Dear reader,
Exceptionally, we are publishing the recording of our last lecture, given by Solidarity Rising’s Sanna Ghotbi and Benjamin Ladraa, before releasing the recordings of previous lectures by Ammar Ali Jan and Petra Schöning.
We have received many messages asking for the recording of our last lecture on Western Sahara, so we hope that our audience will be happy with this early release.
As always, the recording excludes the Q&A, but you can find a summary of audience interactions with Sanna Ghotbi and Benjamin Ladraa below.
We will soon publish the recording of the lecture given by Amman Ali Jan, Petra Schöning, and come back with new lectures.
In the meantime, keep up the struggle against colonization!
The Decolonization in Dialogue team.
Summary of the lecture and Q&A
Sanna Ghotbi and Benjamin Ladraa are activists of Solidarity Rising, an activist organization promoting “solidarity with all oppressed peoples for the common pursuit of justice and freedom for all”.
Sanna and Benjamin’s lecture built on their campaign #Bike4WesternSahara, a three-year cycling trip around the world to raise awareness on Morocco’s settler colonialism in Western Sahara, which concluded in a conference in Tindouf, Algeria, in the biggest Sahrawi refugee camp in the world.
Western Sahara: The Last Colony in Africa
Western Sahara (WS) is the last official colony in Africa and the largest remaining colony in the world. It is home to the Sahrawi people, traditionally nomadic, whose culture is a blend of Amazigh, West African, and Arab influences.
Colonization and Occupation
WS was colonized by Spain following the Berlin Conference and remained under Spanish rule for over a century. The Sahrawi people, under the Polisario Front, fought for independence, gaining international support, including from the UN. However, Spain, instead of granting independence, illegally transferred control of the territory to Morocco and Mauritania in 1975 in exchange for financial gains and access to WS’s natural resources.
Despite a ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 1975 that Morocco had no sovereignty over WS, Morocco ignored the decision and launched a military and settler invasion known as the "Green March" in Morocco but referred to as the "Black March" in WS. This invasion forced many Sahrawis to flee, with thousands settling in refugee camps in the desert of southern Algeria. Morocco used white phosphorus and napalm bombs against civilians, causing mass deaths, disappearances, and the creation of mass graves.
The Refugee Crisis and the Military Wall
As of this year, Sahrawis have lived in refugee camps for 50 years. While initially living in tents, many now reside in more permanent structures. Algeria grants them autonomy to govern themselves with their own institutions and laws.
Morocco, with Israeli engineering support and financial backing from Saudi Arabia and the US, built the longest active military wall in the world—stretching 2,720 km (comparable to the distance from Sweden to southern Spain). The wall is guarded by soldiers, radars, and an estimated 10 million landmines, which continue to kill and maim people. The Sahrawi fighters, skilled in desert warfare, initially had success moving in and out of WS, prompting Morocco to reinforce the barrier with advanced surveillance and drone technology.
Broken Promises: The Unfulfilled Referendum
After 16 years of conflict, a ceasefire was reached in 1991, with Morocco agreeing to a UN-supervised referendum on independence. However, Morocco has blocked this vote from ever taking place, despite continuous UN pressure.
Morocco has deepened its alliances to secure its hold over WS. Under the Abraham Accords, Morocco recognized Israel in exchange for US and Israeli recognition of its claim over WS. Morocco has also worked closely with Israeli intelligence agencies, such as Mossad, to monitor opposition. It has also partnered with the CIA and Israel’s military-industrial complex, including Elbit Systems, for drone technology and military surveillance. Moroccan security forces use Technology from Israel, Turkey, and China to monitor and suppress Sahrawi resistance.
Exploitation of Resources and Economic Manipulation
Despite local resistance, Morocco continues to exploit WS’s vast natural resources, such as phosphate. International corporations, including Siemens (which builds wind farms) facilitate this exploitation. Through the exploitation of WS natural resources, including renewable sources of energy, Morocco simultaneously violating Sahrawi land rights and cementing its political control over WS.
Human Rights Violations and Media Censorship
Benjamin, who visited WS, described it as the most extreme police state he had encountered. He was continuously followed by policemen, had his hotel room wiretapped, and was searched multiple times.
Western Sahara is one of the most restricted places in the world, with Morocco preventing access to human rights organizations and journalists. The Moroccan government bans European Parliament members from entering WS and closely monitors foreign visitors. Reports of torture, forced disappearances, and isolation of activists come only from those inside WS who risk their lives documenting abuses. Even the UN peacekeeping mission, MINURSO, lacks a human rights mandate due to opposition from France and the US, making it ineffective in addressing abuses.
Morocco also heavily controls the education of Sahrawis, and there are no universities in the region. Indigenous Sahrawis must study in Morocco, where they are closely monitored and restricted in their academic choices.
Media Blockade and International Awareness Efforts
The struggle of WS receives little global attention, in part due to overall disinterest in African affairs and Morocco’s powerful media censorship. Solidarity Rising’s #Bike4WesternSahara campaign and Sahrawi activists attempt to overturn this dynamic.
The people of WS continue to fight for their right to self-determination, despite Moroccan repression and global indifference. With increasing international awareness efforts, the Sahrawi cause is gaining traction, but Morocco’s alliances and media control present significant challenges.
Parallels Between Western Sahara and Palestine
During the presentation, the speakers pointed out that the occupation of Western Sahara shares many similarities with the Palestinian struggle:
· Military Occupation & Settler Expansion: Both Morocco and Israel use military force and settler expansion to cement their control over occupied land. Moroccan settlers have been encouraged to move into WS, just as Israeli settlers are placed in Palestinian territories.
· Ethnic Cleansing & Forced Displacement: Morocco’s 1975 invasion of WS forced thousands of Sahrawis to flee to Algerian refugee camps, just as Israel’s 1948 Nakba pushed hundreds of thousands of Palestinians into exile. Both peoples have lived in refugee camps for decades, unable to return to their homes.
· Mass Graves & War Crimes: Morocco used white phosphorus and napalm against civilians, mirroring Israel’s bombing campaigns in Gaza. Both occupations have resulted in mass graves, disappearances, and human rights abuses documented by activists but largely ignored by mainstream media.
· Walls & Surveillance: Morocco built the longest active military wall in the world, modeled after Israel’s separation barrier in the West Bank. Both walls are designed to control movement, suppress resistance, and isolate indigenous populations. Morocco’s security operations are supported by Israeli, Turkish, and Chinese drones, while Israel uses similar technologies to monitor and attack Palestinians.
· International Complicity: Western powers, particularly the US and France, block international efforts to hold Morocco and Israel accountable. The UN peacekeeping mission in WS (MINURSO) has no human rights mandate, just as Israel has repeatedly avoided accountability for its actions in Palestine.
· Media Blackout: Both conflicts suffer from media suppression. Israel limits international journalists’ access to Gaza and the West Bank, while Morocco bans human rights groups and journalists from entering WS. Reports of torture, disappearances, and abuses come only from brave local activists who risk arrest and persecution.
· Strategic Alliances: Morocco and Israel have developed deep intelligence and military ties. Morocco allows Mossad operations and has partnered with Israeli defense companies like Elbit Systems for weapons, surveillance, and cyber espionage, much like how Israel provides similar tools to authoritarian regimes worldwide.
· Economic & Resource Exploitation: Just as Israel controls and profits from Palestinian land, water, and gas resources, Morocco uses international companies to exploit WS’s natural resources, despite the opposition from the indigenous population. Morocco also engages in greenwashing, using renewable energy projects to justify its occupation.
However, Sanna and Benjamin noted several important differences between Moroccan and Israeli occupations. First, Morocco is an authoritarian monarchy while Israel still operates as a parliamentary democracy whose governance includes authoritarian and apartheid elements, especially concerning Palestinians. They also noted that resistance in Western Sahara (WS) is united under the Polisario Front, unlike the more fragmented Palestinian resistance. Finally, regarding the future of the territory, Morocco also pursues the assimilation of Sahrawis into the Moroccan identity, whereas Israel enforces segregation.
Summary of the Q&A
· WS solidarity movements in Africa – Besides Algeria, WS mostly receives support English-speaking African countries. In contrast, French-speaking African countries, tend to side with Morocco, probably because of existing ties with France and Morocco.
· Building Solidarity Across Causes – The struggle against colonialism and oppression (WS, Palestine, etc.) should be seen as one movement. Instead of relying on social media outrage, activists should focus on local campaigns with clear targets and actions to mobilize people effectively.
· Engaging with Locals in Research – Unlike some conflict zones, WS welcomes researchers and journalists, as very little documentation exists about their struggle. The lack of reporting makes international interest highly valuable.
· Moroccan Public Opinion on WS – Morocco has an authoritarian regime with strict laws criminalizing support for WS. Few human rights organizations operate, and those who oppose the occupation are imprisoned or silenced. Even Moroccans abroad are monitored and threatened. Morocco also floods WS with settlers to outnumber the indigenous population.
· Effective Strategies of Resistance – include divestment campaigns, such as those that led Australia and Canada stopping phosphorus imports from WS. WS Resource Watch, an organization monitoring the exploitation of WS’s natural resources. Legal battle, Polisario Front has successfully challenged Morocco’s resource exploitation in European courts. Raising awareness is important, but direct action can be more effective. For example, in the UK, activists successfully shut down Elbit Systems’ arms factories that supply Israel, demonstrating the power of applied strategy.
To go further: Solidarityrising.com for resources and contact
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