original french

• SADR
• OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
• REFERENDUM
• SOLIDARITY
• COMING UP
• INTERNET

SADR
10.06.03
The President of the Saharawi Republic vigorously condemned the attempted coup in Mauritania, and congratulated the Mauritanian President, Maouiya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya, for having thwarted it.  (SPS)
External intervention?
According to the Spanish daily "La Razon", the putchists intended to recover the part of Western Sahara that Mauritania gave up in 1979 after signing an accord with the POLISARIO Front.  According to the same source, the Moroccan Armed Forces played an active role in the dfeat of the insurgency.  A detachment of paratroops equipped with anti-tank missiles was sent from Western Sahara to Mauritania to combat the putchists' armoured units.  (La Razòn )

01.01.04
Rally Crosses Western Sahara Anew
The Telefonica Dakar 2004 (Total is no longer the top sponsor!) has announced that "the organisers decided to revert to tradition and design a "classic" race for 2004..."... see the map at http://www.dakar.com/2004/presentationus/index.html

OCCUPIED TERRITORIES

03.06.03
Hunger Strike
Ali Salem Tamek announced that he would launch a 48-hour hunger strike on 09.06.03 to protest against his transfer to Ait Melloul prison where he has been deprived of his rights as a political prisoner.
On 06.06.03, Tamek's family declared their absolute and unconditional support for his hunger strike and denounced the "carrot and stick" tactics of the Moroccan authorities.  They demanded the restitution of his legal rights and called on all human rights organisations to support their son and campaign for his release.
The Action Committee for the Liberation of Ali Salem Tamek and all Saharawi Political Prisoners published a statement in which they denounce the degrading conditions in which Saharawi detainees are held and the prison authorities' abuses of power.  The Committee reaffirms its solidarity with Tamek and all Saharawi political prisoners and demands their release.  (statment of 08.06.03 in French)
On the first day of his hunger strike, Tamek was transferred to the prison hospital due to his state of health.

05.06.03
Case for Dissolution of the Sahara Section of the Forum for Truth and Justice
The El Ayoun civil court received the case of the lawyers for the defence of the Forum.  Judgement will be pronounced on the 18th June.

06.06.03
Oil
Oil companies Total and Kerr-McGee announced their intention of undertaking a second deepwater seismic survey the lenght of Western Sahara.  The first study by Norwegian company TGS-NOPEC was recently completed.  The latter company ruled ought any further involvement, on ethical grounds.  A campaign organised by the Nprwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara has denounced the illegal character of prospection in the Moroccan-occupied territories. (Upstream) (see also week 22/2003)

Disappearances
The collective of human rights defenders in Western Sahara has come into possession of more detailed information on the fate of Elhaf El Kotb and Said Kairaouane, lifted in 1993 by plainclothes police and imprisoned in the CMI [paramilitary police] barracks in El Ayoun.  According to a witness they were savagely torutred.  One of the victims succumbed to the torture, and his companion was killed in cold blood to eliminate any embarassing witnesses.  The two Saharawis' bodies were taken in a green 4-wheel drive vehicle of the DST ["Homeland Security Police"] and buried several kilometres to the East of El Ayoun, on the way to Smara.  Commissaire Hariz Elaarbi, a known torturer in Western Sahara since 1976, is implicated in the case.

REFERENDUM

28.05.03
USA
Fifteen members of the US Congress called on US President George w Bush to "support the organisation of the Western Sahara REferendum" in a letter.  Recalling that "the UN Security Council has clearly stated that the only viable solution to this conflict is that based on the right of the Saharawi people to self-determination", the signatories deplored "the continued delay in the organisation of this referendum", a cause of "regional instability".  (SPS)

04.06.03
Europe
The European Parliament Intergroup "Peace for the Saharawi People", meeting to evaluate the situation after the latest discussions at the UN, expressed its "concern" over the proposals for resolving the conflict presented by Mr James Baker and called for a return to the 1991 UN Plan, judging this to be fitting and in conformity with international law.  (Press release)

04.06.03
Japan
The Japanese Foreign Affairs Ministry has responded to the Open Letter to the Japanese government on the occasion of the 3rd TICAD (Tokyo International Conference on African Development)(Response)

10.06.03
UN
Speaking at the UN Special Committee on Decolonisation, Ahmed Boukhari expressed reservations on the latest "Peace Plan for the Self Determination of the Poeple of Western Sahara" presented by James Baker.  The POLISARIO Front is opposed to any Moroccan sovereignty over the territory and to according the rights to vote to tens of thousands of colonists transferred to Western Sahara by Morocco. (Press release)

SOLIDARITY

• 05.-21.06.03, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Exposición fotografica: Mendebaldeko Sahara, Sahararren Herria &endash; El Sahara Occidental, el País de los Saharauis" de Javier Errasti e Idoia Zabaleta.
• 09.06.03 Madrid: Acto de solidaridad : EL PUEBLO SAHARAUI, 30 AÑOS SIN RESPUEST, Con motivo de cumplirse el 20 de Mayo, el XXX aniversario de la fundación del Frente Polisario.
• Proyecto elaborado por EHIGE gurasoen elkartea: un alumno un ladrillo
• Australia: "Hear Fatima Mahfoud speak", Programme from 06.06. - 21.06.03 t

COMING UP...

08.06.- 07.09.03 Madrid, El Torreón del Canal de Isabel II, Exposición titulada "Christine Spengler. Los años de guerra" «Exhibe únicamente 38 imágenes en blanco y negro y de gran formato -140 centímetros. Su sofisticado aspecto, algo excéntrico, hace que cueste imaginarse a esta mujer, de la que emana vitalidad, visitando los núcleos de los conflictos bélicos en Irlanda del Norte, Afganistán, Líbano, donde fue arrestada y casi ejecutada, Sahara, Nicaragua, Vietnam, Camboya o Irán».

Asociación de amigos del Pueblo Saharaui de Santomera esta organizando la mayor concentración de guitarras eléctricas de la historia con el objeto de establecer el récord guinness de mayor numero de guitarras eléctricas tocando al unísono el legendario tema de Deep Purple "Smoke on the water". El fin de esta concentración es dar a conocer la problemática en el Sahara y recaudar fondos para su población. Será el 21 de junio en la localidad murciana de Santomera y habrá paella gigante, sorteo de una guitarra, conciertos, zona de acampada etc... Para mas información pueden visitar la web http://www.guitarraguinness.com

INTERNET

• L'OUEST SAHARIEN / THE WESTERN SAHARA, Cahiers d'études pluridisciplinaires / International Multidisciplinary Studies
• Carlos Ruiz Miguel, Contribution à une bibliographie espagnole sur le Sahara Occidental, in L'Ouest saharien, vol 1, 1998, L'Harmattan, Paris.
• Sitio web de UJSARIO arabe y castellano: http://www.ujsario.net
• Saharawi -Laboratorio di pace: Sitio del'Associazione per il popolo Saharawi - Lerici - La Spezia : http://www.saharawi.tk
• Western Sahara on richardknight.com
• "The solution to the issue of Sahara will only be an American solution", former Moroccan interior minister, Driss Basri in an interview with the Moroccan weekly 'Al-Ayam' 29 May - 4 June 03 , translation by Khatry Beirouk, Original arabic - Traduction en français (arso)

OPINIONS

A propos de la lettre de Danielle Miterrand à M. Abdelaziz:

• L'humanitarisme piégé, Carlos Ruiz Miguel, Martine de Froberville
• De l'application du droit international humanitaire, réponse de la Fondation France Libertés par Afifa Karmous
  
  
• El humanitarismo trampa, Carlos Ruiz Miguel, Martine de Froberville
• Sobre la aplicación del Derecho Internacional Humanitario, respuesta de la Fondation France Libertés por Afifa Karmous

A propos des déclarations de Dris Basri à Al-Ayam (Français - English):

• How dare you, Mr. Basri? Khatry Beirouk
• Comment osez-vous, M. Basri ? Khatry Beirouk
• ¿Como se atreve Vd., señor Basri? Khatry Beirouk

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

Français

Les dépêches, articles, etc, sont accessibles aux non-abonnés sur Sahara-Info, liste de courrier (français et espagnol): http://es.groups.yahoo.com/group/sahara-info/messages

• ONU, Assemblée générale, Sahara Occidental: document préparé par le Secrétariat, A/AC.109/2003/14, 25.04.03. ( en cas de refus passer via http://www.un.org/french/Depts/dpi/decolonization/docs.htm)
• Kofi Annan propose un nouveau plan de paix pour le Sahara Occidental: Référendum sous drapeau... marocain, Mounir B., Le Quotidien d'Oran, 31.05.03.
• Question écrite posée par Marianne Eriksson (GUE/NGL) au Conseil (17 juillet 2002). Objet: Droits de l'homme au Sahara occidental, Journal officiel de l'Union européenne, 137 E/63, 12.06.03.

English

English publications on Sahara Update mailinglist: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sahara-update/messages

• UN General Assembly, Western Sahara. Working paper prepared by the Secretariat, A/AC.109/2003/14, 25.04.03.
• Ending the Exile , A recent photographic exhibition in the European Parliament highlighted the plight of the forgotten refugees of Western Sahara, Brian Johnson, the Parliament magazine, Vol. 162, 02.06.03, p. 41.
• Problematic Oil Exploration In Western Sahara, Neftegaz.RU, 04.06.03.
• War drums beat at Sahrawi plan, Upstream, 06.06.03.
• Life and slow death in a desert no man's land, Tony Stephens, The Sydney Morning Herald, 11.06.03
• Written question by Marianne Eriksson (GUE/NGL) to the Council (17 July 2002). Subject: Human rights in Western Sahara, Official Journal of the European Union, 137 E/63, 12.06.03.

Castellano

Todos los despachos, articulos de prensa, etc, son acessible por no-abonados en Sahara-Info, lista de correo (castellano y francés): http://es.groups.yahoo.com/group/sahara-info/messages

• Crónica Sáhara, Agencia Canaria de Noticias, 03.06.03.
• Christine Spengler ofrece en una exposición un homenaje a las víctimas de las guerras, Mila Trenas, Heraldo de Aragon, Zaragoza, 05.06.03.
• Amigos de los saharauis piden a España que no use el Sáhara como "moneda de cambio" en sus relaciones con Rabat, Europa Press, 06.06.03.
• ANÁLISIS DE UN SAHARA INDEPENDIENTE. Inexactitudes del representante de Marruecos en Canarias, Grupo Interuniversitario de Opinión , Canarias ahora, 09.06.03.
• El Frente Polisario teme un periodo "sangriento" con Plan Baker, EFE, 09.06.03.
• Militares marroquíes ayudaron al presidente de Mauritania a aplastar el intento de golpe. Pedro Canales, La Razon, 11.06.03
• Pregunta escrita de Marianne Eriksson (GUE/NGL) al Consejo (17 de julio de 2002). Asunto: Derechos humanos en el Sahara Occidental, Diario Oficial de la Unión Europea, 137 E/63, 12.06.03.
• Aznar expresa Mohamed VI compromiso España salida consenso Sahara, EFE, 12.06.03.
• Bárbulo pide que España "suture la herida" del Sahara en la ONU, EFE, 13.06.03.
• NUEVO LIBRO: «Las jaimas de Ard-El-Gamar. Viajeros de León hasta la pasión saharaui», Francisco Javier Prada Fernández.

Català

• El nou pla Baker, Investigador per la pau, Andreu Sola Martin, El Punt digital, 03.06.03.

Norway - Sweden

• Sceptical of Western Sahara, The warning against taking on assignments off occupied Western Sahara is working, Tor Dagfinn Dommersnes, Stavanger Aftenblad, Norway, 28.05.03. (english translation )
• Det är dags att befria den sista kolonin ["It's time to liberate the last colony"], Staffan Heimerson, columnist in Aftonbladet, Stockholm, 31.05.03.
• Protokoll fra Stavanger bystyre: Spørsmål fra Sonja Tinnesand (SV) vedr. etiske retningslinjer for kommunens investeringer [Protocol of meeting in Stavanger City Council: Question from councellor Sonja Tinnesand re. Ethical guidelines for municipal investments], Stavanger Aftenblad ,10.2.03.
• Avvikler i Vest- Sahara ["Packing up in Western Sahara"], Næringsavisen, Anette Hansen Hunstad, saih.no, 26.04.03.
• De glemte flyktningene ["The forgotten refugees"], Interview with Erik Hagen & Ingrid Toreid of the NSCWS, Norwegian Broadcasting Corp. web & radio, 30.04.03.. Radio program
• Skagenfondene tar tap på 14 mill. av etiske grunner ["Skagen Funds takes loss of 14 million on ethical grounds"], Tor Dagfinn Dommersnes, Stavanger Aftenblad, 14.05.03.
• Skagen måker ut aksjer ["Skagen throwing out shares"], Odd Steinar Parr, Hegnar Online, 14.5.03. ["Skagen Funds rid themselves totally of dangerous [Kerr-McGee] shares"]
• SKAGEN Vekst selger aksjene i Kerr McGee ["Skagen Vekst sells Kerr McGee shares"], Skagen Funds commentary, 14.05.03.
• Bak ligger etikken på lur ["Behind the scenes, ethics lurk"], Line Noer Borrevik, Stavanger Aftenblad,15.05.03. ["In this case the batle for Western Sahara provides insecurity, which the financial market in turn translates into risk. No one in Skagen Funds has become any nobler lately, but ethics have at least won a small victory over capital"].

Deutsch

• Neuer Friedensplan, rwm, Der Bund, Bern, 31.05.03.

Português

• POLISARIO prevê "periodo sangrento" no Sahara Ocidental, Noticias, Mozambique, 11.06.03.

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