'African Gandhi' risks life Nov 19, 2009
Haidar, a 42-year-old single mother, was detained at the airport in Western Sahara's administrative capital, Laayoune, on her return from the US, where she was awarded the Train Foundation's Civil Courage prize of $US50,000 ($54,000) for her struggle for the Sahrawis' right to self-determination ... The Spanish foreign ministry said it could not allow Ms Haidar to return to Laayoune because she had no passport. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Saharan activist 'facing court' Nov 18, 2009
Ms Haidar was held by Moroccan authorities on Friday when she arrived in Western Sahara's main city, Laayoune - where she lives - on a flight from the Canary Islands ... Hamudi Isemo Mussa said Ms Haidar hoped to board a flight to Laayoune on Saturday, even though she does not have a passport. (BBC News -- Africa)
Morocco welcomes human rights activist home by arresting her Nov 18, 2009
When Haidar came home to the Western Saharan city of Laayoune, police proved her right ... Speaking by phone from the Spanish-controlled Canary Islands airport to which she was deported, Haidar says that upon her arrival in Laayoune, she handed in her customs forms, putting "Western Sahara" in the address section. (Christian Science Monitor)
Western Sahara: Morocco Detains Human Rights Defender [document] Nov 14, 2009
Aminatou was arrested today at the airport in Laayoune, Western Sahara, by Moroccan authorities. She was returning from a visit to the U.S. through Spain. (allAfrica.com)
'Sahrawi Gandhi' awarded New York peace prize Oct 22, 2009
Policemen keep watch on the streets in Western Sahara's main city of Laayoune in 2005 ... "I have been threatened with arrest on my return," added the 42-year-old rights activist who lives with her two children in Laayoune, the main city in Western Sahara. (Yahoo! Asia News)
Morocco: Government Uses Torture to Silence Sahrawi Activists Sep 11, 2009
At 9:00 pm on Thursday 27 August, 19 year-old Nguia El Haouassi, a Sahrawi woman, a student and a human rights activist, was abducted while walking through Maatallah District in Laayoune. Laayoune is a large town in the northern Saguia al-Hamra region of the Moroccan occupied territory of Western Sahara ... She was then abandoned at around 2:00 am in the dark and left naked on the outskirts of Laayoune. (allAfrica.com)
Western Sahara: The Sahrawi - Seeking Solace in a Dream [analysis] Aug 8, 2009
A former Spanish outpost turned administrative centre where Moroccan soldiers, police, and security details are as common as the lowly soul attempting to carve out a life in the middle of this vast desert, whose relative size is comparable to that of the entire UK. Laayoune houses some 200,000 (this figure is in dispute) individuals ... What the Minsuro are doing is providing the logistical support along with the coordinated efforts of the UNHCR: To fly Sahrawi from Laayoune to visit distant... (allAfrica.com)
Marathoners trek across Sahara in celebration Feb 24, 2009
LAAYOUNE REFUGEE CAMP, Western Sahara (AP) -- Marathon runners from more than two dozen countries raced through the rock-strewn desert of Western Sahara on Monday to celebrate the 33rd anniversary of the conflict-ridden territory's call for independence ... "We plan to do a marathon on each continent," Jacques said as they warmed up for the race in Laayoune, a refugee camp named after Western Sahara's capital, which is under Moroccan control. (SportsIllustrated.CNN -- More)
