Morocco continues efforts for unconditional release of all Moroccans sequestered in Tindouf
Morocco-Algeria, Politics, 7/5/2002

The Moroccan government shall carry on efforts through all channels concerned with humanitarian issues, governmental and non-governmental organizations, to urge them work for the immediate and unconditional release of all Moroccans sequestered in Tindouf, said Moroccan minister of foreign affairs and cooperation, Mohamed Benaissa.

Benaissa who was answering a question before the House of Representatives (lower house of the Moroccan parliament) on Moroccans sequestered in the Tindouf camps-- stronghold of the polisario in south-western Algeria-- said contacts conducted by Morocco have yielded positive results at the international level. He recalled that the UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, underlined in his latest reports on the Moroccan Sahara that the issue of sequestered persons cannot be tied to political considerations and must be settled immediately.

Morocco worked in full cooperation with the International Red Cross Committee for the release of the sequestered persons for humanitarian reasons and for the protection of the life and security of Moroccans detained in Algeria, Benaissa said, adding that their release is one of Morocco's priority diplomatic initiatives at both the bilateral and multilateral scales.

He further held the Algerian government responsible for the situation since it maintains in detention on its territory Moroccans who have been sequestered for more than 20 years and who have become thus the most ancient prisoners in the world.

A total of 1,262 Moroccans are still detained in the polisario jails in inhuman and degrading conditions, in violation of the international humanitarian law standards. Morocco and the international community have repeatedly called for their liberation and their repatriation.

Morocco sees to it that there is a distinction between the political and humanitarian aspects in the Sahara issue, Benaissa said adding that the separatists release from time to time some of the sequestered persons to exploit their liberation for political ends.

Previous Stories:
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