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WEEKLY NEWS |
original french
06. - 12.01.2002
28.12.01
Referendum
The World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY) appealed to the
Secretary General of United Nations Mr. Kofi Annan to take concrete
steps for holding a free and fair referendum in Western Sahara and
fully implementation of the resolution of UN in its letter and
spirit.
06.01.02
South Africa
Mohamed Abdelaziz took part in festivities for the 90th anniversary
of the ANC
in Durban. The Saharawi delegation was received by the South
African President
Thabo M'Beki. (SPS)
09.01.02
Human rights
In a report on the demonstrations which happened in Smara around the
visit of the King of Morocco, the Moroccan Organisation for the
defence of Human Rights
(OMDH) noticed that it was the provocations of the forces of
order, in
the presence of local and regional officials which were "the direct
cause the
demonstrations". According to OMDH the depredations were caused by
"a group
of about nine people who took advantage of the crowd to carry
out their
reprehensible deed... They were hidden at the time of the
incidents and
have not been arrested". (Libération, Moroccan daily quoted
by the Review
of the press by the French Embassy in Rabat.)
In fact 14 people were arrested on that occasion and are in El Ayoun
prison awaiting sentence.
(Week 47/2001)
09.01.02
Morocco - POWs
In a letter sent to the president of the Security Council, Morocco
"demands the
liberation and repatriation, without delay, of all Moroccan detainees
in Algeria."
Until only recently the Moroccan prisoners of war were a taboo
subject in Morocco.
"For a long time, to bring up the fate of these men who had
been taken
captive in the exercise of their duties as soldiers in defence
of their
country, was tantamount to sacrilege." (Maroc-Hebdo International
Nr 493) It
should be mentioned that 200 of them had been liberated unilaterally
in 1989
by the Polisario Front, and that they had to wait six years
for Morocco
to agree, under international pressure, to repatriate them. 85
prisoners
released during the visit of James Baker to the refugee camps
in April
1997 waited three years before being accepted back by their
homeland in
February 2000. The Polisario Front has liberated 434 more prisoners
of war
on various other occasions in recent years.
The current Peace Plan accepted by the parties provides for the
liberation of
prisoners of war once the identification process is completed.
Because of the
delay in the process due to Moroccan obstructions, the ICRC in
2000 called
on the parties to settle this problem independently of the
political aspects
on a strictly humanitarian level. ( International Committee of
Red Cross
ICRC: Activities
in Western Sahara/Morocco
)
10.01.02
Repatriation
The 115 Moroccan prisoners of war released on 2 January by the
PolisarioFront will be repatriated to Morocco on 17 January by the
International Red Cross
(ICRC). (agency)
11.01.02
Interim Report of the UN Secretary General
Kofi Annan welcomes positive developments represented by the
liberation of 115
Moroccan prisoners of war by the Polisario Front and the
problem-free passage
of the Total-Dakar rally through Saharawi territory. He raises
the serious
humanitarian problem of the remaining prisoners. His full
report will
be presented prior to 28 February, the deadline of MINURSO's
mandate.
12.01.02
Hunger Strike in El Ayoun prison
The protest movement of Saharawi prisoners in El Ayoun prison
continues despite
threats and pressure by the administrative and prison
authorities and
contrary to official denials. (Week 01/2002)
According to correspondents on the ground over 90 detainees are still
on hunger
strike. About 40 of them have stopped their action because of
deterioration
in their state of health or from fear of threats. Three
detainees
are thought to have been transferred to Morocco. The prison
administration
has taken some measures to improve the conditions of
overcrowding
and lack of hygiene in the prison. About a hundred Moroccan
prisoners
are believed to have been transported by military aircraft to
Morocco
to make more space. The rooms have been disinfected and
whitewashed.
The hunger strike has set off a number of reactions throughout the
world: appeals
from the Saharawi Red Crescent, the Saharawi
Parliament,
the Union
of
Saharawi Youth,
the Union
of Saharawi Workers
(SPS). Statements have been issued
by the Polisario
Front Mission for UK and Ireland,
by the European
Parliamentary
intergroup,
"Peace for the Saharawi People" and by the Spanish
League
for Human Rights LEPDDHH (spanish
).
AFAPREDESA and the Union of Saharawi Lawyers sent a full
dossier
to the UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights, Mrs Mary Robinson.
The Western Sahara Alliance (Australia) launched an action of letters
to the Australian
Government and the UN Secretary General. The British NGO, War
on Want
sent out an urgent action inviting members to write to the King
of Morocco
and the UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan. The Swedish organizations
Afrikagrupperna and Saharabulletinen ask the Swedish government to
act for the immediate release of the Saharawi political prisoners and
for the respect of human rights in Western Sahara occupied by
Morocco. In a letter to the foreign minister the situation of the
prisoners and the hunger strike are explained.
In its letter of 09.01 to the Security Council, the Moroccan government claims that 97 persons (of whom 15 were arrested for vandalism in Smara on 17.11.01) have stopped their hunger strike following improvements made to their conditions of detention.
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