“#Candle4Sultana” a Saharawi Campaign on Social Media in support of the human right defender under siege

A group of Sahrawi youth, under the supervision of the Ministry of Youth and Sports and in cooperation with the National Radio, Women's Union, Scout Organization and the Active Saharawi Youth Group, launched a national campaign of solidarity with the family of the Saharawi human rights defender, Sultana Brahim Jaya, today at the Seat of the Saharawi National Commission for Human Rights (CONASADH) in Chahid El Hafed, Saharawi refugees camps.

The campaign opened with a welcoming speech by the President of CONASADH, Mr. Abba ElHaissan, who renewed solidarity with the Saharawi activist, Sultana Jaya, and her family, holding the United Nations and the International Red Cross fully responsible for her suffering under Moroccan oppression, been a civilian citizen of an occupied territory under daily police attacks, siege and abuses.

He further stressed that Sultana, with the siege that she and her family has been living through for a whole year, symbolizes the suffering of the entire Saharawi people suffering from Moroccan Military siege, occupation, wall of shame, and a curious international humanitarian, political and media blackout on their just and legitimate struggle for freedom and independence.

On his part, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr. Moussa Salma, opened the event, stressing in his remarks the great effort made by the team of young Saharawi men and women who initiated the Campaign, considering that the results obtained from it is valuable, and aligns fully with the national and international solidarity actions in favor of this Saharawi human rights defender, and with all Saharawi victims of Moroccan violations and oppression in the occupied zones of Western Sahara.

On another hand, the Director of the Youth Department at the Ministry, Mr. Khalihana Mohamed Al-Mustafa, accompanied by members of the team initiating the campaign, presented the most important elements and objectives of the same, explaining in detail the motives and backgrounds that prompted the group to launch it.

He indicated that the group prepared a Spot, a Poster, and an Infographic for the campaign to enable citizens, interested people and activists to engage in the campaign through Social media, especially Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

The group also chose the hashtag “#candle4Sultana” both in English and Spanish (#TuVelaSultana), stressing the need to target international public opinion to break the media blackout on the besieged activist, who symbolises the siege and blackout imposed on the whole territory and people of Western Sahara.

The youth team supervising the campaign stressed, in a press release on the occasion, that “choosing the candle is not only a symbol of hope. It is also an expression of truth that aims at breaking the silence and the siege imposed on Sultana Jaya and all activists in the occupied zones of Western Sahara to expose the crimes of the Moroccan occupation.”

The release further added that "the campaign aims to point out those accountable for the suffering of Sultana Jaya, who is a symbol of an entire oppressed people. The Campaign also considers the United Nations, Spain, the Moroccan occupation, the USA in addition to the MINURSO direct and full responsibles for all this suffering that stroke the Saharawi people during all these years.” (SPS)