SAHARA PRESS SERVICE

Doha, 13/02/2004 (SPS) Qatar Foreign Affairs' Spokesperson, expressed his delight of the success of his government efforts that led to the release, on Friday by Polisario Front, of 100 Moroccan PWOs, declaring that Qatar will undertake the necessary steps to repatriate these prisoners of war.

''Based on humanitarian factors and aiming to bring brothers together, the state of Qatar paid some efforts with Polisario Front to release a number of Moroccan POWs. These efforts led, thanks to God, to the release of 100 prisoners'', emphasised the spokesperson in a press release.

''The state of Qatar will undertake conforming to international human right laws, in cooperation with the ICRC, the needed steps to the return of these prisoners to their country, and will continue its attempts towards the release of more prisoners, if possible'', concluded the spokesperson. (SPS)

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SPS
POLISARIO FRONT /QATAR/MOROCCO/PRISONNERS OF WAR
Polisario Front decides to unilaterally release 100 Moroccan POWs to a request of Qatar

Chahid El Hafed, 13/02/2004 (SPS) Polisario Front announced the unilateral release of 100 Moroccan POWs, an officer included, captured in Western Sahara, during the battles that opposed Saharawi Liberation Army to Moroccan occupation forces, announced an official source.

This umpteenth release of Moroccan POWs, intervenes this time "during the ceremonies of AIID AL ADHA (a religious holyday), after a request from Qatar", emphasised a press release of Polisario Front, SPS received.

"A humanitarian act" and "an expression of good faith and of the sincere will of Polisario Front to pay all necessary efforts to contribute to the promotion of a fair and final peace in Western Sahara on the basis of the strict respect of Saharawi right to self-determination", underlined the release.

This new group of POWs rise the number of the unilaterally released Moroccan POWs, by Polisario Front, to 1743, " while Morocco continue maintaining, under complete secret, 150 Saharawi fighters and more than 500 civil disappeared", deplored the release.

Recalling "the sufferings and pains" of the families of Saharawi prisoners and disappeared, Polisario Front called for "the intervention of Qatar, with Morocco, to release Saharawi soldiers and to spotlight the fate of
the disappeared".

Considering that it did never stop "granting the biggest sacrifices in favour of the opportunities of peace and choosing the peaceful paths for the decolonisation of Western Sahara, conforming to law and legality", Polisario Front called the international community to "assume its responsibilities in front of Moroccan intransigence, which may have serious consequences to all the region of the Maghreb''.

To Polisario Front, Morocco "can not continue, with impunity, to oppose international community's efforts and reject the resolutions unanimously adopted by Security Council, especially resolution 1495 of the 31st July 2003, which calls Morocco to accept and implement, UN Secretary General's Personal Envoy to Western Sahara, James Baker III's « Peace Plan for self-determination of Saharawi People»". (SPS)

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