Fam Lwad beach, Western Sahara:

25km from the capital city of occupied Western Sahara, El Aaiun, around 1am on Sunday 18th August 2013, dozens of Saharawi citizens organized a demonstration, demanding self-determination for the Saharawi people, by chanting independence slogans such as “Yes to self-determination”, “Saharawis hand in hand towards freedom”, “Independence is the solution” or “Freedom for political prisoners”.

A few minutes later, Moroccan forces, consisting of the royal gendarmerie, royal navy, auxiliary forces, and Alblair forces, shut down the area and began attacking the peaceful demonstrators with stones, sticks and batons and insulting them verbally. They also forced the Saharawis who were on the beach to go back to El Aaiun.

About an hour later, dozens of Saharawis, started protesting again and the demonstration was again broken up by Moroccan forces, this time more violently. They broke the doors of several houses, in search of protesters and several Saharawis were arrested.

Afterwards, dozens of Moroccan police officers in civilian clothes were seen with knives and sticks, looking for young Saharawis, creating a very unpleasant and threatening situation for the inhabitants of Fam Lwad.

It is important to note that since the Gdeim Izik protest camp, Saharawi citizens are banned from gathering in groups, for instance on the beach.

A member of Adala UK was present in the area and witnessed the demonstration in Fam Lwad.

In view of the fact that Morocco continues in its disregard for the Security Council Resolutions, and in the face of the deteriorating situation with regard to human rights in the occupied territories by Morocco, we at Adalauk stand by the reports elaborated by prestigious human rights organisations which corroborate the daily suffering of the Saharawi citizens following this brutal intervention, and wish to announce:

our solidarity with the victims of the brutal intervention committed by the Moroccan authorities.
our condemnation of the brutal intervention by the Moroccan authorities against the peaceful Saharawi demonstrations
our plea that the UN intervene as quickly as possible to put an end to the violence and assume its responsibility in the face of the alarming human rights situation. This situation, far from improving (the expectation following the last Security Council resolution), has done nothing but worsen due to the lack of political will on Morocco’s part; failing to meet the promises required of it by the international community.
our call to the international community, local human rights bodies, international organisations and governments friendly to Morocco to intervene against the Moroccan state to stop the violence perpetrated in Western Sahara against the defenceless Saharawi citizens.

By Sidi Ahmed Fadel  (ADALAUK)

---