Western Sahara: UN envoy welcomes decision to release 100 Moroccan POWs

A top United Nations envoy for Western Sahara today welcomed the announcement by the Frente POLISARIO of its decision to release 100 Moroccan prisoners of war to mark the day of Eid-al-Adha.

William Lacy Swing, the chief of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), hailed the decision, which was announced on Monday and came after the intervention of a Member State. He said it was responsive to Security Council resolution 1429, and expressed his hope for an early release of all remaining prisoners of war in full compliance with international humanitarian law.

Mr. Swing also called on the parties to continue to cooperate with the efforts of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to resolve the fate of all those unaccounted for since the beginning of the conflict.