T
tariq
Guest
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE LEADER OF THE
POLISARIO
TAOUFIQ GAZOULIT
In his recent visit to Italy, the leader of the Polisario front
Mohammed Abdelaziz, he declared to the press agency REUTER saying "
unfortunately Morocco has not replied , it has not yet accepted" he
was referring to the third round of talks between Morocco and the
polisario, expected before the end of this year .
According to Mohammed Abdelaziz the UN proposed to hold the next round
of negotiations in November, an invitation that polisario has accepted
" we will continue to place our trust in the process as long as there
is a chance that it can produce a result" he added " we told the
Italians of our grave worry about the Moroccan position which puts at
risk this chance for peace, above all their intransigence and refusal
to accept the principle of self determination, and a referendum to let
the sahraoui people determine their own fate"
Although the international community welcomed the Moroccan proposal to
put an end to over three decades of dispute "Moroccan initiative for
negotiating an autonomy statute for the Sahara region", it seems to me
that the polisario and its leader are still insisting on misleading
the international public opinion, therefore I would like to remind Mr
Abdelaziz of the following:
In1956, when the protectorate had come to an end, Morocco demanded the
return of Western Sahara in order to reconstitute national unity and
integrity. Moroccans believe that the recovery of the ex Spanish
Sahara was a result of a lengthy national struggle, they pointed out
that in 1957 this struggle had resulted in the placing of the Moroccan
army of liberation in some areas of the Western Sahara. If it was not
for the joint military intervention in 1958 of both French and Spanish
troops (Ecouvillon operation) the liberation and reintegration of the
Saharan territory would already be carried out. This explains why for
a legal and political point of view, the Western Sahara's issue is
still very much in the foreground of Moroccan minds.
As for the wishes of the Sahraouis, these were expressed on several
occasions, firstly within the framework of mass participation in
various electoral consultations organized in Morocco since 1975.
Sahraouis were and still are able to vote for their representatives in
the different local, regional, and professional institutions, as well
as in the parliament. When it comes to the Sahraoui population, more
than two thirds of sahraouis live in the Sahara within Moroccan
borders. The rest which is around twenty per cent, including the
political and military leadership of the Polisario live in the Tindouf
camps inside Algeria.
The Polisario can not be the sole and legitimate representative of
Sahraouis, especially if we take into account that two third of
Sahraouis do live under Moroccan sovereignty and most of them fully
support the substantial autonomy project. At the same time, some of
those living as refugees in Tindouf camps, south-west of Algeria back
the autonomy seeing it a solution that guaranties political, economic
and social rights of Sahraouis.
The Polisario was and still is severely accused of human rights
abuses, the detention, killing, and the abusive treatment of Moroccan
prisoners of war from the late 70's to 2006. Other accusations were
that some of the Sahraouis are kept in the Tindouf camps against their
will and do not enjoy freedom of expression. In a report published in
2003, amnesty international concluded that "freedom of expression,
association and movement continued to be restricted in the camps
controlled by the Polisario near Tindouf in south western Algeria".
A full and comprehensive report of an independent committee of inquiry
into allegations of violations of human rights, crimes, abuses and
various other irregularities brought against the polisario front, was
submitted to the special political and decolonisation committee
(fourth committee) of the United Nations on the 4th of October 2006.
This 38 page report deals with the following aspects :
1. the use of torture;
2. the absence of even the minimum level of judicial process;
3. the condition of detention;
4. forced labour and rape;
5. Malnutrition of prisoners and absence of medical care;
6. the abdication of Moroccan citizens within the international
recognised
frontiers of Morocco.
At the present time the Polisario under your leadership is losing
momentum. In fact, all the signs indicate that it will weaken further
more in case the status quo remains.
The Polisario under your leadership has been feeling internal pressure
since the 1991ceasefire. Thousands of sahraouis living in the refugees
camps in Tindouf inside Algeria are kept against their will, and do
not enjoy the basics of freedom of expression ,but in any case after
three decades of isolation in a harsh environment, youngsters who have
never been allowed to visit nor to join their families in the Sahara
rail in frustration, according to your wife Mrs Khadija Hamdi "
young sahraouis started to get tired of living in the refugee camps"
she added in an interview with a Spanish newspaper " youngsters do not
share the same goals, nor the same preoccupations like their
parents(see Spanish newspaper :"Levante"08/1/2007) .
Yourself and the Polisario can not claim to be the sole and
legitimate representative of sahraouis, especially if we take into
account that over two third of sahraouis do live under Moroccan
sovereignty, and they fully support the substantial autonomy project
proposed by the King of Morocco (see http:www.corcas.com) at the same
time those living as refugees in Tindouf camps, south-west of Algeria
back the autonomy seeing it a solution that guaranties political,
economic and social rights of sahraouis.
I would like to remind you that the process of decolonization of
Moroccan territories which were occupied by Spain took place through
negotiations In this respect, Morocco regained the north zone in April
1956, Tarfaya and Tan Tan in 1958, Sidi Ifni in1969, and the Sahara
1975 when Spain and Morocco signed an agreement treaty.
AS to the referendum, I would like to remind you again of the
following facts that you seem to deliberately ignore:
1.the war in the Sahara lasted 16 years from 1976 to 1991, the
Polisario lost the war .
2. Since war brought about no solution; the UN tried to organize a
referendum based upon identification. Nevertheless the UN became aware
of the fact that the referendum is impossible to carry out since
sahraouis do not live only in Morocco, but also in Algeria,
Mauritania, and Mali. This means that they should be a change of these
borders (this not acceptable by countries concerned) in order to
organize a just and fair referendum. The UN general secretary
confirmed that the organization of a referendum is impossible
politically and technically.
3.The polisario remains a totalitarian military and political
movement, with single party system, sole institutions, with everything
wrapped up in one-track thinking.
4.Because of the nature of the polisario cited above, sahraouis in the
refugee camps have lost their "liberties
POLISARIO
TAOUFIQ GAZOULIT
In his recent visit to Italy, the leader of the Polisario front
Mohammed Abdelaziz, he declared to the press agency REUTER saying "
unfortunately Morocco has not replied , it has not yet accepted" he
was referring to the third round of talks between Morocco and the
polisario, expected before the end of this year .
According to Mohammed Abdelaziz the UN proposed to hold the next round
of negotiations in November, an invitation that polisario has accepted
" we will continue to place our trust in the process as long as there
is a chance that it can produce a result" he added " we told the
Italians of our grave worry about the Moroccan position which puts at
risk this chance for peace, above all their intransigence and refusal
to accept the principle of self determination, and a referendum to let
the sahraoui people determine their own fate"
Although the international community welcomed the Moroccan proposal to
put an end to over three decades of dispute "Moroccan initiative for
negotiating an autonomy statute for the Sahara region", it seems to me
that the polisario and its leader are still insisting on misleading
the international public opinion, therefore I would like to remind Mr
Abdelaziz of the following:
In1956, when the protectorate had come to an end, Morocco demanded the
return of Western Sahara in order to reconstitute national unity and
integrity. Moroccans believe that the recovery of the ex Spanish
Sahara was a result of a lengthy national struggle, they pointed out
that in 1957 this struggle had resulted in the placing of the Moroccan
army of liberation in some areas of the Western Sahara. If it was not
for the joint military intervention in 1958 of both French and Spanish
troops (Ecouvillon operation) the liberation and reintegration of the
Saharan territory would already be carried out. This explains why for
a legal and political point of view, the Western Sahara's issue is
still very much in the foreground of Moroccan minds.
As for the wishes of the Sahraouis, these were expressed on several
occasions, firstly within the framework of mass participation in
various electoral consultations organized in Morocco since 1975.
Sahraouis were and still are able to vote for their representatives in
the different local, regional, and professional institutions, as well
as in the parliament. When it comes to the Sahraoui population, more
than two thirds of sahraouis live in the Sahara within Moroccan
borders. The rest which is around twenty per cent, including the
political and military leadership of the Polisario live in the Tindouf
camps inside Algeria.
The Polisario can not be the sole and legitimate representative of
Sahraouis, especially if we take into account that two third of
Sahraouis do live under Moroccan sovereignty and most of them fully
support the substantial autonomy project. At the same time, some of
those living as refugees in Tindouf camps, south-west of Algeria back
the autonomy seeing it a solution that guaranties political, economic
and social rights of Sahraouis.
The Polisario was and still is severely accused of human rights
abuses, the detention, killing, and the abusive treatment of Moroccan
prisoners of war from the late 70's to 2006. Other accusations were
that some of the Sahraouis are kept in the Tindouf camps against their
will and do not enjoy freedom of expression. In a report published in
2003, amnesty international concluded that "freedom of expression,
association and movement continued to be restricted in the camps
controlled by the Polisario near Tindouf in south western Algeria".
A full and comprehensive report of an independent committee of inquiry
into allegations of violations of human rights, crimes, abuses and
various other irregularities brought against the polisario front, was
submitted to the special political and decolonisation committee
(fourth committee) of the United Nations on the 4th of October 2006.
This 38 page report deals with the following aspects :
1. the use of torture;
2. the absence of even the minimum level of judicial process;
3. the condition of detention;
4. forced labour and rape;
5. Malnutrition of prisoners and absence of medical care;
6. the abdication of Moroccan citizens within the international
recognised
frontiers of Morocco.
At the present time the Polisario under your leadership is losing
momentum. In fact, all the signs indicate that it will weaken further
more in case the status quo remains.
The Polisario under your leadership has been feeling internal pressure
since the 1991ceasefire. Thousands of sahraouis living in the refugees
camps in Tindouf inside Algeria are kept against their will, and do
not enjoy the basics of freedom of expression ,but in any case after
three decades of isolation in a harsh environment, youngsters who have
never been allowed to visit nor to join their families in the Sahara
rail in frustration, according to your wife Mrs Khadija Hamdi "
young sahraouis started to get tired of living in the refugee camps"
she added in an interview with a Spanish newspaper " youngsters do not
share the same goals, nor the same preoccupations like their
parents(see Spanish newspaper :"Levante"08/1/2007) .
Yourself and the Polisario can not claim to be the sole and
legitimate representative of sahraouis, especially if we take into
account that over two third of sahraouis do live under Moroccan
sovereignty, and they fully support the substantial autonomy project
proposed by the King of Morocco (see http:www.corcas.com) at the same
time those living as refugees in Tindouf camps, south-west of Algeria
back the autonomy seeing it a solution that guaranties political,
economic and social rights of sahraouis.
I would like to remind you that the process of decolonization of
Moroccan territories which were occupied by Spain took place through
negotiations In this respect, Morocco regained the north zone in April
1956, Tarfaya and Tan Tan in 1958, Sidi Ifni in1969, and the Sahara
1975 when Spain and Morocco signed an agreement treaty.
AS to the referendum, I would like to remind you again of the
following facts that you seem to deliberately ignore:
1.the war in the Sahara lasted 16 years from 1976 to 1991, the
Polisario lost the war .
2. Since war brought about no solution; the UN tried to organize a
referendum based upon identification. Nevertheless the UN became aware
of the fact that the referendum is impossible to carry out since
sahraouis do not live only in Morocco, but also in Algeria,
Mauritania, and Mali. This means that they should be a change of these
borders (this not acceptable by countries concerned) in order to
organize a just and fair referendum. The UN general secretary
confirmed that the organization of a referendum is impossible
politically and technically.
3.The polisario remains a totalitarian military and political
movement, with single party system, sole institutions, with everything
wrapped up in one-track thinking.
4.Because of the nature of the polisario cited above, sahraouis in the
refugee camps have lost their "liberties
