Najla Mohamed-Lamin is a Sahrawi human rights activist, educator, and advocate dedicated to women’s rights and environmental issues. She founded the Almasar Library Centre, which provides education on climate change to women and children in Sahrawi refugee camps. The center also offers early childhood learning resources, women’s health services, and breast cancer screenings. Through her work at Almasar, Mohamed-Lamin has helped over 200,000 refugees combat water and food insecurity caused by climate change in the Sahara.
Beyond her environmental activism, Mohamed-Lamin has been a strong advocate for Sahrawi’s self-determination. She has openly criticized Western nations and media for their silence on the conflict in Western Sahara, especially after the Polisario Front and Morocco’s ceasefire ended in 2020. She highlighted the disparity in global attention compared to conflicts like the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Her criticism extends to countries trading goods derived from Western Saharan land, including her public letter to New Zealand regarding phosphate rock imports from Morocco.
Mohamed-Lamin remains vocal about the need for Morocco to uphold the 1991 Settlement Plan, which promised a referendum on Western Sahara’s status. She argues that the Sahrawi people do not wish to be part of Morocco, emphasizing the uniqueness of Sahrawi culture. She continues to push for the referendum to allow Sahrawis to choose between becoming an autonomous part of Morocco or establishing an independent state.
Furthermore, Mohamed-Lamin sees women playing a vital role in the creation of an independent Western Saharan state. She points to the leadership women have shown since 1975 in building and sustaining refugee camps. For her, women’s contributions are central to the future of Western Sahara, both in the camps and in the broader political landscape.
