Major Event

Abduction of Europeans in Tindouf, "strong signal" about the "urgency" to find final settlement to the Sahara issue (US NGO)
10/27/2011

The abduction last Sunday of three European aid workers in Tindouf is a "strong signal" to the international community about the "urgency" to find a definitive solution to the Sahara issue, says U.S. NGO Teach the Children International, in a statement issued Wednesday night in Washington.

"The kidnapping operated in a stronghold controlled by the Polisario is a strong signal to the international community about the urgent need to solve the Sahara issue and freeing people held hostage in the Algerian territory as a bargaining chip," insists the President of the NGO, Nancy Huff, who decided to stop any action of her organization in Tindouf after the discovery of the involvement of the separatist leaders in the embezzlement of humanitarian aid.

The international community, she said, should take the issue of the kidnapping of EU nationals in these camps with maximum professionalism, "especially since the situation will become increasingly dangerous as Algeria does not want to take responsibility to ensure the safety of populations and humanitarian workers kidnapped. "

The fact that the kidnappers have targeted the Rabouni camp is of great concern as this area "is strategically located near a military base in Tindouf," she observes, regretting that "the Algerian army was unable to provide the necessary security. "

On the other hand, she argued that the United Nations should examine more closely the Polisario abuses against the people retained against their will in camps in Algeria and ask to assume the responsibilities entrusted to them in "limiting the activities of AQIM in these camps."

In this context, the president of Teach the Children International has expressed solidarity with the call of Spain to involve the UN to put in place an international commission in order to explore ways to strengthen security measures in this lawless zone.

The collusion of elements of the Polisario with Al-Qaeda in North Africa, " corroborated by the testimony of Khat Achahid, opposition movement within the Polisario, was a turning point in the perception of conflict in the Sahara,” she pointed out.

While joining the call of the Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon to release the aid workers, Teach the Children International calls on UN to send a team to secure the camp against the threat of AQIM, drug cartels and organized crime in all its forms.