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Brussels, 31/01/2007 (SPS) The European Parliament (EP)
reaffirmed its intention to continue demanding the dispatching of an
ad hoc delegation to the Western Sahara to investigate on the
situation in the occupied territories of the Self-Governing
Territory, especially with regards to human rights situation.
The European Parliament, it should be recalled, adopted a resolution
on October 2005 condemning the human rights violations committee by
the Moroccan State in the occupied territories of the Western Sahara
and reaffirming the Saharawi people’s right to self-determination.
It constituted an ad hoc Committee to investigate on the human
rights situation and write a report to the European legislative
body.
After having accepted the concept of this committee, Rabat denied
its engagements and refused to give this European delegation
permission to access the occupied zones of the Western Sahara
pretending that the composition of the delegation is not neutral.
The President of the EP, the Spanish Josep Borell had sent a letter
of protest to Morocco. The European Commissioner in charge for
Foreign Affairs has promised to address Rabat to try convince it
review its position.
The Committee for Foreign Affairs that met last Tuesday under the
presidency of the British Liberal Parliamentarian, Baroness
Nicholson de Winterbourne, stressed that the composition of the EP
ad hoc delegation was not negotiable and that the Commission of the
EP will continue demanding the realisation of this mission to the
Western Sahara.
The President of the ad hoc Committee, Ioannis Kassoulides, who has
already lead a mission in the region in 2006, recalled that his
mission in the occupied territories of the Western Sahara was
accepted in the first place before it was cancelled sine die by the
Moroccan authorities. (SPS)
010/090/700/TRD JAN 07 SPS
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