28,000 Moroccan Sahrawis settled in europe protest their exclusion from referendum operation
Some 28,000 Moroccan Sahrawis settled in Europe protest their exclusion from the referendum operation, said Lahcen Latif, President of the Europe-settled Sahrawi Tribes Association.
All Moroccan Sahrawis residing in Europe remain attached to their right to participate in the referendum, Latif told the London-based Asharq Al-Awsat daily.
The referendum, sponsored by the United Nations, seeks to determine whether the Sahara - a former Spanish colony-- sets up on its own or remains part of the homeland, Morocco.
The vote is being hampered by the Polisario, which fearing a Moroccan victory, seeks to shrink voters lists through the exclusion of thousands of genuine Sahrawis.
Latif said his association, headquartered in Paris, will spare no effort in urging international organizations to back the Sahrawis' right to participate in the referendum.
Dilaogue with concerned media and organizations is an efficient means to convince European decision-makers on the Moroccan just cause, he said.
The association has sections in Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Italy, Spain and the Canary Islands.
