A Moroccan association representing landmine victims in the southern provinces is preparing consultations with government bodies and partners to explore legal and diplomatic avenues for filing a case before international courts against leaders of the Polisario Front and Algerian authorities, a Hespress AR source familiar with the matter said.
The source told Hespress AR that the Union of Mine Victims’ Associations aims to engage with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, as well as the health and interior ministries, the Moroccan Red Crescent, and other stakeholders. The goal is to assess options for international litigation and to build a unified national front to advocate for victims.
The initiative seeks to draw international attention to the plight of people affected by landmines allegedly laid in the Moroccan Sahara during the 1970s, and to press for accountability from those accused of financing and supporting their deployment. It also calls for increased pressure on relevant parties to disclose minefield maps, which the group says remain unavailable and continue to endanger civilians.
According to the source, internationalizing the issue would help amplify victims’ voices and support demands for accountability, as well as compensation for physical and psychological harm. The effort, the source added, aligns with international human rights and humanitarian law principles.
The association has previously warned that recurring landmine explosions in desert areas are linked to the absence of precise maps, posing ongoing risks to both civilians and military personnel.
In July, three nomadic herders, including one from another African country, were injured when a landmine exploded in the Safia area of Bir Gandouz commune in the Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab region after being run over by a four-wheel-drive vehicle. Royal Gendarmerie units and an army engineering team intervened to secure and sweep the surrounding area.
In a similar incident in the same region in previous years, a camel herder was seriously injured after triggering a landmine near the commune of Oum Dreyga. He was transferred to the military hospital in Dakhla for treatment.
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