UN family visits exchange between southern Morocco and Polisario camps comes to end

The United nations held this Thursday the last family visit exchange operations between Moroccans in the southern provinces and their relatives sequestered in the Polisario-controlled Tindouf camps, in southern Algeria.

The operation, that started last March 5, has so far benefited 1,206 persons, including 617 persons from the populations held in the Tindouf camps by the Algeria-backed Polisario that claims the secession of Morocco's southern provinces, the Sahara from the rest of Morocco.

In six months, planes chartered by MINURSO (French acronym for the UN mission in the Sahara), have operated more than 20 round trip flights between the southern provinces and the camps in southern Algeria.

The visits, that allowed some participants to meet relatives they have not seen for over 25 years, are part of the UN confidence-building measures that include phone service and mail exchange.