The United Nations affirmed Friday that Mr. Peter Van Walsum is still the UN mediator concerning the Sahara issue and that “his status has not changed”.

The family visits exchange operation, led by the High Commissioner for Refugees (HCR), among Tindouf camps, in Southern Algeria and the Southern provinces of the Kingdom, was followed, Friday, by the organization of the 23rd trip during 2008, from and towards Oued Eddahab and Aousserd provinces.

The President of the Advisory Council for Saharan Affairs (CORCAS), Mr. Khallihenna Ould Errachid, had a discussion, Tuesday in Rabat, with the Chairman of the Central American Parliament (Parlacen), Mr. Julio Gonzalez Gamarra.

The extraordinary and plenipotentiary Ambassador of Portugal in Morocco, M. Joao Rosa La, has indicated that “the Sahara issue is one of the obstacles to the Maghreb regional integration deepening”, reminding that the Portuguese government welcomed the Moroccan autonomy initiative

The Arab Lawyers Union (ALU) has urged the parties concerned by the Sahara issue to implement the autonomy project proposed by Morocco in order to settle this matter.