Omar Bahia Abdelmajid was born and raised in Tan-Tan in 1967, a city where he attended the first demonstrations organized by the Polisario Front. Coming from a family known for its unwavering commitment to the struggle for the independence of Western Sahara, Omar was imbued, from a very young age, with the fight for freedom. His family paid a heavy price for this cause: his maternal uncle, Salam Hussain Hnia, was arrested in 1987 when he tried to join the Sahrawi refugee camps. He died in a secret detention center in El Aaiun, under the Moroccan occupation regime.
A determined activist, Omar Abdelmajid frequently demonstrated his support for the Polisario Front by chanting slogans in favour of the Sahrawi cause, especially in front of the Es-Skeikima police station. That Sunday, November 3, Moroccan settlers gathered in Michouar Square, as part of the festivities commemorating the Green March, the anniversary of which was approaching. Omar confronted them and protested against the occupier and in favor of the Polisario Front. There he was arrested. Witnesses claim that he was beaten and then transferred to the police station.
The next day, Monday, he was presented to the prosecutor before being sent to the local prison in El Aaiun. Once in prison, even before being judged, the police subjected him to acts of torture that cost him his life.
On Wednesday, his corpse had been transferred to the hospital. Omar had already been brought in dead, without any official document attesting to the circumstances of his death.
His body was sent to Agadir for an autopsy, but the results were not given to the family. The family was ignored and forced to remain silent.
Many Sahrawis came to his funeral on Sunday, the 10th. Omar had a huge respect for the heroes who died in secret prisons at the hands of the Moroccan occupier. Now it is up to us to honour him.
EQUIPE MEDIA
Sunday, December 10, 2024
El Aaiun, occupied Western Sahara