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WEEKS 35 - 36 : 22.08. - 04.09.2004 |
23.08.04
El-Khalil Ould Sidi Mohamed, Saharawi minister for the Occupied
Territories and Colonies abroad sent a "message of friendship and
solidarity" from the President of SADR to the Mauritanian President,
Maaouiya Ould Taya. This message concerns the "strengthening of
bilateral relations (between the two countries) and the latest
developments in the situation" in SADR.
[AFP]
30.08.04 -
02.09.04
Trip
The President of SADR embarked on a trip to Latin America. During the
first stopover in Venezuela on 30 August, the delegation which
comprises Mahfoudh Ali Beiba, President of the National Council,
Ahmedou Soueilem, minister counselor to the Presidency as well as
ambassadors Ahmed Moulaye Ali (Mexico) and Mr El Haj Ahmed
(Venezuela), were received by the Venezuelan Vice-President,
José Vecente Rangel, who reiterated his support for the people
and government of Venezuela for the Peace Plan for self-determination
of the Saharawi people.
Second stage:
Panama
The Saharawi delegation was invited to the swearing-in ceremony of
the new Panamian president, Martin Torrijos, on 1 September. During a
meeting with the Saharawi leader, Torrijos reiterated "the
determination of the new Government to remain faithful to the
heritage of the General Omar Torrijos (father of the newly elected
president) on the right to independence of the Saharawi people and to
consolidate bilateral relations between the two peoples". For his
part, Mr Abdelaziz applauded "the loyalty with which the people and
successive Panamanian governments have defended the right to
independence of the Saharawi people since Panama recognised SADR in
1978". At the end of the investiture ceremony, Mr Abdelaziz called on
Latin America to play a more active role and expressed the thought
that "this is the right moment for Central America through the
establishment of diplomatic relations with SADR, to reject the
intransigent attitude of Morocco towards Western Sahara.
Third Stage:
Venezuela
Having arrived in Caracas on 2 September, Mohamed Abdelaziz was
received the next day by the President of the Bolivarian Republic,
Hugo Chavez Frias. The two heads of state discussed recent
developments in the question of Western Sahara and bilateral
relations between the two countries. Chavez presented the Saharawi
president with a replica of the sword of Simon Bolivar, "as a symbol
of the friendship between our two countries, of the brotherhood which
unites our two peoples and of the struggle that the liberator (Simon
Bolivar) led for independence and against colonialism, Mr Chavez
emphasised.
For his part, the President of the Saharawi Republic gave his host a
general's baton of Saharawi craftsmanship, "in recognition of the
charisma and wisdow which you embody", he underlined.
At the end of the talks, Mr Chavez expressed his "concern" at the
refusal of Morocco to comply with international law, affirming that
his country "will from now on raise its voice in support of the
Saharawi cause". He exhorted the Kingdom of Morocco to "abide by the
resolutions of the Security Council". On the other hand, the
Bolivarian Head of State condemned the Moroccan wall of shame and
called on the international community for firm and consistant support
from the United Nations to impose the respect of the resolutions of
the Security Council and to adopt the path of self-determination for
the Saharawi people again". Mr Chavez assured furthermore that his
government would conduct a diplomatic offensive at international
level in Latin America, Africa and the countries of OPEP and Asia
side by side with our friends from around the world", so as "peace is
protected by justice" and not imposed "by walls, anti-personnel
mines and occupying troops. We must continue to say no to Moroccan
imperialism and colonialism in Western Sahara, he added.
[SPS][MONOGRÁFICO
R.A.S.D.-VENEZUELA, Selección de prensa,
4-09-2.004]
22.08.04
Police violence in occupied El Ayoun
http://alisalemtamek.site.voila.fr/NI230804.html#fr
Plain clothes policemen in a drunken state entered at night into the
house of a former Saharawi political prisoner, Bachir Seicri. Seicri
had been imprisoned for 3 months in the Black Prison of El Ayoun for
having tried to join the ranks of the Polisario Front last Ramadan.
The family gave so much opposition to the new arrest, that the police
needed to call for reinforcements. The family was badly treated, hit,
tortured and insulted. As a result of these attacks, the mother of
Seicri Fatimetu Ebleila as well as her daughter, Emneia Seicri were
seriously injured. The incidents degenerated into confrontations with
a large number of neighbours who ran in to be at the trouble spot.
[corr.] [Communiqué
de l'Union des Juristes Sahraouis,
24.08.04]
23.08.04
Arrest
and summary sentence
A young Saharawi Mahmoud El Mustapha Haddad, born in El Ayoun in
1982, in the night of 18 August replaced the Moroccan flag with the
national Saharawi flag in the city of Eskeikima. He was immediately
arrested by a dozen men in plain clothes belonging to the Moroccan
police. He was tortured before being taken off in an unmarked vehicle
to the judicial police, where he was subjected, over 72 hours, to all
sorts of torture: cigarette burns, blows to every part of the body,
etc. He was obliged to sign a "prefabricated" confession before being
transferred to the Black Prison of El Ayoun on 20 August. On 23, in
the course of the summary sentencing in the absence of his lawyer and
family, he was sentenced to 8 months in prison and a fine of 5,000
dirhams. Reason given: attack on the sacred principles of the state
and affray with the forces of order.
His mother, Fatma Hiba, tried to lodge a complaint with the
prosecutor general in the town of El Ayoun, protesting about the
conditions of the arrest of her son and the torture undergone. The
public prosecutor refused to register the complaint. The family will
appeal against the sentence. [corr.]
[Comunicado
AFAPREDESA
y UJS 25.08.04] [Press
release
AFAPREDESA and USJ, 25.08.04]
02.09.04
Appeal
Political prisoners in the Black Prison of El Ayoun in a statement,
condemn the exactions exercised by the Moroccan state against the
Saharawi population in the occupied territories, in particular the
systematic practice of torture and other inhumane forms of treatment
and summary justice, quoting the case of Mahmud Mustafa Haddad (see
above) or that of the Saharawi citizen Mohamed ould Chia from Dakhla,
sentenced to 4 months in prison after having been savagely tortured
by the police inspector, known as Bouchaib.
They launch an urgent appeal to the international community and in
particular to human rights organisations to apply the necessary
pressure on the Kingdom of Morocco to abide by the provisions of the
human rights conventions which it has ratified.
[Press
release]
[Communiqué]
[Comunicado]
[Árabe]
19.08.04
Declaration
The Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Mohamed
Benaissa, affirmed in an interview published by the Moroccan daily
"Assabah", that "any negotiation with the Polisario would lead to the
balkanisation of Africa and that Morocco could not undertake an
action which could encourage 'secessionist' movements because
Polisario is not the only one." Benaissa indicated that in Africa
there are other secessionist movements such as the Casamance movement
in Senegal and separatist movements in the Sudan. Morocco pleads for
union and cohesion, Benaissa said, continuing with "any meeting or
encounter with some separatist movement would signify in fact a
recognition of that separation".
01.09.04
Family visits
The visits between Saharawi families separated on the two sides of
the "wall of shame" finished at the end of August. From 5 March until
31 August some 800 people have been able to take advantage of the
weekly flights linking Tindouf with El Ayoun, Dakhla, Smara and
Boujdour, while 18,000 people figure on the waiting lists. The
Saharawi coordinator with MINURSO, Mohamed Khaddad, called for an
extension of the program so that a greater number of Saharawis could
profit from it. He also criticised the way Morocco had hampered this
humanitarian operation. The UNHCR declared itself ready to continue
the action, which is part of the confidence-building measures
figuring in the UN Peace Plan, if the finance is made available.
[SPS]
03.09.04
UN
The Special Representative for Western Sahara, Alvaro de Soto, will
meet the King of Morocco and high-ranking Moroccan officials on 6 and
7 September next in Rabat, and the Saharawi President on 12
September.[UN News]
28.08.04
Saharawi
Activism
Goulimine, a town in southern Morocco with a large Saharawi
population, was the theatre of a lightening strike by Saharawi
independence activists.
When, early in the morning, the first inhabitants arrived at the
weekly souk, known as the AMHAYRICH souk, they found themselves
surrounded by an unusual decoration: everywhere in the souk there
were SADR flags flying.
The local authorities intervened rapidly to gather up these flags and
prevent other inhabitants from getting to the place. After this
operation of collection, a police barrage was set up at the entrance
to the souk to search inhabitants who were going there, especially
young people among them.
This weekly souk (market) has been taking place every Saturday for
ever. For the town of Goulimine and the whole region it is the
commercial meeting place where the population stock up with
vegetables and fresh produce and where also camels and goats are
sold. In Goulimine and in surrounding oases such as Tighmert or
Asrir, there are many Saharawis and many feel themselves to be
discriminated against. One will recall again the lively reactions and
demonstrations which took place in April of this year following the
death of a young Saharawi Chouihi Slimane, who died from torture
undergone at the Centre for the Royal Gendarmerie in
Goulimine.[>> complete
story]
01.09.04
Price increase for liquid petrol and oil products in occupied
Sahara
A recent price increase on the sale of liquid petrol and oil products
has affected the territory of Western Sahara, on the same basis as
Morocco. As an example, a litre of petrol is sold in the occupied
zone for 4.75DH as opposed to 9.35DH in the Kingdom. This action
marks the beginning of the normalisation of prices in the zone which
has benefited for a long time from special treatment. Furthermore, a
staggered increase in petrol products looks like being started in
order to bring them into line with the prices operating in
Morocco.
30
Conferencia EUCOCO - 30ème Conférence EUCOCO - 30th
EUCOCO Conference:
Zaragoza (Spain), 26, 27 and the 28 of November 2004.
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Arabe
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