Zahra ‘The Flower’: Portuguese Author Exposes Tragedy of Sahrawis under Moroccan Occupation in Western Sahara
BY: Dr. Hana Saada
ALGIERS– In his recent book titled “The Flower,” Portuguese author Tomás Sopas Bandeira sheds light on a facet of the struggle of the Sahrawi people after the Moroccan occupation of their lands in 1975. The book highlights the tragedy and suffering of thousands of Sahrawis who were forced into displacement, deprived of their basic rights.
During a book presentation ceremony at the “Albatros” library in Geneva, Switzerland, Tomás Sopas Bandeira outlined the major themes of his work. The book narrates the story of a Sahrawi young woman living in refugee camps, separated from her family due to national duty and the defense of the basic rights of the Sahrawi people.
The author states that the purpose of this work is to draw attention to the plight of the Sahrawi people in refugee camps and in diaspora due to the Moroccan military occupation of parts of Western Sahara. The Sahrawis are denied their right to live with dignity in their homeland, free and independent.
In an interview with Sahrawi television, Tomás Sopas Bandeira emphasized that the suffering of the Sahrawi people should reach every corner of the world, making the global audience aware of the Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara and the resulting tragedy, which has severe social and political implications for the Sahrawi people in exile.
The Portuguese author explained that his presence in Geneva is part of a tour that will lead him to various European countries to present his book, which provides an insight into the struggle of the Sahrawi people for freedom.
The second stop of his tour is expected to be Madrid, where the author has invited all Sahrawis to attend the event, expressing their voices and aspirations for freedom and independence.
In solidarity with the Sahrawi people, a Swiss solidarity committee with the Sahrawi people held its regular meeting in Geneva. The meeting aimed to evaluate and study the half-year work program and outline the broad lines of joint work between the representation of the Polisario Front and the solidarity movement and the Sahrawi community.
The meeting heard a detailed report presented by Oubi Bouchraya Bachir, the representative of the Polisario Front in Switzerland and at the United Nations and international organizations in Geneva. The report focused on several points related to the Sahrawi issue at the international, regional, and United Nations Security Council levels.
The Sahrawi ambassador also highlighted the efforts required from the solidarity movement in Switzerland and various partners regarding the work at the three sessions of the Human Rights Council for the year 2024.
The meeting also emphasized the importance of adapting the joint work program to the current situation and the requirements of the stage, both at the level of civil society and various Swiss circles and at the level of international organizations in Geneva.
In conclusion, the participants in this meeting stressed the need to continue coordinating efforts to ensure the success of the joint work program agreed upon on various fronts in Geneva and also at the level of other regions in Switzerland.
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