Algeria accused of extrajudicial killings in Tindouf camps

On June 16th, during a session of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva, allegations of extrajudicial killings by the Algerian army in the Tindouf refugee camps were brought forward.

According to the UAE owned Moroccan news outlet Hespress, representatives from Sahrawi civil society, including Abdelouahab Gain of the Sahrawi NGO Alliance and Pedro Ignacio Altamirano, president of the Altamirano Foundation, denounced the alleged abuses. Human rights advocates also submitted an open letter to the High Commissioner, documenting 21 cases of extrajudicial killings between 2014 and April 9, 2025.

Gain stated that the victims were unarmed Sahrawi civilians, targeted without provocation. He linked the alleged killings to a wider strategy of state control aimed at suppressing dissent and preventing attempts to leave the camps.

The meeting also raised concerns over the alleged forced displacement of Sahrawi minors through the “Holidays in Peace” program. According to Altamirano, the initiative—supported by Spanish associations—is contributing to cultural, social, and ideological indoctrination, as well as the military training of youth.

The OHCHR confirmed its willingness to examine the presented claims and reaffirmed its support for the Sahrawi NGO Alliance, which operates under UN human rights mechanisms.

These developments come amid the broader geopolitical dispute over Western Sahara, where shifting international positions and rival narratives continue to shape the human rights situation on the ground. For instance, on June 9th, Panama reiterated its backing for Morocco’s “autonomy plan,” describing it as “the only credible and realistic basis” for resolving the conflict. Last November, Panama formally cut diplomatic ties with the Polisario Front. 

Hespress, Maghrebi.org