Washington calls for release of all remaining Moroccan POWs detained by Polisario
Morocco-USA, Politics, 2/15/2003

The United States called on Friday the Polisario secessionist movement to immediately release "without conditions, all remaining Moroccan prisoners" it is detaining in camps, in South-Western Algeria.

While welcoming the release on February 10th, of one hundred Moroccan prisoners of war, Washington urged parties to the conflict "to engage seriously with the representatives of the UN Secretary General" in seeking a solution, said US Department of State spokesman, Richard Boucher.

A total of 1,160 Moroccan prisoners are still imprisoned, some of them for about twenty five years, in Polisario Tindouf camps.

The same appeal was launched on Thursday by UN Secretary general's special representative for the Sahara, William Lacy Swing, who called for "an early release of all remaining prisoners of war" detained by the Polisario.

Swing welcomed the announcement made on Feb.10 by the Algeria-backed Polisario of its decision to free 100 Moroccan prisoners to mark the Aid Al-Adha Muslim feast, and called for the release of all the remaining Moroccans held by the Polisario, in compliance with international humanitarian law.

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