[Summary
Weekly News,]
[Western
Sahara Homepage]|
WEEKS 17 - 18 : 24.04.-07.05.2005 |
22.04.05,
Health
The scientific study days on health took place in the wilaya of
Smara, with the participation of Saharawi and foreign doctors and
researchers. Talks and presentations were given on preventive health,
hygiene, vaccination and on children's and women's health.
[SPS]
23.04.05,
Terrorism
The Pan-Sahel initiative in the fight against "terrorism", limited in
its first phase to Niger, Mali, Tchad and Mauritania, will be widened
to Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. This was announced by General Wald,
the deputy chief of staff of the American High Command in Europe.
[Jeune Indépendant, Alger]
24.04.05,
Mauritania
The Saharawi Minister for the Occupied Territories and Saharawi
communities abroad, Khalil Sidi Mohamed, handed a message from the
Saharawi President to his Mauritanian counterpart.
25.04.05,
Youth
The Spanish Youth Council (Consejo de la Juventud de España )
and the Union of the Youth of Saguia El Hamra and Rio de Oro
(UJSARIO
) signed a collaboration convention, "the highest and most formal
expression of the links of friendship and cooperation which tie the
two parties and a demonstration of the political will of the two
bodies to pursue collaboration and cooperation in the future".
Members of the Global Political Group of the European Forum of Youth
were present at the ceremony. [SPS]
OCCUPIED TERRITORIES AND SOUTH MOROCCO
25.04.05,
Pro-referendum Comittee
Sidi Mohamed Daddach, human rights activist and Rafto prize-winner
2002, announces the formation of a "Saharawi Committee for the
Referendum in Western Sahara" (CSRSO). In a statement, he reaffirms
"that the holding of a just and transparent referendum of
self-determination remains the optimal democratic option capable of
putting an end to this conflict." [Press
Release]
26.04.05,
Letter to Annan
Saharawi human rights activists ask the UN Secretary General to widen
the work of MINURSO to include protection of the Saharawi population
in the occupied territories and to move towards lifting the military
and media siege which hangs over them. [Letter]
27.04.05,
Questioning
Elmami Aamar Salem, a human rights activist and President of the
Saharawi Committee against Torture in Dakhla, was taken by force to
the police station for questioning. Elmami had refused to present
himself to the police because no charge had been made. After a
protest sit-in outside the police station, Elmami was set free. The
questioning which he underwent concerned his activities and an
article published in the paper Al Bidaoui No 147.
30.04.05,
Interview
Sidi Mohamed Daddach, declared to the Moroccan magazine "Le Journal
Hebdo", that the referendum of self-determination is still the only
option for a definitive and democratic solution to the conflict in
Western Sahara. [Interview]
(See also, "Dossier Sahara: la rébellion?", in the Journal
hebdomadaire, no 206, under
publications)
03.05.05,
Norway: scandal
The Norwegian Ambassador to Morocco is recalled to Oslo for
consultations the day before a broadcast by the Norwegian TV channel,
NRK of a documentary on the activities of Norwegian commercial
enterprises in occupied Western Sahara (principally fishing). The
report filmed in Morocco, Western Sahara and in the refugee camps
shows that Norwegian businesses are maintaining commercial relations
in the territories occupied by Morocco, in violation of Norway's
official policy and reveals that the Norwegian Ambassador fostered
these activities. His declarations that Western Sahara "is a part of
Morocco" and that he had never implemented directives from the
foreign minister advising against investment in the fishing sector in
occupied Western Sahara sparked off a real scandal.
Already in July 2004 his visit to the occupied zones had earned him a
reprimand and the allocation of funds for aid to businesses investing
in Western Sahara was stopped by the Ministry. For the Norwegian
Committee of Support for the Saharawi people, the recall of the
ambassador comes very late. It asks in a statement, that the
Norwegian government's policy should be made clearer, that it should
increase aid to the refugees and move swiftly to recognise the
Saharawi Republic. >> special
page
03.05.05,
Campaign against Tamek
In a statement published by MAP, four "members of the family Ahl
Tamek denounced 'the schemes of Ali Salem Tamek' whom they exclude
from 'family, tribal and national unity' calling him 'traitor',
for having held their dignity up to ridicule and compromised the
sacrifices consented to by their tribe Aït Oussa for the
preservation of the territorial unity and integrity of the
Kingdom."
Saharawi human
rights activists react immediately by launching the same day a
petition of solidarity with Tamek.[To
sign the Solidarity Petition]
[In
Arabic]
The next day, they turn to international human rights NGOs and human
rights defenders, to ask them to take urgent measures to protect
Tamek's life.
Two former Saharawi detainees, Aminatou Haidar and Messaoud Elarbi
express in a joint statement from El Ayoun their support for Tamek
"until complete independence and the construction of an independent
Saharawi state." [statement,
arabic]
05.05.05 Call
for expulsion
MAP is relayed by the daily "Aujourd'hui le Maroc", which writes: "It
only remains for Mr Tamek, if he is consistent with his own ideas, to
leave Morocco to go and live in the camps in Tindouf with his new
brothers, the Polisario lot. That's the least he could do. If he
drags his feet, measures must be taken to expel him to the country of
Abdelaziz's gang. No place in the Kingdom for traitors."
[Renié
par les siens]
[ALM
éditorial]
The same daily, publishes an interview with a member of Tamek's family, his uncle, Abderrahman Tamek, director of the Chamber of arts and crafts in Dakhla-Villa Cisneros. [ALM]
06.05.05
About seventy members of Tamek's family take up the defense of the
activist in a statement. They denounce the campaign they see as
"racist and chauvinistic" concocted by the Makhzen to discredit him
and to prevent him from exercising his legitimate rights.
[Press
Release]
Oil
The contract between the North American oil company, Kerr McGee (KMG)
and the Moroccan government concerning the exploration for oil
off-shore from occupied Western Sahara has reached its expiry date of
1 May. Western Sahara Resource Watch, which brings together twenty
NGOs from around the world, once again appealed to KMG not to renew
its (illegal) contract with Morocco.
[Press
release
of Western Sahara Resource Watch - WSRW, 28.04.05]
On 5 May Kerr-McGee announced the renewal of its contract with the government of Morocco until 29 October 2005, the date of the next discussion on Western Sahara in the UN Security Council.
In a Press Release http://www.arso.org/KMGPR050505.htm Western Sahara Resource Watch denounces this decision and calls on all Kerr McGee's shareholders to sell their shares from this company, pointing out that a large Norwegian shareholder &endash; Skagenfondene &endash; has already divested its shareholding of 100,000 shares in Kerr McGee, at a loss of two million dollars. At present the Norwegian Oil Fund belonging to the Norwegian state, is contemplating selling its investment estimated to be worth over 31 million dollars. Kerr McGee is the last foreign company to be still working on the ground, after the withdrawal of the seismological businesses TGS-Nopec and Fugro, as well as the departure of Total. [>> see also the oil dossier under Natural Resources]
22.04.05,
Declaration
The Saharawi coordinator with MINURSO, M'Hamed Khadad, affirmed in an
interview with the Spanish paper ABC, that "Spain should play the
same role that Portugal played in the decolonisation of East
Timor".
The Saharawi diplomat criticised Spain's position which declares
itself "for a solution of the conflict in the framework of
international law", while it "shows itself to be in favour of
Morocco" in its "rejection of the implementation of all the plans
adopted by the UN since 1991 up until the latest Baker
plan".[ABC]
25.04.05
Secretary General's report
The representative of the Polisario Front at the UN sends a letter to
the President of the Security Council.[Letter
]
26.04.05,
Spain
Spain is in favour of the extension of MINURSO's mandate in the
Sahara in the aim of favouring the "new dynamics" which Madrid is in
the process of promoting in favour of a definitive solution to the
conflict in the Sahara, the Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr
Miguel Angel Moratinos indicated.
28.04.05,
Security Council Resolution S/RES/1598
(2005)
The Security Council decides to extend MINURSO's mandate until 31
October 2005, after having recalled all its preceding resolutions and
reaffirmed its will to help the parties to reach a just, lasting and
mutually acceptable political solution which would allow the
self-determination of the people of Western
Sahara.[
UN News]
Reactions
SADR
The Saharawi representative at the United Nations, Mr. Ahmed Bukhari,
expresses his country's satisfaction following the adoption of the
resolution. But the Polisario Front, he adds, "considers that the
cease-fire should not be the only concern of the United Nations in
Western Sahara. The international organisation should rather be
working so that the decolonisation process, which has been blocked
for so long by Moroccan intransigence, should be achieved through
respect for the right of the Saharawi people to self-determination."
[SPS]
"This resolution underlines the right of the Saharawi people to
self-determination and the re-validation of the Baker plan
constitutes a response to those who say that this peace plan has been
buried", indicates Mohamed Beissat, Saharawi Ambassador in Algiers.
"The Security Council has just recalled that there is no solution
outside the framework of the UN", he adds.
Brahim Ghali, Saharawi representative in Madrid, holds that "Morocco
goes back on its international commitments and for this reason, we
have returned to the point of departure, as if MINURSO didn't exist,
as if there had never been a settlement plan or the Houston agreement
or the Baker plan..."
National Secretariat: Meeting in an extraordinary session, the
Polisario Front's highest political body took note of Security
Council's reaffirmation of its' support for the Baker Plan. It calls
on the United Nations Secretary General as well as the Security
Council to do all it can to make Morocco conform with international
law and respect the national rights of the Saharawi people through
the holding of a free and transparent referendum of
self-determination. [SPS]
Morocco
Morocco's Ambassador at the UN Mohamed Bennouna considers that the
omission of the Baker plan from the resolution is "deliberate",
because both the Secretary General and the Security Council wish "to
avoid putting obstacles in the way of resumption of negotiations
(...)". Morocco reiterates the commitment made to negotiate with all
the parties for a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political
solution to the dispute.
Algeria
"From our point of view, it is an excellent text, which reiterates
the determination of the Security Council to find a solution which
allows for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara",
declares Abdallah Baâli, Algeria's Ambassador with the United
Nations. He deplores the fact that Morocco "still rejects the peace
plan and wants a solution which does not allow for the autonomy of
the Saharawi people".
The Quotidien d'Oran asks the question: "What can be done now? The
resumption of hostilities between the parties engaged in the conflict
cannot be envisaged today, whether tactically or strategically, it
seems that a solution is still possible. In the medium term, it could
arise from a re-launch of the Maghreb dynamic of a thaw in relations
between Algeria and Morocco."
29.04.05,
Denmark
In a reply to a question from parliamentarian, Rune Lund (Red Green
Alliance, Enhedslisten), on the position of Denmark towards the
Saharawi question, the Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Per Stig
Møller assures him that his country, which is at present a
member of the Security Council, "will maintain its support to the
efforts deployed by the United Nations aiming for a mutually
acceptable solution" to the conflict. [SPS]
24.04.05,
Prisoners
Over forty Moroccan former prisoners of the Polisario, all civilian,
gathered in Rabat outside the Ministry of the Interior to protest
against "the inhuman treatment which has been given them by the state
following their release".
"We want a decent home and compensation for the years of suffering
which we lived through for the simple reason that we were Moroccan
citizens". They then went to the parliament, where they were rapidly
surrounded by the police. The Moroccan former civilian prisoners
(much more than their military fellow detainees) on their return to
Morocco fall into appalling poverty. Some of them have died like
common tramps in the street. Others have succumbed to their illnesses
and their bodies, completely decomposed have only been discovered
several days later.[ALM]
Spain sells
arms to Morocco
It's the Moroccan weekly, Alousbou'a, which reveals on 8 April that
Morocco has bought from Spain about twenty tanks, type M60 A3, at a
token price, destined for Western Sahara and the border with Algeria.
The Spanish press confirmed this information. Morocco "promised" that
these units would not be used against Ceuta and Melilla. The Moroccan
army already has 300 tanks of the same type.
"Zapatero's Spain and Chirac's France compromise the chances of
finding a peaceful solution to the question of Western Sahara.
Instead of supplying it with tanks and radars, these countries should
save Morocco from war", the Ambassador of Western Sahara in Algeria
declared in a conference-debate "the decolonisation in international
law" on 4 May in Algiers.
04.05.05
The parliament of Aragon approves a statement in which it reaffirms
its support for the right to self-determination of the Saharawi
people and the Baker plan. It asks organisations in Aragon to
increase their humanitarian aid and joins the interparliamentary
Pact
of 11 March 2005, approved by the Xith conference of parliamentary
intergroups of Spain in Palma de Majorca.
01.05.05
Mohamed Bedjaoui is appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs. An eminent
lawyer, he presented the Algerian position during the debates at the
International
Court of Justice in the Hague in
1975.
25.04.05,
European parliament
In its "Annual report on human rights in the world in 2004 and
European Union policy on human rights (2004/2151(INI)", the European
Parliament "takes note, with concern, of information pointing out
human rights abuses in Western Sahara, including in respect of
freedom of speech and freedom of movement and encourages Morocco and
the Polisario Front to progress on the basis of the internationally
recognised Baker plan". It invites Morocco and the Polisario Front to
release all prisoners of war".
The Saharawi Minster delegate for Europe, Mr Mohamed Sidati,
expresses the satisfaction of his country after the adoption of this
report.[Report,
28.04.05]
- [Statement
of Mr. Sidati]
[Press
release AFAPREDESA, 28.04.05]
27.04.05,
UN
Morocco is elected a member of the UN Human Rights Commission for a
mandate of three years.
01.05.05,
Canada
Canada will contribute 1.5 million Canadian dollars (about 1.21 US
dollars) towards the Saharawi refugees through WFP, the Canadian
Embassy in Algiers announced in a statement. The Moroccan Liberal
Party and some Moroccan journalists protested against this
decision.
THE 2005
World's Children's Prize for the Right of the Child
Hassana Hameida will return to SADR after taking part in the work of
the Jury of World's Children's Prize and the Global Friends' Award.
Hassan is one of 14 children in the world who has been helping to
decide the recipient of both the World's Children's Prize and the
Global Friends' Award. First he takes part in the Global Vote at the
refugee school in Western Sahara . Then he flew to Sweden for the
jury meeting, which took place in April 2005. Hassan will leave
Sweden with a lot of good memories and most of all many friends
children and adults. The
World ´s Children´s prize for the right of Child
consists
of the worlds children´s prizes awarded to the person (child or
adult) or organization who-which has made an outstanding contribution
for the rights of the child. The prize process, in which school
children participate, is the world´s most estensive annual
education in democracy, based on the right of child and global
friendship. There are now 9000 Global friend schools of the
WCPRC,with six million children in 73 countries ,and 250 adult Friend
organizations .The WCPRC is empowering the children and gives them
the platform from which they can demand respect for the rights of the
child . This year's ceremony was held on Friday 15 April at Gripsholm
Castle in Mariefred. All the jury were there, of course, as was the
laureates, many children, musicians and Adults Friends. The ceremony
was also broadcasted live to a 40 square meter video wall in central
Mariefred and on Swedish Television. It was also broadcasted on
Vietnams largest TV-station and in 5-10 other countries.
RASD
19 -22 May de 2005
¡ 30 AÑOS BASTAN !
International campaign against the apartheid wall and Moroccan
colonial occupation of Western Sahara:
II. March to the Wall
org.: Coordinadora estatal de Asociaciones Solidarias con el
Sáhara, CEAS-SÁHARA.
>> programme
AUSTRALIA
25-29 may2005: Sahara Art Caravan
Works by Western Saharan Artists living in refugee camps in Algeria:,
Addison Road Gallery, 142 Addison Road, Marrickville
27 May: Landmines Week Event
for details see: http://www.arso.org/WesternSaharaArt.jpg
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
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
Catalan
- Les pintures rupestres prehistòriques del Zemmur (Sahara Occidental), Joaquim Soler i Subils, Tesi doctoral dirigida pel Dr.Julià Maroto i Genover, Departament de Geografia, Història i Història de l'Art, Facultat de Lletres, Universitat de Girona, 2004.
Italiano
Portugais
Arabe
Deutsch
Norsk
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