Former Resisters of Southern Province Denounce as Biased UNHCR Document

Former resisters and former members of the liberation army of the Moroccan southern region of Oued Eddahab-Lagouira denounced the "tendentious and biased document" that was circulated last week by the High commissioner for refugees (HCR).

The document, published on the occasion of HCR 50th anniversary, included a chapter on "Sahrawi refugees" that was full of false information on the persons sequestered in the polisario-controlled camps in Tindouf in south-western Algeria, the former resisters pointed out.

During a rally held in Dakhla on the occasion of the 43rd anniversary celebrating the epics of the liberation army in southern Morocco and the departure of the last foreign soldier from the Moroccan Sahara, the former resisters and members of the liberation army pointed out in an appeal to the United Nations, the HCR and human rights ngos that the HCR document "is stuffed with lies and prejudices and makes ambiguous and erroneous allegations that have nothing to do with the reality of the Moroccan Sahara natives who are sequestered in the camps.

Last week, Morocco vehemently denounced as tendentious the HCR document, saying it is stuffed with errors, omissions and tendentious allegations, is a chef-d'oeuvre of misinformation and prejudice.

Morocco's ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Nacer Benjelloun Touimi, had denounced the document before the 20th meeting of the HCR permanent committee and asked the HCR executives to make clarifications on the "exact statute" of the document and to give a clear cut answer on whether the chapter reflects or not the HCR official stand.

During the rally, the former resisters and former members of the liberation army denounced the precarious situation prevailing in the sequestration camps and the blatant human rights violations perpetrated by the polisario separatist gang - a guerilla movement claiming sovereignty over the Moroccan Sahara.

They called on human rights activists to guarantee the protection of the sequestered persons and to see to it that they actually receive the humanitarian assistance initially destined to them but that is embezzled by polisario leaders. They also called on humanitarian associations to endeavor to lift the siege imposed on the sequestered Moroccans and to enable them return to their motherland.