Bir Lehlu (liberated territories), 12/10/2005 (SPS) The President of the Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz, warned the UN’s Secretary General, Kofi Annan, about the threats against the lives of thousands immigrants expulsed by Morocco from the north of the kingdom to the desert of Western Sahara, calling the UN to deploy the needed measures so as to avoid a human tragedy. 

"We certainly share the international concern about this phenomenon that is periodically causing dozens victims, but we also would like to denounce vigorously the attitude of the Moroccan Government that aims at getting rid of these immigrants abandoning them in the middle of the desert of the Sahara without water or food", the letter the Head of the Saharawi State addressed to Mr. Annan, of which SPS received a copy.   

Western Sahara is a territory that is "under the authority and responsibility of the United Nations, represented by its Mission for the organisation of a self-determination referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO)", the President underlined, calling Annan to "intervene urgently so as to put an end to the practices of the Moroccan Government, which put the lives of the illegal immigrant in danger".  

"By this horrible attitude and through this criminal act, on which independent sources would easily testify, the Moroccan Government shows again that its does absolutely not respect human values and international law", added the letter, of which we publicise the complete text: 

"Bir lehlu, October 11, 2005

Mr. Kofi Annan,

UN’s Secretary General

New York 

Mr. Secretary General, 

The illegal immigration into Europe is growing up seriously what may be a prelude to a dangerous humanitarian disaster. We certainly share the international concern about this phenomenon that is periodically causing dozens victims, but we also would like to denounce vigorously the attitude o the Moroccan Government that aims at getting rid of these immigrants abandoning them in the middle of the desert of the Sahara without water or food. By its horrible attitude and through this criminal act, on which independent sources would easily testify, the Moroccan Government shows again that its does absolutely not respect human values and international law. 

Mr. Secretary General, 

Saharawi people underwent enormous and interminable sufferings as a result to the illegal military occupation of their country, Western Sahara, by Morocco in October the 31st 1975. Since this period, the Moroccan Government established a policy aiming at exterminating a whole people and perpetuated systematic human rights’ violations, of all sorts: imprisonments, tortures, collective genocides, bombarding Saharawi civil population with Napalm and White phosphor during their exodus, throwing persons alive from helicopters, added to the recent discovery of collective graves. 

The annexation then the occupation by Morocco of the Saharawi territory, who forced dozens thousands civilians to exile, was accompanied by a policy of indescribable repression. Besides the abductions, arbitrary detention, forced ‘disappearance’ in inhumane conditions such as in the case of the Carcel Negra (Black Jail) in El Aaiun and in other secret centres, the fate of 150 Saharawi prisoners of war and 500 ‘disappeareds’ remain unknown. 

News from Western Sahara talks about the transfer by Morocco of illegal immigrants into the territories of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic. Following this shameful attitude by the Moroccan Government, which is not the first of its kind anyhow, we warn the international community against the persistence of this policy, which is contradictory to the right to life and human dignity, and which puts the lives of persons to the dangers of an inhospitable desert against their will. In the close past, the Moroccan Government deliberately exposed illegal immigrants to death expulsing them through the wall of shame, which parts the Saharawi territory to two parties, and this aiming at implicating the POLISARIO Front in the results of this abominable crime which was denounced by independent organisations such as “Doctors without borders”. 

The transfer of illegal immigrants into the Western Sahara by Morocco is an act which consequences may be very serious because of the situation that prevails in a region living in conflict, and which is closed to the medias and to international observers because of the Moroccan military and medias siege imposed on the territories of Western Sahara. 

Western Sahara is a territory that is under the authority and responsibility of the United Nations, represented by its Mission for the organisation of a self-determination referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO). In this respect, I would like, Mr. Secretary General, to ask you to intervene urgently so as to put an end to the practices of the Moroccan Government, which put the lives of the illegal immigrant in danger in complete contradiction with the respect to the dignity of human lives. 

We must pay all possible efforts so as not to make of the territory of te Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic a backing point for another crimes against humanity, committed yesterday an today by Morocco against Saharawi citizens and which is now committed against illegal immigrants, especially those of them from African brotherly nations. 

Accept Mr. Secretary General, my best regards. 

Mohamed ABDELAZIZ,

President of the Saharawi Arab

Democratic Republic,

POLISARIO Front’s Secretary General         

 

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