Mr Gaici Nah, Coordinator of the Network of Studies on Mines and Walls in Western Sahara (REMMSO) and member of the coordination team of the International Campaign against the Wall of the Moroccan Occupation in Western Sahara gave a lecture on “the Wall in Western Sahara” in the course on “the Conflict in Western Sahara” which was held at the University of Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain, from 2 to 5 June 2014.
The speaker presented an overview of the different barriers and walls that have existed in history and explained the causes that have originated the Moroccan wall, stressing that this wall has had many humanitarian, political, social, cultural and psychological consequences and negative impacts on the Sahrawi people.
He also explained to the audience the extent of contamination of the Sahrawi territory by mines, cluster bombs and other unexploded ordnance that continue to kill, maim and terrorise Sahrawi population on both sides of the wall. According to Mr Gaici, what is worrying most is that the wall is being reinforced under the eyes of MINURSO troops. In addition, there are a dozen European countries that profit immorally from selling arms to Morocco, thus giving more life to a crime against humanity, prolonging the suffering of the Sahrawi people and undermining the efforts aimed at resolving the conflict. The speaker enquired how a country like Spain, claiming to respect human rights, continues to deliver different weapons and live ammunition to Morocco, a country that illegally occupies parts of Western Sahara.
Finally, the speaker introduced the International Campaign against the Wall of the Moroccan Occupation in Western Sahara, stressing the importance of undertaking collective efforts to denounce the wall and to participate actively in the campaign.