New visit exchange between families in southern Morocco and Tindouf

The 29th visit exchange between families in Morocco and their relatives in Polisario-controlled camps in southern Algeria was organized Friday from and to the Moroccan city of Laayoune.

The visit included 27 Moroccan citizens from Laayoune who headed for Tindouf, and 28 Sahrawis from Tindouf camps, said the Moroccan Office for coordination with Minurso (French acronym for UN mission in the Sahara).

Some of these families have been separated for nearly three decades because of the Sahara dispute that is opposing Morocco to the Algeria-backed guerrilla movement that is claiming the separation of the Moroccan Sahara, a territory formerly occupied by Spain and retrieved by Morocco in 1975 under the Madrid accords.

This 29th visit is the last one that was planned part of the extension of the family visit exchange program that benefited to date to 1,476 persons.

Last week, a participant in this program from Tindouf camps decided to stay with his family in Dakhla (southern Morocco) and not return to the camps.

Babaha Ahmed Hammoud, who was visiting Dakhla from December 17 to 22 with his eight-year old son, asked the repatriation of other members of his family, after he signed documents for voluntary repatriation to is homeland, Morocco, under the aegis of UNHCR.