Agitation around Polisario inappropriate in front of Moroccan autonomy proposal, Belgian Senator

Belgian senator, State Minister and vice-president of the Socialist Party, Philippe Moureaux deemed "inappropriate" agitation around the Algeria-backed Polisario separatists, while Morocco is offering autonomy to its Southern Provinces, The Sahara. "If he understands that there is a nuance in the socialist party on the (Sahara) issue, M. Philippe Moureaux deems inappropriate the mobilization around the Polisario, while Morocco is trying to open talks by offering internal autonomy for the southern region of the Sahara," a press release of the Brussels Federation of the SP said.
The statement came in reaction to a meeting held Thursday at the initiative of the socialist party senator Christiane Vienne, with the aim of creating an inter-parliamentary group in support to the Polisario.
The polisario is claiming the separation of Morocco's Sahara, a former Spanish colony ceded to Morocco in 1976 under the Madrid Accord signed with Madrid and Nouakchott.
Moureaux also voiced support to Morocco’s autonomy plan for the Sahara, a plan that was widely welcomed as serious and credible, and that has triggered a process of negotiations under the UN aegis.
The plan “seems to be the only (initiative) to meet the interests of the populations,” he said.
Vienne’s move has sparked the indignation of the Moroccans in Belgium and elsewhere.
The association of the Moroccans living in Belgium denounced it as “irresponsible and provoking,” while the World Alliance of Moroccan Expatriates (known with the French acronym, AMOME) condemned the “use of such a painful issue which is that of the suffering of the populations” of the Polisario-run Tindouf camps, southwestern Algeria.
Source: MAPNews and events on Western Sahara issue / Corcas

Morocco calls on the European institutions to condemn "Polisario" irresponsible and provocative acts

Morocco has called on the European Union institutions to denounce "Polisario" irresponsible and provocative actions and impediment acts to a definitive solution to the Sahara issue conducted by the separatists who are planning to organize their "congress" in Tifariti buffer zone.
In a letter to the EU presidency, the EU Council, the European Commission and Parliament, Morocco points out that this is another violation of ceasefire agreements proclaimed in 1991.
According to the letter sent to European institutions by the Moroccan Ambassador to the European Communities, Mr. Menouar Alem, these are new manoeuvres by "Polisario" clearly aiming at damaging the positive momentum generated by the Moroccan autonomy initiative reinforced by the latest Security Council resolutions (1754 and 1783) and the General Assembly and greeted by all the international community. These actions, says the letter, sent also to EU senior officials and several MEPs, endanger the serenity climate that should prevail at this crucial stage of the negotiation process between parties.
The letter added that since ceasefire declaration, "Polisario" was responsible for several violations, proved by UN Secretary General reports and that no UN documentation recognizes any territory division, or a so-called "Polisario" sovereignty in eastern defence area. Morocco, the letter continues, regrets that "Polisario" uses, again and in disregard of humanitarian law, civilian population as part of a propaganda operation in a high-risk region, hoping to win legitimacy and representativeness of the Sahara population, of which it represents only a minority, which is itself detained in the Tindouf camps and therefore cannot express itself freely.
Accordingly, the letter says, the displacement of hundreds of people and their leadership by military elements, wearing civilian clothes for the occasion are, as pointed out by the UN Secretary-General, "a breach of the military agreement no.1 "(reports S/2005/254, April 19, 2005 and S/2007/207, April 30, 2007) and" contributes to heightened tensions on the ground and can cause a deterioration of the situation along the defence wall. " (See report S/2005/648, October 13, 2005).
The ambassador recalled that in the southern provinces, people contribute actively at the local, regional and national levels in the political, economic, social and cultural life in Morocco. This was demonstrated during the last legislative elections in September, when participation rate in the region was the highest compared to other regions of Morocco, ranged from 52 pc to 64 pc.
The ambassador also highlighted the role of the Royal Advisory Council for Saharan Affairs (CORCAS), the representative of various segments of the population in the region, in developing the Moroccan Initiative for the Negotiation of an Autonomy Statute in the Sahara and its active participation in negotiations.Source: MAPNews and events on Western Sahara issue

Sources:
http://www.corcas.com/
http://www.sahara-online.net/
http://www.sahara-developpement.com/
http://www.sahara-social.com/
http://www.sahara-villes.com/
http://www.sahara-culture.com/