Moroccan official holds talks in Geneva on Moroccans sequestered in Tindouf
Morocco-Algeria, Politics, 4/2/2003

The situation of Moroccans sequestered in Tindouf camps, south western Algeria, topped talks held in Geneva on Monday between Moroccan Governor in charge of coordination with MINURSO (UN Mission for the referendum in the Sahara), Hamid Chabar, and officials of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (HCR) and the World Food Program (WFP).

During his meeting with deputy High Commissioner for Refugees, Chabar, who was accompanied by Morocco's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Omar Hilale, praised the Kingdom's relations with this UN agency, commending the latter for its endeavours aiming to improve the situation of Moroccan POWs detained in South-Western Algeria.

The Moroccan official told MAP news agency that during these talks he expressed Morocco's "concerns" as to the situation of these POWs in Tindouf, in the absence of a genuine protection for these populations.

He went on to say that given the lack of protection granted to these sequestered population, caused thousands of them to flee these insecure and unstable camps to regain Morocco or provisionally settle in Northern Mauritania.

Such a situation, begotten by "a deficiency in protection" subjects these POWs to the arbitrary behaviour of "Polisario."

Chabar further invited the UN agency "to consolidate its presence in these camps in order to reassure the (sequestered) populations and grant them a better protection, as provided by the HRC mandate."

Previous Stories:
  Moroccan delegation arrives in Algeria to hold workgroup meeting   (4/1/2003)
  Algerian president called to stop sequestered population ordeal in Tindouf   (4/1/2003)
  Morocco prevents anti-territorial integrity group from leaving to Geneva   (3/31/2003)

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