The conditions of life in the Sahrawi refugee camps is far from easy. Isolated in a desert in south-western Algeria, many of the refugees have spent their entire lives dependent on international aid. But a recent article in the International Herald Tribune quoting former Sahrawi refugees now residing in the Moroccan controlled Western Sahara are making claims that the Polisario are like a mafia who restrict movement, imprison dissenting refugees, and siphon off food aid for their own benefit. I say Moroccan controlled because no OECD nation officially recognizes Morocco's claim on the territory.
I find these accusations highly suspect. For one, these former refugees are invited to Washington and New York by a Moroccan-American lobby to plead a pro-Moroccan policy concerning the conflict. “The reason Morocco is funding their trip is to try to discredit the Polisario at a moment when they hope that its own proposal for autonomy will prevail," said a representative to the Moroccan UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Second, the refugees have the right to leave the camps. Every year, several thousand Sahrawi refugee children spend their summers in Spain, sponsored by private individuals and solidarity organizations. As the article points out, representatives from Human Rights Watch and UNHCR know of no cases where refugees were deliberately prevented from leaving.
Third, having reported from the camps, I was able to see first hand what the conditions are like. I was able to walk about the camps at will, unaccompanied, enter homes, and speak to various individuals. And indeed, I came across many frustrated individuals, especially the youth who have a strong desire to renew the armed conflict against the better judgment of some of the Polisario leadership whom I also interviewed. This is not to say that the Polisario are not without their caveats. Baba Sayed, a senior Polisario leader, expressed his frustration with the organization accusing it of maintaining a status-quo mentality that was out of touch with many of the refugees.
