Geneva: NGOs warn of ongoing slavery in Tindouf camps

During the 60th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, non-governmental organizations sounded the alarm over the persistence of slavery practices in the Tindouf camps, managed by the armed Polisario Front. These NGOs called on the international community to recognize the gravity of the situation and to intervene to protect the fundamental rights of the Sahrawi population.

In an interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, legal expert Lucia Ferreira Pereira denounced the system of hereditary slavery and the ongoing racial discrimination in these camps. She illustrated her remarks with the case of Mohammed Salem, a young Sahrawi who was prohibited from marrying due to his family background, calling this situation a “flagrant violation of human dignity.”

Speaking on behalf of the “Independent Center for Research and Initiatives for Dialogue” (CIRID), Pereira urged the Human Rights Council to open an independent investigation to document and sanction these practices. According to her, these violations breach international principles of equality, freedom, and dignity, and require urgent action.

Mustafa Maâ El Aïnine, representing the “International Commission for the Respect and Implementation of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights” (CIRAC), cited testimonies from former Sahrawi detainees who had suffered systematic discrimination. He accused the Polisario of using these practices to maintain social and political control over the camp populations, in clear violation of international conventions on the abolition of slavery.

Both speakers emphasized the urgent need to guarantee the fundamental rights of freedom, dignity, and justice for the victims of the Tindouf camps. They also recommended that the Special Rapporteur conduct a field visit and include these violations in his upcoming report to the Council, to pressure responsible authorities and put an end to these inhumane practices.