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WEEKLY NEWS |
original french
10.-16.03. 2002
08.03.02
Referendum(s)
FEDISSAH, the Spanish State Federation of Institutions in solidarity
with the Sahara, during a meeting in the Canaries, announced that
referendums on the independence of Western Sahara will be organised
before the end of the year in 16 autonomous regions of Spain, on the
model of the consultation organised in Andalusia last autumn. During
this meeting, which brought together delegates of groups from all
over Spain, the Polisario representative for Spain, Brahim Ghali,
"totally" rejected the possibility of partition of the Sahara,
because the struggle for freedom has been declared "for the whole
Sahara". He also regretted the delays and especially the reduction in
food aid from the UN to the Saharawi refugees.
10.03.02
United Kingdom
The representative of the Polisario Front in the United Kingdom and
Ireland recalls in a press
statement,
that the question of Western Sahara is a question of decolonisation.
He denounces the offensive of disinformation all over the place
initiated by Morocco, with the aim of reducing the question of
Western Sahara to a simple question of economic development. It was
with this in mind that Rabat is thought to have recently contacted
The Policy Partnership, an important British consultant specialising
in political lobbying.
10.03.02
Occupied territories
The Saharawi prime minister, Bouchraya Beyoun, asked "for a
stop to the establishment of colonies of settlers" in the occupied
territories of Western Sahara. He denounced the "criminal operation"
which consists in "evacuating the territory of its inhabitants...in
order to put in Moroccan settlers". In the course of his visit to the
occupied territories, Mohamed VI announced the construction of six
fishing villages. The Saharawi population now only makes up 30% of
the total population of Western Sahara. (SPS)
12.03.02
Western Sahara - Fishing
The Moroccan Minister of Fishing, Saïd Chbaâtou, indicated
that the fishing sector constitutes one of the key elements in the
development of Western Sahara, where production exceeds 500,000
tonnes of fish, with an increase forecast to 1,200,000 tonnes over
the coming two years. At present there are 350 coastal fishing
trawlers and 8,000 small fishing boats. The fishing methods used
constitutes a serious threat for the replenishment of fish stocks
according to environmental specialists.
13.03.02
Diplomatic offensive
After passing through Paris, the Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs
went to London to give a message to Tony Blair from the King of
Morocco and to reiterate the rejection of the option of partition in
Western Sahara.
14.03.02
75th session of the OAU Council of Ministers
In his report, the secretary general, Mr Amara Essy, evoked the
question of Western Sahara in order to reject the option of autonomy
and to reaffirm the commitment of his organisation to a mutually
acceptable solution, based on the will of the Saharawi people, freely
and democratically expressed in conformity with the United Nations
settlement plan.
13.03.02
SADR
The Saharawi Consultative Council, which brings together over 130
shiouk (experts used in the UN identification process of Saharawi
voters), in a letter to the European Parliament, asked it to exert
pressure on Morocco to make this country "obey international law"
through "the implementation of the United Nations peace plan", and to
stop "the plunder of Saharawi wealth and the establishment of
settlers" in the occupied territories.
The Consultative Council also addressed the Spanish Parliament, to
request from the government "a consistent commitment to help put an
end to the quarter-century long suffering of the Saharawi
people".
Finally, in a letter sent to the Security Council and the UN
Secretary General, the CC, speaking from the strength of experience
of its members, "affirms that the question of the appeals could be
resolved in a reasonable time by the United Nations".
(SPS)
15.03.02
Morocco- Algeria
The King of Morocco had talks on Moroccan-Algerian relations with the
Algerian Minister of the Interior, on an impromptu visit to Morocco.
The Saudi Crown Prince was also said to be in Morocco (Le Matin,
Alger). This was to attempt, claims Maghreb
Confidentiel, a mediation between the two countries. Saudi Arabia
with the support of Egypt is believed to want to bring together the
Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and King Mohamed VI in
a fringe meeting alongside the Arab summit due to take place on
27 and 28 March in Beirut.
SOLIDARITY
09.03.02,
Stockholm, Sveden: In a statement from the Nordic conference "A
people´s right to their country - Western Sahara" on 9 March in
Stockholm, organised by The committé for the Saharawi women,
the governments in the Nordic countries are called upon to support
alternative one in the report of the secretary-general of the UN,
which means an implementation of the peace plan and a referendum. The
occupation must end. An extended mandate and enlarged means of
Minurso in order to safeguard the result of the referendum are also
demanded. The verdict of the legal department of the UN that Morocco
has no right to exploit the natural resources of Western Sahara must
also be respected.
Among the speakers at the conference were the minister of sport and
culture Mariam Hmdad Salek, the Polisario representative in Europe
Mohamed Sidati, the members of the European Parliament Maj-Britt
Theorin (s) and Marianne Eriksson (v) and Eva Zetterberg (v) member
of the Swedish parliament. About 60 persons from four different
political parties and organisations together with parliamentarians
participated in the conference.
10.03.02, Blida, Algeria: At the University of Blida-Soumaa a solidarity day was organised by the Algerian Union of Students (UNEA), in presence of a Saharawi delegation and the national secretary of the Algerian committee of solidarity to the Saharawi people, as well as a representative of the Palestinian Embassy in Algiers.
COMING UP...
Tournée de la chanteuse Mariem Hassan avec le groupe Leyoad:
Espagne:
14 de marzo, Emociona!!! Mujer, Auditorio Museo de la Ciudad de
Madrid. 20:30 horas. Príncipe de Vergara, 140, Metro Cruz del
Rayo.
15 de marzo: Teatro de Amorebieta, Vizcaya
France:
16 mars: Festival de La Courneuve
17 mars: Cirque d´hiver, Paris
19 mars: Festival du Mans
Espagne:
21 de marzo: Teatro Nuria Espert, Fuenlabrada, Madrid
4 de abril: Suristán, Madrid
5 de abril, Marquina, Vizcaya
11 de abril, Valencia
20.03.02, a las 20hs, en el Café "Zanzibar" (Calle Regueros, 9, Madrid) tertulia "Sahara Occidental, una solución Aplazada", presentada por Ahmed Mulay, delegado del Frente Polisario en Madrid. La tertulia está organizada por la Asociación para la Cooperación con el Sur, ACSUR Las Segovias.
Del 15 de marzo al 14 de abril del 2002: «Memoria del Sahara», Valladolid. Sala Municipal de Exposiciones de la Iglesia de Las Francesas.
18 de abril 2002. 19'30 h.: Concierto "Las voces del desierto", Valladolid. F.M.C. Sala Cervantes.
Vuelo
charter:
Trayecto: Alicante-Tinduf-Alicante. Salida:27 de Marzo a las 18h00.
Regreso: 1 de abril a las 18h00. Precio:452 Euros. Tel de contacto:
Delegación Saharaui en Murcia (Salek Radi): 626793362, E-Mail:
radi@yahoo.es,
Asociación de amigos: (Pedro Cobacho): 609368902.
Vuelo
charter desde Andalucia:
26 de abril - 2 de mayo. Info: Asociación de Amistad con el
Pueblo Saharaui de Sevilla: mailto:a.a.p.s.s.@terra.es.
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