Manifestations of young Sahrawis in Rabat
Sahrawi parlamentary delegation in United Kingdom
Algerian initiative
Human Rights
UN resuming voters identification ?
03-09.08.96
Manifestations of young Sahrawis in Rabat
Hundreds of young jobless from Western Sahara, including dozens
women, were on a six-day peaceful demonstration and sit-in in Rabat
to press for jobs and social benefits. The protesters flocked from
the Western Sahara cities of Laayoun, Smara, Boujdour, Dakhla, and
southern provinces of Morocco. Later some Sahrawi students living in
Rabat joined them. From 400 at the beginning, the number of
participants claimed upon to about1600, and thousands of others were
on the way to Rabat. They were gathered in an abandoned building at
the main entrance of the capital. Anti-demonstration squads were
deployed in the area to avoid any street demonstration,.but nobody
was arrested. Dressed in traditional Sahrawi wide coloured robes and
holding Moroccan red flags, the young jobless, most of them recently
graduates of Moroccan universities, refused to end their protest
unless their demands for jobs and free-lodge were satisfied. The
Sahrawis started their sit-in on Saturday 3. Talks with officials
from the Interior Ministry took place .but the protesters asked for
written garantees before going home. The Governor of W.S., Mohamed
Ouchen, arrived with other local responsibles (amels) to make them
change their mind. On Thursday 8, after a sit in on the highway
Rabat-Casablanca and a violent intervention of police, the Minister
of Interior Driss Basri himself reached the place to discuss with the
young people. He promised talks on August 20th, a national feast, if
the protesters go home. It seams they accepted this proposal and
regained their country on Friday in official buses.
Sahrawi parlamentary delegation in United Kingdom
A delegation of the Sahrawi National Council, parliament, visited
London in June, on invitation of the Labour Party and the Westminster
Foundation for Democracy. The delegation was composed of the
President of the SNC Mr Abdelkader Taleb Omar, the vice-president
Mhmed Ali Sayed Bachir and Mrs Khadidja Hamdi. They met british
deputees of all partys.
30.07.96
Algerian initiative
The Algerian government proves to reactivize the Maghreb Union by
sending representatives to Morocco, Tunis, Libya and Mauritania.
07.08.96
Human Rights
The Sub-Committee of the UN Commission on Human Rights, an Un experts
group, helds its 48th session at Geneva from August 5 to 30. In his
testimony the representative of AFAPREDESA evoked the intimidations
and imprisonments of numerous Sahrawis. Since the cease-fire on Sept.
1991, hundreds of Sahrawi citizens were prosecuted for peacefull
manifestations and condemned to hard penalties. He asked the
Sub-Committee to verify these facts and to send an inquiry delegation
in the region.
06.08.96
Violation of ceasefire
Two moroccan fighters flew over the Douguej region in the Polisario
controlled part of W.S. and locus of a MINURSO team site. The
communiqué of the Sahrawi Ministry of Information announces
also that Morocco is pursuing the consolidation of its military
position on the berm.
07.08.96
UN resuming voters identification ?
The United Nations may resume would-be voters' identifications in
Western Sahara. The weekly newspaper Jeune Afrique announces that
this is the wish of Secretary General Boutros-Ghali, whose report is
expectated for the end of this month.