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WEEKLY NEWS |
original french
16. -21.12.2001
15.12.01
European parliament
The president of the Saharawi National Council (parliament), Mr Salem
Lebsir, deplored the postponement of the visit of the EU delegation
to Morocco and Western Sahara. He accused Morocco of trying to gain
time to intensify its repression of the Saharawi population in the
occupied territories, to intimidate those who, in recent times, have
demonstrated against Moroccan occupation.
The MEP, Jorge Hernandez Mollar, a member of the delegation of the
European Parliament, said that Rabat had cancelled the visit for fear
of a negative effect on Morocco from the report of this delegation on
the forthcoming decisions of the UN.
On the question of the postponement of the visit (Morocco proposed
the third week of January, which coincides with a plenary session of
the parliament), Mollar pointed out that the EP was going to suggest
the second week in February.
16-18.12.01
Spain-Morocco
On the eve of the controversial visit to Morocco by Zapatero, the
secretary general of the PSOE - Spanish socialist party, Mohamed
Sidati, minister counselor to the Saharawi presidency, in an
open
letter
asked Zapatero to request Rabat to implement the referendum and not
to allow himself to be used as currency for the expansionist policy
of Morocco. Sidati hopes that the PSOE will reaffirm, at the end of
this visit, the right of the Saharawi people to self-determination
and independence.
The principal objects of the visit of the head of the main opposition
party, decided upon against the advice of the government, consisted
in trying to restore normal relations between the two countries
following the withdrawal of the Moroccan ambassador, by tackling
litigious questions such as the conflict in the Sahara, the fishing
agreements, illegal immigration etc.
In an interview, the external relations officer of the PSOE declared,
on the subject of the Sahara, that the position of her party had
always been to support the resolutions of the UN. We support the
referendum, because it is a project approved by the parties, Trinidad
Jiménez said. Baker's proposal is another initiative which has
the advantage of initiating a process of negotiations looking for an
agreement which respects the interests of all the parties, including
the Polisario Front, she added. (Ideal, 16.12.01)
Zapatero was received in Morocco like a head of state. He met the
Prime Minister, numerous ministers and counselors of the king, and
had talks with Mohamed VI. Through his ambiguous statements reported
by the Moroccan and Spanish press - Zapatero seems to favour the
status of autonomy - he unleashed a wave of protest in circles of
solidarity with the Saharawi cause and among the grass roots of the
PSOE. Messages
of protest
were sent to the party headquarters. According to various sources,
the King of Morocco would need to meet either the Spanish Prime
Minister or the Minister of Foreign Affairs before re-establishing
diplomatic relations.
18.12.01
Protest
In a letter to the Belgian Prime Minister, Mr Guy Verhofstadt, whose
country at present holds the European presidency, Mohamed Abdelaziz
asked the EU to intervene "so that TotalFinaElf annuls the illegal
contract which it has just signed with Morocco". He expressed his
concern at attempts to plunder Saharawi resources. For the Saharawi
President, the signature of this contract constitutes "encouragement
to Morocco in its opposition to the UN settlement plan".
18.12.01
Referendum - Algeria
Replying to a question on Western Sahara during a press conference in
Brussels, the Algerian President made it clear he had raised the
issue with European parliamentarians. He reaffirmed the Algerian
position of refusal to Baker's proposal for autonomy. Bouteflika
further added that Baker had also as his mandate to think of a
solution which could attract the agreement of the parties concerned.
"Algeria will study with a great deal of attention what he comes up
with. And, in so far as it is possible, where we do see a third way,
and I mean a third way, which does not destroy the legitimate dream
of the Saharawis, and which takes account of the fundamental
interests of Morocco and the countries of the region, it is
absolutely clear that we will be the first to subscribe to a solution
for the situation which we do not want to see become the Kashmir of
the region, I mean a chronic problem which is difficult to resolve",
he concluded. (aps)
21.12.01
Oil contracts
The Spanish government granted to the company Repsol YPF permission
to prospect for oil in seven maritime zones around Fuertaventura and
Lanzarote, opposite Morocco, over an area of 600 km2,
9.8km from the coast of Fuerteventura and 19.6km from Lanzarote. The
authorisation is valid for six years. This decision will make the
Moroccan-Spanish diplomatic crisis rebound, which has already been
stirred up by the importance Morocco accorded to the visit of the
leader of the Spanish opposition to Morocco (Spanish
press).
The limits of territorial waters around the Canaries is a contentious
subject between Morocco and Spain, another one. Spain bases its
decision on international norms, which stipulate equal distance
between two coasts less than 400 nautical miles apart. (see
week
52/2000)
Morocco, supporting its claim on the general norm of 200 nautical
miles, believes that two of the permits granted are situated in its
territorial waters. It should be noted that the coast of the Canaries
is less than 60 nautical miles from the Moroccan coast (1 nautical
mile = 1.8km).
To complete the story, the talks between Mohamed VI and Zapatero took
place under the map of "Greater Morocco" which includes the Canary
Islands...
Moroccan
press
After years of silence or wooden talk certain Moroccan papers are
beginning to tackle the reality of Western Sahara with a certain
degree of seriousness. For example, the daily L'Economiste
published reportage carried out in Smara and El Ayoun, as well as
interviews with the Wali of El Ayoun and the Secretary general of the
OADP party.
Other organs of the press criticise this opening up because it gives
Morocco a bad image. It has been pointed out to us that in La vie
économique of 07.12.01 Fouad Nejjar denounced those who
want to change things with "radical reforms aiming to save the
country from chaos and decline". Among these reforms a journalist
allegedly suggested "the adoption of a different approach with the
Saharawi people, who have the right to self-determination" (we
have not been able to obtain Fouad Nejjar's article nor the reference
to the statement quoted. Can anyone help?)
SOLIDARITY
Slovenia
21.12.01, Ljubljana, in metelkova city autonomous cultural centre,
organized by Teater Gromki and Ales Skornsek-Ples, beneficial event
for free Western Sahara. Lecture with slides, videos and Saharawi
music. Humanitarian aid is going to be collected (school equipment,
toys, clothes, medicines etc.)
26.01.02, The first humanitarian aid from Slovenia to the camps will go on route; information: Andrej Morovic, +386 41 754 456, Ales Skornsek-Ples, alesch@postmaster.co.uk, T +386 1 422 52 11
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