Brussels, 03/10/2006 (Agence Europe) - An ad hoc delegation of the European Parliament, headed by Ioannis Kasoulides (EPP-ED, Cyprus), will be in Morocco from 5 to 7 October to be updated on the situation in Western Sahara and, especially, on that of the prison population in Sahraoui territory. The mission follows that undertaken from 15 to 18 September this year in Algeria in a refugee Sahraoui population there. The ad hoc delegation formed on 11 October 2005 has so far not been able to go to the Moroccan part of the region and only recently received Moroccan authorisation to do so. Nonetheless, the programme of the visit is still being discussed. Rabat does not see any need for a visit to Moroccan prisons whereas, on the European Parliament side, strong fear is being expressed about the fate of detainees claiming political prisoner status. The ad hoc delegation must also go to what the Moroccans call the “southern provinces”, the former Sahara occupied by the Spanish, and to Lâayoun, the capital of the disputed territory, among others.
The main concern is to assess the situation of “separated” Sahraoui families, spread out on both sides of the border with Algeria thus making contact difficult. The Parliament is concerned about the breakdown in communication means established by the UN (free telephone and even special charter flights) and hopes to call for them to be restored as soon as possible. The parliamentary delegation - including Karin Scheele (PES, Austria), Carlos Carneiro (PES, Spain), Raul Romeva I Rueda (Greens, Spain) and Patrick Louis (Independent: Villiériste, France) - will hold talks within the House of Representatives and with the leaders of CORCAS (Conseil Royal Consultatif pour les affaires sahariennes). This committee is responsible for conceiving a “regional policy” that will allow administrative autonomy of the Sahraoui territory and, above all, as European sources point out, that will make it possible to overcome the deadlock caused, above all, by its rejection of the United Nations plan providing for a referendum on the independence of the Saharan territory. It is asserted in Brussels, however, that the Polisario seems ill-inclined to accept the idea of autonomy. (hb)