Moroccan official meets European parliament delegation
Morocco-European Union, Politics, 2/13/2002

Hamid Chabar, governor in charge of coordination with MINURSO (French acronym for UN mission supervising preparations for a referendum in the Sahara), met in Laayoun Tuesday a delegation of the European parliament, on a visit to Morocco.

During the meeting that focused on latest developments in the Moroccan Sahara issue, Chabar surveyed the history of Morocco's recovery of this territory and stages covered in the UN settlement process since 1991 and in the identification operation started in 1994.

He also recalled how the other party and enemies of Morocco's territorial integrity have been erecting obstacles to foil the operation and how Morocco has been denouncing these maneuvers, injustice and exclusion of candidates to registration as potential voters in the referendum that the UN was planning to hold.

The other side's obstinacy in its endeavors to foil the settlement plan has led the world body to abandon the idea of a referendum and invite the parties to prospect alternatives, he stressed, adding that Morocco expressed readiness, during the Berlin meeting in September 2000, to open earnest negotiations with the other party to seek a political solution to this artificial conflict as part of its entire sovereignty over the recovered provinces.

On the basis of this proposal, the UN secretary general proposed in his report dated June 2001, the draft-framework agreement as a basis of negotiations between the parties, Chabar recalled insisting that Morocco has accepted the principle as long as its sovereignty remains intact while the Polisario, supported by Algeria, turned it down.

He further insisted that Morocco has always supported efforts by the UN secretary general and his personal envoy to settle the artificial conflict, has been expressing concern over the tragic situation of populations sequestered in the Tindouf camps (southwestern Algeria) and condemning the use of the sequestered population and prisoners as a pressure means on Morocco and the world body. He urged for distinguishing between humanitarian and political aspects of the issues, in accordance with the UN secretary general's latest reports, with the international community will and with the international humanitarian law.

Following the presentation by the governor in charge of coordination with the MINURSO, several heads of local tribes and dignitaries took the floor to make testimonies on the polisario maneuvers, violations and systematic hindrances meant to torpedo the identification process and the settlement plan. They also reported how thousands of candidates to registration and whole tribes were dropped from the voters' lists.

The Spanish census of 1974 was marred by several imperfections, they said, as it was conducted in one month, used poor logistics (10 cars) and unfolded during the fasting month of Ramadan and a drought period which forced thousands of inhabitants to seek grazing lands elsewhere, in addition to others who fled the colonizers' repression. For all these reasons, they explained, thousands of persons were not covered by the census.

Answering question by the Euro-deputies, they said that the Sahara is and will remain Moroccan territory and its inhabitants Moroccan citizens, and this is evidenced by history, geography, the allegiance links binding the populations with the kings of Morocco, in addition to the cultural, spiritual and patriotism links existing between the north and the south of the Kingdom.

Chairwoman of the delegation, Catherine Lalumiere, stressed that the delegation is visiting Laayoune to inquire about the reality of the situation and stressed that the EU is willing to develop its relations with the UMA (Arab Maghreb Union, grouping Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia), particularly with Morocco in economic, cultural and political fields. She added that the Sahara issue and relations between Morocco and Algeria are complicating cooperation between the EU and the Maghreb.

The group had also met with special representative of the UN secretary general for the Sahara, William Lacey and other officials from the UN mission in the Sahara.

Previous Stories:
  EU invites parties in Sahara issue to participate constructively in ongoing talks   (12/12/2001)
  Solana: EU backs UN Security Council latest resolution on Sahara   (7/5/2001)
  EU official wraps up visit to Morocco   (7/5/2001)

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