Outpouring of grief in Tindouf compels Polisario to circulate release hailing late Hassan II's qualities
Morocco, Politics, 7/30/1999

The outpouring of grief in the Tindouf camps (southwestern Algeria, where the Polisario front is headquartered) compelled the Polisario's leadership to circulate a release, hailing the great qualities of Late King Hassan II, a London-based daily reported on Thursday.

Asharq Al-awsat daily said with the deep sadness prevailing in the camps, the Polisario leadership had no choice but to issue the release, recalling Late King Hassan II's calls for reconciliation.

The late King Hassan II had called on the Sahrawi separatists to live in peace within their homeland Morocco saying "the country is clement and forgiving."

The call paved the way for the return of thousands of Moroccan Sahrawis, including founding members of the Polisario movement, which claims sovereignty over Morocco's southern provinces. The returnees include Brahim Hakim, who had served as foreign minister and ambassador in Algiers of the so-called Sahrawi republic (Sadr-self-proclaimed by the Polisario). Hakim currently serves as a Moroccan roving ambassador.

In its report, Asharq Al-awsat quoted Ms. Lebnaha Attaya, close to former Sadr prime minister, Mahfoud Ali Beiba, as saying that a deep sadness is up to now prevailing in the Tindouf camps.

Ms. Attaya, who had fled the sequestration camps of Tindouf in the early 1980's and returned to the homeland (Morocco), underlined the lasting and eternal bonds of allegiance that bind all Sahrawis to their Moroccan sovereigns.

She lauded Late King Hassan II's numerous initiatives to establish peace in the Sahara and avoid instability in the Maghreb.

Previous Stories:
  Youssoufi calls for rapid opening of borders with Algeria   (7/29/1999)
  Algeria's Bouteflika was the first head of state informed about king's demise, Basri   (7/29/1999)
  MINURSO suspends identification operations for a week following king's demise   (7/27/1999)

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