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Introduction

Morocco sees Western Sahara as its Southern Provinces, and has been claiming it since its independence in 1956. Morocco considers the Polisario Front as a separatist movement given the Moroccan origins of many of its leaders, and a puppet in the hands of Algeria. The Moroccan name for Western Sahara. ... The Polisario, Polisario Front, or Frente Polisario, from the Spanish abbreviation of Frente Popular de Liberación de Saguía el Hamra y Río de Oro (Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Río de Oro) is a Sahrawi movement working for the independence of... Political separatism is a movement to obtain sovereignty and split a territory or group of people (usually a people with a distinctive national consciousness) from one another (or one nation from another; a colony from the metropolis). ... Italic text Wayang shadow-puppet created in Bali, in the early 20th century. ...

The Polisario Front argues that Morocco illegally occupies the parts of Western Sahara under its control, and considers itself a national liberation movement aiming at leading the disputed territory to independence under the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. The Polisario, Polisario Front, or Frente Polisario, from the Spanish abbreviation of Frente Popular de Liberación de Saguía el Hamra y Río de Oro (Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Río de Oro) is a Sahrawi movement working for the independence of... Belligerent military occupation occurs when one nations military occupies all or part of the territory of another nation or recognized belligerent. ... The Moroccan name for Western Sahara. ... Wars of national liberation were conflicts fought by indigenous military groups against an imperial power in an attempt to remove that powers influence. ... The Saharawi (or Sahrawi) Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) is the long-form English translation of the government of Western Sahara (Arabic: الجمهورية العربية الصحراوية الدمقرطية, Spanish: República Arabe Saharaui Democrática). ...

The United States, the European Union and the United Nations do not recognize the sovereignty of Morocco over Western Sahara, but do see it as the administrative power pending a solution to the conflict. They see the Polisario Front as one of the two belligerent parties in the conflict, but do not recognize its auto-proclaimed SADR. The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress and human rights issues. ... Sadr can refer to: The common name for the star Gamma Cygni. ...

Human rights

The Western Sahara conflict has resulted in severe human rights abuses, most notably the displacement of tens of thousands of Sahrawi civilians from the country and the forced expropriation and expulsion of tens of thousends of Moroccan civilians by the Algerian government from Algeria in reaction to the Green March^[1] as well as violations of human rights and serious breaches of the Geneva convention by the Polisario Front and Algerian government.^[2] Human rights are rights which some hold to be inalienable and belonging to all humans. ... A refugee is a person seeking asylum in a foreign country in order to escape persecution, war, terrorism, extreme poverty, famines, and natural disaster. ... for the historical event see: History of Western Sahara for the aerobatic team see: Marche Verte This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Both Morocco and the Polisario accuse each other of violating the human rights of the populations under their control, in the Moroccan-controlled parts of Western Sahara and the Tindouf refugee camps in Algeria, respectively. Morocco and organisations such as France Libertés consider Algeria to be directly responsible for any crimes committed on its territory, and accuse the country of having been directly involved in such violations.^[3] The Moroccan name for Western Sahara. ... Tindouf, also written Tinduf, (Arabic: تندوف) is a city and wilaya in the west of Algeria, population 30,000. ...

Morocco has been repeatedly criticised by international human rights organizations such as Amnesty International^[4], Human Rights Watch^[5] and the World Organization Against Torture^[6] Freedom House^[7], Reporters Without Borders^[8], the International Committee of the Red Cross (accusing the country of employing napalm against civilian refugee columns in 1975 ^[9]), and in 2006 in a report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights^[10] for its actions in Western Sahara. Amnesty International symbol Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is a non-governmental organization (NGO) comprising a worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights.[1] Essentially it compares actual practices of human rights with internationally accepted standards and demands compliance where these have not... Human Rights Watch Banner Human Rights Watch is a United States-based international non-government organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. ... The World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) is the world’s largest coalition of non-governmental organisations fighting against arbitrary detention, torture, summary and extrajudicial executions, forced disappearances and other forms of violence. ... This map reflects the findings of Freedom Houses 2006 survey Freedom in the World, concerning the state of world freedom in 2005. ... Reporters Without Borders, or RWB (French: Reporters sans frontières, Spanish: Reporteros Sin Fronteras, or RSF) is a French origin international non-governmental organization that advocates freedom of the press, founded by its current general-secretary, Robert Menard. ... The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a private humanitarian institution based in Geneva, Switzerland. ... A simulated Napalm explosion during a 2003 air show. ... The purpose of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights involves the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide through direct contact with individual governments and the provision of technical assistance where appropriate. ...

Polisario has received criticism from the French organization France Libertes on its treatment of Moroccan prisoners-of-war^[11], and on its general behaviour in the Tindouf refugee camps in reports by the European Strategic Intelligence and Security Center^[12]. A number of Former members of Polisario who have joined Morocco accuse the organisation of abuse of human rights and sequestration of the population in Tindouf ^[13]. Geneva Convention definition A prisoner of war (POW) is a soldier, sailor, airman, or marine who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict. ... Since the end of the 1980s, several members of Polisario have decided to discontinue their military or political activities for the Polisario Front. ...

During the war (1975-91), both sides accused each other of targeting civilians. Neither claim has met with support abroad. The USA, EU and UN refused to include the Polisario Front on their lists of terrorist organizations. Polisario leaders maintain that they are ideologically opposed to terrorism. In times of armed conflict a civilian is any person who is not a combatant. ... This article is about the United Nations, for other uses of UN see UN (disambiguation) Official languages English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic Secretary-General Kofi Annan (since 1997) Established October 24, 1945 Member states 191 Headquarters New York City, NY, USA Official site http://www. ... The Polisario, Polisario Front, or Frente Polisario, from the Spanish abbreviation of Frente Popular de Liberación de Saguía el Hamra y Río de Oro (Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Río de Oro) is a Sahrawi movement working for the independence of... The U.S. State Departments list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations is a list of non-US organizations that are designated as terrorist by the United States Secretary of State in accordance with section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). ...

Human rights in Moroccan controlled Western Sahara

• See also: Human rights in Morocco

Human rights are repressed in the Moroccan-controlled territories of Western Sahara, according to Amnest International in 2003 and Human Rights Watch in 2004. ^{[14] [15]}. While the situation has improved since the early 1990s, the political liberalization in Morocco has not had the same effect on Western Sahara according to Amnesty International in 2004. ^[16], when it comes to having a pro-independence position. There are allegations of police abuse and torture by Polisario-organisations. ^[17], and suspected dissidents are harassed and refused necessary documents such as passports^[18]. The United States State Department reported in 2000 that there were arbitrary arrests of Sahrawis and no organized labor ^[19]. Prisoners of conscience were kept in squalid conditions according to Polisario-groups ^[20]. Some Sahrawis also complain of systematic discrimination in favor of Moroccan settlers. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Morocco. ... In general, liberalization refers to a relaxation of previous government restrictions, usually in areas of social or economic policy. ... The word torture is commonly used to mean the infliction of pain to break the will of the victim(s). ... The United States Department of State, often referred to as the State Department, is the Cabinet-level foreign affairs agency of the United States government, equivalent to foreign ministries in other countries. ... Prisoner of conscience (POC) is a term coined by the international human rights advocacy organization Amnesty International. ... Manifestations Slavery · Racial profiling Hate speech · Hate crime Lynching · Gay bashing Genocide · Holocaust Ethnocide · Ethnic cleansing Pogrom · Race war Religious persecution Movements Discriminatory Aryanism · Neo-Nazism White/Black supremacy Hate groups · Kahanism Anti-discriminatory Abolitionism Womens/Universal suffrage Civil rights · Gay rights Childrens rights · Youth rights Groups NAACP... A family of Russian settlers in the Caucasus region, ca. ...

The Moroccan response to the demonstrations of 2005 was very aggressive, and provoked international reactions ^[21]. In a criticised ^[22] mass trial in December 2005, 14 leading Sahrawi activists were sentenced to prison sentences; many more had previously been detained. Most of these prisoners were later released by royal decree in the spring of 2006^[23], but some have since again been rearrested.

Freedom of expression

Freedom of expression is restricted on about the same level as in Morocco on subjects such as state officials, Islam or the political system, but most persecution of civil activists tend to be related to pro-independence statements. The US State Department's 2005 report on Morocco's attitude towards human rights noted that "[i]n 2004 various international human rights groups estimated that 700 persons were imprisoned for advocating Western Saharan independence."^[24]. Foreign journalists and visiting missions have been prevented from visiting the territory and in some instances deported from it^[25]. In 2004, Moroccan newsman Ali Lmrabet was sentenced to heavy fines and ten year ban on practicing journalism, for referring in an article to the Sahrawis in Tindouf, Algeria, as being "refugees" rather than "sequestered" or "kidnapped", as is the official Moroccan position.^[26] Sahrawi human rights organizations have been refused permission to operate in Morocco: the Sahrawi branch of the Moroccan Forum for Truth and Justice (FVJ) was dissolved in 2003, and its members arrested^[27]. They were later released in the royal amnesties of 2006, or before that, even if some have since been rearrested again. Presently, several organisations, such as the ASVDH, operate illegally, with activists occasionally subject to arrests and harassment, whereas others, such as AFAPREDESA, are mainly active in exile. Freedom of speech is the right to freely say what one pleases, as well as the related right to hear what others have stated. ... Islam (Arabic:  ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the teachings of Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... Ali Lmrabet (born 1959) is a Moroccan journalist of Berber origin, from a modest family, was born in a small village near Al-Hoceima in the north of Moroccan. ... Asociación Saharaui de Víctimas de Violaciones Graves de los Derechos Humanos Cometidas por el Estado Marroquí. (Spanish for the Sahrawi Association of Victims of Grave Violations of Human Rights Perpetrated by the Moroccan State; Arabic,جمعية الصحراوية لضحايا الانتهاكات الجسيمة لحقوق الإنسان المرتكبة من طرف الدولة المغربية; French, Association Sahraouie des Victimes des Violations Graves des Droits Humains Commises par... La Asociación de Familiares de Presos y Desaparecidos Saharauis (Spanish for The Association of the Families of Sahrawi Prisoners and Disappeared) or AFAPREDESA, is an exile-based Sahrawi human rights organization, campaigning against human rights abuses perpetrated by Morocco against Sahrawis in the Moroccan-occupied parts of Western Sahara. ...

Sahrawi activists have tried to compensate for this through extensive use of the Internet, reporting from illegal demonstrations, and documenting police abuse and torture through online pictures and video. Morocco has responded by blockading Internet access to these sites in Morocco and in Western Sahara, prompting accusations of Internet censorship.^[28] On 20 December 2005 Reporters Without Borders reported that Morocco has added Anonymizer.com to its Internet blacklist, days after the association recommended the service to Moroccans and Sahrawis wishing to access the banned Sahrawi sites. "These websites, promoting independence for Western Sahara, have been censored since the beginning of December" it reports ^[29]. Countries where the free flow of information is restricted. ... December 20 is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Reporters Without Borders, or RWB (French: Reporters sans frontières, Spanish: Reporteros Sin Fronteras, or RSF) is a French origin international non-governmental organization that advocates freedom of the press, founded by its current general-secretary, Robert Menard. ... A blacklist is a list or register of entities who, for one reason or another, are being denied a particular privilege, service, or mobility. ...

The "disappeared"

Fatma Lahmad, a young Sahrawi woman who "disappeared" in 1993, in Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara. She is still missing.

In 2000 around 450 Sahrawi civilians remained politically "disappeared", according to human rights groups; some estimate that the total number of "disappeared" could be as high as 1,500 ^[30]. In the past, Morocco denied that any such political prisoners existed, but in 1991 releasead some hundreds of prisoners, many of whom had been held in secret detention centers since the mid-1970s. Since then, there have been no further releases of "disappeared" prisoners. Amnesty International stated in a 1999 report that Image File history File links Fatma-lahmad-93. ... Image File history File links Fatma-lahmad-93. ... This article or section contains information that has not been verified and thus might not be reliable. ... Diverse women. ... A Forced disappearance occurs when an organization (usually a ruling government and that is usually a police state or dictatorship) forces a person to disappear from public view. ... A Forced disappearance occurs when an organization (usually a ruling government and that is usually a police state or dictatorship) forces a person to disappear from public view. ... Amnesty International symbol Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is a non-governmental organization (NGO) comprising a worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights.[1] Essentially it compares actual practices of human rights with internationally accepted standards and demands compliance where these have not...

The men, women and even children who "disappeared" in Western Sahara came from all walks of life. Many were detained because of their alleged pro-independence activities, support for the Polisario Front, and opposition to Morocco's control of the Western Sahara. Others, including elderly people and children, "disappeared" because of their family links with known or suspected opponents to Moroccan government policy in Western Sahara. (amnesty1999)

Resulting from the reconciliation tribunals in Morocco in 2005 the graves of political dissidents were uncovered. ^[31].

Freedom House

In late 2005, the international democracy watchdog Freedom House listed the abuses of human rights by Morocco. Those relating to political processes were: controlling elections and not allowing Sahrawis to form political associations (such as labor organizations) or non-governmental organizations. The paper included reports of repressive measures against demonstrators. ^[32] This map reflects the findings of Freedom Houses 2006 survey Freedom in the World, concerning the state of world freedom in 2005. ...

Amnesty International

After repeatedly calling attention to alleged human rights violations in Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara, Amnesty International (AI) received, in April, 2006, two detailed responses from the Moroccan Ministry of Justice. The Ministry declared that defenders of the human rights were not stopped and were not taken into custody because of their opinions, but because of their implication in acts liable to infractions of the law. It stressed that they were guaranteed their full civil liberties and gave precise details concerning the investigations in progress into the allegations of torture relating to Houssein Lidri and Brahim Noumria. In addition, the letter refuted the specific allegations of harassing and intimidation with regard to other demonstrators in the Sahara. Amnesty International symbol Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is a non-governmental organization (NGO) comprising a worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights.[1] Essentially it compares actual practices of human rights with internationally accepted standards and demands compliance where these have not...

Amnesty Internaional responded by claiming that the authorities have not answered the principal concern of the organization regarding the equity of the lawsuits of Sahrawi protestors. For instance, no mention was made in connection with the allegations of torture and ill-treatment of detainees, and allegations that defendants were not authorized to quote witnesses for the defence. ^[33]

In June 2006, Amnesty International released its 2005 report on Morocco and Western Sahara ^[34], again citing excessive police force, leading to the death of two demonstrators. In the section: "Protests in Western Sahara" Amnesty reports: "Dozens of people were charged with inciting or participating in violence in the demonstrations. Over 20 were later convicted and some were sentenced to several years in prison. Among those sentenced were seven long-standing human rights defenders who were monitoring and disseminating information on the crackdown by the security forces. Two alleged that they had been tortured during questioning. An eighth human rights defender was detained awaiting trial at the end of the year. All eight were possible prisoners of conscience." David Kirkwood on the ground after being struck by police batons Police brutality is a term used to describe the excessive use of physical force, assault, verbal attacks, and threats by police officers and other law enforcement officers. ...

Child recruitment (before 1993)

War Resisters' International ^[35], stated in 1998 that Morocco conscripts citizens, including Sahrawis in the Moroccan-controlled parts of Western Sahara, into the army; it was a punishable offence to resist. The WRI also cited sources from 1993 saying that "[r]eports indicate that Moroccan authorities in the south have strongly urged under-eighteens to enlist in the armed forces. Fourteen and fifteen-year-old boys in southern Morocco and in the occupied territory of Western Sahara have been allowed to enlist" ^[36],further citing a source from 1994 that "there are many human rights abuses against the Sahrawi population.So far there has been no investigation of the conduct of the Moroccan army in this conflict."^[37]Conscription for the Moroccan army was abolished in 2006.

Polisario POWs

In addition to the civilian "disappeared", Polisario accuses the Moroccan government of refusing to provide information on Sahrawi prisoners of war, who were captured on the battlefield during the war years (1975-91). Morocco long denied holding any war prisoners, but in 1996 released 66 Polisario combatants, who were then evacuated to the refugee camps in Tindouf, Algeria under international supervision.^[38] Polisario maintains that some 150 POWs are still missing after being captured by the Moroccan army, and requests that the Moroccan government shall release them or clarify their fate.^[39] Morocoo claims it no longer holds any prisoners of war. Geneva Convention definition A prisoner of war (POW) is a soldier, sailor, airman, or marine who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict. ... Refugee camp for Rwandans located in what is now the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo following the Rwandan Genocide A refugee camp is a temporary camp built up by governments or NGOs (such as the ICRC) to receive refugees. ... Tindouf, also written Tinduf, (Arabic: تندوف) is a city and wilaya in the west of Algeria, population 30,000. ...

Present situation

In October, 2006, a secret report by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees leaked to the media by the (pro-Polisario) Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara^[40] detailing the deteriorating condition of human rights in the occupied territory of Western Sahara. The report details several eyewitness testimonies regarding violence associated with the Independence Intifada, particularly of the Moroccan police against peaceful demonstrators. Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) (established December 14, 1950) protects and supports refugees at the request of a government or the United Nations and assists in their return or resettlement. ... The Polisario, Polisario Front, or Frente Polisario, from the Spanish abbreviation of Frente Popular de Liberación de Saguía el Hamra y Río de Oro (Peoples Liberation Front of Saguia el-Hamra and Rio de Oro) is an army and political movement in the Western Sahara, comprising... The Independence Intifada (intifada is Arabic for uprising) is a Sahrawi name for the disturbances, demonstrations and riots that broke out in May 2005 in the Moroccan-held parts of Western Sahara. ...

Footnotes

1. ^
   • http://www.telquel-online.com/189/couverture_189_1.shtml Telquel - Maroc/Algérie.Bluff et petites manœuvres
   • http://www.aljazeera.net/news/archive/archive?ArchiveId=316911 Aljazeera.net
   • http://www.lagazettedumaroc.com/articles.php?r=7&sr=959&n=409&%20%20id_artl=5975 La Gazette du Maroc: La "Répudiation massive" de l’Algérie des colonels !
   • http://www.maroc-hebdo.press.ma/MHinternet/Archives_435/html_435/jugement.html Maroc Hebdo International: JUGEMENT DERNIER
   • http://cinemanageria.ifrance.com/cine_maroc/films_marocains/82.htm#drame Le Drame des 40.000
   • http://www.usfp.ma/article.php?t=4&id=46 Mohamed ELYAZGHI au Matin du Sahara: Solution politique au Sahara et refondation de nos relations avec Alger.
   • http://www.minorites.org/article.php?IDA=7531 Minorites.org
   • http://www.ambafrance-ma.org/presse/index.cfm?pjour=1&jr=20060728 Revue de Presse des Quotidiens
2. ^ http://freethemnow.org/FranceLiberte.pdf The Conditions of Detentions of the Moroccan POWs Detained in Tindouf (Algeria)
3. ^
   • http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/040929/2004092916.html
   • http://freethemnow.org/FranceLiberte.pdf The Conditions of Detentions of the Moroccan POWs Detained in Tindouf (Algeria)]
4. ^ *http://web.amnesty.org/report2003/Mar-summary-eng
   • http://www.amnestyusa.org/countries/morocco_and_western_sahara/index.do
   • http://web.amnesty.org/report2006/mar-summary-eng
5. ^
   • http://hrw.org/english/docs/2005/12/10/morocc12183.htm
   • http://www.hrw.org/reports/1995/Wsahara.htm
6. ^
   • http://www.omct.org/base.cfm?page=article&num=6130&consol=close&kwrd=OMCT&cfid=4407045&cftoken=75311945
   • http://www.omct.org/base.cfm?page=article&num=5983&consol=close&kwrd=OMCT&cfid=4407045&cftoken=75311945&SWITCHLNG=ES
   • http://www.omct.org/base.cfm?page=article&num=6233&consol=close&kwrd=OMCT&cfid=4407045&cftoken=75311945&SWITCHLNG=FR
7. ^ http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=22&year=2006&country=7106
8. ^ http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=14119
9. ^
   • http://www.unsystem.org/scn/Publications/RNIS/countries/algeria_all.htm Nutrition Information in Crisis Situations - Algeria. (UN Standing Committee on Nutrition)] NICS 7, August 2005. Retrieved 13 August 2006. *http://scholar.google.com/url?sa=U&q=http://links.jstor.org/sici%3Fsici%3D0001-9909(197610)75%253A301%253C498%253ATCOIAU%253E2.0.CO%253B2-M| author= John Mercer
10. ^ http://www.arso.org/OHCHRrep2006en.pdf
11. ^ http://freethemnow.org/FranceLiberte.pdf The Conditions of Detentions of the Moroccan POWs Detained in Tindouf (Algeria)
12. ^
    • http://www.esisc.org
    • http://www.esisc.eu/THE%20POLISARIO%20FRONT.pdf The Polisario Front – Credible Negotiations Partner or After Effect of the Cold War and Obstacle to a Political Solution in Western Sahara?
    • http://www.esisc.org/POLISARIO%20ENG.pdf Report of an independent Committee of inquiry into allegations of violations of Human Rights against the Polisario Front
    • http://www.esisc.org/Sahrawi%20refugees.pdf SAHRAWI REFUGEES: CAUGHT BETWEEN A HUMANITARIAN CATASTROPHE AND POLITICAL MANIPULATION(S)
13. ^
    • http://www.albayane.ma/Detail.asp?article_id=58890 Gajmoula Ebbi raconte son aventure avec le Polisario, ses rêves, son calvaire et ses attentes (4)]
    • http://www.albayane.ma/Detail.asp?article_id=58950&categorie=National Gajmoula Ebbi raconte son aventure avec le Polisario, ses rêves, son calvaire et ses attentes (5)]
    • http://www.mincom.gov.ma/french/reg_vil/regions/sahara/actualite/archive/1999/Guerredeclans.htm Guerre de clans et scission inévitable à Tindouf, selon trois ex-responsables du Polisario ayant regagné le Maroc
    • http://www.maroc-hebdo.press.ma/MHinternet/Archives_584/html_584/geoliers.html Les geôliers de Tindouf mis à nu
    • http://www.moroccotimes.com/News/article.asp?id=15779 Polisario leadership lives in wealth to detriment of camps' populations, former Polisario member
    • http://www.un.org/News/fr-press/docs/1996/19961010.CPSD108.html QUATRIEME COMMISSION: LE MAROC RESTE ATTACHE AU PLAN DE REGLEMENT ET A LA TENUE D'UN REFERENDUM TRANSPARENT AU SAHARA OCCIDENTAL
    • http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/991105/1999110536.html Report: Clan wars and unavoidable scission in Tindouf, defectors
    • http://www.albayane.ma/Detail.asp?article_id=58550 Mustapha Bouh, ex-membre du Bureau politique : «L¹histoire du «Polisario» est jalonnée de purges impitoyables»]
14. ^ http://web.amnesty.org/report2003/Mar-summary-eng Amnesty International - Morocco/Western Sahara - Covering events from January - December 2002
15. ^ http://hrw.org/reports/2004/morocco1004/ Morocco: Human Rights at a Crossroads
16. ^ http://web.amnesty.org/report2005/mar-summary-eng Amnesty International - Morocco/Western Sahara - Covering events from January - December 2004
17. ^ http://www.arso.org/intifada280506.htm
18. ^ http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61695.htm
19. ^ http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2000/nea/index.cfm?docid=825 US State Department - Western Sahara - Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2000
20. ^ http://www.wsahara.net/05/blackprisonshow.html Western Sahara Online - Pictures depicting one of the darkest places of Moroccan occupation, the infamous "Black Prison" in El Aaiun
21. ^ http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE290082005 Amnesty International - Morocco / Western Sahara - Sahrawi human rights defenders under attack
22. ^ http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE290102005 Amnesty International - Public Statement - Morocco/Western Sahara: Human rights defenders jailed after questionable trial
23. ^
    • http://www.arso.org/prislib220406.htm *http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/world/africa/4935244.stm BBC News - Morocco orders captives' release
24. ^ http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61695.htm
25. ^
    • http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=14119
    • http://web.amnesty.org/report2005/mar-summary-eng Amnesty International - Morocco/Western Sahara - Covering events from January - December 2004
26. ^ http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61695.htm
27. ^
    • http://www.arso.org/docu/acteengl.htm
    • http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2003/27941.htm
28. ^
    • http://www.rsf.org/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=578
    • http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/70962/?PHPSESSID=ac1beef74622486a8f
29. ^ http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=15809 Reporters Without Borders - Morocco puts US censorship busting site Anonymizer.com on its black list
30. ^ http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2000/nea/804.htm US Department of State - Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2000 - Morocco
31. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4537870.stm
32. ^
    • http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=22&country=6795&year=2005 (country report Morocco) *http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=22&country=7106&year=2006 (country report Western Sahara)
33. ^ http://www.amnestyinternational.be/doc/article.php3?id_article=7428 MAROC ET SAHARA OCCIDENTAL - Procès d’un défenseur sahraoui des droits humains
34. ^ http://web.amnesty.org/report2006/mar-summary-eng 2005 report on Morocco and Western Sahara
35. ^ http://www.wri-irg.org/co/rtba/morocco.htm
36. ^ Woods, D.E. 1993. Child Soldiers, the recruitment of children into the armed forces and their participation in hostilities. Quaker Peace and Service, London, UK. (page-numbers lacking) quoted in WRI country report 1998 http://www.wri-irg.org/co/rtba/morocco.htm footnote nr. 3
37. ^ War Resisters' International 1994. Issues of conscience and military service. War Resisters International, London. (page-numbers lacking) quoted in WRI country report 1998 http://www.wri-irg.org/co/rtba/morocco.htm footnote nr. 4
38. ^ U.S. Department of State, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, 1999 http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/1999/423.htm
39. ^ http://www.washtimes.com/upi-breaking/20040422-085039-5266r.htm
40. ^ Forwarded by Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara report by United Nations High Commission for Refugees (08-09-2006). "Report of the OHCHR Mission to Western Sahara and the Refugee Camps in Tindouf 15/23 May and 19 June 2006". United Nations. Retrieved on 2006-10-10.

2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... October 10 is the 283rd day of the year (284th in Leap years). ...

Human rights in Polisario-controlled refugee camps

The Sahrawi refugee camp of Awserd, in Tindouf Province, Algeria.

The most severe accusations of human rights abuses by Polisario have been about the detention, killing and the abusive treatment of Moroccan prisoners of war from the late 70s to 2006. Other accusations were that some of the population are kept in the Tindouf refugee camps against their will and did not enjoy freedom of expression. Moroccan newspapers have aired reports of demonstrations being suppressed violently by Polisario forces in the Tindouf camps,^[41] but these reports have not been confirmed by international media or human rights organizations. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1212x441, 137 KB) The Awserd refugee camp for Western Saharan exiles near Tindouf, Algeria. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1212x441, 137 KB) The Awserd refugee camp for Western Saharan exiles near Tindouf, Algeria. ... This article or section contains information that has not been verified and thus might not be reliable. ... Refugee camp for Rwandans located in what is now the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo following the Rwandan Genocide A refugee camp is a temporary camp built up by governments or NGOs (such as the ICRC) to receive refugees. ... Auserd is a city in southern Western Sahara, in the occupied part near the Moroccan wall. ... Tindouf, also written Tinduf, (Arabic: تندوف) is wilaya in the west of Algeria, population 30,000 (not including approximately 160,000 Sahrawi refugees). ...

Several international and Spanish human rights and aid organizations are active in the camps on a permanent basis, and contest the Moroccan allegations ^{[citation needed]}; there are people who claim the Tindouf camps are a model for running refugee camps democratically ^[42].

Moroccan Prisoners of War

In April 2003, the France Libertés foundation led an international mission of inquiry on the conditions of detention of Moroccan prisoners of war long held by the Polisario in the refugee camps in Algeria and in Polisario-held parts of Western Sahara. The prisoners (under Red Cross supervision since the 80s) had been held since the end of hostilities, awaiting the conclusion of a formal peace treaty, but as the cease-fire dragged on over a decade, many prisoners had at this time been held between 15 and 20 years, making them among the longest-serving POWs in the world. Polisario had begun releasing a few hundred prisoners at a time in the early 1990s, in what they referred to as "humanitarian gestures", but its refusal to release the last prisoners remained under criticism from the United Nations.^[43] Geneva Convention definition A prisoner of war (POW) is a soldier, sailor, airman, or marine who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict. ... The Free Zone is in yellow on the map. ... The Anarchist Black Cross was originally called the Anarchist Red Cross. The band Redd Kross was originally called Red Cross. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress and human rights issues. ...

In its report ^[44], the French foundation produced detailed accusations of torture, forced labour, arbitrary detentions and summary executions of captured soldiers, and claimed that these and other systematic abuses had evaded the Red Cross. Most of the crimes had allegedly been committed in the 1980s, but some were of a later date. The foundation, which supports Sahrawi self-determination and had worked in the camps before, decided to suspend "its interventions in the Saharawi refugee camps of Tindouf where the forced labour of the POWs has been going on for the past 28 years". The report also accused Algeria of direct involvement in crimes against the POWs, and overall responsibility for their situation. ^[45] The word torture is commonly used to mean the infliction of pain to break the will of the victim(s). ... Unfree labour is a generic or collective term for forms of work, especially in modern or early modern history, in which adults and/or children are employed without wages, or for a minimal wage. ... Detention generally refers to a state or government holding a person in a particular area, either for interrogation, as punishment for a wrong, or as a precautionary measure while investigating a potential threat posed by that person. ... Self-determination is a principle in international law that a people ought to be able to determine their own governmental forms and structure free from outside influence. ...

This scathing criticism likely contributed to the Polisario's decision to advance the pace of its unilateral releases of POWs, leading to the release of the last POWs in 2005.^[46]

Freedom of movement

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 Front, near Tindouf in southwestern Algeria. Those responsible for human rights abuses in the camps in previous years continued to enjoy impunity.".^[47]. However, in its 2006 update of the annual report, the references to a lack of basic freedoms had been removed.^[48] Amnesty International symbol Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is a non-governmental organization (NGO) comprising a worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights.[1] Essentially it compares actual practices of human rights with internationally accepted standards and demands compliance where these have not... Tindouf, also written Tinduf, (Arabic: تندوف) is a city and wilaya in the west of Algeria, population 30,000. ...

In 2005 the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants^[49] stated: "The Algerian Government allowed the rebel group, Polisario, to confine nearly a hundred thousand refugees from the disputed Western Sahara to four camps in desolate areas outside Tindouf military zone near the Moroccan border 'for political and military, rather than humanitarian, reasons,' according to one observer. According to Amnesty International, "This group of refugees does not enjoy the right to freedom of movement in Algeria. [...] Those refugees who manage to leave the refugee camps without being authorized to do so are often arrested by the Algerian military and returned to the Polisario authorities, with whom they cooperate closely on matters of security.' Polisario checkpoints surrounded the camps, the Algerian military guarded entry into Tindouf, and police operated checkpoints throughout the country."^[50]

The main concern of most human rights organizations seems to be the refugees' problems of basic subsistence, living on a meager diet of foreign aid. Human Rights Watch^[51] carried out an extensive research mission in the region in 1995, visiting Morocco, Western Sahara and the Tindouf refugees. Its conclusion on the human rights situation for the Sahrawis in Tindouf was that "we found conditions to be satisfactory, taking into account the difficulties posed by the climate and desolate location" ^[52]. Human Rights Watch Banner Human Rights Watch is a United States-based international non-government organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. ...

Pierre Olivier Louveaux, who went to the camps with a CARITAS humanitarian mission, accuses the refugee camp administration of discriminating treatment between refugees, and the Polisario of having set up a "system of clientelism that enables the leaders to keep a strong hold over the population. People have very few established rights. Everyone has to beg for the favours of the leaders. These favours can consist, for example, of a medical operation abroad, studies, a job within the Polisario Front, the right to go out of the camps and, probably economic favours as well."^[53] CARITAS itself has not produced any similar criticisms.

In 1997 and 1999 respectively, the Canadian Lawyers Association for International Human Rights ^[54] performed two investigative missions to Western Sahara, the first focused on the Tindouf refugee camps, and the second on conditions in Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara. The conclusion of the Tindouf mission states that "the refugee camps in Algeria are highly organized and provide more than just the most basic needs to their inhabitants" and that "It appears that a significant effort is being made to ensure that the population is well-educated and that they participate in the governance of the camps.^[55]

Cuba students programme

Polisario is regularly accused by Morocco of deporting Sahrawi children by groups of thousands to Cuba for Communist indoctrination, something which has been supported by alleged former Tindouf refugees now living in Morocco, and former Cuban government officials. This would be considered a case of forcible family separation. Morocco has also alleged that the Polisario exports Sahrawi minors to Cuba in order to force them into child prostitution and to train them as child soldiers. ^[56]. This article is about communism as a form of society and as a political movement. ... Tindouf, also written Tinduf, (Arabic: تندوف) is a city and wilaya in the west of Algeria, population 30,000. ...

Polisario -- which was originally founded on a vaguely left-wing ideology, but has consistently denied being Communist -- responds that the children in Cuba, numbering tens or hundreds rather than thousands, are students at Cuban universities, and are there of their own free will under a UNHCR-sponsored student exchange program. It regards the Moroccan accusations as a smear campaign aimed at cutting off access to education for Sahrawi refugees. For a list of universities around the world, see Lists of colleges and universities Representation of a university class, 1350s. ... Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) (established December 14, 1950) protects and supports refugees at the request of a government or the United Nations and assists in their return or resettlement. ... A smear campaign or smear tactics are deliberate attempts by an individual or group to malign another individual or groups reputation. ...

While there exists primary education, there are no universities in the refugee camps, and so Sahrawis have to go abroad to study. Similar programmes exist for Sahrawi students in cooperation with universities in Algeria, Spain and Italy, and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic has repeatedly pleaded for more countries to accommodate Sahrawi students. The UNHCR, which oversees the program, has twice investigated the Moroccan claims. In its ^[57] of 2003, after having interviewed all 252 Sahrawi students in Cuba, it states that it was the children’s own personal will to continue taking advantage of the opportunity to study in Cuba. The Saharawi (or Sahrawi) Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) is the long-form English translation of the government of Western Sahara (Arabic: الجمهورية العربية الصحراوية الدمقرطية, Spanish: República Arabe Saharaui Democrática). ...

In 2005, the UNHCR again examined the issue, after continued Moroccan allegations. The number of students was now down to 143, and the program was not expected to be renewed after the graduation of those students. The ^[58] states that many of the Saharan refugee children have availed themselves of scholarships offered within the framework of bilateral relations between the refugee leadership and various countries. The report suggests that this scholarship programme meets the standards of treatment and care required by the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Child recruitment

According to War Resisters' International ^[59], "during the guerrilla war" - i.e. between 1975 and 1991 - "Polisario recruitment formed an integral part of the education programme. At the age of 12, children were either integrated into the National School of 12 October which prepares the political and military cadres, or they have been sent abroad to Algeria, Cuba and Libya to receive military training as well as regular schooling. At conscription age (17) they returned from abroad to be incorporated into Polisario's armed forces. They received more specialised training in engineering, radio, artillery, mechanics and desert warfare. At nineteen they became combatants." ^[60] Guerilla may refer to Guerrilla warfare. ... Engineering is the design, analysis, and/or construction of works for practical purposes. ... Historically, artillery (from French artillerie) refers to any engine used for the discharge of projectiles during war. ... Mechanics (Greek ) is the branch of physics concerned with the behaviour of physical bodies when subjected to forces or displacements, and the subsequent effect of the bodies on their environment. ... Desert warfare is combat in deserts. ... A combatant is a person who takes a direct part in the hostilities of an armed conflict who upon capture qualifies for prisoner of war under the Third Geneva Convention (GCIII). ...

References

1. ^
   • http://www.telquel-online.com/189/couverture_189_1.shtml Telquel - Maroc/Algérie.Bluff et petites manœuvres
   • http://www.aljazeera.net/news/archive/archive?ArchiveId=316911 Aljazeera.net
   • http://www.lagazettedumaroc.com/articles.php?r=7&sr=959&n=409&%20%20id_artl=5975 La Gazette du Maroc: La "Répudiation massive" de l’Algérie des colonels !
   • http://www.maroc-hebdo.press.ma/MHinternet/Archives_435/html_435/jugement.html Maroc Hebdo International: JUGEMENT DERNIER
   • http://cinemanageria.ifrance.com/cine_maroc/films_marocains/82.htm#drame Le Drame des 40.000
   • http://www.usfp.ma/article.php?t=4&id=46 Mohamed ELYAZGHI au Matin du Sahara: Solution politique au Sahara et refondation de nos relations avec Alger.
   • http://www.minorites.org/article.php?IDA=7531 Minorites.org
   • http://www.ambafrance-ma.org/presse/index.cfm?pjour=1&jr=20060728 Revue de Presse des Quotidiens
2. ^ http://freethemnow.org/FranceLiberte.pdf The Conditions of Detentions of the Moroccan POWs Detained in Tindouf (Algeria)
3. ^
   • http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/040929/2004092916.html
   • http://freethemnow.org/FranceLiberte.pdf The Conditions of Detentions of the Moroccan POWs Detained in Tindouf (Algeria)]
4. ^ *http://web.amnesty.org/report2003/Mar-summary-eng
   • http://www.amnestyusa.org/countries/morocco_and_western_sahara/index.do
   • http://web.amnesty.org/report2006/mar-summary-eng
5. ^
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6. ^
   • http://www.omct.org/base.cfm?page=article&num=6130&consol=close&kwrd=OMCT&cfid=4407045&cftoken=75311945
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7. ^ http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=22&year=2006&country=7106
8. ^ http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=14119
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   • http://www.unsystem.org/scn/Publications/RNIS/countries/algeria_all.htm Nutrition Information in Crisis Situations - Algeria. (UN Standing Committee on Nutrition)] NICS 7, August 2005. Retrieved 13 August 2006. *http://scholar.google.com/url?sa=U&q=http://links.jstor.org/sici%3Fsici%3D0001-9909(197610)75%253A301%253C498%253ATCOIAU%253E2.0.CO%253B2-M| author= John Mercer
10. ^ http://www.arso.org/OHCHRrep2006en.pdf
11. ^ http://freethemnow.org/FranceLiberte.pdf The Conditions of Detentions of the Moroccan POWs Detained in Tindouf (Algeria)
12. ^
    • http://www.esisc.org
    • http://www.esisc.eu/THE%20POLISARIO%20FRONT.pdf The Polisario Front – Credible Negotiations Partner or After Effect of the Cold War and Obstacle to a Political Solution in Western Sahara?
    • http://www.esisc.org/POLISARIO%20ENG.pdf Report of an independent Committee of inquiry into allegations of violations of Human Rights against the Polisario Front
    • http://www.esisc.org/Sahrawi%20refugees.pdf SAHRAWI REFUGEES: CAUGHT BETWEEN A HUMANITARIAN CATASTROPHE AND POLITICAL MANIPULATION(S)
13. ^
    • http://www.albayane.ma/Detail.asp?article_id=58890 Gajmoula Ebbi raconte son aventure avec le Polisario, ses rêves, son calvaire et ses attentes (4)]
    • http://www.albayane.ma/Detail.asp?article_id=58950&categorie=National Gajmoula Ebbi raconte son aventure avec le Polisario, ses rêves, son calvaire et ses attentes (5)]
    • http://www.mincom.gov.ma/french/reg_vil/regions/sahara/actualite/archive/1999/Guerredeclans.htm Guerre de clans et scission inévitable à Tindouf, selon trois ex-responsables du Polisario ayant regagné le Maroc
    • http://www.maroc-hebdo.press.ma/MHinternet/Archives_584/html_584/geoliers.html Les geôliers de Tindouf mis à nu
    • http://www.moroccotimes.com/News/article.asp?id=15779 Polisario leadership lives in wealth to detriment of camps' populations, former Polisario member
    • http://www.un.org/News/fr-press/docs/1996/19961010.CPSD108.html QUATRIEME COMMISSION: LE MAROC RESTE ATTACHE AU PLAN DE REGLEMENT ET A LA TENUE D'UN REFERENDUM TRANSPARENT AU SAHARA OCCIDENTAL
    • http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/991105/1999110536.html Report: Clan wars and unavoidable scission in Tindouf, defectors
    • http://www.albayane.ma/Detail.asp?article_id=58550 Mustapha Bouh, ex-membre du Bureau politique : «L¹histoire du «Polisario» est jalonnée de purges impitoyables»]
14. ^ http://web.amnesty.org/report2003/Mar-summary-eng Amnesty International - Morocco/Western Sahara - Covering events from January - December 2002
15. ^ http://hrw.org/reports/2004/morocco1004/ Morocco: Human Rights at a Crossroads
16. ^ http://web.amnesty.org/report2005/mar-summary-eng Amnesty International - Morocco/Western Sahara - Covering events from January - December 2004
17. ^ http://www.arso.org/intifada280506.htm
18. ^ http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61695.htm
19. ^ http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2000/nea/index.cfm?docid=825 US State Department - Western Sahara - Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2000
20. ^ http://www.wsahara.net/05/blackprisonshow.html Western Sahara Online - Pictures depicting one of the darkest places of Moroccan occupation, the infamous "Black Prison" in El Aaiun
21. ^ http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE290082005 Amnesty International - Morocco / Western Sahara - Sahrawi human rights defenders under attack
22. ^ http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE290102005 Amnesty International - Public Statement - Morocco/Western Sahara: Human rights defenders jailed after questionable trial
23. ^
    • http://www.arso.org/prislib220406.htm *http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/world/africa/4935244.stm BBC News - Morocco orders captives' release
24. ^ http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61695.htm
25. ^
    • http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=14119
    • http://web.amnesty.org/report2005/mar-summary-eng Amnesty International - Morocco/Western Sahara - Covering events from January - December 2004
26. ^ http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61695.htm
27. ^
    • http://www.arso.org/docu/acteengl.htm
    • http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2003/27941.htm
28. ^
    • http://www.rsf.org/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=578
    • http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/70962/?PHPSESSID=ac1beef74622486a8f
29. ^ http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=15809 Reporters Without Borders - Morocco puts US censorship busting site Anonymizer.com on its black list
30. ^ http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2000/nea/804.htm US Department of State - Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2000 - Morocco
31. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4537870.stm
32. ^
    • http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=22&country=6795&year=2005 (country report Morocco) *http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=22&country=7106&year=2006 (country report Western Sahara)
33. ^ http://www.amnestyinternational.be/doc/article.php3?id_article=7428 MAROC ET SAHARA OCCIDENTAL - Procès d’un défenseur sahraoui des droits humains
34. ^ http://web.amnesty.org/report2006/mar-summary-eng 2005 report on Morocco and Western Sahara
35. ^ http://www.wri-irg.org/co/rtba/morocco.htm
36. ^ Woods, D.E. 1993. Child Soldiers, the recruitment of children into the armed forces and their participation in hostilities. Quaker Peace and Service, London, UK. (page-numbers lacking) quoted in WRI country report 1998 http://www.wri-irg.org/co/rtba/morocco.htm footnote nr. 3
37. ^ War Resisters' International 1994. Issues of conscience and military service. War Resisters International, London. (page-numbers lacking) quoted in WRI country report 1998 http://www.wri-irg.org/co/rtba/morocco.htm footnote nr. 4
38. ^ U.S. Department of State, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, 1999 http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/1999/423.htm
39. ^ http://www.washtimes.com/upi-breaking/20040422-085039-5266r.htm
40. ^ Forwarded by Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara report by United Nations High Commission for Refugees (08-09-2006). "Report of the OHCHR Mission to Western Sahara and the Refugee Camps in Tindouf 15/23 May and 19 June 2006". United Nations. Retrieved on 2006-10-10.
41. ^ http://www.moroccotimes.com/paper/article.asp?idr=2&id=7898
42. ^
    • http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/printable/transcript_sahara_print.html Sahara Marathon: Host Interview Transcript
    • http://zmagsite.zmag.org/oct2002/mundy1002.htm ZMAG - Western Sahara - An interview with Stephen Dunes
43. ^ http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/issues/wsahara/2003/1016sg_report.pdf
44. ^ http://freethemnow.org/FranceLiberte.pdf report
45. ^
    • http://freethemnow.org/FranceLiberte.pdf The Conditions of Detentions of the Moroccan POWs Detained in Tindouf (Algeria)
    • http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/030822/2003082220.html French association denounces Algeria and Polisario's liberation of Moroccan POWs by batches
    • http://www.liberation.fr/page.php?Article=152565 Des forçats marocains au pays du Front Polisario Enquête accablante de la Fondation France-Libertés sur les soldats détenus
    • http://www.jeuneafrique.com/jeune_afrique/article_jeune_afrique.asp?art_cle=LIN24075lessoarahas0 Les soldats maudits du Sahara
    • http://www.aiipowmia.com/inter25/in071005morocco.html Moroccan Ex-POWs Thank US for Efforts
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48. ^ http://web.amnesty.org/report2006/mar-summary-eng#8
49. ^ http://www.refugees.org/
50. ^ http://www.refugees.org/countryreports.aspx?id=1300 US Committee for Refuggees and Immigrants
51. ^ http://www.hrw.org
52. ^ http://www.hrw.org/reports/1995/Wsahara.htm Human Rights Watch - WESTERN SAHARA - KEEPING IT SECRET - THE UNITED NATIONS OPERATION IN THE WESTERN SAHARA
53. ^ http://www.medea.be/index.html?doc=1568 Le Sahara Occidental aujourd’hui
54. ^ http://www.claihr.org/ CLAIHR
55. ^ http://www.arso.org/CLAIHR.htm
56. ^
    • http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/041124/2004112418.html Children of population sequestered in Tindouf deported by thousands to Cuba, denounces deportation victim
    • http://www.speroforum.com/site/article.asp?id=2940 Adults abducted as children by communists to talk
    • http://www.washtimes.com/op-ed/20050920-100459-8338r.htm The Washington Times - TODAY'S EDITORIAL
    • http://www.keepmedia.com/pubs/PRNewswire/2005/09/15/1006244 Saharan Former Refugees Recount Life in Polisario-Controlled Camps Families Separated; Children Forcibly Sent to Cuba; International Aid Stolen
    • http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/09-19-2005/0004110342&EDATE Former Saharan Refugees Recount Life in Castro's Schools and Polisario-Controlled Camps
    • http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/050330/2005033023.html Deportation of Sahrawi children to Cuba by 'Polisario' denounced
    • http://www.moroccotimes.com/Paper/article.asp?idr=2&id=13816
57. ^ http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/protect/opendoc.pdf?tbl=PROTECTION&id=408e04074 Machel report
58. ^ http://www.arso.org/UNHCRCuba.htm report
59. ^ http://www.wri-irg.org
60. ^ http://www.wri-irg.org/co/rtba/westernsahara.htm War Wesisters' International

2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... October 10 is the 283rd day of the year (284th in Leap years). ...

Related Links

• Amnesty International: Morocco/Western Sahara 2006 Report
• Freedom House: Western Sahara 2006 Report
• Human Rights Watch: Morocco - Summary page for Morocco/Western Sahara
• IFEX: Morocco Puts Squeeze on Western Sahara News - IFEX
• UNHCR Western Sahara page
• Human Rights Watch: Keeping It Secret - 1995 investigative mission to Western Sahara and Tindouf.
• The European Strategic Intelligence and Security Center (ESISC) report on the Polisario
• ESISC's critical report on the refugee camps during the last floodings
• Report of an independent Committee of inquiry into allegations of violations of Human Rights against the Polisario Front
• France Libertés - Report: International Mission of Inquiry - The Conditions of Detentions of the Moroccan POWs Detained in Tindouf (Algeria)
• FreeThemNow.org - Solidarity page with the Moroccan POWs
• ARSO human rights page ARSO's collection of human rights material
• ARSO political prisoners' page
• CLAIHR visiting mission 1997 - conditions in the Tindouf refugee camps
• CLAIHR visiting mission 1999 - conditions in Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara (pdf)
• Asociación de Familiares de Presos y Desaparecidos Saharauis (AFAPREDESA) - Exile-based Sahrawi human rights organization
• Asociación Saharaui de las Víctimas de las Violaciones de Derechos Humanos por Marruecos (ASVDH) - Illegal El Aaiun-based Sahrawi human rights organization
• Association Marocaine de Droits Humaine (AMDH) - Moroccan human rights organization
• International Bureau for the Respect of Human Rights in Western Sahara (BIRDHSO) - Sahrawi human rights organization in exile (Switzerland)
• US State Department - 2005 Country Report for Western Sahara

The International Freedom of Expression eXchange (IFEX), founded in 1992, is a global network of more than 60 Non-governmental organisation that promotes and defends the right to freedom of expression. ... Laâyoune Laâyoune, also El Aaiún, is the unofficial capital of Western Sahara, a former Spanish country now mostly controlled and occupied by Morocco. ...

See also

• Human rights in Morocco
• History of Western Sahara
• Human rights in western New Guinea