Shaheed El Hafed, March 2, 2024 (SPS) - The President of the Republic, Secretary-General of the Polisario Front, Mr. Brahim Ghali, received Saturday evening at the presidential headquarters the winners of the Sahara Marathon, in the presence of the Minister of Youth and Sports, Hassennitou Mohamed Achbal, the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hamida El-Hafed, and Saleha El-Abd, the Ambassador and Director of Protocol at the Presidency.
The President of the Republic highlighted that, for the first time in the history of this sports event, Sahrawi athletes have won top positions. This is a source of pride for us, calling for good preparation for the participating athletes in this important international event to raise awareness about the situation of the Sahrawi people and their suffering due to the Moroccan occupation of their land and the refugee situation they live in.
Mr. Brahim Ghali emphasized that this year's edition was exceptional due to the tremendous efforts that accompanied it, offering his congratulations to all the authorities for the success of the Sahara Marathon sports event, which seeks to raise awareness about the Sahrawi issue despite the significant media blackout. The event was a response to the doubts raised by some propaganda outlets.
In a statement to the media, Mr. Mohamed Sid Ahmed Boukhleida highlighted that the 24th edition of the Sahara Marathon was outstanding in terms of the number and quality of participants. It served as a response to claims of instability and insecurity in the Sahrawi refugee camps, as the participants have been present within the camps for more than ten days in complete peace of mind.