Morocco/Western Sahara: visit to Moroccan prisoners held by Polisario Front

From 17 to 23 March a team of four delegates, including a doctor, visited 805 of some 1,900 Moroccan prisoners still in the hands of the Polisario Front. This was the sixth time since 1993 that the ICRC had visited this group of prisoners, most of whom have been in captivity for nearly 20 years.

All those who wished to do so sent a photo and a Red Cross message to their families. A system to distribute parcels sent by the prisoners'families was set up by the ICRC two years ago; between December 1996 and March 1997 it enabled 538 parcels to be delivered.

An agreement between the ICRC and the Polisario Front calls for a second visit to take place in November 1997 so as to allow the 1,100 prisoners not seen during this visit to benefit from the ICRC's protection and humanitarian services.

The ICRC is continuing to do everything possible to resolve this humanitarian issue.