No solution to Sahara issue outside Morocco's kingty, insist Sahrawi dignitaries
Morocco-European Union, Politics, 9/25/2003

No solution to the Sahara issue will be accepted by the local population if it does not cater for Morocco's sovereignty over this former Spanish colony retrieved by Morocco in 1975 under a three-party agreement between Spain, Morocco and Mauritania.

This is the message a group of Sahrawi dignitaries, currently touring some European capitals, are conveying to officials and MPs of the visited countries. Their leader, Khalil Dkhil, former member of the Jma? (Sahrawi assembly) and member of the Moroccan Consultative Council for Saharan Affairs, conveyed this very message to European MPs in Strasbourg whom he briefed, Tuesday, on the latest developments of this issue. Dkhil, whose delegation represents the population of the southern Moroccan provinces, disputed by Algeria-backed separatist movement "Polisario" seeking independence of this territory, made it clear that the local population firmly rejects the latest initiative of UN secretary general's personal envoy to the Sahara and former US Secretary of State, James Baker.

This initiative was once again totally rejected by the local Sahrawi population for whom Morocco is the only home country.

Dkhil, who met Catherine Lalumiere from the European Socialist Party and deputy-speaker of the European Parliament, described Baker's plan as a "drift" compared to the initial "framework-agreement." He also delivered a memorandum to the European parliament holding neighboring Algeria responsible for the maneuvers aiming at reviving this artificial conflict, and blaming it for supporting the Polisario, in order "to achieve its (Algeria's) hegemony in the region."

Mrs Lalumiere who had visited the Tindouf Camps (Southern Algeria) wrote a damning report on the "inhumane condition" suffered by the Sahrawi people because of the siege imposed on them by the Polisario.

Previous Stories:
  EU lauds modernization and openness drive in Morocco   (9/13/2003)
  Southern Moroccan delegation tours Europe   (9/12/2003)
  Moroccan, European talks on Moroccan POWs in tindouf   (6/28/2003)

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