Equipe Media – Occupied Dakhla
October 23, 2024
On Tuesday, October 22, 2024, the city of Dakhla in Western Sahara was the site of widespread demonstrations protesting the Moroccan occupying authorities’policies of exclusion and systematic marginalization.
Sahrawi women, many of whom were veiled, took to the streets outside the city governorate to denounce the government’s failure to share the proceeds from the exploitation of the region’s natural resources. They carried banners and signs condemning Morocco’s plunder of Western Sahara and highlighting the marginalization faced by the Sahrawi people.
In a separate protest, a group of Sahrawi youth associated with the “Sahrawi Youth Coordination of Subsistence Boat Owners” also demonstrated against the government’s discriminatory practices. They demanded official licenses to work and protested the ongoing marginalization and exclusion they face.
These protests underscore the continued suffering of the Sahrawi people and the disregard for their basic rights. They follow a recent ruling by the European Court of Justice reaffirming that Western Sahara and Morocco are separate and distinct territories. The demonstrations also coincide with ongoing discussions at the UN Security Council regarding the extension of the mandate of the mission for the referendum in Western Sahara.