Tunis, regional delegation (Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco/Western Sahara, Tunisia)

In 1999, the Tunis regional delegation again focused on the humanitarian issues arising from the aftermath of the Western Sahara conflict. It also started visits to detainees in Algeria and developed its cooperation with the Algerian Red Crescent Society in providing assistance for victims of violence. The ICRC’s work in the countries of the Maghreb also involved promotion of humanitarian law, spreading knowledge of ICRC activities and humanitarian diplomacy.
The situation in Algeria, which since 1992 had been regularly afflicted by unspeakable acts of violence, continued to be a major cause for humanitarian concern. The election of a new Algerian President in April 1999 gave rise to fresh hopes for national reconciliation. When put to a referendum on 16 September 1999, the law on civilian reconciliation received the overwhelming support of the Algerian people. There was still no breakthrough on the Western Sahara issue, despite intensive efforts by the UN. Over 1,800 Moroccan prisoners were still detained by the Polisario Front, and about 150,000 Sahrawi refugees, according to official figures, were still living in precarious conditions in camps in the region of Tindouf.
The year under review saw the death of King Hassan II of Morocco and the accession to the throne of his son King Mohammed VI in July.
International sanctions imposed on Libya were suspended in April 1999, following the handover of two suspects for trial under Scottish law in connection with the Lockerbie bombing in 1989.
Following a mission by the ICRC Director of Operations to Algiers in November 1998 to resume talks on ICRC activities in Algeria [17], the Algerian authorities wrote to the ICRC on 16 March expressing their willingness to allow it to visit all persons held under the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice. A first technical mission to Algeria was carried out from 14 to 16 June. Questions discussed with representatives of the Ministries of Justice and Foreign Affairs included ICRC standard procedures, such as repeated visits, access to all detainees and private interviews with detainees selected by the ICRC.

Renewed access to detainees in Algeria
These procedures having all been accepted, the ICRC carried out a first series of visits from 10 October to 15 November to places of detention under the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice in Algiers, Annaba and Oran. The delegates, including one medical doctor, were given full access to all premises and all detainees in each location. In all, twelve places of detention holding 6,980 inmates were visited, and interviews in private were held with 457 detainees. The resumption of visits to detainees had been a major ICRC goal ever since visits were suspended in 1992.
The ICRC’s findings concerning the conditions of detention and the problems raised by the detainees were discussed with the detaining authorities. A first report was drawn up for submission to the Algerian government in early January 2000.
Support for victims of violence in Algeria

In 1996, the ICRC started providing financial support for the Algerian Red Crescent’s assistance programmes for vulnerable families during the holy month of Ramadan and for the organization of summer camps for needy children. In 1999, it increased its cooperation by supporting a new National Society programme to provide psychological assistance for the victims of the violence in Algeria, in particular traumatized children and women.

New psycho-social rehabilitation programme
The primary aim of the programme was to respond to some of the most pressing needs by supporting both State-run centres – where affected children received assistance and psychologists and social workers training – and Algerian Red Crescent workshops, where women could find psychological support and learn a trade, and hence gradually be reintegrated into society. Three new workshops had been set up by the end of the year. ICRC support included the services of a psychiatrist, the distribution of material, books and texts, and funding.

Developing the Algerian Red Crescent’s operational capacity
Hand-in-hand with the above programme, the ICRC decided to help the Algerian Red Crescent strengthen its operational capacity, in particular its national first-aid network and its activities to spread knowledge of humanitarian law. A joint ICRC–Swedish Red Cross mission was carried out to Algiers in August to assess the National Society’s needs in terms of first-aid equipment and training.
The ICRC worked to reinforce the National Society’s capacity to spread knowledge of humanitarian law by providing materials on the subject and communications equipment. It helped organize dissemination training seminars and create dissemination tools such as publications and radio and TV programmes.

Aftermath of the Morocco/Western Sahara conflict
For over 20 years the repercussions of the conflict in the Western Sahara have been felt by thousands of people, including around 1,800 Moroccan prisoners held by the Polisario Front. The UN settlement plan, drawn up in 1991, had provided for the repatriation of all the captives only after the registration of everyone eligible to vote in a referendum on self-determination for the people of the Western Sahara. This thus linked the issue of the prisoners to a political settlement. The referendum has been postponed on numerous occasions, most recently until 2002.
In early 1999, in addition to the some 1,800 still held prisoner, 83 people released in April 1997 [18] were still awaiting repatriation because Morocco was opposed as a matter of principle to any repatriation which did not encompass all the prisoners.

ICRC calls for repatriation of detainees

Year after year the ICRC has reiterated that, under the provisions of humanitarian law, all prisoners must be repatriated as soon as active hostilities cease. In 1999, it repeatedly expressed its concern about the plight of all these men, most of whom were captured between 1978 and 1982, and made representations to all the parties concerned in order to find a humanitarian solution as soon as possible. The ICRC, which visits the prisoners regularly, has spared no effort in recent years to secure their unconditional release and repatriation in accordance with humanitarian law.
On 8 January, the ICRC President met the Polisario Front Coordinator for the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara at ICRC headquarters. The President reiterated the ICRC’s willingness to repatriate all persons detained in relation to the conflict and to undertake all necessary steps to ascertain the whereabouts of combatants from both sides who were still missing.
In 1999, a team of ICRC delegates including a doctor, an ophthalmologist and a dentist carried out two visits to the Moroccan prisoners, in March and in May. They saw over 1,500 of the Moroccan prisoners held by the Polisario Front, as well as the 83 prisoners released in April 1997 who were still awaiting repatriation.
The doctor drew up a list of prisoners who should be transferred to hospital for medical treatment. For many, the only possibility of receiving proper examination and treatment lay in repatriation. ICRC delegates noted that the prisoners were pinning their hopes on the new timetable for the UN settlement plan, and that any further deferral would have a disastrous effect on their already weak health and low morale.
Concern for detainees’ health

In August the ICRC received the green light from the Polisario Front and the Algerian authorities to transfer five Moroccan prisoners urgently in need of medical treatment from their camp in Tindouf to hospital in Algiers, in coordination with the Algerian Red Crescent. The ICRC subsequently repatriated the five to Morocco on 23 November, when the Polisario Front handed over to the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative a list of 191 Moroccan prisoners who had been freed on humanitarian grounds. The ICRC offered its services to the Polisario Front and to the Moroccan government for the repatriation of the remaining 186 prisoners on the list, including the 83 already released, in an operation that was due to be organized in early 2000.

Restoring family links
Throughout the year, a thousand kilos of family parcels and Red Cross messages received from Moroccan families were sent via the Algerian Red Crescent to the prisoners in the Tindouf area. At the end of July, an ICRC delegate met with families of the prisoners in Casablanca and Rabat, passing on news of their relatives following the ICRC's most recent visit and giving them the opportunity to write Red Cross messages.
In 1999, growing interest for humanitarian law and for its dissemination was discernible in the region, as was the wish on the part of the National Societies to play a leading role in this field.
In Morocco, a series of meetings was held with the Minister of Education and the Minister for Human Rights, to discuss ways of disseminating and implementing humanitarian law. In Tunisia, the ICRC met with a number of senior Tunisian officials, including the Minister of Higher Education, the President of the Arab Institute for Human Rights, and the Director of the International Studies Association. The discussions revolved around cooperation between these institutions, in particular for the events marking the 50th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions.

Disseminating humanitarian law
Significant efforts were undertaken to pursue the promotion of humanitarian law within Moroccan academic circles, in cooperation with the Moroccan Red Crescent. In January and June, an ICRC representative went to Morocco where he visited the law faculties of Oujda, Casablanca and Mohammedia Universities and the Higher Institute for Information and Communication in Rabat. He gave lectures on the Movement and the Geneva Conventions and completed the distribution of standard collections of humanitarian law books in these institutions. In October, the University of Casablanca started a “research and training unit” for postgraduate students, comprising 40 hours of teaching on humanitarian law and 40 hours on the Movement.
From 10 to 15 June, the ICRC carried out a mission to Nouakchott, Mauritania, where humanitarian law had already been integrated into the teaching programme for the armed forces and the National Guard. In September, the subject was introduced as part of the “civic instruction” course for high-school students.
Also in Mauritania, the ICRC organized a seminar in April on “Humanitarian Law, Human Rights and the Security Forces” at the National Guard Headquarters in Nouakchott. It was attended by instruction officers from the National Guard, the police, the army, and the gendarmerie. It was the first time this topic, in a form adapted to the participants’ daily work, was dealt with in a seminar in the Maghreb.

In Tunisia, the ICRC gave lectures on humanitarian law and the Movement to students at the Institute for Diplomatic Studies, after which the Board of Directors expressed the wish to incorporate the humanitarian law course into the Institute’s cur-riculum.
A team from the Faculty of Law and Political Sciences of the University of Tunis took part in the 11th Jean Pictet Moot Court Competition in Greece from 20 to 28 March. The team received financial and academic support from the ICRC, and expressed the wish to participate regularly in the future.

Focusing on journalists
The regional delegation worked on developing its relations with the media, which play a major role in relaying knowledge of humanitarian law and ICRC activities. A seminar for Moroccan journalists, focusing on the responsibility of the media in promoting better awareness among the public of humanitarian rules and principles, was organized in Rabat in November by the ICRC in cooperation with the Moroccan Red Crescent and the Moroccan Journalists’ Union. A competition for journalists was sub-sequently launched on the theme of the 50th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions.
The ICRC also contributed to a number of regional seminars on themes related to its mandate. In January, the regional delegation took part in a seminar on anti-personnel landmines for the countries of the Maghreb and in March it gave a presentation on the situation of children in armed conflicts at a regional conference on children's rights, both organized by the Arab Institute for Human Rights in Tunis. Arab NGOs, government representatives, the Arab League, and UNICEF were among the participants.

Cooperation with the National Societies
Throughout the year the ICRC continued to cooperate with the region’s National Societies, particularly as regards the promotion of humanitarian law within civil society. This entailed boosting the National Societies' information and dissemination capacity by providing material on the Movement and equipment and by supporting their events - organized either for Red Crescent volunteers or for the public at large - by giving presentations on humanitarian law and helping out with funding.

50th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions

The 50th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions provided a particularly good opportunity for joint activities. From 10 to 18 August, the regional delegate went to Mauritania to take part in a Mauritanian Red Crescent workshop for Mauritanian journalists, NGOs and representatives of UN organizations and in a training seminar in the town of Kaedi for 30 women who were heads of National Society branches. The delegate gave talks on fund-raising and tracing activities.
In Tunisia, the ICRC gave lectures on humanitarian law and the Movement to young Tunisian Red Crescent volunteers and first-aiders. In a congress on emergency preparedness organized by the National Society in Monsatir on 25 July, ICRC representatives gave a presentation on how to set up camps for displaced persons.
Besides Red Crescent volunteers, the representatives of several ministries attended. Also to mark the 50th anniversary, the ICRC regional delegation, together with the Tunisian Association of International and Transnational Law, organized a symposium in Tunis in November. Held under the patronage of the President of the Republic, the symposium afforded university professors from North Africa, Europe and America an opportunity to discuss recent developments in humanitarian law. The ICRC presented the results of its worldwide consultation on the rules of war and distributed copies of the “People on War” report to the participants.

IN 1999 THE ICRC:

carried out a first series of visits in Algeria to 12 places of detention holding a total of 6,980 inmates and held interviews in private with 457 detainees;

visited, in March and May, 1,556 Moroccan prisoners being held by the Polisario Front in 12 places of detention, including the 83 men released in 1997 and still awaiting repatriation;

restored and maintained contact between Moroccan prisoners and their families by forwarding 33,679 Red Cross messages (10,447 from the prisoners and 23,232 from their families);

sent 507 family parcels to Moroccan prisoners via the Algerian Red Crescent;

improved health care for Moroccan prisoners in Tindouf by providing ad hoc medical and dental assistance;

transferred five sick Moroccan prisoners, released for humanitarian reasons, from their camp to a hospital in Algiers on 17 August and subsequently repatriated them to Morocco in November;

provided 2.6 tonnes of essential medical supplies, including material for prostheses, as well as books, games and other leisure items, for the Moroccan prisoners and for the Sahrawi population;

in Algeria, continued to give financial support for the National Society's Ramadan programme through which soup kitchens were organized and material supplies were distributed to especially needy families;

supported eight two-week summer camps, organized by the Algerian Red Crescent, for over 15,000 children traumatized by violence;

provided material and technical support for Algerian Red Crescent programmes to provide psychological care for women and children traumatized by violence;

on 8 May, gave two presentations on humanitarian law and the Movement for 30 young Tunisian Red Crescent volunteers;

gave a lecture on humanitarian law and the Movement for Tunisian Red Crescent first-aiders, as part of a regional first-aid seminar organized by the National Society from 15 to 27 August which was also attended by around 100 Tunisian university students;

continued to provide monthly financial support for the Mauritanian Red Crescent’s Information Department ; donated audio-visual equipment in order to boost its information and dissemination capacity;

worked to strengthen the Oudja section of the Moroccan Red Crescent by providing dissemination material on the Movement and by visiting its seven health centres;

regularly provided promotional material and books for the Moroccan Red Crescent’s documentation centre in Rabat;

in Morocco, inaugurated a series of courses on humanitarian law and the Movement at the Higher Institute for Information and Communication in Rabat, which was attended by over 1,000 people;

in Tunisia, gave lectures on the Movement, ICRC activities and humanitarian law at the Institute for Diplomatic Studies and Continuing Education and at the Institute of the Press and the Science of Information;

co-organized, together with the Tunisian Association of International and Transnational Law, a symposium to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions in Tunis on 26 and 27 November;

took part in the first-ever regional seminar on anti-personnel landmines for countries of the Maghreb on 25 and 26 January in Tunis;

gave a report on the situation of children in armed conflicts at an Arab regional conference on the rights of children, organized by the Arab Institute for Human Rights in Tunis from 12 to 14 March;

for the second year running, co-produced 30 episodes of a radio drama series with National Moroccan Radio, with the support of the ICRC Regional Promotion Office in Cario, to be broadcast during Ramadan, raising listeners' awareness of the importance of protecting civilians' rights at all times.

in Mauritania, held a seminar on humanitarian law, human rights and the security forces for 26 officer instructors from the army and police;

Note

17. See the ICRC’s 1998 Annual Report, pp. 299-300.

18. In April 1997, following a visit to Tindouf by a special UN envoy, 85 vulnerable (elderly and seriously ill) prisoners were released by the Polisario Front. Two of them have since died in Tindouf without being reunited with their families.