WEEKLY NEWS

 

WEEK 37

07.-13.09.1997

 

 

Official visit of French President Jacques Chirac in Mauritania (05-06.09.97)
"In the Northern region we hope for a next solution in the frame of the UN peace plan" (Jeune Afrique).

08.09.97
Relations between SADR and Mauritania
The president of the Mauritanian Republic received Mr Mohamed Lamine Bouhali, special envoy of the president of the SADR. After the meeting the Saharawi envoy gave a statement to the press in which he said that he delivered a message from Mohamed Abdelaziz to the president Maaouiya Ould Sid Ahmed Taya, which fell within the framework of the consultations and the exchange of points of view on issues of mutual interest and because Mauritania is an observer member of the UN peace process in Western Sahara.

08-14.09.97
Congress of the Swedish Socialist Party

The congress passed a resolution calling on the Swedish government to express its support for the independence of the people of Western Sahara and to use its influence to persuade Morocco to negotiate directly with Polisario. Mr Bachir Mustapha Sayed as guest, made a statement about the recent developments in W.S.

08.09.97
New US ambassador in Rabat

President Clinton named Edward Gabriel as ambassador of the US in Morocco. Mr Gabriel was member of the American task Force for Libanon and councelor for Middle East.

10.09.97
Prisoners release ?
The London based arabic daily Al Hayat announces that Morocco and the Polisario will exchange prisoners on Sept. 20.

11.09.97
Expecting the Houston meeting 14 - 16.09.97

Secretary-General Kofi Annan raised the possibility of a "major breakthrough" over the disputed territory of Western Sahara during talks in Houston between Morocco and the Polisario Front. Annan told a news conference that former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker. who has held three rounds of negotiations since June as the secretary-general's special envoy, "has made quite a lot of progress in the talks and it is quite possible that we will have a major breakthrough in Houston." But Annan cautioned: "I would wait for the results. I would prefer not to predict what would happen. In these talks, you never know. "But I am grateful to Mr Baker, who has moved the process forward in a considerable manner and has still managed to retain the trust and the confidence of all the parties, including the neighboring countries of Algeria and Mauritania."

The Moroccan delegation will be lead by Prime Minister Filali, like in the past, but he will be accompagnied by Driss Basri, the Interior Minister.

 

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