Assahra Al Maghribiya: Families say their children manipulated in Laayoune incidents
Morocco, Politics, 6/10/2005

The families of the people arrested during the Laayoune events said "their children were deceived by several adventurers who took advantage of the naivety of the teenagers" to serve the interests of the separatists, said on Thursday "Assahra Al Maghribiya" daily.

Quoting reliable sources, the daily said these families voiced regret over the events of Laayoune when they met on Thursday the prosecutor of this Moroccan Southern town.

In late May, the police of Laayoune intervened to restore order following provocation acts perpetrated by individuals who wanted to force penitentiary authorities to cancel their decision of transferring an inmate sentenced "for drug smuggling and organisation of illegal emigration."

Local authorities, who had condemned attempts by the Algeria-backed Polisario separatists to give a larger proportion to this incident, arrested several people involved in the incidents.

The Algeria-backed "Polisario" has been claiming the separation of the Moroccan Southern provinces, known as the Sahara, since 1975 when the provinces were retrieved by Morocco from Spanish rule in line with the Madrid accords.

Notables of the town have asked local authorities to free some of the arrested people, the daily said.

The daily also said several citizens have denounced the provocation of some pro-"Polisario" Catalan representatives and other Spaniards who have tried to enter Laayoune without due permission and who were denied access to the city by authorities.

A delegation of Catalan deputies "hostile to Morocco and its territorial integrity" were sent back home Wednesday at their arrival at the airport of Laayoune. This was the third incident of the kind in a single week. Moroccan authorities expelled in two separate incidents a Spanish journalist for "false statements" as well as a Pro-Polisario delegation of the Federation for the defence of Sahrawi people.

Previous Stories:
  Pro-separatists Catalan MPs seek to mar Morocco-Spanish relations, Minister   (6/9/2005)
  Morocco never refuses objective visitors, ambassador   (6/7/2005)
  Benaissa calls Spanish media to be unbiased in Sahara issue   (6/7/2005)

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