On the first day of work of the Forum, more than 10,000 people have marched through Dakar claiming that the popular revolutions happening across northern Africa are a reflect of the crisis of capitalism.

However, the World Social Forum in Dakar, Senegal, started on sunday with the Saharawi delegation formed by human rights activists from the ocuppied territories, refugees from Tinduf camps and activists from Spanish solidarity movement (CEAS-Sahara) surrounded by hundreds of Moroccan citizens who assaulted and insulted the delegation, which resulted on the intervention of the Forum’s security to calm down the ambiance.

During this morning, dozens of Moroccans have occupied the room where the workshop for the self-determination right of Saharawi, preventing the celebration, assaulting the rapporteurs and stealing some of the material.  Between the witnesses of this assault were Pierre Galand, former Belgian senator and President of the European coordination of solidarity with the Sahara and the MEP Willy Meyer, who has personally introduced a complaint to the Forum’s Organization.

On the first day of work of the Forum, more than 10,000 people have marched through Dakar claiming that the popular revolutions happening across northern Africa are a reflect of the crisis of capitalism.

Several leftist politicians met in Dakar yesterday and urged for nations to work together, building an alternative model of development. Former Brazilian president Luis Inacio Lula da Silva and some European and African representatives hold on paralell meetings and have discussed the upcoming G20 meeting, the emergent role of Africa and the increase of cooperation between nations.

Bolivian President Evo Morales demanded to African leaders to support the United Nations declaration to block the sale of public water services to private companies: “We are going to go the UN to declare that water is a basic public need that must not be managed by private interests, but should be for all people, including people of rural areas”. Half of Africa’s rural population doesn’t have access to clean drinking water, the UN estimates. “All of Africa’s resources should be declared resources of the state and managed by the nation,” he said.

The 11th edition of the World Social forum, as an alternative to the World Economic Forum held in the Swiss ski resort of Davos last week, brings together civil society participants and anti-globalisation activists from the all world opposed to capitalism.