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Royal Advisory Council for Saharan Affairs
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The Royal Advisory Council for Saharan Affairs or Corcas, from the French abbreviation of Conseil royal consultatif pour les affaires sahariennes, is an advisory committee to the Moroccan government on the Western Sahara. It was originally devised by King Hassan II in the 1970s, but allowed to expire, and renewed by his son, Mohammed VI in early 2006, after the proposal of an autonomy plan devised to replace the United Nations' Baker Plan.
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Encyclopedia
The Royal Advisory Council for Saharan Affairs or Corcas, from the French abbreviation of Conseil royal consultatif pour les affaires sahariennes, is an advisory committee to the Moroccan government on the Western Sahara. It was originally devised by King Hassan II in the 1970s, but allowed to expire, and renewed by his son, Mohammed VI in early 2006, after the proposal of an autonomy plan devised to replace the United Nations' Baker Plan. The autonomy plan is opposed by the Algeria backed Polisario Front, which demands that the United Nations resolutions and Moroccan-Polisario agreements calling for a referendum be implemented.
Mission
The CORCAS is intended as a consultative body for proposals related to what Morocco regards as its Southern Provinces, but also to defend the kingdom's "territorial integrity" in the media and in international fora.
Task of the Council is to facilitate dialogue with the Sahrawi in the refugee camps of Tindouf, Algeria.
Composition
The 141 members of CORCAS are Sahrawi and Moroccan political and traditional (tribal) notables (sheikhs), elected representatives for women and youth groups and civic society officials. The members are appointed by the Moroccan government and support the Moroccan claims on Western Sahara. Of these members 14 (10%) are women . Notably, the father of Polisario leader Mohamed Abdelaziz is a member of the CORCAS.
Its chairman, Khelli Henna Ould Rachid, is a former leader of the PUNS, a now-defunct political party operated by the Spanish colonial government to rally support for its rule in then-Spanish Sahara in the 1970s. After the departure of the Spanish in 1975, which caused the dissolution of the PUNS, he became a defender of Morocco's position on the Sahara, and became a figurehead for the Moroccan government's rule in the Western Sahara.
There are nine vice-presidents: Khedad Moussaoui, Hassan Derham, Abdelaziz Abba, Omar Bouida, Ali Salem Chekaf, Othmane Ila, Hassana Cherif, Brika Zerouali and Kaltoum Khyate.
CORCAS set up five commissions, envisaged by its statutes ,
- the commission for social affairs, human development and the environment;
- the commission for external affairs and cooperation;
- the commission for the defense of human rights, public freedoms and the populations of the camps;
- the commission for economic affairs, education and training;
- and the commission for the promotion of the Hassanie culture, information and communication.
International activities
The CORCAS leadership travels extensively and is regularly featured in the Moroccan press. Its chairman, Khellihenna Ould Errachid, regularly attends meetings in foreign forums, such as the UN, where the Sahara question is discussed. Among others, the CORCAS president has met with the President of the People's Republic of China president, the former French foreign minister, and various other international officials.
The chairman of Corcas as well as the Secretary General, Dr Maouelainin Ben Khalihenna Maouelainin, are the spokesman of the Moroccan delegation in Manhassett talks under the supervision of the personal envoy of the Secretary General of the UN.
Criticism
In an interview with the independent Moroccan weekly magazine Le Journal Hebdomadaire, CORCAS member El Houcine Baïda a former victim of Human Rights abuses by Polisario, and head of PASVERTI Association of Sahrawi victims of repression in the Tindouf Camps, as chairman of the Human Rights Commission within CORCAS complained about the lack of tackling human rights issues, and about the way CORCAS president Khellihenna runs the Council. In his opinion, the country's actions in the Southern Provinces were alienating Sahrawis, and thus could push more youth towards separatism. He further claimed that most of the organization's members were allowed no knowledge of the government's autonomy plan - that they were supposedly responsible for drafting - and that CORCAS chairman Khellihenna Ould Errachid runs the council's affairs despotically, and on a trip occasion behaved with him like "a new Franco".. Beida is at odd terms personnally with the CORCAS chairman, and has been part of all delegations that had the task of explaining the mission of the CORCAS abroad.
- I would like to take part of the on-going discussion about Human rights in the Western Sahara region, if Mr El Houcine Baida a former victim of Human rights abuses by Polisarion front is not happy with the performance of CORCAS in terms of Human Rights in Wester Sahara, he may have his own reasons , but in practical terms there is no doubt that the human Rights aspect in Western ahara has known a substantial changes whereas human rights abuses in the refugee camps in Tindouf are deteriorating , therefore a number of Sahraoui Refugees have managed to escape and join Morocco , and more precisely they went back to where they belong in the Western Sahara region . In this respect , and as far as CORCAS is concerned , it is worth reminding of the second ordinary session of CORCAS for 2008, where a press release issued at the end of the session that highlights the significant progress made by Motrocco in the consecration of the culture of Human rights and their protection, among aothers the press release mentions the following : " At that meeting , which coincides with the 60th anniversary of thje universal declaration of human rightdf, members of CORCAS proudly stressed the experience of Morocco in the field of human rights , acquired through thje desire of his majesty King Mohammed vi " (source MAP) .
In my view CORCAS leadership is aware of the importance of the phenomenon oh Humann rights, in Western Sahara, in fact some Sahraoui activists and even separatists (purely from the Moroccan points of view), who keep demanding the creation of a state in Western sahara , among others the famous activist and pro-Polisario Aminatu Haidar , who moves freely inside and outside Morocco , with a Moroccan passport defending her views which are basically against the wish of large number , f not the Majority of Sahraouis , who have opted and welcomed the MOroccan proposal of a substantial autonomy for Sahraouis as a fair and just outcome o the Sahara dispute . Mrs Haidar is very active abroad in terms of promoting Polisario and its views , but she is not denied any right of expression , she was neverv subject of Interrogation, nor she was deprived from her passport . Sh e is in fact aoroccan citizen who enjoys all thev civil rights .Terry Batcher
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See also
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