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Thursday, April 17, 2014
Women protesting in the streets of Boujdour over the planned exploration off the coast of the disputed territory of Western Sahara were abused by police and forced to leave the area. The women were protesting against Kosmos Energy’s exploration program. Following is a letter written by one of the women at the protests to the chairman of Kosmos.
Dear chairman of Kosmos Energy
Boujdour, Western Sahara, 15 April 2014
Today I tried to film a friend holding a banner objecting to Kosmos Energy’s activities in my occupied country, Western Sahara. The police responded by hitting me. Here you see how my eye looked like. How should we protest against your presence in our country?
We are not allowed to form political parties. We are not allowed to register associations. We are not allowed to carry out demonstrations. Morocco not only refuses the people in Western Sahara our legitimate right to self-determination, but also any of the liberties any normal state would accept.
Your company is the main accomplice in Morocco’s illegal occupation of my country. Morocco has no right to look for oil in Western Sahara. No countries recognize Western Sahara as part of Morocco. We have the right to decide over our own oil – not you nor Morocco.
I am now going to report to the police what happened to me today. You can be sure that the police is never going to investigate it. They never do.
We have a visit from two friends from Europe these days. Yesterday, they wanted to go to the harbor to see the place where we believe you will use for a base for your dirty operations. Our two friends were not allowed to visit the harbor by the police. Since then, the police have been circulating our neighborhood. Whole last night, 3 police cars drove in circles around the house where the delegation was, they counted a police car passing by 20 times every five minutes.
We do not want your company here. How many more times do you want to see us beaten in public to object to your plans in Western Sahara? Please know that when I was beaten today, I was thinking of your company.
The police also took my camera today. Regretfully I therefore have no pictures of the banner that my friends were holding asking your company to not do operations here with the occupying power. The photo of my eye was taken by someone else. You find my photo attached to this mail. It is taken two hours ago. Again, please dont send your oil rig to our country.
We beg you.
Yours,
Elfayda Kayya, Boujdour.
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