The departure of the Maghreb Maritime Caravan of Solidarity with Gaza, planned from Tunisia, will be shifted by a few days because of the delay in the Spanish flotilla. In the meantime, dozens of activists have met in Tunis for training to prepare them for the risks of the sea travel and expected tensions.
Tuesday, at the headquarters of the UGTT in Tunis, Tunisian and foreign participants took part in an international training session. The workshops focused on stress management, psychological preparation and reaction to possible attacks or confidence at sea by Israeli forces. The exercises were supervised by experts in psychology and logistics, present or intervening remotely.
An imminent departure despite the Spanish delay
According to Wael Naouar, member of the International Flotilla Committee, the postponement will not exceed two days (the departure was initially scheduled for Thursday, September 4). He indicated in a declaration to the TAP agency that:
“Participants leaving from Tunisia will be at sea before the end of this week” and that “the Tunisian authorities cooperate fully with the organizers, without legal obstacle”.
A coordinated international caravan
The Tunisian departure, planned from Sidi Bou Saïd or Gammarth, concerns 127 Tunisian participants, joined by Arab and foreign activists. The Mediterranean flotilla, made up of ships who left Spain, Italy and Greece, will bring together several hundred people.
The cargo will include children’s milk and drugs for the inhabitants of Gaza.
Break the blockade of Gaza
This initiative is part of the continuity of international flutils which have been trying for more than ten years to break the blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip. Beyond humanitarian aid, it is a political and symbolic act of solidarity with the Palestinian population.
