The women from the Africa´s last colony, Western Sahara, express once again their unconditional support and solidarity with the Saharawi Human Rights activist, Aminatou Haidar, who is today on her twenty-first day of hunger strike.Mrs. Haidar, is still undertaking an unlimited hunger strike in Lanzarote airport, defending her legitimate right to go back to her town city: the occupaied El Aaiún where she lives with her family.
Last Friday the Spanish government put under her disposition a special plane that was supposed to take her back to the capital of Western Sahara, El Aaiun, accompanied by officials from the Spanish Ministry of Foreign affairs.
In the last minute, the flight was canceled. Morocco says his authorities never agreed to give the permission to the flight, while the Spanish officials said they received Rabat’s agreement on Friday before it was canceled again.
This misunderstanding, between the two governments, according to many observers may be the prelude to a new crisis between Madrid and Rabat, especially that all Spanish political parties are now criticizing the Spanish government’s weak attitude before the humiliations inflicted to Spain by Morocco.
In fact, many voices raised asking the Spanish government to put pressures on Morocco to resolve Aminatou Haidar’s issue before it is too late, knowing that her doctors have openly declared that her physical conditions entered a very crucial state.
In her 21 day of hunger strike, the activist suffers from many diseases, doctors in Lanzarote airport said. She is weak, she can hardly speak, she fainted many times since last Wednesday, but they also said she is completely determined to continue the protest.
International organizations joined the campaign of support to Aminatou. the UN high commission for human rights, the UN commission for Refugees, the African Union Commission, the UN Secretary General, and many others expressed concerns about her state, and called on Spain and Morocco to find a quick solution to this embarrassing case.
The issue, is getting bigger than just a case of an activist who is fighting for her legitimate rights. For many medias and organizations, it became an opportunity to raise the question of human rights in the whole territory of Western Sahara, and most of them start asking the UN to deploy additional efforts to resolve the problem of the last colony in Africa, and to monitor human rights situation in the region.
In her latest reaction to her failed return to Western Sahara, Aminatou Haidar said yesterday in a press release, that Spain and Morocco are both responsible of any tragic outcome of her hunger strike.
She said that she is not negotiating with Morocco or Spain on her situation, she is rather just fighting for a basic right, the right to travel freely to and from her occupied country. This determination owes her an international respect, recognition and solidarity. And everyone hopes this situation be resolved before a tragedy happens, because the activist said she is willing to die struggling for her dignity and freedom and will never give up or compromise.
