70 | Towards the Closure of Guantanamo 151. One of the causes attributed to the lifting of the mass hunger strike was the beginning of Ramadan and the prisoners’ desire to be in a communal setting with other detainees. Another factor that reportedly led to the decision to lift the strike was what were described as the unsanitary conditions in which they were held during that period, in particular, that they were placed in isolation in cells allegedly covered in mold, which was viewed as part of the effort to pressure them to break the hunger strike. 179 The 2013 mass hunger strike achieved one of its purposes, which was to bring more public attention to the situation of indefinite detention at Guantanamo. It may have been a factor in President Obama’s decision to reopen the office of the Special Envoy for the closure of Guantanamo. In addition, two detainees were voluntarily transferred to Algeria right before the end of the mass hunger strike. 152. Finally, the IACHR notes that the hunger strikes at Guantanamo are a symptom of the unsustainable situation of indefinite detention and that the underlying problem has not been resolved. Whereas the hunger strikes are an important issue in and of themselves, they are a symptom of this larger problem of continuing indefinite detention. 179 IACHR’s Expert Meeting on the situation of detainees held at the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Washington DC, October 3, 2013. Organization of American States | OAS