750 Miles Demo Walk!

Demo spokespersons

By Seyid.O.Seyid

Crashed by oppression, armed with determination, and disappeared in desperation, the Caravan of 206 employees had walked 750 miles from mining capital Zouerate with a labor union intention to protest democratically in front of Presidency Palace in the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott.

Walking in demonstrations on behalf of 400 voiceless work mates in their Private Security Company, the retired military security workers have been jammed to enter the city for security reasons. With little food and no resting rooms, they have to wait 19 days of depressions for their cry to be heard by concerned Ministry, their spokespersons told me.

We have done every possible striving including, sit-in striking, writing, and legal protesting in the work site in vain. The pain of being unable to provide bread for crummy children is the motivation behind our malevolent decision, complained the workers delegates in their meeting with the Ministry decision makers. Everyone is unrestricted to walk. The solution must be a long administrative procedure. Your rights are fail-safe as long as the law is in on your side courtesy, replied the Ministry.

The employees’ caravan had settled in temporary squatter.  They have refuted political parties to exploit their public opinion case. Surviving on individual donations of the generous nation and undivided on more waiting to see President Aziz in person, the only one capable of solving their human plight in the fight of justice. Nature is home of homeless caravan until getting new home or return home.

The melancholiest story is spasmodic coverage in local independent news wire. State Medias had not covered the new old story yet. Mauritania Government had granted free access to news reporters to visit the downhearted Caravan in steady juncture declining to exit, as deprived to enter.  The Caravan had reached the door of no return, concluded the organizers. As optimistic axiom goes, “The brightest dawn comes after the darkest hours”.

Regardless of legal debates, the security employees inhuman situation should be dealt with as human case with due urgency. For justice to prevail, the state of law ideals that Mauritania Government is promoting in its public media should be in action immediately.

In the past, 12 workers of the economic capital Nouadhibou have marched to protest at the Presidency gate. They were received and promised equate consideration.  They have returned in ablate oblivion.

It might be appeasing to grant Presidential audience to such patient, patriotic and peaceful Caravan, despite busy schedule of acting President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz on the wheel for advancing the agenda of the African Union he is chairing.

To elude hazard manners, labor essential requests are to process in decentralized manner. It is undesirable end to end nowhere. Primarily, national means must serve human needs. Getting back to normal stagnation is conclusive victory in the face of abnormal absurdity. As American song does reiterate, “Life’s funny proposition after all, imagination, jealousy, hypocrisy and all”.