WESTERN SAHARA

WEEKLY NEWS

original french

WEEK 31

29.07.- 04.08.2001

29.07.01
Censorship
The Spanish daily El Pais of
22.07 was banned from distribution in Morocco because of the publication of a critical assessment of the king's reign and the government. Reporters without Frontiers protested. Since the beginning of the year already three papers have been banned from distribution, because of articles treating Western Sahara or the politics of Mohamed VI. (RSF)

30.07.01
Morocco
On the occasion of the second anniversary of his accession to the throne, Mohamed VI declared in his speech:
«Proceeding from our confidence in the kingdom's sovereignty and territorial integrity, we have responded to the Security Council's resolutions and to the UN secretary-general's proposals and to the efforts of his personal representative, and we engaged in assiduous talks with them to find a political solution to a fabricated conflict on the basis of the Moroccan character of our [Western] Sahara within the wide context of regionalization, democracy, consensus and Morocco's sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity. We believe that our cause is just and have put the development of our southern provinces at the top of our priorities. We have instructed our government to take all the necessary measures to guarantee a dignified life to all our loyal subjects in our southern provinces, whether those who live there or those who have returned [from the refugee camps in western Algeria] to the forgiving homeland...»

01.08.01
Slovenia
The papal nuncio in Slovenia, Edmond Farhat reiterates his full support of the legitimate right of the Saharawi people to self-determination, in a letter addressed to the chairman of the Slovenian Western Sahara support society.

Quotation of the week

«Morocco, which has far more political clout than its weaker southern neighbours, has failed to reach a new [fisheries] accord with the EC. It also illegally controls the rich waters of Western Sahara - territory it occupied in 1975». The battle for West Africa's fish, Tim Judah, BBC News Online, 30 July, 2001, 14:27 GMT.
A vigilant observer told us that the word "illegally" disappeared from the text in
subsequent broadcasts.

SOLIDARITY

The Canary Association of Friends of the Saharawi People issued an invitation on its webpage  to sign and send a letter to various international bodies, asking for the rapid holding of a referendum on self-determination in Western Sahara. Everybody can participate.

 

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