|
WEEKLY NEWS |
original french
09.-15.06.2002
RASD
OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
REFERENDUM
EUROPEAN UNION
OIL EXPLORATION
MOROCCO
ALGERIA
ITALY
HUMAN RIGHTS
SOLIDARITY
COMING UP
INTERNET
NEW PUBLICATIONS
SADR
03.06.02
The head of the Libyan state, Colonel Khadafi, offered his good
services to resolve the Western Sahara conflict, transmitting to the
Polisario Front Moroccan proposals. On 3 June, the Saharawi Minister
for Foreign Affairs sent to his Libyan counterpart in Tripoli SADR's
response. Ould Salek declared that « the Polisario Front
welcomes with open arms any initiative capable of encouraging the
implementation of the UN-OAU Peace Plan in force in Western Sahara
», but emphasised that any action outside this context would be
doomed to failure. On 10.06 Morocco rejected the Libyan attempt as
« unrealistic ».
According the Quotidien d'Oran, Colonel Khadafi is alleged to
have tried to convince the Polisario Front in a letter to accept a
« negotiated solution » with the Moroccan side, which could
lead to a new proposal. This solution, according to the diplomatic
sources quoted, would involve « secret negotiations »
between Saharawi and Moroccan delegations in Surt, under the auspices
of the Libyan colonel. Tripoli wanted to present its plan during the
coming Maghreb Union summit in
Algiers.
OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
06.06.02
The publication by Moroccan weekly Demain Magazine (01.06) of
substantial extracts from a report on the human rights situation in
Western Sahara, attributed to the Sahara Section of the Forum of
Truth and Justice, set off a controversy in the Moroccan media. This
report, given to the ad hoc committee of the European Parliament
during its visit to El Ayoun on 12 February 2002, gives a detailed
account of human rights abuses in the territories occupied by
Morocco.
The weekly concentrated its critique on the notion of genocide
towards Saharawis, which figures in one sentence in the introduction.
The national president of the Forum denied the origin of the report
and suggested there were disagreements within the Sahara section of
the Forum. The dissolution of the executive of the Sahara section
could even be envisaged. It should be noted that since last October
the Sahara section had been ordered to « freeze » its
international activities. 39 delegates from the Sahara section are
participating in the national congress of the Forum taking place in
Casablanca from 14-16 June.
The incriminated report has been published in a slightly modified
form by the « Saharawi defenders of human rights ».
(french
or spanish)
REFERENDUM
11.06.02
Mauritania
The President of the Mauritanian Republic gave an audience to the UN
special representative for Western Sahara, Mr William Swing, who
indicated that his visit was a regular one for exchange of views on
questions relating to Western Sahara.
Manifesto for
peace in Western Sahara
Three Swiss NGOs, the Swiss Committee of Support for the Saharawi
People, the Schweizerisches Unterstützungskomitee für die
Sahrauis and ARSO, have sent a manifesto to the Spanish Government
which asks Spain « to persevere in its present attitude of firm
support for self-determination and to ask the United Nations to take
sovereign charge of the territory to administer it until the holding
of a referendum of self-determination. » The manifesto will also
be sent to the Security Council after collecting signatures.
(Manifesto)
EUROPEAN UNION
11.06.02
EU-UMA Partnership
The European Parliament adopted by 446 votes in favour, 10 votes
against and 54 abstentions, the resolution presented by Philippe
Morillon (French Conservative) and Daniel Marc Cohn-Bendit (French
Green) on the implementation of a « privileged partnership
» between the European Union and the Union of the Arab Maghreb.
This resolution spells out that it is the duty of the European Union,
in cooperation with the UN, and through dialogue and mediation, to
assist the resolution of conflicts and the establishment of a
peaceful climate in the region, in the interest of all the peoples
concerned, and in particular the Saharawi people. In this precise
case, the MEPs hope that the different options on the question of the
Sahara presented in the last UN report and other possible proposals
should be negotiated directly between the parties concerned. The
resolution has kept the Canary Islands' MEP, Isidoro Sanchez's
proposal to create structures for dialogue and study on a regional
level, within the Euro-mediterranean interparliamentary Forum, in the
form of regular working groups, dedicated for example to the question
of Western Sahara or immigration. In a statement, European United
Left/Nordic Green Left group (GUE/NGL) pointed out that the
resolution does not recognise the right of the Saharawi people to
self-determination nor the Houston Agreement, and that it supports
the Baker plan for autonomy. Marianne Eriksson MEP wonders if the
present negotiations on a fishing agreement between the EU and
Morocco have not influenced the resolution. For her part, Yasmine
Boudjenah, MEP, who abstained, « noted that the European
Parliament had taken a step backwards on the question of Western
Sahara ».
OIL EXPLORATION
07.06.02
TGS-NOPEC confirmed its participation, in a press statement, in
seismic surveys of the zones offshore from Dakhla and Boujdour in
Western Sahara. TG-NOPEC's boat Northern Access will begin this month
its collection of seismic data. The Norwegian company maintains that,
the UN legal opinion of January this year, allows that the oil
contracts signed by Morocco are legal, since they concern only
exploration and not exploitation, but apologises for using the term
« Southern provinces ».
12.06.02
The Norwegian committee of support for the Saharawi people organised
a demonstration on the occasion of the annual meeting of shareholders
of the company, among which important public institutions figure such
as the insurance company «Norwegian Public National Insurance
Scheme Fund». An « Open Letter to TGS-NOPEC shareholders
» was sent, protesting strongly against the agreement signed by
the Norwegian firm with ONAREP, Kerr McGee and TotalFinaElf (see week
23/02).
The Committee believes this agreement legitimises the Moroccan
occupation, since the seismic surveys are a precondition of the
exploitation of any oil reserves. The Committee, supported by several
Norwegian parliamentaries and organisations, therefore asks TGS-NOPEC
to give up its involvement in Western Sahara, which is violating
international law. (Open
letter
, Afrol
News).
MOROCCO
12.06.02
Youth organisations from Moroccan parties, invited to take part in a
meeting in Paris by the Moroccan Democrat Youth Abroad and the Union
of Young People from Saguiet el Hamra and Rio de Oro, asked to
postpone the meeting to allow more time for preparation. This
meeting, planned for 15 June, had as its aim « to use peaceful
ways to get out of the deadlock and to talk calmly, and to become
actors and not just spectators in what is happening in the region.
» The meeting was held symbolically to allow the Moroccan
organisations to make arrangements and fix as soon as possible a
later date for a wider debate.
12.06.02
Teachers strike
About a hundred young Saharawis recruited into primary teaching
between the end of 2000 and the beginning of 2001, and who were
placed in Moroccan towns, started an unlimited strike 10 days ago.
They travelled to Rabat and are organising a sit-in in front of the
office of the Ministry of Education. Their claims: 1 - To return to
work in towns of Western Sahara and in the towns of Southern Morocco,
Goulmin, Tan Tan and Assa. 2 - The graduates with a bachelor's or
master's degree demand to be able to teach in secondary schools and
colleges like their Moroccan peers, who with the same degree do not
work in primary education. (corr.)
ALGERIA
21-22.06.02
UAM Summit
The King of Morocco will not go to the « summit » of the
Union of the Arab Maghreb scheduled for 21 and 22 June in
Algiers.
ITALY
12.06.02
Foreign Affairs Committee of the Italian Parliament
A resolution about Western Sahara, put down by 39 members of
parliament, was passed by the Committee. Following a previous one on
9 March 2000 (see week 11/00),
it asks the government (1) to support the efforts of the United
Nations in order to achieve the organisation of a referendum and a
solution accepted by the parties, in accordance with international
law; (2) to observe the respect of human rights in the occupied
territories; (3) to increase humanitarian aid to the Saharawi
refugees and (4) to demand that the parties release the prisoners of
war according to the peace plan.
HUMAN RIGHTS
08.06.02
ICRC
Pierre Ryter will be replaced by Harald Schmid of Gruneck to head the
Regional Delegation of the ICRC for the Maghreb and Tunis.
06.06.02
Haddi Ahmed Mahmoud, a common law prisoner, who took part in the
hunger strike last January in El Ayoun prison, decided to start an
unlimited hunger strike to protest again about the conditions of
detention there. (corr.)
14.06.02
Sanctions
We have been told about the compulsory professional redundancy in
Morocco of Saharawi human rights activists. (to be
continued)
14.06.02
Saharawi unemployed graduates, who met for a sit-in in protest
outside their houses were forced by the police to go
inside.
SOLIDARITY
03.06.-01.07.02
An exhibition entitled « Fotoudstilling om Afrikas sidste Koloni
» (Photo exhibition about Africa's last colony) was opened at
Blågårds Bibliotek in Copenhagen (Denmark) on 3rd June,
2002. For more information, contact the Representation of Frente
POLISARIO to Denmark at: polisario@mail.dk
08.06.02
Unas 250 personas se manifestaron por las principales calles de
Bilbao para reclamar un referéndum de autodeterminación
para el Sáhara. A la marcha, organizada por la
Asociación de Amigos de la República arabe saharaui
democrática, se sumaron representantes de todos los sindicatos
vascos, la presidenta de EA, Begoña Errazti, así como
miembros de PNV, Eusko Alkartasuna y PSE-EE del intergrupo
parlamentario por el Sahara.
12.06.02
Scottish Trade Union Western Sahara Support Group Following
discussions which took place at the Scottish Trade Union Congress in
April, a group of Trade Unions met in Glasgow (Scotland) and agreed
to establish a committee in support of the people of Western Sahara.
The main objective of the group is initially to raise the awareness
of Scottish Trade Unionists of the plight of the people of Western
Sahara and its workers.
COMING UP
29.06.02
The Moroccan government will transfer itself in its entirety to El
Ayoun, where it will attend the opening of study days planned prior
to the launch of the Sahara Development Agency.
11.07.02
Si terrà l'11 luglio 2002 alle ore 20:00, presso il Circolo
Arci Salone Rinascita di Sesto Fiorentino (via Matteotti) una cena di
solidarietà con il Popolo Saharawi, che sarà anche
l'occasione per dare il benvenuto ai bambini saharawi ospiti per
l'estate 2002. Per partecipare alla cena, (organizzata
dall'Associazione « Ban Slout Larbi », dagli Scout di Sesto
Fiorentino, dal Circolo Arci Salone Rinascita e dall'Associazionismo
Sestese) è possibile chiamare Chiara, 328 6840815 oppure
l'Associazionismo 055 4201300.
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