Monday 24 February 2025 
L’Humanité Report
Translated with adaptation By : Dr. Hana Saada
ALGIERS- In the expanses near Tindouf, deep within the Algerian desert, a generation of educated youth, robbed of prospects, applauds the resurgence of the Polisario Front’s armed struggle. Like their predecessors, they yearn for the independence of Western Sahara, ready to fight for their right to self-determination, as sanctioned by UN resolutions but trampled upon by the Moroccan occupiers.
In the scorching hours when the light becomes razor-sharp and shadows scarce, time seems to stand still: not a breath of air stirs within the khaimah (tent). Beneath the stretches of coarse, dark wool draped over the sands, woven alfa mats beckon for respite: urging travelers to halt their journey, slow their movements, and engage in unhurried conversations. Passing children relish barley porridge scraped from earthenware bowls, while at the back of the tent, an elderly woman dozes, her eyes rimmed with kohl, her body and hair shrouded in a black melhfa.
“Right now, I’m stuck here.” Fatima Mohammed Salma languishes here in her ennui. At 20 years old, this young woman from the Sahrawi refugee camp of Boujdour, about thirty kilometers from Tindouf in southwestern Algeria, should have enrolled at the Faculty of Arts in Mostaganem, after completing her schooling at Simon-Bolivar High School in the Smara camp. However, her plans were disrupted by the pandemic and her mother’s health issues. Cuban teachers had suggested she pursue medical studies in Havana, but… “too far, too complicated for a young girl”: her family objected. “Right now, I’m stuck here. I would prefer to go to Spain, to work. I would accept any job to help my people. I won’t stay here forever, doing nothing,” she sighs. “Getting married means condemning oneself to do nothing, to stay at home, to care for children. Everything is too difficult here. I want to live, to enjoy life, to study or work.”
The Sahrawi People’s Right to Self-Determination
Fatima belongs to the second generation of refugees born in the camps managed by the Polisario Front in Algeria, a national liberation movement advocating for the independence of Western Sahara. Since 1975 and King Hassan II’s so-called ‘Green March’, Morocco has occupied 80% of the territory of this former Spanish colony, in blatant disregard of all international resolutions affirming the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination.
The young woman was born a decade after the 1991 ceasefire and the agreements, under UN auspices, providing for a referendum through which Sahrawis in the occupied territories as well as those in the camps were supposed to decide their fate. Yet, after thirty years of a stalemate marked by numerous violations, the consultation, which the Moroccan monarchy never favored, fell into oblivion. As for the ceasefire, it finally collapsed on November 13, 2020, in Guerguerat, a buffer zone under the responsibility of the UN’s blue helmets of MINURSO (United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara), when Rabat deployed its army against civilians. These protesters were blocking a road illegally built to transport resources to neighboring Mauritania, resources exploited here by the Moroccan occupiers.
About Dzair Tube Media Group
Dzair Tube has firmly established itself as a prominent player among Algerian digital news sites, offering a diverse and enriching content experience. The platform, available in Arabic, French, and English editions, captures the attention of a wide-ranging audience, amassing over half a million daily clicks.
A testament to its commitment to excellence, Dzair Tube received the prestigious President of the Republic’s Award for Professional Journalist in the Electronic Press category on October 22, 2022. This recognition underscores the platform’s unwavering dedication to upholding the highest standards of journalism.
With a significant online presence, Dzair Tube boasts 350,000 subscribers on YouTube, over five million followers on various Facebook pages, and 450,000 subscribers on Instagram. Its digital channel has become a hub for diverse programming, covering news, sports, entertainment, culture, and religion, catering to a broad spectrum of audience preferences.
Equipped with state-of-the-art studios and advanced technology, Dzair Tube’s digital channel has garnered substantial viewership for its varied programs. Hosting interactive discussions with influential figures across different domains, the platform actively fosters public discourse and engagement. Beyond news coverage, Dzair Tube extends its commitment to the production of marketing documentaries, short TV commercials, and high-viewership programs.
The success of the print edition of Dzair Tube’s sports newspaper, “Dzair Sport,” further highlights the platform’s impact, with over 50,000 daily downloads from the official Dzair Tube website.
Honored with the Media Leadership Award from the Minister of Communication, Mohamed Laâgab, Dzair Tube continues to shape the landscape of Algerian digital news, maintaining a position of influence and impact in the media industry.