The Algerian perception of auto-determination is variable, Moroccan Ambassador
Algeria-Morocco, Politics, 3/19/2005

"The Algerian perception of auto-determination is variable," said Moroccan Ambassador to the UNO in Geneva, Omar Hilale, in response to a presentation of Algerian peer, Idriss jazari, who accused Morocco of denying the right to auto-determination to the Sahrawis.

Hilale said the Algerian perception of auto-determination is not constant and the discourse of the Algerian ambassador is contradicted by the deplorable humanitarian situation in the Tindouf camps, South-West Algeria, where thousands of Moroccans are held hostages by the polisario.

The Algeria-backed polisario sequestrates thousands of Moroccans in the Tindouf camps since 1975 when Morocco retrieved its Southern provinces, known as the Sahara under the Madrid accords, and the separatist movement lured Sahrawis to flee and live in the camps.

In his presentation before the 61st session of the UN human rights commission, Jazairi accused Morocco of occupying a territory that does not belong to it and of refusing the right to auto-determination to the Sahrawis.

Hilale argued Algeria should apply auto-determination in the Tindouf camps by allowing free movement to the sequestrated population and ensuring them the right to education "instead of exiling them in Latin America to separate them from their family, culture and religion."

The camps of Tindouf "are the only camps in the world to be surrounded by a military security belt, preventing the population from going out," said the Moroccan ambassador stressing that in the Moroccan Sahara people are free and take part in economic, political and democratic activities.

He also drew the attention on the fact that Algeria refuses access to the camps to Ngos, while in Morocco Ngos and foreign delegations go in the Southern provinces without any restriction, daring Algeria to do likewise

On the Algerian allegation that the UNO does not recognise the claim on the Sahara, Hilale said this is "pure falsification of History," for the retrieval by Morocco of its Southern provinces was ratified by a UN resolution in 1975.

Hilale also said Algerian assertions about non violence of the separatists are a fiction, for Algeria spends billions of dollars in arm purchases, part of which go to the polisario, stressing that the Sahara issue "is a bilateral affair" involving Algeria and Morocco.

Previous Stories:
  Tindouf, longest human tragedy in current history, Minister   (3/18/2005)
  Algeria strongly weighing in Sahara issue, Algerian journalist   (3/18/2005)
  ICRC briefed on case of Moroccan POWs detained in southern Algeria   (3/16/2005)

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