By Kylie M Tsudama
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

RABAT, Morocco – Saharawi activist Aminatou Haider remains on hunger strike in the Spanish Canary Islands.  She has been on strike for nearly a month after being denied entry into Western Sahara for denying Moroccan citizenship.

Morocco called her strike part of “a systematic, methodical plot devised by Algeria.”

Algeria has long been an ally of the Polisario Front independence movement.  Haider is accused of being aligned with the group.

“The lady is at the orders of her masters,” said Communications Minister Khalid Naciri.  “She is being manipulated in a plan to divide and destabilize the region.”  He added, “[Algiers] is in a position of weakness in relation to the plan for autonomy drawn up by Morocco for the Western Sahara and which is welcomed by the international community.”

On Monday, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he is “deeply concerned” about Haider’s failing health and has urged Moroccan Foreign Minister Taieb Fassi Fihri to return her.

“I hope that the foreign minister of Morocco will discuss this matter inside his country.  I expressed my very serious concern about her health on humanitarian grounds,” said the Secretary General.  “She has been staging this hunger strike for over 25 or 26 days.  I am told that her health situation is deteriorating.”

Morocco and Spain have long fought over Western Sahara.  After Spanish colonialism ended in 1975 and Spain withdrew from the region, Morocco took control.  Algeria has been supportive of ethnic Saharawi who are fighting for independence.

“We can’t take responsibility for a systematic, methodical plot devised by Algeria.  Too much is too much,” said Naciri.  He called Morocco and Spain “victims of a Machiavellian plan.”

The Secretary General said the UN needs to do more to expedite political negotiations between Spain and Morocco.  He also said he is going to discuss with Christopher Ross, his Personal Envoy, about expediting the political process.  He also said that he will raise the humanitarian situation of Haider and ask that special attention be paid to the issue.

For more information, please see:

AllAfrica – Western Sahara: UN Chief Calls for ‘Political Negotiations’ on Territory – 15 December 2009

Xinhua – Ban Urges Morocco, Spain to End Saharawi Activist’s Hunger Strike – 15 December 2009

AFP – Morocco Says Hunger Strike is an ‘Algerian Plot’ – 14 December 2009