Ngu-Nonviolence International, Meyi 25, 2022
WASHINGTON, DC/Boujdour, Western Sahara, May 23, 2022 - Ithimba laseMelika labesifazane abanohlelo lweJustVisitWestern Sahara baboshwe eWestern Sahara namuhla yiziphathimandla zaseMoroccan esikhumulweni sezindiza saseLaayoune. Ithimba laseMelika limenywe odade baseKhaya abavinjezelwe ngesihluku isikhathi eside.
Ithimba laseMelika labesifazane abathathu baseMelika lihlanganisa u-Adrienne Kinne, owayenguMongameli weVeterans for Peace, u-Wynd Kaufmyn, uprofesa wasekolishi lomphakathi, kanye noLaksana Peters, uthisha osewathatha umhlalaphansi. Iziphathimandla zase-Moroccan zithethe ngokukhathazeka kwezokuphepha kwezwe okungacacile kodwa azikwazanga ukunikeza noma yiziphi izizathu ezingokomthetho zokwenqaba ukungena kulaba bavakashi base-US.
Nakuba uhulumeni wase-US ukubonile ukuthathwa ngokungemthetho kwe-Morocco kwe-Western Sahara, uMnyango Wezwe uye wazwakalisa ukukhathazeka okuphindaphindiwe ngamalungelo abantu e-Morocco nase-Western Sahara okuhlanganisa nokuphathwa kwe-Khaya Sisters engenalo udlame.
Ithimba laseMelika lihlelelwe ukuhlangana noTim Pluta kanye noRuth McDonough, ithimba lezakhamizi zase-US ezihlale nezelamani zaseKhaya kusukela ngoMashi 15. Naphezu kokuba khona kwabo, amabutho aseMoroccan aqhubekile nokuhlukunyezwa, ukushaywa, ukuhlukunyezwa ngokocansi, ukuboshwa, kwaphoqelela ukwehlukaniswa komndeni, kanye nezinsongo kumalungu omphakathi avakashela ikhaya laseKhaya noma afuna ukuhlinzeka ngokudla nokweseka. Ngesonto eledlule iloli elikhulu laphahlaza umuzi wabo izikhathi ezi-3 lizama ukubulala abahlali noma ukucekela phansi umuzi ngendlela yokuthi kuzofanele kugwetshwe, kube nesizathu sokuthi amasosha akhiphe abahlali ngendluzula.
Odade baseKhaya bangabavikeli bamalungelo abantu eNtshonalanga yeSahara abamelene nodlame olubhekiswe kwabesifazane kanye nokuzimela kwabantu bomdabu baseSaharawi. Bavinjezelwe ngesihluku esiqhubekayo isikhathi esingaphezu kwezinyanga eziyi-18.
U-Wynd Kaufmyn uzwakalise ukudumala ngesimo sengcindezelo sikahulumeni waseMoroccan ezivakashini futhi wazibuza ukuthi imboni yezokuvakasha ingaphumelela kanjani ngokungathembeki nokuphathwa kabi kwabantu baseMelika. “Uma singaphathwa ngale ndlela, ungacabanga ukuthi abesifazane bendawo baseSaharawi baphathwa kanjani? Ngisebenzise imali eningi ngiwathenga lawa mathikithi futhi ukuvele ngijikiswe ngingachazwanga kuyacasula.”
Bonke abantu baseMelika abathintekayo bayingxenye yomfelandawonye waseMelika obizwa ngokuthi Just Visit Western Sahara. Kuyinethiwekhi yamaqembu kanye nabantu abazibophezele ekuthuleni nasebulungiswa, okuye kwanqatshelwa kubantu baseSaharawi, ukuvikelwa kwamalungelo abantu, ukuhlonipha umthetho wamazwe ngamazwe, nokukhuthaza abantu baseMelika nabahambi bamazwe ngamazwe ukuba babone ubuhle nokukhangayo kweWestern Sahara, futhi ukuze bazibonele ngokwabo ubuqiniso bomsebenzi waseMorocco.
