Adala UK were pleased to attend a public meeting called by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Western Sahara to discuss the human rights situation in the occupied territories. The meeting took place in Portcullis House, Westminster on Tuesday 25th February and was hosted by Mark Williams MP, the APPG Secretary. It was a pleasure to hear Brahim Dahane (President of the Saharawi Association of Victims of Grave Human Rights Violations – ASDVH) and John Hilary (Executive Director of War on Want) speak about the situation in the country to a packed room of people so interested in finding out more about the cause. The meeting focused on informing those present of the findings from the APPG’s recent visit to Western Sahara with other contributions from Jeremy Corbyn MP, Mark Williams MP and John Gurr (Coordinator of the Western Sahara Campaign). Brahim Dahane’s speech outlined the violations of human rights which occur daily in Western Sahara, including those he has suffered himself, and the need to include human rights monitoring in the MINURSO mandate.

Adala UK President, Sidahmad Maska, contributed to the discussion by outlining the intense violence perpetuated against Saharawis by the Moroccan authorities which he has witnessed on a daily basis on the streets of El Aiun. ‘Regardless of the mechanisms of monitoring that the Polisario seeks to find, this is the daily reality on our streets and it is like living in hell…with no freedom of expression, of association or right to peaceable demonstrations’ he said, speaking through a translator.

The APPG will soon publish a report of its findings from its recent visit to the occupied territories which we hope to share with you in due course.

John Hilary wrote about the visit in his recent blogs for The Guardian and on the War on Want website which you can read here : The guardian or War on want

 

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