Sahrawi tribe protests against Morocco’s army

A total of 670 members of Doublal tribe in Tata town next to the Algerian Moroccan borders have been protesting against Morocco’s army since Saturday for closing the area of Ouadi Deraa and preventing them of exploiting their lands and sheep, according to sources.

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• Royal armed forces and representatives of the royal gendarmerie stopped the protesters originated from Western Sahara at the military checkpoint of Khanka Boulekhbar, said the same sources.
• The army forces are deployed in the area next to the military checkpoint to foil any attempt of infiltration.
• “The army threatened the protesters who tried to reach the checkpoint Sunday of shooting them.”
• Witnesses say the tribe is living in bad conditions but they got worse after the royal armed forces set up military check points preventing farmers of entering their agricultural lands.
• “These protests come to claim the opening of Ouadi Deraa to residents to benefit from their lands there,” Mohamed Doublali, one of the tribe’s members told reporters.
• “They are also protesting against the marginalisation of the tribe in terms of employment and widows’ situation,” he added.
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• Taxes in return for seized camels
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• The royal armed forces seize the camels of the tribe’s members and impose taxes to give them back.
• “We think that it’s time now to get our rights after we realised that dialogues and complaints are useless with officials who do not keep their promises,” said Doublali.