December 6, 2007

Last week somebody in a small town in the Middle Atlas invited us to spend the night in his house. Apparently he regularly invites tourists into his home. He was living with his brother`s family in a large house, of which they only use two rooms. Grandmother, two younger women, two boys and a baby slept all together in the livingroom. This house had an actual kitchen with running water.
The man who had invited us went back to work for a couple more hours and we cooked our dinner. It was nice to be in someones home without having the social responsibilities that go with it. The family did their thing and we did ours.

January 10, 2008

We have made it to Laayoune, which is the first city in the Western Sahara. But have we made it to a different country? As we crossed into this disputed area in the small village of Tah, we noticed something that looked like a memorial. However, there was a description in Arab which I cannot read. When we arrived in Laayoune, we could see where all those army trucks had been going to that had passed us in the desert. Hundreds of soldiers if not more are stationed in this town. Not all of them are Moroccan. The United Nations has troops in Laayoune to counter the Moroccan army. At least, that is what we think. A UN soldier was not allowed to tell us what exactly they are doing here.
As I understand it, the area that is called Western Sahara by the people that originate from here (the Saharawis) as well as by the international community, has been governed by the Spanish for centuries. In 1975 Spanish dictator Franco negotiated with the Moroccan king Hassan 2 that Morocco could have Western Sahara, if it would leave the Spanish enclave in the north (Ceuta) to the Spanish. And so it happened. Morocco colonialised Western Sahara. Now Mauritania claimed the area belonged to them. They sent their military troops but were unable to fight the Moroccans. Soon they gave up. Morocco has ruled ever since.
The international community pleads for a referendum. The inhabitants should decide whether they want to be independant from Morocco or not. Morocco has agreed to such a referendum, but as to when this has to take place, no date has been picked so far. A Saharawi explains this as follows. The longer Morocco delays the referendum, the more time it has to `win` the local votes. Many Dirhams are spent in order to build this part of the Sahara desert up. Large, modern buildings arrise in as well Laayoune as in Dakhla. Beautiful new roads and entire villages are being built.
The development of these villages can be explained in two ways. According to the Saharawi people, the Moroccan government wants to make it attractive for Moroccans to settle in the desert and thereby gain votes for the Moroccan government in case of a referendum. Morocco claims that these villages are being built to provide housing for the refugees that fled the area and are now living abroad, like in Tindouf Algeria. The situation of the people who live there is heartbreaking. Their families are split apart. Those who live on one side of the border are not allowed on the other side. Political organization Front Polisario keeps striding for indepenance, but the Moroccan military is strong and overwhelming in numbers. Peaceful demonstrations are not allowed and who dares to raise a Saharawi flag goes straight to jail. Of course Moroccans from Arabic descent deny these accusations. Every day the television shows how the rebels in Tindouf make their own lives complicated. It seems so simple. Acknowledge the Sahara as a part of Morocco and come home, to the houses Morocco has already built for you. Dream on.
Before Laayoune we take a mid-afternoon break in the shade of a mobile phone tower. We find out that there are people living under these towers. Accompanied by several dogs they keep an eye on the many solar panels that supply energy for the towers. One of the men says loud and clearly: `Welcome to the Western Sahara.`
In Laayoune we stay in a usually very expensive hotel. While we have a long conversation with an employee at the front desk, a man walks in and quickly asks the employee a couple of questions. After he leaves we are told that this man is an undercover police officer, asking questions about the Swiss judge who just left the building. This judge is here to support Saharawi prisoners and `the case` in general. The young man at the desk mentions that the police asked him about us the day before. He tells us how famous negotiators stay in this hotel as opposed to in the other hotels in town, because this is the only hotel which is privately owned. Otherwise there seems to be no hesitation to put microphones and other undesirable electronics in hotel rooms.
I can hardly believe it. He must be exaggerating. That afternoon Antoine is looking for a stamp to mail a birthday card to Europe. A woman from the hotel walks down the street with him to give him a hand. As many as five times she looks him straight in the eyes and urges him to be careful. Be careful who he talks to. Antoine finds it a bizar experience. We decide to take the advise seriously as there are still journalists in Moroccan prisons.
When we meet a Canadian geologist whose company is hired by the Kingdom of Morocco to search the ‘Moroccan Sahara’, Morocco’s interest in the area becomes obvious. As usual it is all about money. Tourists cross the Western Sahara every single day. To the outside world everything seems allright and peacefull. But under the surface many people are suffering. They live suppressed lives and cannot say whatever they want. There is no freedom of speech in Morocco.