|
WEEKS 01 - 02 : 01.01.-15.01.2005 |
01.01.05,
Creation of the Union of Saharawi Journalists and Writers
This new NGO, which brings together Saharawi journalists and writers,
intends to "take part in the most efficacious way possible in the
national struggle for the independence of Western Sahara". Malainine
Lakhal is elected secretary general, the members of the executive
board are M'Barka El Mehdi, Saleh Navaa, Hamdi Mahjoub and
Salek Muftah, as well as two members from the occupied territories of
Western Sahara. [SPS] [communiqués]
02.01.05,
Death
Mohamed Salem El Hadj M'Barek (Paquito, Nourredine) died in the
Netherlands following a serious illness. He had joined the Polisario
Front at its inception, took part in the armed struggle, then
represented SADR abroad. His tour of duty included Great Britain and
Scandinavia, then as ambassador of SADR in Iran and later, India.
After becoming seriously ill, he spent the last years of his life in
the Basque Country with his wife, Gurrutze known as Fatimetou
&endash; who lived through war and exile beside the Saharawis as a
nurse. The late talented diplomat and indefatiguable activist was
widely known for his joviality and sense of
humour.[>>special
page with tributes and condolences]
02-03.01.05,
External Relations
The annual national conference of the Committee of external relations
is held in the presence of the ambassadors and representatives of the
Polisario Front in Europe and the staff of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs. The secretary general of the Union of Youth UJSARIO presents
a detailed report on the summer holidays of Saharawi children abroad,
which benefits thousands of children each summer, discussing
difficulties encountered and ways of avoiding them in future.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ould Salek expresses his view
on the past year and the program for the year 2005.
The President of the Saharawi Red Crescent, Mr. Bouhoubeyni Yahya,
warns of the precarious humanitarian situation in the camps, calling
on the international community to increase their assistance.
The Association of Families of Saharawi Prisoners and Disappeared
(AFAPREDESA) reports on the dramatic situation existing in the
occupied territories of Western Sahara.
Finally, Mr. Mohamed Khaddad, member of the National Secretariat and
coordinator with MINURSO, looks at the latest developments of the
Saharawi question in the light of Security Council resolution
1570.
The Conference pays a heartfelt tribute to Mohamed Salem El Hadj
M'Barek. [SPS]
04.01.05,
Rally
SADR agrees, for incomprehensible reasons, to authorise the
Barcelona-Dakar Rally to cross its territory, after making contact
several times during the year 2004 with the organisers, without, for
all that, being mentioned as a country on the itinerary or being
shown on the official website's map!!!
[SPS]
05.01.05,
Parliament
The winter session of the National Council examines the reports of
the ministers of the Interior, of Justice and Islamic Affairs, as
well as that of the Secretariat of State for Public Office, SPS
reports laconically.
07.01.05,
Banned fishing
"Fishing boats belonging to army officers have been observed,
mid-week, 5 miles off the coast of Dakhla. Fishing is however,
strictly forbidden less than 12 miles off-shore... The ministry,
which has a GPS detection system, could not be ignorant of this
incursion. Neither could the royal navy, which is supposed to be
monitoring the situation. So...?" [Tel Quel No
158]
Repression, blunders and other abuses..
03.01.05,
Boujdour
A young Saharawi high school pupil, Khatri Laaroussi, is killed by a
Moroccan policeman who was driving in a drunken state. The family of
the victim lodged a complaint but until now no judicial action has
been taken.[AFAPREDESA]
[Cahiers du Sahara, in
Arabic]
05.01.05, El
Ayoun
The management of the black prison refuses to release a Saharawi
citizen, Haddi Cherif, who has just completed his two year term in
detention. [Cahiers du Sahara, in
Arabic]
05.01.05, El
Ayoun
Prisoners of conscience in the black prison (Carcel negra) decide to
create "a committee for the protection of Saharawi detainees". They
denounce "the serious human rights abuses occurring in the occupied
territories of Western Sahara", and exhort the Moroccan occupation
authorities to comply with international conventions relating to
civil and political rights and economic, social and cultural rights",
as well as to the "Geneva Convention relating to the protection of
civil population in time of war". [SPS]
[Statement
in Arabic]
06.01.05,
Goulimine
In Goulimine in southern Morocco, Saharawi unemployed graduates have
been holding a sit-in since 3 January outside the town offices
"protesting against their marginalisation by the Moroccan authorities
and claiming their right to work". The security forces intervene
savagely on 6 January and disperse the gathering, seriously wounding
three people including one woman.
08.01.05,
Assa
In Assa (south of Morocco), Saharawi unemployed graduates, holding a
sit-in outside the office of the pacha since mid-November, start an
unlimited hunger strike on 5 January. Their state of health "has
seriously worsened", SPS announces.
Meanwhile the Moroccan authorities proceed with searching (without
warrants) the houses of the parents of the demonstrators to
intimidate them. But the families declare themselves to be in
solidarity with the demonstrators and some mothers join the sit-in.
[COMMUNIQUÉ
AFAPREDESA,
08/01/05]
The local Committee of the International Campaign for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders in Western Sahara in a statement proclaims its solidarity with the strikers and asks the Moroccan authorities to accede to their demands.[Cahiers du Sahara in Arabic] [in Arabic, see also the site of Cahiers du Sahara]
14.01.05,
Amnesty international
On the eve of the official visit of the King of Spain to Morocco on
16 and 17 January and after a recent inquiry on the ground, AI
conveys to the sovereign its concern for the human rights situation
in Morocco and Western Sahara. The NGO points out in particular the
question of the Sahara, freedom of expression, womens' rights and
torture. [El
Mundo 14.01.05]
10.01.05,
Protests
Saharawi human rights activists relate in a statement conditions
surrounding the visit of the AI delegation to Tan-Tan, Smara and El
Ayoun. They protest against the extensive police surveillance of the
delegation, followed everywhere they went, as well as against
intimidations undergone by persons giving testimony and their
families who were subjected to interrogation. [Statement by
Saharawi activists after the visit of Mr Philip Luther to Western
Sahara. 12.01.05 in
Arabic]
10.12.04,
Japan
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs replies to the Japanese NGOs which
had written to it in October. It expresses assurance that their
country, as a member of the Security Council in 2005, intends to
cooperate with the other members to support the mediation efforts of
the Secretary General, but has no intention of recognising
SADR.[corr.]
31.12.04,
South Africa
In his new year's message, Thabo M'Beki hopes that significant
progress will be made towards the solution of the problems
confronting the peoples of Palestine, Israel, Iraq and Western
Sahara.[news24]
03.01.05,
Moratinos in Algiers
Questioned on the issue of Western Sahara, the Spanish Minister of
Foreign Affairs affirms that "Spain and Algeria have the capacity of
their influence to help the two parties in the conflict, Morocco and
the Polisario Front, to move towards the settlement of the conflict
in accordance with international law." [AFP,
07.01.05]
13.01.05,
Oil
The US company, Kerr-McGee, benefiting from oil exploration contracts
granted by Morocco since 2001, remains the last company active in the
territory, after the withdrawal of Total in November 2004.
[Weekly news 49-50/2004]
It is the target of a coordinated international action, which
aims to blacklist the shares of the company, because of its
activities denounced as immoral, illegal and irresponsible, with
supporting documents. Associations from 14 countries on 4 continents
write to screening agencies specialising in sustainable development
and social responsibility. These agencies evaluate and assess
businesses using ethical, environmental and social criteria. These
criteria increasingly influence the choices made by public and
private investors, pension funds, long term investment funds, etc.
The intervention at this level bore fruit in Norway, where, under
pressure from shareholders the company TGS-Nopec, sub-contracted by
Kerr-McGee, abandoned any collaboration in Western Sahara. It was the
same for Fugro NL and more recently, Thor Offshore Services (Faroe
Islands).[Campaign
Documents]
[Natural
resources:file on oil
exploration]
08.01.05,
Moroccan "Left"
The unified Socialist Left (GSU) and the Progress and Socialism Party
(PPS) decide to work together to defend a political solution to the
question of the Sahara through a "democratic management",
guaranteeing the "sovereignty" of Morocco over "its southern
provinces" and granting their populations "wide autonomy" in the
management of their affairs, within the context of a policy of
integrated regionalisation.[MAP]
08.01.05, Free
Trade Agreement
The Committee of Foreign Affairs of the Chamber of Representatives
adopts by a majority the Morocco-USA FTA, without having read it,
according to Le Monde. The Chamber of Deputies does the same on 13.
This agreement, which has still to be adopted at a second reading by
the Chamber of Councillors (Senate), covers "the whole of the
Moroccan territory including the Saharan provinces of the south",
according to the minister-delegate for Foreign Affairs, Taieb Fassi
Fihri. The American representative for Commerce, Robert Zoellick, had
affirmed the contrary [letter]
namely that the agreement concerns "the territory of Morocco
recognised internationally and does not include Western Sahara", in a
letter sent to an American
parliamentarian.[AFP]
OPINIONS
NEW
PUBLICATIONS
[External
links to newspapers may not be valid after some days because the
servers are restarted]
Français
Revue de la presse internationale francophone http://fr.groups.yahoo.com/group/revue-de-presse-sahara-occidental/messages
Boukhreis Habib:« Le rapprochement entre Madagascar et Maroc ne nous gêne pas», Tiana R., La Gazette de la Grande Ile", 14 janvier 2005.
English
English publications on Sahara Update mailinglist: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sahara-update/messages
Castellano
Revista de la prensa en español http://es.groups.yahoo.com/group/revista-de-prensa-sahara-occidental/messages
Italien
[Summary
Weekly News,]
[Western
Sahara Homepage]