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.

Morocco's southern provinces are witnessing an exceptional urbanization and growth rate compared to the rest of the country, ambassador and Morocco's representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Omar Hilale said on Tuesday.

Mr. Ould Errachid Khalihenna, chairman of the Royal Advisory Saharan Affairs, attended the 1st Regional Conference on Governance: individual rights, economic development and social progress, organized by Amadeus Institute, on February 26-27, 2009, in Marrakesh.

The Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for the Sahara, Christopher Ross, described as "extremely important" for the future of North Africa the mission entrusted to him by the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Chairman of the Royal Advisory Council for Saharan Affairs (CORCAS), Khalihenna Ould Errachid, conferred, Thursday afternoon in Rabat, with the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for the Sahara, Christopher Ross.