The collapse of investment company Infravest in the Tindouf camps has moved beyond a dispute over lost savings, with rights advocates in Geneva using the case to argue that financial insecurity and weak oversight can leave already vulnerable communities more exposed to exploitation.
The case was raised during a side event held alongside the UN Human Rights Council’s 63rd session under the title “Human Trafficking in Africa: Strengthening Protection, Accountability and Sustainable Solutions,” according to organizers.
Chbeita Mrabih Rabou, president of the Sahrawi Center for Studies and Research in Development and Human Rights, presented Infravest as an example of the risks created when financial activity targeting vulnerable populations operates without effective oversight.
According to material presented at the event, Infravest attracted savings from residents with promises of high returns before collapsing in September. Separate media reports say residents and investors subsequently gathered in Rabouni and Chahid El Hafed demanding the return of their money.
Several reports have put the amount at around $6.6 million, although neither the total losses nor the number of affected investors has been independently established through an official investigation.
Participants called for independent investigation, stronger financial oversight, secure complaint mechanisms and procedures to trace assets where legally possible.
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