Morocco's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Omar Hilal, strongly criticized Algeria's refugee policies and treatment of residents in Tindouf camps during a UN Security Council meeting. Hilal questioned Algeria's continued refusal to allow individual registration of Tindouf camp residents under the supervision of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. He emphasized that determining the identities and numbers of camp residents is essential for ensuring their protection and directing humanitarian aid to them.
Hilal highlighted that Tindouf camps are the only refugee camps in the world where the host state refuses to officially and individually register refugees. He argued that this is because the refugees are primarily from Mali, Algeria, and Nigeria. Hilal urged Algeria to allow the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to register and identify individuals in Tindouf camps, assuring that Morocco would accept the results of such a census.
The Moroccan ambassador also pointed out that Tindouf camps are the only refugee camps in the world where the host state has relinquished its sovereignty to a separatist armed group. This group, he claimed, exploits children for military activities by recruiting and sending them on military missions. Hilal addressed the Algerian representative, stating that Algeria cannot claim to defend refugees' rights while depriving them of their basic rights.
Hilal accused Algeria of preventing refugees from leaving Tindouf camps, choosing their place of residence, or returning to the Moroccan Sahara. He noted that Morocco has been calling for decades for those who wish to return to do so with international guarantees and UNHCR assistance. Hilal asserted that Algeria's stance is that refugees can only return if a political solution is reached.
The Moroccan diplomat declared that Algeria is the only host country that prevents refugees from returning to their homes. In contrast, other countries encourage refugees to return to their countries of origin while seeking a political solution. Hilal called on Algeria to allow refugees to return to the Moroccan Sahara or resettle in other countries.
Hilal also raised concerns about the misuse of humanitarian aid provided to Tindouf camps. He claimed that the aid is not used to improve the dire humanitarian conditions in the camps but is instead used to supply arms and military equipment to young people in the camps.
The developments surrounding Tindouf camps and the refugee crisis coincide with the UN Security Council's decision not to renew the mandate of the MINURSO peacekeeping mission in the Western Sahara. The US Ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, stated that the MINURSO mission has become a "symbol of a failed project."
Key points
- Morocco criticizes Algeria's treatment of refugees in Tindouf camps at the UN Security Council.
- Algeria accused of preventing refugees from returning to their homes or choosing their place of residence.
- The UN Security Council's decision not to renew the MINURSO mission's mandate marks a significant shift in the Western Sahara conflict.
