Security Council expresses concern over humanitarian situation of Moroccan prisoners in Algeria
Morocco-Algeria, Politics, 2/27/2002

The United Nations Security Council on Tuesday expressed concern over the situation of Moroccan prisoners in Algeria and urged for their immediate release.

The Council president Adolfo Aguilar Zinser (Mexico) said the council members, who heard a report by Hedi Annabi, assistant secretary general for peacekeeping operations on the secretary general's report on the Sahara, urged the Algeria-backed Polisario separatists to release all prisoners of war and expected progress on humanitarian issues related to refugees on the border.

The council members urged the parties to avoid any action that can aggravate the situation and requested the parties to ensure freedom of movement of United Nations Mission in the Sahara (MINURSO).

The council which will carry on consultations this Wednesday with the secretary general's personal envoy, James Baker, is scheduled to adopt a "technical resolution" extending the MINURSO term to next April 30 and asking for an active study of the four options contained in Annan's report submitted last week. Annan outlined four options: resume attempts to implement the settlement plan, revise the draft framework agreement, hold discussions over a possible division of the territory, or terminate the UN mission in the Sahara. Morocco has renewed in a letter to the U.N. security council categorical rejection of any proposal meant to harm its territorial integrity and sovereignty over its southern provinces and renewed commitment to negotiate a fair and lasting solution on the basis of the draft framework-agreement.

It also asked the security council to separate between humanitarian aspects of the issue and political settlement and to require the immediate release of all Moroccans detained on Algerian soil. Annan's report also deplored that to date some 1,362 Moroccans are still detained on Algerian soil, most of whom for more than 20 years and invites the council members to join him in calling for their immediate release. He also reported on the precarious situation in which the population sequestered in the Tindouf camps (southwestern Algeria) is living and the frequent food shortages facing them.

Previous Stories:
  Morocco ready for dialogue with Algeria over Sahara issue   (2/25/2002)
  Sahara partitioning proposal inapplicable, former official   (2/22/2002)
  Morocco renews rejection of any project or proposal meant to harm its territorial integrity   (2/21/2002)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search