Moroccan king wraps up visit to Western Sahara, pardons 216 prisoners
2006-03-26
On Saturday (25 March), Moroccan King Mohammed VI wrapped up a six-day visit to Western Sahara with talks on a plan to give the territory greater autonomy, which will be submitted soon to the UN. The king met the 140 members of the Consultative Council for Saharan Affairs.
Mohammed VI said in a speech on Saturday in Laayoune that he will be "particularly attentive" to the advice and suggestions of the council, which he called on to be "an effective institution of development" in the territory. He also called on populations in southern provinces to get involved in consultations on the autonomy project within the framework of Morocco's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
On his last day in the territory, the Moroccan king granted pardons to 216 Sahwari prisoners, including around 30 activists involved in the independence movement. According to AFP, the freed militants included Ali Salem Tamek, who has spoken out in several Moroccan newspapers in favour of an independent Western Sahara. (MAP, AFP)
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