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I’m listening to this special report on Western Sahara now. I had NO idea that Morocco had forcibly colonized Western Sahara country after Spain left in the mid-’70s, or that there’s a total crackdown on westerners reporting here… or that Morocco is profiting violently from Western Sahara’s natural resources… or that there’s an actual wall and millions of land mines keeping its residents confined.
Wow. I’m a little ashamed that I had no idea. We don’t hear about this in the US.
Same here in the UK. Likewise, I didn’t know. Guess that’s what happens when the reporters disappear from somewhere. :/
Here in the UK, I didn’t know either. What I have since discovered is that clicking on the link in the Democracy Now! post gives you an Error message which suggests that they don’t want you to know what is really going on in the Western Sahara.
Here’s link that does work:
https://www.democracynow.org/2018/11/23/four_days_in_occupied_western_sahara
And here’s a song for everyone who feels depressed or dispossessed by current global news events:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7m8izf-oXY4
Amy – It is not that bad on the reporting front!
The BBC World Service covers the Western Sahara regularly.
Even the BBC News website did a skim coverage earlier this year
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14115273
In the UK there’s an active Western Sahara Campaign
http://www.smalgangen.org/
One of my oldest friends ( sadly passed in 2014 ) was an active campaigner for them – and always nagging me to do/give.
Some refugees make it to the UK, not many, and she was an ‘adopted mother’ to a few of them.
Thank you for this info. Heartened to see there is some coverage. The BBC has its flaws, but in terms of this sort of thing, it’s superb.