On the other hand, the observation made camps Polisario in Tindouf, on the other hand, the observation made by most participants including political representatives of countries and country groupings, NGOs and experts, that the Moroccan autonomy proposal is the only basis for achieving a final settlement of the Sahara issue.
Return to Morocco of Gjijimat participants is popular uprising (Saharan NGO)
The massive return of former Polisario members, meeting late last December at the Congress of Gjijimat in Tifariti, is "a popular uprising against the merchants of despair and separatism" and supports autonomy project, said Wednesday in New York, Ms. El Moussaoui Ennaba from the Sahrawi Association for Unity and Reconciliation.
Ms. El Moussaoui said "autonomy is the right and more realistic solution to the Sahara issue because it respects the particularities of Sahrawis and granted them broad prerogatives to manage their own affairs in democracy, freedom and respect for human rights Human."
She also underlined that the massive return of former members of the "Polisario", who met late December at the Congress of Gjijimat in Tifariti, is "a popular uprising against the merchants of despair and separatism" and a support to the autonomy project.
El Moussaoui said that the holding, for the first time, of these meetings challenging the fake Polisario Congress and the collective return to Morocco in dignity, this group has "exercised its right to self-determination in a free and voluntary manner."
Senegal reiterates its support for the autonomy proposal
Senegal reiterated, here Thursday, its support to Morocco's "relevant and wise" proposal to grant substantial autonomy to its Southern Provinces -The Sahara-, underlining that only "genuine and honest" negotiations would achieve a just and sustainable solution to this issue.
"We should find bold solutions, and it is precisely for this reason that the proposal from the Moroccan party to grant broad autonomy to the Sahara, within the framework of Moroccan sovereignty, is relevant and wise," Badji said before the 4th Committee of the UN General Assembly.
This proposal, which Senegal supports and endorses, "seems realistic and reasonable because it would allow the parties to find a common denominator," he said, calling for adopting realism and compromise to maintain the momentum the UN Secretary General has brought to the negotiations.
Echoing him, Professor Marc Ropivia Louis from Gabon’s Omar Bongo University said the Moroccan autonomy is innovative and consistent with the integration objectives of Africa.
"The innovative position of Morocco is in line with modern concepts of territory and demonstrates its commitment to see the Maghreb peoples live together in a harmonious politico-economic enviornement," said Ropivia, noting that the Kingdom has never been "a colonial power, but a country which has always fought foreign occupation."
In this sense, he recalled that Morocco was the first to ask for an end to the Spanish colonial presence in the territory of the Sahara.
For his part, Sidney Assor of the International Committee for Tindouf Prisoners (ICTP) said the autonomy initiative is a "realistic" and "democratic process that enjoys broad support from the international community.”
Underlining that "it is up to the other parties to move towards peace and reconciliation," Assor expressed doubts about the real intentions of Algeria and Polisario, which "have shown no good faith nor will to move towards peace".
He has also called for an international inquiry into the fate of the people reported missing in Tindouf camps, southwestern Algeria.
Autonomy, consistent with African integration objectives (Gabonese professor)
The Moroccan proposal to grant autonomy to the Sahara is innovative and consistent with African integration objectives, said Thursday before the 4th United Nations commission, Professor Marc Ropivia Louis from Omar Bongo Gabonese University in Libreville.
"The innovative position of Morocco is in line with modern concepts of territory and demonstrates its commitment to see the Maghreb peoples live together in a harmonious politico-economic enviornement," said Ropivia, noting that the Kingdom has never been "a colonial power, but a country which has always fought foreign occupation."
In this sense, he recalled that Morocco was the first to ask for an end to the Spanish colonial presence in the territory of the Sahara.
Latin American politicians, observers defend autonomy solution
Several politicians and observers from Latin America called for a solution to the Sahara issue based on autonomy within Morocco's sovereignty.
Speaking before the 4th UN Security Council Fourth Committee, former Justice minister of Argentina, Jorge Reinaldo A. Vanossi, and Uruguay's senators Alberto Cid and Cardelo Vidalin called for "breaking the deadlock and finding a solution that takes into account the interests of all stakeholders and aims to achieve autonomy for the Western Sahara, rather than its complete sovereignty."
In this respect, they noted that the Moroccan proposal for autonomy would contribute to progress towards a solution, noting that "the Rio Group hopes and calls for a just and lasting political solution that is accepted by all."
For her part, El Moussaoui Ennaba from the Sahrawi Association for Unity and Reconciliation, said "autonomy is the right and more realistic solution to the Sahara issue because it respects the particularities of Sahrawis and granted them broad prerogatives to manage their own affairs in democracy, freedom and respect for human rights Human."
She also underlined that the massive return of former members of the "Polisario", who met late December at the Congress of Gjijimat in Tifariti, is "a popular uprising against the merchants of despair and separatism" and a support to the autonomy project.
El Moussaoui said that the holding, for the first time, of these meetings challenging the fake Polisario Congress and the collective return to Morocco in dignity, this group has "exercised its right to self-determination in a free and voluntary manner."
British NGO denounces prevalent tragedy in Tindouf camps
The director of the British NGO "Freedom for all", Tanya Warburg, denounced forcefully Thursday before the UN, the human tragedy prevailing in the Tindouf camps in Algeria.
"Algeria is hiding behind the principle of self-determination to perpetuate their suffering but no sacred principle can justify the tragedy taking place in front of us in the Tindouf camps," she said before the Fourth Committee the United Nations in New York.
She stressed the need to "provide assistance to civilians taken hostages by unscrupulous leaders who seek their personal interests."
In this regard, Ms. Tanya Warburg called on the international community, as well as supporters of the separatists to have the courage to denounce the inhuman actions of the Polisario against sequestered people in the camps.
Having said that a "complaint against the main leaders of Algeria and Polisario was filed before the Spanish justice by Sahrawis who managed to flee the camps of Tindouf", she stated that "Algeria bears a heavy responsibility in this tragedy ".
"Not only violations of basic rights of prisoners took place on Algerian territory in front of and sometimes with the complicity of its intelligence services," said the head of the British NGO.
The representative of an NGO denounces racism and slavery in Tindouf camps
The Secretary General of the Association Yaakar REDHRIC against racism and slavery and spokesman of the International Committee of Tindouf Prisoners, Ms. Anja Oksalampi, denounced Thursday racism and racial segregation that exists in the camps Tindouf in southern Algeria.
Ms. Oksalampi, which was speaking before the 4th Committee of the UN General Assembly, said that her organization continues to be gravely concerned about the fate of hostages in Tindouf, including "the slaves of the Polisario Front", emphasizing the 'existence of slavery and racism in the camps of shame.
In this regard, she mentioned the testimony of two Australian journalists who succeeded in 2007 to deceive the vigilance of the Polisario Front to discover the practice of slavery in these settlements.
She mentioned in this regard, the release of "Reporters without borders" dated May 9, 2007 announcing the inquiry by the Polisario two Australian journalists, Violeta Ayala and Daniel Fallshawen, who were accused of inquiring about the fate of evil members of the Saharan population.
Ms. Anja Oksalampi, who had the opportunity to visit repeatedly the Tindouf camps, also condemned the subterfuge used by the Polisario to divert the attention of visitors on the bitter reality in these camps and remove suspicions about Polisario leaders.
In this regard, she said that these visits are artificial, noting that the main victims of this "absurd" conflict were primarily "civilians, black ethnic minorities and illegal immigrants, mainly from sub-Saharan countries, which are used by Polisario as cheap and malleable labor.
Autonomy, a democratic process that enjoys broad international support (ICTP)
The autonomy statute for the Sahara region proposed by Morocco is a "realistic" and a "democratic process that enjoys broad support from the international community," said Thursday, before the 4th Committee of the United Nations, Mr. Sidney Assor from the International Committee for the Tindouf Prisoners (ICTP).
"It is now for the other parties to take steps to move towards peace and reconciliation," he said.
Mr. Assor, however, expressed doubts about the real intentions of Algeria and Polisario who "have shown no good faith to move towards peace".
He has also called for an international inquiry into the fate of persons missing in the Tindouf camps in Algeria.
"After the release of the last Moroccan prisoners, Algerian authorities and the Polisario, directly responsible for serious violations of international law, are required to elucidate the fate of missing persons in the camps," pleaded Mr. Assor, insisting also on the need to recover "the remains of dead prisoners in the camps to their relatives."
"Algeria bears a heavy responsibility in this tragedy," he said, stressing the urgent need to "put pressure on the Algerian authorities to lift the siege imposed on the camps for all those wishing to join their families and relatives in southern Morocco"
Autonomy gives Sahrawis balance between their Moroccan identity and particularism (expert)
The initiative of autonomy proposed by Morocco, is not "a concession but a step to enable Saharans to find the right balance between their Moroccan identity and particularism," said Eymeric Chauprade, professor of geopolitics at the prestigious University of Sorbonne.
Speaking Wednesday before the Fourth Committee on Political Affairs, Mr. Chauprade stressed that we "should not be mistaken about the meaning of this proposal" which is not, he said, "an idea found hastily to demonstrate goodwill, but rather the culmination of many years of development efforts and a process of extensive consultations to which Saharans themselves have actively participated.
"That may be changing geopolitics of the region which will ultimately enlighten those who have not yet understood the true face of this manufactured conflict ", indicated the expert of the political situation and specialist of security in the Sahel region.
In this regard, he warned against the fact that "separatists, whether those of Polisario or Tuaregs, threaten the unity of sedentary States."
"Rather than inventing small artificial states which will be satellites of a power, let’s try to preserve sovereign states while adapting the exercise of sovereignty to particularities," he pleaded.
Given the multiple threats to security and stability in the region, Eymeric Chauprade expressed his belief that "very many people know that it is urgent to close the Sahara issue, allowing Morocco to complete the process of decolonization by the recovery of a Moroccan province."
He was criticizing "enemies" of the former Personal Envoy of UN Secretary-General, Peter Van Walsum, accused guilty "for having dared to break the comfortable monotony in which they were living for so long."
He criticized in particular "senior Polisario executives who live far from the suffering of Saharawis remained in the Tindouf camps and living at home in European capitals on various Saharan trading incomes."
"Mr. Van Walsum had no bias, he was just bold and visionary," said the expert, adding that he is among "courageous diplomats who want to move files up at the expense of their personal sacrifice ".
Mr. Chauprade asked delegations participating in the works of the UN Commission to remember that "one of the foundations of the United Nations is national sovereignty".
However, he said, currently, "the principle of sovereignty is increasingly threatened by the unipolar disorder by the rise of transnational hyper powerful actors, and by these separatists, mostly manufactured and instrumentalized by neighbour countries. "
"We must consolidate sovereignties and understand that by encouraging the formation of micro states, we are acting as destructive internationalism," he concluded.
Source: Corcas and MAP
News on Western Sahara issue/ Corcas --