Covid-19: Polisario-Controlled Camps on Verge of Implosion

Anger and frustration of the Sahrawis sequestered in the Polisario-controlled Lahmada camps, southern Algeria, have reached their apex as the separatists’ leaders continue to ignore their daily sufferings, lack of food, water, freedoms and necessary medical protection against coronavirus pandemic.

Confined in their desert tents in very harsh conditions and banned from movement, these Sahrawis, who are left to fend for themselves, can no longer take it as they endure such as a lamentable situation for nearly half a century.

They are desperate for change and reform, but it seems that they are also despairing. After more than four decades of deadlocked situation, lies and illusive dreams, the sequestered Sahrawis realized that the Polisario leadership has done so little for them.

So, they have lost hope that things could be better. They have lost faith in the corrupt and feckless Polisario leaders who care more about their own business than about the hardship or misery fate of the Sahrawis of the Lahmada camps.

“Representatives” of these Sahrawis have become more and more vocal against the dreadful living conditions of the inhabitants of the camps, while the Polisario leaders continue to enjoy their comfortable life in luxurious villas in the Southern Algerian city of Tindouf.

The Polisario chiefs live on smuggling and embezzlement of humanitarian aid donated by international relief agencies to the Lahmada camps’ populations, wiring their dirty money to Swiss accounts.

The representatives of these “abandoned, suppressed and abused” Sahrawis have accused lately the so-called trade minister of the Polisario front of reselling to them foodstuff donated freely by NGOs, urging the families of Lahmada camp to boycott these products.

Sheikha Loulad, one of these representatives, has lashed out at Polisario leader Brahim Ghali and challenged him to come out of his hideout to meet and talk directly to the sequestered Sahrawis about their grievances, problems and urgent needs.

But the speech made Thursday evening by the Polisario chief was greatly disappointing for the Sahrawis of Lahmada camps. They are furious that instead of addressing their primary concerns and dire needs: drinking water, food, medication, sanitary equipment…, Brahim Ghali chose to talk extensively about the coronavirus.

This “invisible enemy” has been used as a “scare tactic” to justify the repression and the total blockade imposed on the Sahrawi population to muzzle all dissident voices and crackdown on pro-democracy protesters.

But Sahrawi population resistance and uproar against Polisario leadership continue with its persistent failure to reach political settlement of the Sahara issue and series of diplomatic setbacks at the UN and worldwide, while Morocco is gaining growing international support and recognition for its “pragmatic and credible” autonomy plan offered for the Sahara.