Tindouf Prisoners Tens of Thousands of Moroccans marched for their freedom

[LalaMimi]

Rabat -- Tens of Thousands of Moroccans hailing from different parts of Morocco marched in Rabat to express their support for the Moroccans still detained in the Tindouf camps. They urged the United Nations and the international community to press on Algeria to set the prisoners free.


The March was organized by Collectif Watanouna - set up on January 20- calling on international organizations to “intervene to put an end to the sufferings of families and children, who are separated from their mothers, and to release all Moroccans held in Tindouf.”

These Moroccans were imprisoned for more than 25 years, following the artificial struggle over the Moroccanity of Southern Moroccan provinces. This struggle opposes Morocco to the Algerian-backed Polisario Front, which has tried to separate the provinces, known as Moroccan Sahara.

Moroccan associations from all over the country, leaders of some Moroccan parties and Moroccan artists participated in this March. They chanted slogans accusing Algeria of maiming and killing Moroccan soldiers and civilians, violating the international law and Geneva Agreement for the treatment of prisoners of war.

Leaders of political parties, including Mohamed El Yazghi, Secretary General of the socialist party 'USFP'; Abbas El Fassi, head of the party of Istiqlal (Independence); Ismail Al Alaoui, Secretary General of Progess and Socialist Party 'PPS'; and Saâd Eddine Al-Othmani, Secretary General of party Justice and Development (PJD), were in the front lines of the march to show their support and Solidarity with the Moroccan POWs.

"I think that this march has come in the right time to express the Moroccan solidarity with their brothers and sisters detained in the Tindouf camps. It is high time that the Algerian regime stopped its irrational policies in the region. The Maghreb countries need to remedy the mistakes committed in the past and seek to respond to the ambitions of their peoples," said Ismail Al Alaoui, Secretary General of Progess and Socialist Party.


Even though there wasn't enough coordination between Collectif Watanouna and southern Saharoui associations, the latter participated in the march, calling on the UN and the international community to help release their relatives still detained in the Tindouf camps.

"Although Sahraoui people found it difficult to come to Rabat to paticipate in this March, some managed to come to express their solidarity with the Moroccan prisoners in Tindouf. Every Sahraoui family, whose one of its members served in the Moroccan army, must have had someone who was maimed and killed by Algeria in Tindouf," said Brahim Obhouch, Journalist and Director of Al Mijhar Al Siyassi newspaper.

There are currently around 408 Moroccan soldiers in the prison of Markez Hamdi Aba Sheich, south of Tindouf. The area is controlled by the polisario movement which has tried to seperate Southern Moroccan provinces, known as Moroccan Sahara. This was regained by Morocco in 1975 under the Madrid Agreement with Spain.

Until noon demonstrators were still chanting slogans against Algeria. Though the weather was too hot today, Moroccans remained faithfull to the spirit of the march.

[Andalousi]

At last the Moroccan people are beginning to appreciate the plight of Moroccans suffering in Tindouf. For far too long the topic of Moroccans held against their will in Tindouf was deliberately played down due to political reasons. But that seems to have changed now which is good. This tragedy has to be addressed and tackled head on, how can a country which claims to have no direct involvement with the polisario allow these polisario communists to detain Moroccans in their own country? Are they not in control of their own country? Are they blind to what is happening in their own country?

This problem can only be resolved once Algeria stops its duplicitous political maneuvering and sits down face to face with the Moroccan government to resolve this. Algeria needs to sort out their political structure as holding talks with a puppet president like Boutflika will achieve nothing. The real Algerian power brokers have to step forward or step down and let the Algerian politicians do their job. Until this happens the future for the Maghreb doesn’t look bright.

Peace.