The United Nations affirmed Friday that Mr. Peter Van Walsum is still the UN mediator concerning the Sahara issue and that “his status has not changed”.

The family visits exchange operation, led by the High Commissioner for Refugees (HCR), among Tindouf camps, in Southern Algeria and the Southern provinces of the Kingdom, was followed, Friday, by the organization of the 23rd trip during 2008, from and towards Oued Eddahab and Aousserd provinces.

The Arab Lawyers Union (ALU) has urged the parties concerned by the Sahara issue to implement the autonomy project proposed by Morocco in order to settle this matter.

A delegation representing the victims of the serious human rights violations committed by the Polisario separatists, currently visiting London, has called the international community to emergently act in order to end up the agony of the sequestered populations in Tindouf camps (South-West of Algeria).

The autonomy initiative, presented by Morocco, so as to reach a final settlement for the Sahara issue, has created a new dynamic in the whole Maghreb region, has stated Prof. Abdelhamid El Ouali, on Wednesday evening « It’s a serious project having benefited from the support of big world powers”, has said Prof. El Ouali, who was the guest of the “Question marks”  program broadcasted by ANB TV Channel (based in London).