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WEEKLY NEWS |
original french
30.12.2001- 05.01.2002
12.12.01
Sweden
In a reply to a letter from three Swedish NGOs signed by a number of
MPs, political parties, youth organisations etc the Swedish foreign
minister Anna Lindh says on 12 December : «We are still calling
for the right of the Saharawi people to self-determination, whichever
way they choose to reach a solution. We do not consider Morocco to
have the right to negotiate on the Saharawi fishing or to grant oil
or other concessions. Both parties and above all Morocco should
restrain from deliberate provocations in whatever form they
occur.»
24.12.01
Smara
Hadhiya Ould Hmeim, a Saharawi citizen, was abducted right in the
street by special forces, tortured and brutally interrogated before
being thrown back into the street. He was being accused of having
taken part in the demonstrations on 17 November in Smara, organised
to protest against the visit of the King of Morocco to the occupied
territories. (SPS)
24.12.01
Smara
Students from the lycée Saguia el Hamra in Smara organised a
sit-in in their school in solidarity with the Saharawi political
detainees and to call for their release. (SPS)
27.12.01
Morocco - oil prospecting
The Moroccan government recalled, in a note to the Spanish
authorities, the necessity of respecting international law and
practice, which obliges neighbouring countries not to determine
unilaterally their coastal borders, but through common consent. "The
Spanish authorities, the communiqué adds, are surely aware
that international law and practice accord different status to
continental states and to islands in relation to their respective
rights to territorial waters. They also know that geographical and
geological studies of the region demonstrate clearly that the
Moroccan continental shelf does not stop at the mid-way line." The
company, Repsol, had signed an agreement for oil exploration around
the Canary Islands on the basis of the rule of the mid-way line,
which is applicable to territorial waters of
countries less than 200 nautical miles apart.
31.12.01
Hunger Strike
Since 25.12.01, Saharawi political prisoners and common law prisoners
in the civil prison of El Ayoun are on an unlimited hunger
strike, to protest against their conditions of incarceration. The
action is taken by 131 people. There are 23 political prisoners,
arrested for having taken part in demonstrations in El Ayoun and
Smara. Six of them were sentenced on 20.12.01, the others are
awaiting sentence. They denounce the repression, the abductions and
the summary sentences of which they are victims and demand to be
released immediately. Other common law prisoners have joined the
political detainees, in protest at the discrimination which they
suffer as Saharawis. They believe, among other things, that the
punishments handed down to them are more severe than those given to
Moroccans for the same offence.
Seven people have been transferred to hospital, 25 others are
presenting serious health problems, but remain without care, likewise
one of the strikers suffering from diabetes.
The conditions of detention in the civil prison of El Ayoun are
deplorable: with a capacity to house 200-250 persons, the
establishment is at present holding 700 detainees. The cells are
overcrowded, leading to shocking conditions for health, the
spread of infectious illnesses such as tuberculosis, sexual
harassment particularly of minors, who do not have a separate
section, as well as drug trafficking.
Over recent days the attitude of the authorities has hardened. Haddi
Ahmed Mahmoud, a common law prisoner, suspected of being the
instigator of the hunger strike movement, was beaten up by about 20
prison guards and isolated. The director of the prison uses threats
and intimidation, forbids any transfer for medical care, exercise in
the prison yard, and the use of the only public telephone in the
prison. The hunger strikers are threatened with being sent to remand
prisons in Morocco. Two of them, Alharti Sidahmed and El Moutrib
Sidahmed were transferred on 3 January.
On 2 January, in a statement, the hunger strikers asked human rights
organisations, in particular the Fondation
France-Libertés, to intervene on their behalf with the
Moroccan authorities and denounce once again the inhuman conditions
of their imprisonment. They finally asked the UN Secretary General
and his personal envoy, James Baker, to allow the Saharawi people to
exercise its right to self-determination. ( corr.,
SPS)
The
Saharawi President requested on 02.01.01 the urgent intervention of
the Security Council with the Moroccan government on behalf of the
Saharawi hunger strikers in the prison of El Ayoun. (SPS)
For its part, Western Sahara Alliance Australia sent a similar
message to Kofi Annan.
02.01.02
Mothers protest
In parallel with the protest movement in the prison, mothers of
detainees have been demonstrating since 26 December in front of the
Court of Appeal and the civil prison. Each time they are dispersed by
police and their leaflets confiscated. A third sit-in on 31.12 was
also once again violently broken up.
On 2 January 70 mothers of detainees gathered in the morning in front
of the city offices of El Ayoun, to demand the immediate release of
their sons on hunger strike. They then went to the prison passing by
the Magistrate's Court, the Court of Appeal and the MINURSO's HQ,
all on the same street. At the end of their march anti-riot
forces intervened brutally to disperse them, charging the women
violently with batons and kicking them. 23 participants were injured.
(corr.)
02.01.02
Prisoners of war
The Polisario Front announced the liberation of 115 Moroccan
prisoners of war on the occasion of the New Year and the end of
Ramadan. They were freed at the request of the President of the
Spanish government, José Maria Aznar. This was done to show
"gratitude for the interest that Spain has always shown for the
conflict in Western Sahara". The Spanish Red Cross and the ICRC will
be responsible for the repatriation. There are still 1362 Moroccan
prisoners of war.
The Spanish government expressed its satisfaction at the announcement
of the liberation. It declared itself ready to work, during its
presidency of the EU from January to June 2002, towards a solution of
the conflict, including its humanitarian aspects, working in the
context of respect for international law and the legitimate interests
and aspirations of all the parties involved.
In a statement, MINURSO asked the two parties to free all detainees
imprisoned since the beginning of the conflict. It considers that
continuing to hold prisoners of war is a serious humanitarian problem
in view of their age, their state of health and the length of the
captivity.
02-04.01.02
UN
On a visit to the Saharawi refugee camps, the Special Representative
of the UN Secretary General in Western Sahara, the American diplomat,
William Lacy Swing, was received by President Mohamed Abdelaziz. He
also met expert chioukh from the UN Identification Commission and
representatives of civil society. Interviewed by SPS, Mr Swing called
the liberation of 115 Moroccan prisoners of war "a humanitarian
gesture (that) everyone will applaud". On the subject of the fate of
the 131 Saharawi prisoners on hunger strike in El Ayoun prison, Mr
Swing indicated that he is "aware of the situation and about to
discuss it through diplomatic channels."
In a statement to SPS, M'hamed Khaddad, coordinator with MINURSO,
underlined that the "Mr Swing's political journey (...) predisposes
him more than any other to fully accomplish his mission ". Concerning
the meeting with the Saharawi President, Khaddad commented that "we
have above all insisted on the necessity to resume as soon as
possible the implementation of the United Nations settlement plan".
For Mr Khaddad, the Polisario Front "has just given new proof of its
good will and its receptiveness". He mentioned the agreement given to
the organisers of the Total-Dakar rally to cross Saharawi territory
as well as the "unilateral" liberation of 115 Moroccan prisoners of
war. (SPS)
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