Swede, Norwegian tried to visit Western Sahara, asked to "go home"
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A Swedish and Norwegian citizen were this morning detained by Moroccan police in a check point near Guelmim in southern Morocco, on their way to occupied Western Sahara.
Published 18 January 2016


A Swedish and a Norwegian citizen were early Monday morning thrown out of the Southern Moroccan city of Guelmim, on their way to occupied Western Sahara.

"Go back to your home country", the two were told.

"They were told that 'new rules' applied and that it was now a forbidden area", Tove Liljeholm told the Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara from the bus she was sitting in.

The travellers, Tove Liljeholm and Anne Hilde Hagland, were ordered to leave the bus that they were sitting in at 03:!5 this moring Afterwards, they were told to take out their luggage, before being placed on a car direction Agadir.

"They said harshly that we had to return to Agadir and then go home to the countries where we are from", Swedish Tove Liljeholm said.

"It was evident that they came in to the bus to single us out. We said we wanted to visit south Morocco, but it did not help", Hagland stated.

Liljeholm is 28 years from Stockholm, working in the Left Youth, where she is also i the leadership.

Anne Hilde Haugland is from Haugesund, Norway.

They wanted to travel to Western Sahara to meet Saharawis. Liljeholm specifically wanted to interview Saharawis regarding the decision of the Swedish government to not recognise the Western Sahara republic.

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