The assertion came at a panel on "The Forgotten of Tindouf: humanitarian tragedy in camera", held on the sidelines of the 9th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC).

    The delegation's members, including former "Polisario" officials, presented a historical overview on the genesis of the Sahara issue and focused on the evolution of this issue at the level of the United Nations, which, they recalled, came to the conclusion that a referendum is inapplicable and opted for seeking a political solution.

    Historically speaking, the Sahara has always been a part of Morocco and Algeria affirmed in early 70s that it had no designs on this territory, former member of political bureau of the Polisario, Mostafa Bouh, said, noting that Algiers has changed its position in 1975 and began to get involved in the Sahara issue using the Polisario for this purpose.

    Echoing him, Saadani Maoulainine, a victim of forced deportation by the Algerian-backed separatist movement (Polisario), affirmed that in addition to its political dimension, the Sahara dispute entails a human tragedy that has lasted more than thirty years. "I am an example of Sahrawi women who suffered and continue to suffer in these camps," she said, as she drew a bleak picture of the human rights situation in the camps of Tindouf, where the Sahrawis continue to endure the worst rights violations.

    In turn, former representative of the Polisario in Italy, Sidati El Ghallaoui, lashed out human rights violations as well as the dire life conditions in the camps of Tindouf.

     “One cannot leave the camps without an authorization signed by the military ruler of the region of Tindouf," he explained.

 Source: MAP
News and events on Western Sahara issue / Corcas