NGO calls for investigation on children deported to Cuba
Morocco-Cuba, Politics, 4/13/2005

A youth NGO called, in Geneva Monday, for sending experts to the Polisario-controlled Tindouf camps (western Algeria) and to Cuba to probe the situation of children deported to the south American country.

The children are deported by the Polisario front, a separatist group claiming the separation of Morocco's southern provinces (known as the Sahara) that were retrieved from Spain in 1975 under Madrid Accords.

Speaking at a meeting on "children's rights," Sylvia Andrianasolo of the NGO "Jeunesse etudiante catholique internationale" told the UN human rights Commission the "situation of children separated by force from their parents and families" is a serious problem that should be tackled.

The NGO would like to draw the Commission's attention to the situation of numerous children deported by the Polisario to Cuba, she said, explaining that they were taken there without the consent of their parents.

They are sent to Cuba to be indoctrinated, to receive military training and to be used as a labor in fields and tobacco plants, she went on to say.

This situation, the NGO pointed out, is in contradiction with the principles of the Convention on Children's rights, particularly the provisions on family unity stipulating that children have the right to live with their parents.

Polisario aims through these actions to maintain parents as hostages in Tindouf camps as they are forced to remain there and give up any plans to leave the camps.

The NGO's delegate called the human rights Commission to send a team to Tindouf camps and Cuba to shed light on the situation of these children and to write a report to the 62nd session of the UN commission.

Previous Stories:
  Speaker calls on Havana to review negative stance over Sahara issue   (6/18/2004)
  Moroccan FM receives Cuban FM's rnvoy   (10/28/2003)
  Head of Cuba's inter-people friendship visits Morocco   (10/8/2003)

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