Participants in a conference held on Thursday at the UN office in Geneva decried the forced disappearances of Moroccan Sahrawis in the Tindouf camps, south west of Algeria, describing the autonomy initiative proposed by Morocco as the only solution to end the plight of the families sequestrated in these camps.

Persistence of tension around the Sahara issue could transform the Maghreb region into base for terrorism.

Mr. El Mami Boussif, member of the Royal Advisory Council for Saharan Affairs (CORCAS) and President of the region of Oued Eddahab-Lagouira, warned on Wednesday in New York against the persistence of tension around the artificial problem Sahara that could transform the Maghreb region into base for terrorism.

Members of a delegation representing Morocco's southern provinces, on Wednesday, described autonomy proposal as the only solution to end the human tragedy endured by the Sahrawi population in the camps of Tindouf, south-western Algeria.

Participants at a roundtable in Geneva over the Sahara were unanimous in stressing the relevance of the Moroccan autonomy initiative in the southern provinces, which was, they said, "the best solution" to this ongoing conflict.