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WEEKLY NEWS |
original french
22.-28.09.2002
- SADR
- OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
- REFERENDUM
- SOLIDARITY
- COMING UP
- NEW PUBLICATIONS
SADR
23.09.02
Defector
The former military commander and former member of the executive of
the Polisario Front, Lehbib Sidi Aouba, known as Ayoub Lehbib,
defected to Morocco and offered his allegiance to the king.
(SPS)
26.09.02
Moroccan elections
In a letter sent to the UN Secretary General, the President of the
Saharawi Republic denounced the "electoral farce" which Morocco is
preparing in its occupied territories, an act which Mohamed Abelaziz
considers "devoid of any legality" and which he qualifies as a
"provocation", and called on the UN to prevent the occupying power
from creating indefinite «faits accomplis». Furthermore,
the President of the Republic indicated that the Moroccan occupation
authorities, taking advantage of the "requirements of public order
necessitated by the electoral farce" have proceeded to "a veritable
manhunt operation including abductions", which he denounced.
(SPS)
OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
24.09.02
Arrests in El Ayoun
The Moroccan Security Services, operating in unmarked cars, one of
which belonged to a milk distribution business, broke into the homes
of several members of the Forum for Truth and Justice, Sahara
Section. Plain clothed policemen searched their homes without a
warrant, threatened their relatives and carried off eight or nine
people. They are: Salek Bazaid, the three Moussamih brothers, Baba,
Larbi and Bachri (an adolescent minor born in 1986), their uncle,
Bougrain (Moussaoui) Mohamed El Mehdi, Leboihi Mohamed Salem,
Tarfaoui Ali (who suffers from a psychiatric illness) and Moufid
Abdelih. Moussamih Larbi, the adolescent Moussamih Bachri and Leboihi
Mohamed Salem were released as well as Moufid, a Moroccan
hairdresser, arrested by mistake...
Salek Bazaid is a former political detainee. He was part of the group
of the "six of Agadir" with Keltoum El Ouanate, Jouda Brahim, Bennou
Mohamed, Elbar Barikallah and El Gharabi Sidi Ali, sentenced to 20
years' imprisonment in 1993 by the military court of Rabat for taking
part in a peaceful demonstration in Smara in 1992. Adopted by Amnesty
International they were pardoned by Hassan II in 1996.
Moussamih Larbi, a member of the Sahara section of the Forum for
Truth and Justice, was sentenced in 1999 to 2 years in prison for
taking part in the demonstrations in El Ayoun in 1999. (see
week
44/99
and other
documents)
He was one of the 26 Saharawi political prisoners for whom a vast
campaign of solidarity was organised in summer 2001. Having ended his
sentence on 03.11.01, he was released a week before the royal pardon
was granted to the others, including Mohamed Daddach.
Four people remain under arrest: Salek Bazaid, Moussamih Baba,
Bourhil Mohamed Lamine and Bougrain (Moussaoui) Mohamed El Mehdi,
(Tarfaoui Ali liberated). Their families went to the court on
25.09.02 to lodge a complaint about these illegal arrests, but the
procurer of the king refused to receive them.
Explanations for this action give different reasons according to the
sources: distribution of pamphlets recalling the 3rd anniversary of
the demonstrations of El Ayoun in September 1999 and favourable to
the Polisario Front or a call to boycott the elections and being in
possession of SADR flags. The daily Al Ahdath speaks of dismantling a
criminal network connected with the attack and burning of a police
station three months ago. (corr., SPS)
26.09.02
Thorolf Raftos memorial award 2002 to Sidi Mohammed Daddach
The Board of the Rafto
Foundation
has decided to give the Thorolf Raftos memorial award 2002 to Sidi
Mohammed Daddach, of Western Sahara. The Rafto Foundation's wish with
this award is to support the Saharawi people's struggle for human
rights and self - determination. In this sense the Rafto Foundation
urges the Norwegian authorities to engage themselves more strongly to
find a solution to the conflict and underlines that it can only be
solved by the Saharawi people being heard through a free, open and
just referendum.
The Rafto prize was created in 1986 by the Norwegian professor
Thorolf Rafto, who devoted a great part of his life to the defence of
human rights. It is given to people, not always well known, to
encourage their action and consists in a diploma, a cheque for 50,000
Norwegian crowns (6,830 euros) and the holding of a seminar. The
award ceremony will be held on 3 November next in Bergen, Norway.
Among the prize-winners of past years are Shirin Ebadi, 2001, the
first woman judge in Iran, who works for the defence of women's and
children's rights at the head of a movement for human rights in her
country, Kim Dae-Jung, 2000, political leader from South Korea,
Genadij Grusjevoj,1999, an activist for democracy and human rights in
Belarus, Palermo Anno Uno, a Sicilian NGO fighting against the mafia,
Leyla Zana, a Kurdish lawyer in prison for her activities in the
defence of human rights, Elena Bonner, Aung San Suu Kyi and the
people of East Timor. (Press
statement
- to send congratulations
)
REFERENDUM
21.09.02
UN General Assembly
Representatives of several countries spoke in the general debate in
the 57th session of the UN General Assembly to deplore the delay in
the process of self-determination in Western Sahara and to call for
the speedy implementation of the UN/OAU peace plan: Namibie,
Tanzania, Mozambique, Uganda, Malawi, Lesotho, Mauritania, Niger and
Belize.
25.09.02
Australia
Replying to a written question from a member of parliament, the
Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs reaffirmed that his
government is in favour of a speedy holding of the referendum in
Western Sahara. Alexander Downer confirmed having recently sent a
letter in this sense to his Moroccan counterpart.
26.09.01
Australia
The Australian Senate adopted motion 194, in which it says that the
only just, legal and lasting solution to the conflict in the Western
Sahara is the organisation of a free and fair referendum to allow the
Saharawi people to exercise their right to self-determination, in
accordance with the UN/Organisation of African Unity peace plan. It
calls on both parties, Morocco and the Polisario Front to cooperate
with the UN in this aim, and asks the Australian Government to
intervene in the UN in this sense and with the Moroccan government to
respect human rights in the occupied territories.
27.09.02
UN - East Timor
East Timorese President Xanana Gusmao marked his country's admission
as the UN's 191st member with a defence of the right to independence
of both the Palestinians and the people of the Western Sahara: "While
the case of East Timor is regarded as a UN success, the case of the
Western Sahara continues to be put in abeyance by a succession of
obstacles. At this moment of assertion of our freedom and
independence, we also wish to call for the resumed implementation of
the UN plan for a referendum on the Western Sahara's
self-determination." "Only a just, free and democratic vote like the
one held in East Timor can bring this unjust situation to an end."
(RDP Antena 1 radio, Lisbon, in Portuguese)
27.09.02
Security Council
The following five countries have been elected to the Security
Council: Chile, Angola, Pakistan, Germany and Spain. They will take
their place from 1 January 2003 replacing Norway, Mauritius,
Singapore, Colombia and Ireland.
SOLIDARITY
Mantova, Italia, 19.09.02: Presentazione dell'associazione FADEL ISMAIL per la libertà del popolo saharawi, per una soluzione giusta e non violenta nel Sahara Occidentale, con il rappresentante del Fronte Polisario Omar Mih, il ministro della salute Omar Mansour e il Ministro della Cooperazione della RASD Salek Baba. L'associazione mantovana si inserisce in un quadro di progetti di solidarietà con il popolo saharawi già attivi da qualche anno a livello locale, e ha l'intento di promuovere una rete di coordinamento regionale delle azioni pro Saharawi.
Madrid, 26.09.02: Plazas Vivas: Sahara en el corazón de las mujeres.
Zaragoza, 28.09.02: Cena - Concierto en apoyo a los Estudiantes Saharauis.
COMING UP...
8, 9 et
10.10.02, Bruxelles
Une délégation de la Plateforme des femmes artistes et
chanteuses contre la violence de genre d'Espagne se rend à
Bruxelles, dans le but d'exposer aux parlementaires européens
la difficile situation que vit le peuple sahraoui en raison de
l'obstruction du Maroc au Plan de paix de l'ONU.
La plateforme des femmes artistes demande au PE de s'engager pour la
légalité internationale en soutenant la mise en oeuvre
urgente du référendum d'autodétermination.
La délégation sera accueilie au PE par Laura
González, eurodéputée IU des Asturies puis
rencontrera Margot Kessler, présidente de l'Intergroupe "Paix
pour le peuple sahraoui" du PE. Des entrevues avec des parlementaires
de tous les groupes et pays sont prévues ainsi qu'avec des
membres de la représentation du FP auprès de l'UE. La
délégation comprend 9 actrices et 10
chanteuses.
NEW PUBLICATIONS
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