The tragic living conditions of Moroccan POWs held in Tindouf camps reviewed By CIPT and IRCC officials

The tragic situation and uncertain future of the Moroccan prisoners of war in the Tindouf camps, Southern Algeria, was on Thursday the main topic of a meeting between Mrs Anja Oksalampi, spokeswoman of the international committee for the prisoners of Tindouf(CIPT), and officials of the internatonal red cross committee (IRCC).

During the meeting, held on the fringes of the human right sub-committee gathering in Geneva, Mrs Oksalampi underscored to Balthasar Staehelin, general delegate of the IRCC Middle East and North Africa section, the suffering of the Moroccan POWs, including torture and forced labor, adding the prisoners are being used by the Polisario.

The CIPT spokeswoman, who was accompanied by Sahrawis formerly detained in Tindouf prisons, denounced the practice of releasing the prisoners in small numbers contrary to international humanitarian law and the numerous UN calls to immediately release the Moroccan prisoners held in the Tindouf camps.

Mrs Oksalampi also underlined the need to increase IRCC missions and visits to check detention conditions of Moroccan POWs in Tindouf. The IRCC currently visits these prisonors twice a year.

Members of the delegation accompanying the official of the london-based CIPT spoke of the mistreatment the Moroccan prisoners of war have been subject to, noting that these people have been the oldest detainees in the world despite the international community ceaseless calls to release them.

Members of the delegation also told of the human rights violations targeting hundreds of Sahrawis disappeared in Polisario prisons. They handed a list of the disappeared to Staehelin, though the list is incomplete.