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U.S. supports political process for disputed Western Sahara

Xinhua, February 18, 2016 Adjust font size:

The U.S. said Wednesday it supports the UN-led negotiation process that would pave the way for the self determination of the people of the disputed Western Sahara, according to a statement by the U.S. Embassy in Algiers.

The statement was issued after a visit by U.S. Ambassador Joan Polaschik to Sahrawi Refugee Camps in the province of Tindouf in southwestern Algeria.

The visit was aimed to evaluate the implementation of U.S. humanitarian aid to the Sahrawi refugees and to gain a better understanding of the humanitarian situation in the camps, the statement said.

It added that the U.S. has contributed over 23 million dollars to supporting the Sahrawi refugees, including over 4 million dollars for the life sustaining activities and the reconstruction efforts following the October 2015 floods.

Western Sahara is a former Spanish colony under dispute since 1975 between Morocco and the Polisario Front which proclaimed the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) with a government-in-exile in Tindouf.

The Western Sahara has been on the UN list of non-self-governing territories since 1963. A UN-led process of negotiations between Morocco and the Polisario is lagging behind.

Morocco says it is ready to grant autonomy rule to Sahrawi people, while the Algeria-backed Polisario demands to hold a self-determination referendum.

The lasting diplomatic coldness between Algiers and Rabat is mostly provoked by the disagreement between the two nations over this issue. Endit