Activists denounce human rights abuses in Polisario-controlled Camps in Algeria

Participants in a conference on human rights in the Tindouf camps (southwestern Algeria) denounced in Rome Tuesday human rights abuses in those camps controlled by the separatist movement "Polisario."

The conference was held at the Italian section of the European Parliament in Rome.

Participants adopted a unanimous declaration which was forwarded to the United nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan, urging the International Community to look into the situation in those camps.

In this declaration that will be submitted to the 60th session of the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Commission, participants underlined the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in those camps controlled by the Algerian-backed separatist movement claiming independence of Western Sahara. The former Spanish colony was retrieved by Morocco in 1975 under the Madrid accords signed with Spain and Mauritania.

They denounced the sufferings inflicted for more than a quarter century upon the population made up of Moroccan Sahara natives, held against their will in these camps hosted by Algeria.

They also urged Algeria to "get further involved in direct negotiations with Morocco to reach a political settlement to this dispute (É)."