in Western Sahara. However, these reports have not been independently verified.
May activism
A sit-in at the family home of a Sahrawi boy allegedly killed by Moroccan police was dispersed on 19 May, with 30 protesters left injured by security officers, pro-Sahrawi media reported. A handful of activists in Essmara also started a sit-in and hunger strike to protest the suspension of their wages for visiting Polisario-administered refugee camps in the AlgeriaAlgeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
n Sahara.
Protests were also reportedly held in Guelmim
Guelmim
Guelmim , is a town in southern Morocco, often nicknamed Gateway to the Desert . The population of the city is 95,749 . It is the capital of the Guelmim-Es Semara region which includes southern Morocco and northern Western Sahara. It is home to a camel market...
and Assa in southern Morocco proper to protest the death and arrest of several Sahrawi youth activists in late April, though Sahrawi sources claiming knowledge of these events did not specify when they took place and their reports could not be immediately verified by independent media or observers.
Connection to regional events
Media reported in February 2011 that Sahrawis were closely watching the Arab SpringArab Spring
The Arab Spring , otherwise known as the Arab Awakening, is a revolutionary wave of demonstrations and protests occurring in the Arab world that began on Saturday, 18 December 2010...
, the popularly dubbed wave of pro-democracy, anti-government protests throughout North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
and the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
that started in December 2010, and celebrated the downfall of Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian President Hosni Mubarak
Hosni Mubarak
Muhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak is a former Egyptian politician and military commander. He served as the fourth President of Egypt from 1981 to 2011....
in a popular revolution
2011 Egyptian revolution
The 2011 Egyptian revolution took place following a popular uprising that began on Tuesday, 25 January 2011 and is still continuing as of November 2011. The uprising was mainly a campaign of non-violent civil resistance, which featured a series of demonstrations, marches, acts of civil...
. Some Sahrawis called for organization in protest camps to replicate the events of the Egyptian uprising, though opinion was reportedly divided on whether they believed they could join forces with a protest movement in Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
proper. According to afrol News, the initial protest in Dakhla appeared to be an isolated reaction to the alleged violence of the night before, though more organized demonstrations had apparently spread to El Aaiun and possibly throughout the territory by March and April.
While Foreign Policy reported in April that the Arab Spring seemed to have not had much effect in Western Sahara
Western Sahara
Western Sahara is a disputed territory in North Africa, bordered by Morocco to the north, Algeria to the northeast, Mauritania to the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Its surface area amounts to . It is one of the most sparsely populated territories in the world, mainly...
, with the international community not reacting strongly to the 2010 Sahrawi protests and the Moroccan security clampdown in early 2011, Polisario Front
Polisario Front
The POLISARIO, Polisario Front, or Frente Polisario, from the Spanish abbreviation of Frente Popular de Liberación de Saguía el Hamra y Río de Oro is a Sahrawi rebel national liberation movement working for the independence of Western Sahara from Morocco...
official and president of the partially recognized Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic is a partially recognised state that claims sovereignty over the entire territory of Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony. SADR was proclaimed by the Polisario Front on February 27, 1976, in Bir Lehlu, Western Sahara. The SADR government controls about...
Mohamed Abdelaziz
Mohamed Abdelaziz
Mohamed Abdelaziz is the 3rd and current Secretary General of the Polisario Front and President of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic since 1976...
said in early April, "Like our brothers and sisters in Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
and Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
, the Saharawi people just want a vote to freely decide their own future. It worked in South Sudan
South Sudan
South Sudan , officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country located in the Sahel region of northeastern Africa. It is also part of the North Africa UN sub-region. Its current capital is Juba, which is also its largest city; the capital city is planned to be moved to the more...
. It will work in Western Sahara too."