Deportation of Sahrawi children to Cuba by 'Polisario' denounced
Morocco-Algeria, Politics, 3/30/2005

Two Moroccan women gave Tuesday, on the sidelines of the meeting of the UN Commission on Human Rights, a moving testimony on the coercive deportation of Sahrawi children to Cuba by the "Polisario."

The Polisario, a guerrilla movement backed by Algeria, is claiming the separation of Morocco's southern provinces (known as the Sahara). The former Spanish colony was retrieved by Morocco in 1975 under Madrid Accords.

Saadani Maoulainine, a sociologist, who had been deported to Cuba for 18 years since she was a nine-year-old child, recounted her plight, pointing out that Sahrawi women and children continue to undergo the pitiless repression in Tindouf camps (southwest Algeria) by "Polisario" jailors.

"Polisario," she said, deports every year Sahrawi children to Cuba under the pretext of an "ideological training," while the true goal is to practice a villain pressure on parents to dissuade them from returning to their homeland, Morocco. Worse still, she went on, these children, exiled against their will, are often unable to contact their parents during the years of deportation.

The same tragedy was depicted by Keltoum Khayati, former head of the Association of "Polisario" women, who talked about her suffering after the deportation of her two children.

She denounced the use of this shameful and inhumane stratagem by the "Polisario" that uses several misguiding nomenclatures such as "education," "progress" and "ideological awakening," while the sole objective of this act, she insisted, is to exert pressure on Sahrawi families, and prevent them from returning to Morocco.

Participants in the conference included Swiss deputy and former Speaker of Geneva parliament, Marie Beck, representatives of the International Democratic Center (IDC) as well as many NGO representatives.

Previous Stories:
  King Mohammed, President Bouteflika meetings prelude to political thaw, press   (3/25/2005)
  Polisario activists assault Swiss woman for asking disturbing questions   (3/19/2005)
  American organization supports march for the liberation of Moroccans detained in Tindouf   (3/5/2005)
  Children of population sequestered in Tindouf deported by thousands to Cuba, denounces deportation victim   (11/24/2004)

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