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Tuesday 09 February 2010 12:54 GMT

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UN concerned over Morocco, Polisario tensions
Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:10:25 GMT
The United Nations has expressed concerns over renewed tensions between Morocco and the Polisario Front independence movement over Western Sahara.

"Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is concerned by the growing tension between the parties to the Western Sahara negotiations, which has increased following the recent detention of several groups of Saharawi activists and the situation of Aminatou Haidar," the UN said in a statement on Monday.

Western Sahara activist Aminatou Haidar began a hunger strike on Sunday at a Spanish airport where she had to return after her Moroccan passport was confiscated on November 13 when she arrived at Western Sahara capital of Laayoune.

A winner of several human rights awards for her human rights campaigning in the disputed Western Sahara territory, Haidar has turned down Spain's offer to grant her refugee status.

Morocco annexed phosphate-rich Western Sahara after Spain left in 1975 and has pledged to grant it widespread autonomy, but has ruled out independence as an option demanded by the Polisario Front.

While fighting halted in 1991, UN-sponsored talks on Western Sahara's future held in the New York suburb of Manhasset have so far made no headway.

Ban "has urged both parties to continue to cooperate with his Personal Envoy, Mr. Christopher Ross, in seeking to schedule another set of talks and to work together to achieve progress toward a mutually agreed political solution."
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