New family visit exchange between Southern Morocco and Tindouf camps (Algeria)

A new family visit exchange between the Moroccan Sahara-natives held against their will in the camps of Tindouf (southwestern Algeria) by the separatist movement "Polisario, and their relatives in Laayoune (Moroccan southern province) was organized Friday, part of the UN confidence-building measures.

Seven families of 28 persons from Laayoune flew to the Tindouf camps early in the morning, while seven families made up of 27 people from those camps landed at Laayoune airport, at midday, the bureau of coordination with MINURSO (French acronym for UN mission for the Sahara) said.

The exchange unfolded in good conditions on the Moroccan side, and all measures have been taken to facilitate formalities at the level of the airport, the same source said.

Since the beginning of the operation on March 05, 2004, 19 visit exchanges have been carried out between the Tindouf camps and Morocco's Southern provinces. 8 have been conducted from Laayoune, 4 from Dakhla, 4 from Smara and 3 from Boujdour. The trips benefited 967 persons on both sides, the office goes.

The Tindouf camps are managed by the Algeria-backed Polisario separatists, who claim secession of Morocco's southern provinces, known as the Sahara. This former Spanish colony was retrieved in 1975 under the Madrid accords, signed between Morocco, Mauritania and Spain.