The young Sahrawi Abdallahi Ahmed Al-Kharchi on Monday died in a landmine blast, which occurred in Madalchiat, 50 km east of the occupied city of Bojador in Western Sahara, said a Sahrawi media source.
Like many areas in Western Sahara under the Moroccan occupation, Madalchiat is contaminated with thousands of anti-personnel landmines, which were planted by Moroccan army during the armed war against the Sahrawi people.
Moroccan occupying authorities have taken no measures to remove or mark these landmines so to warn the civilians from approaching them.
It, moreover, still refuses to be a party to the international conventions on banning landmines, including the Ottawa Treaty.
In 2005, the Frente POLISARIO signed the Geneva Call’s Deed of Commitment as a sign of its commitment to banning the use of anti-personnel mines.
It also initiated an agreement with the Landmine Action Organization, funded by the UN Mine Action Centre, to conduct surveys and demining operations in the liberated territories of Western Sahara.
The organization has so far cleared 15 million square meters, of which 57 areas in the liberated town of Tifariti, 79 areas in Mheiriz.
It has also neutralised more than 10,000 cluster bombs and 2000 live munitions.
It is worth noting that Western Sahara is one of the most heavily mined areas in the world with more than 7 million landmines.
Source: SPS