Dancing with the Saharawis
- Maren Ellermann
- 4 days ago
- 5 min read
Rain Crew x Sandblast:
Recently Rain Crew has been working with Sandblast Charity teaching dance to young Saharawi (Also commonly spelled Sahrawi) people who have grown up in exile, away from their homeland of Western Sahara. Forced to live in harsh conditions in refugee camps in Algeria, the Saharawi community is completely dependent on humanitarian aid.
As we spent time with these incredible young people, we began to learn more about their culture, their history, and their forgotten struggle. What shocked us most was how few people had ever heard of the Saharawi and Morocco’s ongoing occupation of Western Sahara. We visited bookshops across London, searching for anything, any book, about Western Sahara. We found nothing. This silence is no accident. It’s the result of Morocco’s (And it’s Western allies) deliberate campaign of erasure, one that has made an entire people invisible to the world.
The Saharawis have endured 50 years of displacement, occupation, and erasure. Their story is not ancient history, it is unfolding now, in refugee camps and occupied cities across Northern Africa. Ignorance and silence allow injustice to deepen its roots. That’s why we feel it’s so important to amplify the voices of the Saharawi and to invite you to engage with their story, their art, and their fight for justice.
LISTEN to: resistance music by Marriem Hassan
WATCH: Haiyu by Alex Veitch & Brahim
READ: Tomorrow, Tomorrow Insha’allah by Sarah Cheikh, Settled Wanderers by Sam Berkson and Mohamed Sulaiman
FOLLOW: @sandblastcharity on Instagram
DESERT VOICEBOX
Desert Voicebox is one of the programmes Sandblast runs in the Sahara refugee camps in Algeria. This pioneering, after school project trains local teachers to provide English language and music education to Saharawi children.
Since its humble beginnings in 2016 as a pilot project, Desert Voicebox has steadily grown to be an established and valued part of the community. Currently, it is the only educational programme offering primary school-age children opportunities to learn these skills in fun and stimulating ways outside the classroom. Furthermore, Desert Voicebox is responding to the dire need for quality extracurricular activities to engage children who might otherwise have limited constructive opportunities in the camps.
Somehow (we can only imagine the logistical nightmare this must have been), Sandblast managed to bring 10 young people and 3 teachers from the camps over to the UK for a 6 week long exchange programme jam-packed with arts, culture and nature activities. They also spoke to local MPs about the plight of the Saharawis, putting all their English lessons to work. Rain Crew was lucky enough to be a small part of the project and run some dance sessions with the kids, culminating in a mini performance at their farewell party before their return home.
The young people were incredibly creative, bold, kind, funny and always authentically themselves. They picked everything up really fast and always added to their own little twist to any moves we taught them. They are naturally born leaders and revolutionaries, never failing to say Free Free Western Sahara.
A QUICK HISTORY LESSON
The People
The Saharawi are a nomadic people of mixed Arab (especially Beni Hassan) and Berber descent, indigenous to the Western Sahara which sits between Morocco, Algeria, and Mauritania.
They speak Hassaniya Arabic and practice Sunni Islam. Their culture values freedom, solidarity, and the central role of women in society.
Traditionally, Saharawis were camel-herding Bedouins, organised into tribes like the Regeibat and Oulad Delim, with strong communal bonds and a deep connection to the desert landscape.
Colonial History
Western Sahara was colonised by Spain in 1884, during the Scramble for Africa where 90% of Africa was divided between 7 European countries. The territory was known as Spanish Sahara until Spain began decolonisation efforts in the 1970s2.
In 1973, Saharawi nationalists formed the Polisario Front to fight for independence. Spain planned a UN-backed referendum in 1975, but geopolitical pressure derailed it.
Spain signed the Madrid Accords in 1975, a secret agreement with Morocco and Mauritania, dividing the territory and abandoning the Saharawi people. Morocco took the northern two-thirds, Mauritania the southern third.
Occupation
Morocco launched the “Green March” in 1975, sending 350,000 civilians into Western Sahara to invade the territory. Mauritania later withdrew in 1979, and Morocco annexed the entire territory.
The Polisario Front declared the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) in 1976. War broke out, and tens of thousands of Saharawis fled to refugee camps in Tindouf, Algeria, where many remain today.
A UN-brokered ceasefire was signed in 1991, with a promise of a referendum on self-determination. That referendum has to this day, not happened.
Morocco built a 2,700 km-long sand wall (the Berm), fortified with landmines, dividing the territory and restricting Polisario movement.
In Moroccan-controlled areas, Saharawis face repression, arbitrary detention, and cultural erasure. Activists and journalists are routinely harassed or expelled. News stories, film screenings or anything relating to the plight of Western Sahara is routinely blocked.
International Relations
Western Sahara is listed as a “non-self-governing territory” by the UN
The International Court of Justice ruled in 1975 that Morocco had no sovereignty over Western Sahara and affirmed the Saharawi right to self-determination. However no actions have been taken against Morocco’s illegal occupation.
While the SADR is recognised by many countries in the Global South, Morocco has gained support from the usual suspects including the U.S., Israel, France, Spain, especially after proposing limited autonomy for the region.
SAHARAWI CULTURE
The Role of Women
Saharawi society is often described as matricultural, a structure where women hold significant social, political, and cultural power.
During the war years (1975–1991), while men fought on the frontlines, women ran refugee camps; building schools, hospitals, and administrative systems.
Women hold seats in parliament, serve as ministers and political leaders, representing the Saharawi cause in international peace negotiations.
They lead literacy campaigns, teach languages and vocational skills, and advocate for peace and self-determination.
Freedom fighters like Aminatou Haidar have become global symbols of peaceful resistance, enduring imprisonment and torture for their activism.
Art & Tradition
Despite displacement and occupation, the Saharawi have preserved a vibrant artistic tradition that reflects their history, landscape, and longing for freedom.
Poetry is central to Saharawi culture. Both men and women compose verses, with women uniquely contributing to the tabr’a genre; intimate, lyrical poems often shared during tea ceremonies.
Storytelling and Proverbs are used to educate children, preserve history, and reinforce moral values.
Women traditionally play the ardin, a lap harp with 9–14 strings, used in celebrations and storytelling.
Songs often recount nomadic life, exile, and the struggle for independence.
The traditional melhfa is a flowing garment, a symbol of identity and political expression
A daily ritual of hospitality and reflection, the tea ceremony is a cornerstone of Saharawi identity. It’s often accompanied by poetry and music, reinforcing communal bonds.
SUPPORT SANDBLAST
Please consider donating to Sandblast Charity. Sandblast is dedicated to building awareness and solidarity for the indigenous Saharawis of Western Sahara. Sandblast advocates for the Saharawis to achieve their UN-recognised right to self-determination. Through skills-training, educational and artistic programs they seek to amplify Saharawi voices and bolster their threatened culture.