On the sidelines of the 60th session of the U.N. Human Rights Council, Africa Culture International hosted a panel at the Palais des Nations that examined grave human rights violations linked to armed conflicts in Africa, with a particular focus on the plight of Sahrawis in the Tindouf camps in Algeria.
The event, moderated by Dr. Diancko Lamine, president of the organization, brought together experts and rights advocates, including Dr. Lamam Bousif, head of the Regional Youth Leadership Organization. Bousif delivered an overview of the root causes of African conflicts, their toll on civilians, and possible pathways to peace.
He condemned systematic abuses in conflict zones, including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, attacks on civilians, and child recruitment. He highlighted the suffering of women and children in the Tindouf camps, citing sexual violence, family separation and ideological indoctrination allegedly imposed by the Polisario Front with support from Algerian authorities.
Speakers urged urgent international action to protect refugees, hold perpetrators accountable, and recognize efforts by countries — notably Morocco — working to promote reintegration, dignity and sustainable peace.
The session also featured a video showing Sahrawis attempting to flee the Tindouf camps after an April 9, 2025 incident in which Algerian forces reportedly opened fire on gold prospectors. In the footage, civilians can be heard pleading with soldiers not to shoot and insisting on their right to return to Morocco.
Participants unanimously called on the United Nations, NGOs and member states to intensify efforts to end the abuses and build lasting peace, pointing to Morocco’s experience as a model of stability and development.
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