Lanzarote, Canary Islands – Sahrawi activist Aminatou Haidar has returned to Lanzarote, the island where she famously challenged both Morocco and Spain with a hunger strike 16 years ago, an event that became a pivotal moment for the Western Sahara cause. During the presentation of her documentary, ‘Aminatou: 50 Years of Occupation,’ Haidar delivered a strong message, asserting that the Spanish government’s stance and the recent UN Security Council resolution are not conducive to peace, but rather reinforce the occupation.
Haidar, a prominent figure in Sahrawi civil resistance, was welcomed back to Arrecife amidst historical reflections on two significant occasions: the 50th anniversary of Spain’s withdrawal from Western Sahara without completing the decolonization process, and the 16th anniversary of her hunger strike at Lanzarote airport following her forced expulsion by Morocco.
‘When I was forcibly expelled from my country, Western Sahara, with the support of the Moroccan regime and the complicity of the Spanish state, the people of Lanzarote supported me. Today, I return to thank them for a solidarity I will never forget,’ Haidar stated, adding that her sacrifices and the island’s courage in 2009 made her a symbol of resistance and dignity.
Haidar directly criticized the Spanish government’s position on the Sahrawi conflict: ‘By supporting the idea of the Sahara under autonomy with Moroccan sovereignty, Spain is contributing to prolonging the illegal occupation, facilitating the plundering of our resources, and legitimizing gross human rights violations.’
She argued that the Spanish government’s acceptance of Morocco’s autonomy plan represents a ‘conscious abandonment’ of its responsibilities as an administering power. ‘Spain must fulfill its legal and historical duty to ensure decolonization and the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination. The politicization of language to legitimize the occupation cannot continue,’ she asserted.
Haidar also addressed the latest UN Security Council resolution, characterizing it as a step backward and ambiguous. DZWatch will continue to follow this developing story.
