The crescendo of support by the international community to the Moroccan autonomy proposal, collective and continuous fleeing of sequestered Moroccans in Tindouf camps to join the motherland Morocco, and finally the coming out of the case of Mustapha Salma Ould Sidi Mouloud, who exposed the grave  violations of human rights in these camps are all positive developments ensuring that the commemoration of 35th anniversary of the Green March takes on a particular aspect.

Autonomy to break deadlock

Moroccan diplomacy has succeeded during the year to gain more achievements on the issue of the Kingdom’s territorial integrity especially in terms of broad support enjoyed by the autonomy initiative in the southern provinces, which is the only solution to solve the artificial conflict over the Sahara.

Support for the Moroccan project of autonomy has been expressed on various occasions during international meetings, visits of foreign dignitaries in Morocco and also delegations of friendly countries to the southern provinces to inquire about development projects launched in the region.

In this context, several members of the French Senate expressed during a recent visit in the southern provinces, their mobilization to defend the Moroccan project of autonomy to international bodies.

Chairman of the France-Morocco friendship group to the French Senate, Christian Cambon, who led the delegation of senators, called on Algeria and Polisario to "facilitate negotiations” around the project.

On their return to France after a field visit in the southern provinces (from 15 to 18 September), senators from different political parties agreed to hold soon in Paris, an international conference to highlight the relevance of 'Moroccan initiative, he said.

"Several factors lead us to support this project and our visit to the southern provinces confirmed our belief in this regard," said Mr. Cambon.

For his part, the secretary general of Mauritania's Reform Party, Mr. Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Attolba, who was speaking, May 30 in Rabat, at the opening of the special session of the National Council of International Union for the Support of Autonomy Project in the Sahara (UIPSPAS), said that the Moroccan proposal is "fair and guarantees the rights of Sahrawis," expressing the support of his party to the Moroccan initiative.

Members of the National Council of UIPSPAS noted the momentum of the Moroccan proposal at the national and international levels.

As part of this support for the autonomy proposal, the secretary of the General Congress of Libyan People, Mr. Mohamed Abou El Kacem Zaoui, expressed the consistent position of Libya for the territorial integrity of Morocco, both on the Sahara issue, occupied Ceuta and Melillia and Jaafarines islands.

Mr Zaoui, who was speaking in Tripoli last April at a meeting attended by the Secretary for External Affairs at the Secretariat of General Congress of Libyan People, Mr. Soulaiman Chahoumi, and a delegation of Moroccan associations and organizations, also stressed that Libya rejects any separatist tendency which can only exacerbate the balkanization of the Arab world.

Several foreign officials believe that the Kingdom, thanks to its autonomy proposal is on track to put an end to the Sahara issue.

Among these officials, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for the Near East, Mr Jeffrey Feltman, who said at a press conference recently held in Rabat that through its serious and credible autonomy proposal for the Sahara, Morocco has taken a step to resolving this conflict. "

For his part, President of Togo, Mr. Faure Gnassingbe said this week that his country fully supports the principle of unity of the Kingdom of Morocco, stressing that "the autonomy plan in the Saharan provinces is a historic breakthrough" to settle the Sahara issue.

"I had the opportunity to state repeatedly that Togo strongly supports the principle of unity of the Kingdom of Morocco. In this context, the autonomy plan in the Saharan provinces is a historic step to take into account the diversity of local specificities while respecting the essential sovereignty of the state, "Gnassingbe said in an interview with the press.

For his part, the Senegalese State Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Madické Niang, reiterated this week in Rabat his country's firm support for the territorial integrity of Morocco, stressing that "the commitment of Senegal alongside the Kingdom is clear and irreversible. "

"Senegal will never change this so strong option," assured Mr. Niang at a press conference.

Continued return to escape the ordeal of the Tindouf camps

This year, the pace of collective return of  Moroccan Sahrawis to homeland accelerated to escape the ordeal of the camps of Tindouf. The last group, consisting of 46 persons, arrived on October 9 in Laayoune. Several members of this group shared the suffering of the hostages in the camps of shame, adding that the Polisario is totally subject to the instructions of the Algerian authorities that use the separatists to undermine the territorial integrity of Morocco. 1561 people arrived in Laayoune since the beginning of the year, fleeing camps in Tindouf.

The case of Mustafa Salma, new evidence exposing the gross violations of human rights in the Tindouf camps

The case of Mustapha Salma Ould Sidi Mouloud, inspector general of  Polisario police, who was kidnapped last Sept. 21 by the separatists on the Algerian territory, is another blow to the artificial entity in the sense that it showed the gross violations of human rights in the Tindouf camps.

The kidnapping of Ould Sidi Mouloud created a wave of condemnations both nationally and internationally, denouncing violations of human rights committed by Polisario against Mustafa Salma who just publicly expressed his support for the Moroccan autonomy plan in the Sahara.

The case of Ould Sidi Mouloud was brought before the UN in New York which accorded special interest especially after the emotional testimony delivered by his father, Moulay Ismaili to the international community about the kidnapping of his son who had stated that his decision to return to the Tindouf camps after a visit to Smara despite death threats by the band of mercenaries of the Polisario, aims to free Sahrawis from the repression of separatists.

The fate of Mustapha Salma remains unknown and raises the concern of several international organizations and bodies of human rights, including Amnesty International, which called on the Polisario separatist junta to provide details on the legal status of Mustapha Salma and place of detention.

Amnesty International expressed concern that the support expressed by Ould Sidi Mouloud for the Moroccan autonomy proposal was behind his kidnapping. Undoubtedly all these developments on the territorial integrity of Morocco confirm, if need be, the unfounded theories of the separatists and the position of those who support them, as they bear out the relevance of the position of the kingdom enjoying unanimous support by all Moroccans.

Source: MAP
- News concerning Western Sahara / Corcas