Most Sahrawis live peacefully in Moroccan Sahara

Most of what some call the "Sahrawi people" live peacefully in the Moroccan Sahara territory, Morocco's representative to the United Nations in Geneva told a session of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees' executive committee.

Nacer Benjelloun Touimi, who was reacting to the Algerian representative call to repatriate the Sahrawi refugees, drew the international community attention to the plight of the Sahrawi population sequestered in the Polisario camps of Tindouf (Southwestern Algeria) and recalled that Morocco has embarked on a new stage which is consecrated by resolution 1359 of the UN security council.

He added that most of what some call the Sahrawi people are living in the Moroccan Sahara provinces and not in the Tindouf camps where the population has been sequestered for over 20 years now. Morocco has been ceaselessly drawing the international community attention to problems of international protection to the population forcibly held in the camps, mainly as regards aspects of freedom of movement and information and a free repatriation.

He also recalled that the UN settlement plan is hindered by obstacles sown since 1991 by the Polisario and those who support it. He also quoted some abstracts of the UN security general's reports which evidence that there has been significant progress and identify where the real problems lie.

Meanwhile, he went on, Morocco has embarked on a new stage that was consecrated by resolution 1359 adopted by the UN security council last June and that encourages both sides to examine the framework agreement on the Sahara status. He also voiced Morocco's hopes that this new context will create the adequate conditions for the HCR to repatriate the Moroccans sequestered in the camps.