First Published 2009-05-22, Last Updated 2009-05-22 15:43:46
On 36th anniversary of start of 'armed struggle'
Polisario launches first TV channel
New channel to express 'reality' of conflict in Western Sahara, defy media blockade imposed by Morocco.
ALGIERS - The Polisario Front has officially launched its first satellite television channel, defying a media blockade imposed by Morocco on Western Sahara, the channel's director general said Thursday.
Mohamed Salem Ahmed Labaeid said RASD-TV, formally took to the air on Wednesday, the 36th anniversary of the start of what he called the "armed struggle" for the disputed region. In fact, it began telecasting on April 2.
Its broadcasts can be seen throughout Africa, western Europe and a large part of the Middle East, he said.
"This television will enable us to express ourselves and to directly give our point of view and our vision on the reality of the conflict in Western Sahara," he said.
Once a Spanish colony, Western Sahara was annexed in 1975 by Morocco. The two sides agreed to a UN-brokered ceasefire in 1991, but a promised referendum on self-determination has never materialised. |
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