COVID-infected Aminatou Haidar prevented from boarding flight to Las Palmas

LONDON – Passenger Aminatou Haidar was prevented from boarding Wednesday's flight to Las Palmas from the southern Moroccan city of Laayoune because she tested positive for COVID-19, said Royal Air Maroc (RAM) in a statement.

But the Sahrawi separatist, who was accompanied by her son Mohammed, went to Laayoune airport despite knowing the risk of spreading the virus among passengers.

A nurse from the COVID-19 cell of the regional health delegation contacted Haidar to inform her that she could not travel until she was cured of the coronavirus, and this in accordance with the instructions of the Moroccan health authorities.

She posted a live video on Facebook, accusing “the authorities of occupation” of not letting her travel to Las Palmas while her son, who holds a Spanish citizenship, was able to board the flight because he tested negative.

Haidar failed to mention her coronavirus infection since November 12, which meant she should have followed the strict rules of self-isolation and avoiding contact with others until she completes her quarantine.

Following the spread on certain social networks of erroneous information concerning the flight conditions of a passenger named Aminatou Haidar, Royal Air Maroc insisted on clarifying that in accordance with the protocol of the state of health emergency, the national carrier was informed by the health authorities of Laayoune that the said passenger tested positive for COVID-19, adding that the latter was therefore prevented from boarding flight AT1418 of November 18 from Laayoune to Las Palmas.

This coordination between health authorities, local authorities and the National airline company aims to preserve the health of passengers and the safety of flights, said RAM.

The national carrier stressed that in accordance with RAM procedures and those of almost all airlines, people who tested positive for Covid-19 “cannot logically have access to a flight and risk infecting all passengers.”

Haidar’s reckless behaviour clearly sought to exacerbate further tensions few days after Moroccan armed forces kicked out the Algeria-backed Polisario Front from the Guerguerat border crossing point three weeks after the separatists had been blocking the flow of traffic and people.

The Moroccan army’s intervention following the UN peacekeepers’ failure to clear the buffer zone dealt a huge blow to the Polisario Front, further isolating the separatist movement internationally.