original french

Resolution of the Security Council S/RES/1301 (2000)
Commentaries and analyses:

1. Luciano Ardesi: L'insostenibile leggerezza della "terza via" nel Sahara Occidentale (italiano + traduction française)
2. Yahia H. Zoubir: United Nations Security Council Resolution 1301 (2000): A Commentary (english + trad. française)
3. Ubbi Bachir: It is high time to react! (english + trad. française)
4. Isaías Barreñada: Comentario sobre la situación después de la adopción de la resolución 1301 (2000) del Consejo de Seguridad de Naciones Unidas (31 de mayo 2000)
5. Abdesalam Aomar Lahsen: Carta abierta a los pueblos, a las instituciones, a los partidos políticos, a las organizaciones, a los medios de comunicación y a los ciudadanos y ciudadanas españoles
6. Tayeb Belghiche: SAHARA OCCIDENTAL / Qui veut trahir la cause ? El Watan

29.05.00
Occupied territories
Dozens of Saharawi women demonstrated in Smara (occupied territories) to demand the immediate liberation of Saharawi detainees held since September 1999. It is the first time that Saharawi women have organised a demonstration themselves in the occupied territories. Up until now, they have been content to participate alongside men. Dozens of people were arrested, according to SPS.

30.05.00
Breaking the cease-fire
For the second time in less than a week, the cease-fire has been broken: two Moroccan aeroplanes flew over the region of Mijek (liberated territories) (SPS).

02.06.00
Trial in Agadir
The Magistrates Court of Agadir sentenced Brahim Laghzal (Brahim Ould Baba) and Sheikh Khaya (Sheikh Abdelaziz Ould Abdallah Ould Ali) to four years of emprisonment, Laarbi Massoudi (Laarbi Ould Saïd Ould Boujemaa) to three years in prison. The three Saharawis were deemed guilty of endangering State security. These sentences are accompanied by a fine of 10,000 dirhams and the confiscation of objects seized (a mobile telephone, the constitution of SADR, a video cassette of the 10th Congress of the Polisario Front and some faxes). According to the defence (four Saharawi lawyers), the court did not present these objects in court. Delegates from OMDH and CDDH (Moroccan human rights organisations) followed the hearing. Those sentenced have made an appeal. (Spanish press, AARASD, CDDH, AFAPREDESA)

03.06.00
Reaction
The Saharawi government considers that the judgement of Agadir 'constitutes a very clear message of intimidation' destined for the whole Saharawi population. 'It considers that Rabat has pronounced a very heavy arbitrary verdict'. It launched an 'urgent appeal' to human rights NGOs and to all governments across the world 'to support the victims of the repression and terrorism' practised by the Moroccan authorities against defenceless citizens in the occupied territories. (aps, Saharawi Ministry of the Occupied Territories)

05.06.00
According to the Spanish daily, El Pais, a highly placed official of Moroccan Security has announced that Morocco is studying seriously the possibility of the renewal of MINURSO's mandate after 31 July and its definitive withdrawal from Western Sahara.

06.06.00
Trial in Rabat
The trial of the Saharawi students imprisoned at Salé following the demonstrations on the university campus of Rabat, which was to be held on 6 June, has been postponed at the request of the procurator in order to 'better instruct the case'. According to SPS, 'this decision was only made so that (...) the Saharawi students could be burdened with more charges of which they are totally innocent'.

06-10.06.00
Saharawi President's visit to Sweden
At the invitation of the Olaf Palme International Centre and the Swedish parliamentary intergroup, Mohamed Abdelaziz was welcomed on 6 June at Stockholm airport by Mr Kent Harstedt, president of the intergroup. He held talks the next day with the Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mrs Anna Lindh, who declared that Sweden supports the completion of the decolonisation process in Western Sahara through the referendum of self-determination.
On 8.06.00 Mohamed Abdelaziz took part in a conference on the conflict in Western Sahara, which was held in the parliament. In his speech he appealed to Sweden to save the peace plan, stressing that this country should play a dynamic role within the European Union, so that the Union, which grants the greatest amount of European economic aid to Morocco, uses its weight to bring Rabat to 'respect international law'. To prevent the Saharawi people from exercising its legitimate right constitutes a real danger of return to war, 'which we want to avoid at any cost', he added. Previously, Mrs Ulricka Cronenberg, director of Foreign Affairs, confirmed 'the commitment of Sweden and its willingness to contribute to helping the Saharawi people, in conformity with the settlement plan'. She presented an account of Swedish humanitarian aid, which she estimates at 14 million US dollars during the last 20 years and of which the current figure is 3.1 million dollars a year. Mrs Eva Zetterberg, vice-president of the Parliament, spoke about the present situation of the peace plan, hoping to see the UN's efforts end with the holding of the referendum. Other speakers, including the president of the intergroup, expressed their support for the Saharawi people's right to independence. (SPS)

COMING UP

14.06.00, 5:30 - 7:30 pm, Sydney, Australia: Western Sahara: the unfinished struggle. Featuring speakers Jose Ramos Horta, East Timor independence leader and Kamal Fadel, Polisario representative. The film "The forgotten war" will also be screened. Venue: Theatrette, NSW Parliament House, Macquarie St. Proceeds to the Australia Western Sahara Association. RSVP The Hon Janelle Saffin MLC (02) 9230 2235.

NEW ON THE INTERNET

Discussion forum on Western Sahara, open to all.
URL: http://www.rezoweb.com/forum/politique/sahara.shtml

NEW PUBLICATIONS
[External links to newspapers may not be valid after some days because the servers are restarted]

English

• W. Sahara to resume war if UN fails to hold vote, Special Correspondent New Delhi, The Asian Age, Bangalore, 03.06.00.
• Polisario's Plight: Fight Over Forgotten Land, Newman Barry, The Wall Street Journal, New York, 07.06.00 (available by ARSO).
• Desert Tribe Fights For Forgotten Land It Calls Home, Newman Barry, The Wall Street Journal Europe, New York, 08.06.00, p. 1 (available by ARSO).
• Western Sahara: Waiting for Freedom, Khalid Sunny, News Africa, London, 05.06.00, pp 19-20.

Français

• On affame bien les rats !, Mouride Abdelaziz, Editions Paris-Mediterranée et Tarik (Casablanca), mai 2000. Cet ancien détenu de Derb Moulay Cherif et de Kénitra «continue de se rappeler et nous invite à imaginer -imaginer seulement- ce qu'a été sa souffrance, à travers un livre singulier, puisqu'il a choisi pour s'y exprimer le subterfuge de la bande dessinée, procédé jusqu'à présent inusité au Maroc en pareille matière» (extrait de la préface d'Abderrahim Berrada).
• SAHARA OCCIDENTAL / Qui veut trahir la cause ? Tayeb Belghiche , El Watan, Alger, 05.06.00.

Castellano

• Marruecos condena a tres saharauis por «atentado», Espinosa Javier, El Mundo, Madrid, 04.06.00.
• Aznar y la doble política con los saharaui, Bonete Piqueras Luis, La Tribuna de Albacete, 04.06.00.
• Reportaje cuarto dia en el desierto, Extremeños y saharauis claman por el referéndum, El Periodico de Extremadura, 05.06.00.
• Marruecos plantea la retirada de la mision de la ONU en el Sahara, Canales Pedro, El Pais, Madrid, 05.06.00.
• La consejera de Bienestar Social visitó en el Sáhara los proyectos de cooperación extremeña, Hoy, Badajoz, 06.06.00.
• Sáhara, sinónimo de hospitalidad, Valdivia José R. , El Periodico de Extremadura, 06.06.00.
• Colapso en el Sahara, Baquero Antonio, El Periodico, Barcelona, 09.06.00.

Gallego

• Outrosvozes, A paciéncia ho limito, Nº Monográfico Sáhara

Italiano

• La guerra colpita al cuore, "Necessità dei volti", 483 fotografie dei nemici, raccolte dai sahrawi per dare visibilità al conflitto e al proprio esilio, Cristina Piccino, Il manifesto, 06.06.00.

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