The Polisario Front, fighting for independence for Western Sahara, has released 186 Moroccan prisoners of war some of whom have been held for 25 years and are aged and ill, the ICRC told IRIN on Monday.
The ICRC said that of the POWs repatriated over the weekend, 83 were initially freed in April 1997 "but were just stuck" because Morocco wanted back all its POWs.
The ICRC said there were still 1,686 Moroccan POWs in captivity but has been able to visit them regularly and deliver medicines and mail from their families.
Polisario has been fighting Morocco over the former Spanish colony which Rabat has annexed. The belligerents have agreed to a UN-organised referendum to decide on sovereignty for the northwest African territory, but are in dispute over who is entitled to vote.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
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