Statement by Aminattou Haidar condemning the terrorist act against foreign sympathizers
23 October 2011
On Saturday night 22 October 2011 an unknown armed group has kidnapped three foreign solidarity workers who were in a humanitarian mission in the Saharawi refugee camps.
The hostages are:
· The Spanish citizen Ainoa Fernandez De Rincon, member of an association of friends of the Saharawi people in Extremadura.
· The Spanish citizen Enric Gonyalons, member of the organization MUNDUBAT.
· The Italian citizen Rossella Urru, member of the organization CISP.
This is the first terrorist act to occur in the Saharawi refugee camps against foreign supporters from humanitarian NGOs who’ve been active since three decades with to relieve the sufferance of the Saharawi refugees, caused by the Moroccan occupation of their homeland and its denial of their right to self determination.
As a Saharawi human rights defender, I consider the abduction of these three friends as a terrorist act infringing the human right to life and to physical integrity.
From my position, I follow their case with interest and concern, and I would like to declare the following:
– My strong condemnation of this terrorist act which has targeted foreign citizens (Ainoa Fernandez De Rincon, Enric Gonyalons and Rossella Urru) who were there just to offer their humanitarian support and solidarity with the Saharawi people, who are peaceful and oppose violence.
– My absolute solidarity with the three victims, their families, their friends, their organizations and the Spanish and Italian people.
– I call on the United Nations, all countries, international human rights organizations and all justice defenders to condemn this terrorist act and to take immediate action to save the lives of our abducted friends, and to show support to their families and their organizations.
Al-aaiun/ Western Sahara
Sunday 23 October 2011
The Saharawi human rights defender Aminattou Haidar
President of the Collective of Saharawi human rights defenders (CODESA)