original french

Titles

- Russia-Morocco, fishing agreement
- 20 years of Twinning Le Mans-Haouza
- Fourth way ?
- Polisario Front: conference of political commissioners
- The Norwegian NGO-Forum for Human Rights
- Polisario Front : ask to annul the oil contracts
- Ethiopia: SADR Ambassador presents his credentials

31.01.02
Russia-Morocco, fishing agreement
Russia and Morocco will soon sign an agreement on technical cooperation in fishing, according to the Russian business daily  «Kommersant». The fishing agreement of 1999, linking the two countries, was not extended by Morocco, who considers that fish stocks are falling in its economic maritime zone.

01.02. - 02.02.02
Le Mans - Haouza: 1982 -2002: 20 years of loyalty and exchanges of people and culture
A Saharawi delegation from Haouza, led by Abdelkader Taleb Omar, member of the PF national secretariat and governor of Smara, was invited to Le Mans to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the twin towns. Khadija Hamdi, member of parliament and officer in the National Union of Saharawi Women, was the guest of honour.
During a ceremony at the Town Hall, councillors and local residents from the two cities renewed their twinning contract and their reciprocal commitment. The next day an Avenue Haouza was opened and a tree of liberty and fraternity planted, in the presence of many people from Le Mans and the Saharawi community in France. A conference and debate : "Western Sahara: a right betrayed" was held in the evening in the Congress Hall of Le Mans.
For this anniversary, an exhibition "The adventure of twinning and solidarity in la Sarthe", designed by graphic artist,  Matthieu Liégeois, is on show in Le Mans until 19 March, date of a big concert of Saharawi and Maghreb music.

03.02.01
Fourth way
According to the Madrid daily, El Periodico, the United Nations have dropped their proposal of autonomy for Western Sahara in favour of a fourth way, that of partition. The southern part would become independent with Dakhla as its capital, while Morocco would keep the north...
La Razón mentions another way, the administration of the territory by the UN, as suggested by Algeria in its response to the UN Secretary General (report S/2002/41).
Antonio Baquero, in El Periodico of 7 February, thinks that it is US strategic interests which are at the origin of the "fourth way". The creation of a Saharawi state would allow Algeria to transport its oil to the ocean. On the other hand, the exploitation of enormous oil reserves of the region requires the stability of the Maghreb, which is why the US is trying to find a solution for the Saharawi conflict.

04-05.02.02
Polisario Front: conference of political commissioners
The third national conference of political commissioners of the Polisario Front was held in the wilaya of Dakhla, presided over by Mr Khatri Addouh, in charge of the political orientation centrale. Over 500 executives of the organisation "will study the present general situation, its demands and its possibilities" as well as "the political and organisational situation of the Polisario Front in the light of the national program for action which came out of the 10th national congress." (SPS)

05.02.02
Norwegia
The Norwegian NGO-Forum for Human Rights  sent a letter to the Norwegian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Jan Petersen to provide their recommendations on priorities for Norway's chairmanship of the UN Security Council in March 2002 and for the rest of the year. In the letter, the network highlights "issues of fundamental significance for international peace and security". The issue of Western Sahara is among the few issues of high priority.
In the Western Sahara statement, the 14 organizations express concern for Morocco's refusal to honor its international commitments and an apparent readiness on the part of the UN Secretary General to give in to Moroccan obstruction. The organizations warn of an impending betrayal of the Saharawi people and a defeat for international legality.
The Human Rights organizations also deplore the Norwegian government's lack of progressive action on behalf of the right of the Sahrawi people to a referendum of self- determination and warn that not to do so "would undermine the ability and credibility of the United Nations as an instrument for peaceful conflict resolution."

07.02.02
Polisario Front asks for annulation of oil contracts
Following the legal opinion from the UN Department of Legal Affairs the Polisario Front asks the Security Council to annul the oil contracts signed by Morocco with foreign companies. Its UN representative expressed the view, in a letter to the President of the Council, that the agreements signed by Morocco are illegal, this country not being the administering power of Western Sahara and not enjoying any right to offer to third parties the natural wealth of the territory.

07.02.02
Ethiopia- SADR
Sadafa Bahia presented his credentials to the President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, as Ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of SADR in this country. On this occasion, he spoke to his audience on the latest developments of the conflict and thanked the Ethiopian Government for its constant political support for the struggle of the Saharawi people fighting for self-determination and independence. The Ethiopian President reaffirmed the unconditional support of Ethiopia for the Saharawi people and reiterated the attachment of his country for the peace plan for the organisation of the referendum.

COMING UP...

09.02.02, Estepa, España: El GEAS (Grupo de Estepeños Amigos del Pueblo Saharaui) les invita a asistir a la 6ª Recogida de alimentos (Caravana por la Paz 2002) para enviar a los campamentos saharauis de Tinduf (Argelia) que se efectuará por las calles de Estepa, gracias al apoyo de diferentes colectivos y voluntarios. Fecha: 15:30 horas, lugar: avenida del Porvenir.Más información: http://www.spr.net/saharaui, e-mail: geas@spr.net

16.02.02, Amiens, France: séminaire «Maroc : La disparition forcée en question». Renseignements et inscription: APADM, Association de Parents et Amis de Disparus au Maroc, B.P. 1626, 80016 Amiens (France). Tél./Fax: 01.64.21.77.50, Tél.: 06.10.62.29.39, e-mail: Apadm2001@wanadoo.fr

16.02.02, Ancona, Italia: Assemblea ordinaria dell'Associazione Nazionale di Solidarietà e sostegno al Popolo Saharawi (che raccoglie tutto il movimento italiano che si occupa di Saharawi), presso la sala del Consiglio Comunale di Ancona in piazza XXIV Maggio, dalle ore 10.00 alle ore 18.00. Ansps: c/o Lega per i diritti dei popoli, via Dogana Vecchia 5, 00186 Roma, tel/fax: + 39 066.864.640, e-mail:lidlip@mclink.it

23.02.02, Granada, España: Gala benéfica para el pueblo saharaui, Pabellón municipal de Deportes de Granada, a partir de las nueve y media de la noche, con la participación de: Hevia, Cristina del Valle, Los Centellas, Chalay, Eva y Manuel, El Arrebato, Maria Gracia, Sombra y Luz, De Ojana Na. Los beneficios irán destinados a los campos de refugiados del pueblo saharaui (Organisación: Asociación Granadina de Amigos de la RASD en colaboración con el Ayuntamiento y la Diputación de Granada), Teléfono 958-405806, fax 958-405686, Avda de Jaén 14, Apdo. de Correos 37, 18210 Peligros &endash; Granada, e-mail: saharagr@arrakis.es, Web: http://www.arrakis.es/~saharagr Infos: Sr. Fernando Puñal 616.69.79.67

28.02.02, Madrid: La exposición de las imágenes en blanco/negro y color que conforman el libro «Mañana en el Sáhara» será presentada en la PhotoGalería de La Fabrica en Madrid. (Mañana en el Sáhara, Editorial Mortirolo, S.L.Colección Claroscuro, Fotografías Holok / Juanma Gil Señorón, Simoes, Textos Juan Andrés Gómez de Agüero, Versión inglesa Robert Strange). mailto:mortirolo@mortirolo.com / http://www.mortirolo.com

Vuelo charter
Con ocasión del próximo congreso de la Unión Nacional de Mujeres Saharauis, la delegación del Frente Polisario en el País Vasco organiza un vuelo Chárter entre el 27 de marzo y el 1 de abril. Una amplia delegación del País Vasco, encabezada por Emakunde (Instituto Vasco de la Mujer) participará en este vuelo con salida desde el aeropuerto de Bilbao (Loiu) en el que tendrán preferencia las mujeres pertenecientes a orgnizaciones que quieran asistir al congreso de la UNMS. Contacto: mailto:tlpgahij@vc.ehu.es

Vuelo charter
"Aragón con el Sáhara": Queremos informar de la organización de un viaje a los campamentos de refugiados en Tinduf, del 27 al 31 de marzo. Um Draiga, C/ Río Cinca, 23, 50003 Zaragoza.
Información: Teléfonos: 609365038 Rafa, 676319199 Merche, 976284204 Sede, por las tardes. e-mail: umdraiga@umdraiga.com

INTERNET

- Legal opinion of the UN Office of Legal Affairs on the legality of the oil-contracts signed by Morocco, Hans Corell, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs, 29.01.02.

- Morocco must stop plundering the natural resources of Western Sahara. Press release from Western Sahara (POLISARIO) Mission for UK & Ireland, 02.02.02. Traducción en castellano

- UN says Morocco breaching International Law in Western Sahara, Press release of Western Sahara Alliance and Australian Western Sahara Association, 06.02.02.

- OPINION: La "Tercera Vía" ante el derecho constitucional marroquí: una autonomía imposible, Carlos Ruiz Miguel, 05.02.02.

- El primer Estado del Sahara Occidental, Mohamed-Fadel uld Ismail uld Es-Sweyih, Traducción por Nathanaël Raballand y Carmen Astiaso de «La République sahraouie», Ed. L'Harmattan, 2001. Puede descargarse en formato PDF

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

français

• El Karama, No 21, décembre 2001, publication du Bureau européen pour le respect des droits de l'homme au Sahara Occidental, BERDHSO, Genève.
• Le Mans et Haouza: 20 ans d'échanges humains, économiques et culturels, Agathe Le Nueff, Le Maine Libre, 02.02.02.
• 20e anniversaire: une avenue Haouza au Mans, Bertrand Coudreau, Le Maine Libre, 03.02.02.
• Les Sahraouis, damnés de la terre, Bertrand Coudreau, ibid.
• Régine Villemont, chevalier ddans l'Ordre National du Mérite, Jacques Guichard, ibid.
• Questions à Régine Villemont, secrétaire de l'Association des Amis de la RASD, Ouest France, 31.01.02.
• Les maires du Mans et d'Haouza signent de nouveau leur jumelage. Manceaux et Sahraouis, amis de 20 ans, Olivier Renault, Ouest France, 02-03.02.02.
• Le signataire sahraoui du jumelage revient inaugurer une rue. Le Mans-Haouza, 20 ans de fidélité, Florence Pitard, Ouest France, 04.02.02.
• Régine, passionaria des fils du désert, ibid.
• Les pétroliers s'implantent au Sahara occidental, Paul Maniglier, Le Figaro, Paris, 04.02.02.
• SAHARA-OCCIDENTAL / La guerre et les affaires, T. Hocine, El Watan, Alger, 09.02.02

english

• Akhbar Es-Sahra (News of the Sahara), N°3, 02.02.02, Western Sahara Mission Newsletter, UK & Ireland.
• Arms to Africa scar Britain's conscience, Richard Bingley, The Observer, 03.02.02.
• Analysis: Oil and inter-ethnic tension - II, Sam Vaknin, UPI Business Correspondent, Skopje, Macedonia, 29.01.02.
• Legal opinion muddies Western Saharan waters, Toby Shelley, Financial Times, 05.02.02.
• UN throws doubt on oil deals in Western Sahara, Carola Hoyos and Toby Shelley, Financial Times, 06.02.02.
• UN casts doubt on oil deals for Western Sahara, Carola Hoyos, Financial Times, 06.02.02.

castellano

• Revista de la prensa española de la semana: http://www.nodo50.org/fpolisario/Prensa.htm
• Noticias de prensa, Recopilación semanal de todos los articulos de la prensa de España. http://www.nodo50.org/labarored/interpueblos/Sahara/
• Real decreto 1462/2001, de 21 de diciembre, por el que se otorgan los permisos de investigación de hidrocarburos denominados «CANARIAS-1», «CANARIAS-2», «CANARIAS-3», CANARIAS-4», «CANARIAS-5», «CANARIAS-6», «CANARIAS-7», «CANARIAS-8» y «CANARIAS-9», situados en el Océano Atlántico frente a las costas de las Islas de Fuerteventura y Lanzarote, BOE, num. 20, 23.01.02.
• Un sector del Ejército marroquí buscó la mediación del «Príncipe rojo» para el Sahara, Pedro Canales, La Razon, Madrid, 29.01.02.
• La ONU cuestiona las prospecciones petrolíferas de Rabat en aguas del Sáhara, Javier Espinosa, El Mundo, Madrid, 02.02.02.
• El Gobierno español responde a Rabat que no suspenderá la licencia de Repsol, La Provincia, Las Palmas, Canarias, 02.02.02.
• La ONU planea repartir el Sahara entre Marruecos y el Polisario, Antonio Baquero, El Periodico, Madrid, 03.02.02. (PDF)
• Naciones Unidas contempla ahora una cuarta vía para poner remedio al largo conflicto del Sáhara occidental, P. Soto, La Verdad, 03.02.02.
• La peseta sobrevive en el Sahara, Antonio Cerrillo, La Vanguardia, Barcelona, 03.02.02.
• Propuesta para la antigua colonia española, Antonio Baquero, El Periodico, Madrid, 07.02.02.

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