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NEWS |
original french
28.09.-31.10.2003
06.10.03
SADR - Cuba
The President of the Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz, received the new
Cuban ambassador, Roberto Blanco Dominguez, who presented his
credentials as ambassador extraordinary and plenipoteniary from the
Republic of Cuba for SADR. (SPS)
14.10.03
Natural Resources
The director of the Anglo-Australian company Fusion Oil & Gas NL
presented to Mohamed Abdelaziz the results of a survey of oil
exploration in Western Sahara.
John Taylor expressed his satisfaction in the results obtained and
declared himself ready to continue to cooperate with SADR. A
representative of the British company, Premier, which has recently
become associated with the cooperation agreement signed by SADR and
Fusion, attended the meeting. Fusion Oil & Gas NL concluded on 26
May 2002, an exclusive agreement of technical cooperation with the
SADR government.
XIth General Congress of the POLISARIO FRONT - 12-19.10.03
12.10.03
Opening
Held in Tifariti, in the liberated territories, with the theme
"Struggle and unity for independence and peace" the congress was
dedicated to the martyr M'Beirik Labeid Brahim. It is the first time
since its foundation that the Saharawi movement has held its congress
in the liberated territories. About 1400 delegates of wilayas,
institutions as well as the diaspora took part, as well as two
hundred foreign guests from Algeria, South Africa, Nigeria, Angola,
Namibia, Libya, Venezuela, Panama, Cuba, Spain, Italy, France,
Switzerland, USA, Australia etc. representatives of governments,
political parties, parliamentary groups, NGOs, trades unions,
etc.
13.10.03 Abdelaziz's speech
The President of the Republic, in his opening speech, called on the
international community to assume its responsibilities in the face of
Morocco's intransigence. He pointed out that the Polisario Front will
cooperate fully with the latest Baker Plan, while remaining attached
to the initial settlement plan which was accepted by the two parties
and endorsed by the international community. "The new Baker Plan is
not a definitive solution to the conflict, but it is a basis for a
new process", he added.
14.10.03 , Committees, debates, ...
Four committees: finance, chaired by Khattri Adouh, national
action program, chaired by Abdallahi Lehbib, internal affairs
and SADR's Constitution, chaired by Hamadi Salma and finally letters
and motions chaired by Senia Ahmed Merhba. Debates were concentrated
within the working groups on the reasons which led the Polisario
Front to accept the latest Baker Plan and on the international
guarantees needed to implement this proposal.
With great emotion the plenary heard an intervention by telephone
from the Saharawi political prisoner Ali Salem Tamek speaking from
his prison cell in Morocco.
15.10.03
Reports of the committees on finance and internal organisation of the
Polisario Front and the constitution of the Saharawi Republic.
After intense discussion, members of the congress backed the decision
of the Polisario Front to accept the Baker Plan. But they demanded
that the Polisario Front ensure they have adequate international
safeguards to render this process viable. The delegates criticised
the management of education, health, food and administration.
16.10.03
Reports of the Committees on the program of national action and that
of the resolutions and motions. The program notably recommends the
strengthening and development of the army's capacity, and calls on
Saharawi people wherever they may be to redouble their vigilance, to
gather their ranks and to maintain cohesion so that no defiance
passes unnoticed in this crucial stage of the struggle for the
recovery of independence and freedom.
17.10.03
Election of the Secretary General
The XIth congress votes Mohamed Abdelaziz back to the post of
Secretary General of the Polisario Front with 92% votes. Four
candidates stood for election.
18-19.10.03
Election of the National Secretariat
The National Secretariat enlarged to 41 members by the addition of 12
people from the occupied territories is elected in two stages. See
the composition of the new leadership body of the Polisario Front:
list
Closure of the Congress.
In its final statement, the XIth Congress of the Polisario Front
calls upon the international community to "make Morocco return to
international legitimacy" and to implement "with the greatest
urgency" the peace plan drawn up by James Baker. It reaffirms its
choice "for peace and international law". It considers that its
acceptance of the Baker Plan "has had positive consequences" and
allowed "the position of the Polisario Front on the international
stage to be reinforced". It decides to mobilise all possible means to
raise awareness in international opinion on the situation in the
occupied territories of Western Sahara and to work together with
international organisations to put an end to all forms of oppression
aimed at Saharawi populations living there.
DOCUMENTS
- special
Congress
website of SPS. History
27.10.03
African Union
The President of the Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz received Ambassador
Tedesa, bearer of a message from the President of the African
Commission, Alpha Omar Konaré. SADR, founding member of the
African Union, was being asked to ratify the "Protocol setting up the
Council of Peace and Security" of the AU. (SPS)
29.10.03
New government
Mohamed Abdelaziz appointed a new government. Abdelkader Taleb Oumar
is replacing Bouchraya Beyoun as Prime Minister. He is a member of
the National Secretariat and was wali of Smara for four years. He has
several times served as minister.
The new team:
Four new ministers: Bachir Moustapha Sayed Minister of Education, El
Khalil Sidi M'Hamed Minister of Occupied Territories and Emigration,
Babiya Chiia Minister of Transport, Abdelkader Hamada Selma Minister
of Justice.
Several changes: Mohamed Lamine Dedi moves from Transport to the
Interior, Salek Bobih from Education to Equipment and Boullahi Said,
President of the Saharawi Red Crescent, becomes Minister of
Health.
One notes further two new ministers as counsellors to the presidency,
Malainin Sadigh and Ahmedou Souelem, the creation of two secretaries
of state, one responsible for the civil service devolves to Chaibani
Abas, the other responsible for social welfare and the emancipation
of women, is taken on by Mafouda Mohamed Rahal, as well as the
creation of a General Secretariat of Government, with Moulay Ahmed
Mohamed Ahmed at its head.
Meanwhile, the President of the Republic has designated a new
President of the Constitutional Council in the person of M. Mohamed
Bouzeid, former minister of justice. (SPS) ( >>
list
)
58th session
of the UN General Assembly
29.09.03-01.10.03
General Debate
In the context of the general debate, representatives of several
countries (among others Timor Leste, Angola, Mauritania, Tanzania,
Namibia, Lesotho, Honduras) spoke of the necessity of decolonising
Western Sahara in their interventions.
07-11.10.03
Fourth Commission - Commission on special political questions and
decolonisation
As every year, Western Sahara appeared on the agenda. The majority of
delegations expressed themselves in favour of the latest peace plan
proposed by Mr James Baker. The 14 Caribbean countries (CARICOM)
appealed for its rapid implementation, and the 19 countries
comprising the Rio Group (GR) asked Morocco to abide by international
law by implementing UN decisions on the subject of
decolonisation.
After a detailed speech on the development of the situation by
Polisario Front representative Mouloud Said, several European
parliamentarians and NGO representatives spoke. (See
UN
press statements and some complete
interventions
- Complete
declaration
of the Polisario Front representative at the UN, SPS engl.
)
16.10.03
Resolution
The 4th Commission adopts by consensus a resolution which underlines
the importance of the Baker Plan seeking an optimal political
solution to the conflict. The resolution, presented by 28 countries,
is expressed in the terms of Resolution 1495 adopted by the Security
Council on 30 June this year. (A/C.4/58/L.6)
20.10.03
UN Secretary General's Report S/2003/1016
of 16.10.03
Kofi Annan proposes to the Security Council to extend MINURSO's
mandate by three months, at the request of Morocco, that is until 31
January 2004. The new Baker
plan,
which foresees the holding of a referendum to determine the final
status of Western Sahara after a transitional period of autonomy, was
accepted by the Polisario Front on 6 July, while Morocco has not
changed its opposition. Kofi Annan "invites Morocco to seize this
opportunity and to participate in a constructive manner in the
process by accepting the plan and implementing it." He hopes to
receive the response of Morocco before the end of the year.
The Secretary General indicates that the ICRC questioned, in the
territory from 27-29 May, four persons who figure on the list of
disappeared of the Polisario Front. He appeals to Morocco and to the
Polisario to continue to cooperate with the ICRC to find the
disappeared.
Concerning the Saharawi refugees, Annan mentions that the World Food
Program expects food shortages between now and the end of December in
the absence of new contributions. There has been some progress in the
implementation of confidence-building measures (communications by
post and telephone and family visits), but they have still not
actually happened.
23.10.03
European Parliament
The European Parliament Intergroup "Peace for the Saharawi people"
gives its support to the observations and recommendations of Kofi
Annan and asks Morocco to respect the international law, represented
in the resolutions by the United Nations Security Council, in
particular the Resolution 1495. Concerning the French position, the
Intergroup states that "France must respect its compromises and
obligations as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and
honestly support the implementation of the Baker plan.
(Press
release
)
23.10.03
Germany
The parliamentary group of the Liberal-Democrat party (FDP) and 27
members of parliament submitted a petition to the German parliament
asking the government to take initiatives immediately within the
Security Council for the implementation of the Baker Plan, to press
Morocco to accept this plan and to take steps with European partners
to get them to act in the same direction. The petition asks also for
funds to be made available to the WFP and UNHCR for the refugees, for
the speeding up of the repatriation plan for the refugees and for
Germany to take part in MINURSO. The parliamentarians also ask for
guarantees to the Polisario Front on the holding of the referendum
within the time-scale allowed and according to the criteria laid down
by the UN Identification Commission.
Morocco: The
publication of Annan's report provokes many reactions of
rejection:
Morocco has rejected as "erroneous" the interpretation of the
Council's Resolution as contained in the recent report of UN
Secretary general, as well as any attempt to impose a solution in the
dispute without the agreement of the involved parties. This came in a
letter addressed by Morocco's representative to the UN, Mohamed
Bennouna, to the chairman of the Security Council, American
Ambassador John D. Negroponte, prior to the debate on the Sahara
issue.
14 Moroccan political parties have expressed refusal of the
referendum in the Sahara proposed by UN secretary general's personal
envoy, James Baker, saying "it is a serious escalation in an
artificial conflict", rather than "a peaceful solution to a regional
conflict".
Morocco voiced astonishment at the conclusions contained in the UN
secretary general's latest report on the Sahara and "rejects its
recommendations", the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation
said in a release. Morocco deplores the fact that James Baker has
failed to comply with the Security Council's resolution that called
parties to work together and cooperate with the UN to move towards a
mutually acceptable political settlement, the release goes. The
report's conclusions do not correspond to the provisions of
resolution 1495, adopted by the Security Council on July 30th, 2003,
nor to the expectations of the whole international
community.
The Moroccan
press :
"L'opinion" urges Annan to observe a duty of neutrality and
abstain from contradicting the will of the Security council members
and the international community. For "Assabah", Baker has
played a negative role in the quest of a solution that would
guarantee stability in the region and Morocco's sovereignty over its
territories. "Al Ittihad Al Ichtiraki" blames Annan for making
a step backward in the gains achieved by the international community.
"Al Ahdath Al Maghribya" notes the "two-standard policy" and
the partial attitude of the UN secretary general who is trying to
impose a solution on Morocco. "Liberation" says "it is a
dangerous initiative". For "Le Matin du Sahara et du Maghreb"
the report is an unscrupulous deviation from the UN charter and a
source of general indignation in Morocco. "Aujourd'hui le
Maroc" comments that Annan's report "contains seeds of a
dangerous deviation in the process for a fair and lasting solution
since it reflects a biased attitude that contradicts UN principles".
Annan's attitude was described as "curious" and "biased" by "La
Nouvelle Tribune".
24.10.03
Pedro Canales writes in the Madrid daily, La Razon, that,
under pressure from the army, Morocco is in search of an "alternative
plan" to Baker's plan. A "crisis cabinet" is alleged to have met in
Rabat to evaluate the situation. It is thought to have adopted a
resolution, in the absence of the king and the Minister of Foreign
Affairs, whose consequences would be serious, according to the
journalist. The army is apparently not satisfied with the way in
which the diplomats are handling the question, and is demanding
active participation in the search for a solution to the conflict.
25.10.03
RASD
The Polisario Front reacts in a statement to Morocco's refusal to be
subject to United Nations decisions, by asking for the admission of
SADR to the UN as a member, should it happen that Rabat succeeds in
sabotaging for an nth time the settlement plan which the
international community is expecting to be implemented in Western
Sahara.
25.10.03
USA
"With regard to the issue of Western Sahara, I simply want to
emphasise the American policy of continued support for the efforts of
the U.N. Secretary General and his special envoy James Baker,"Burns,
Assistant Secretary of State in charge of Near Eastern affairs, told
a news conference during a two-day visit to Algiers. Burns said the
United States would continue to encourage dialogue between Morocco
and Algeria, but that it would not seek to impose a solution on
anyone. "We hope the United States takes appropriate measures as soon
as possible to ensure Morocco accepts the Security Council resolution
and implements the Baker plan for the good of the Maghreb region,"
declares Mohamed Yeslem Beissat, the Polisario Front's ambassador to
Algeria.
25.10.03
"Lobbying"
According to the Algerian Arabic language daily El Khabar,
"Moroccan intelligence, backed by diplomatic channels and with direct
financing from the special funds of the [Moroccan] royal
palace, is waging a savage campaign targeting European human
[rights] organizations to tarnish Algeria and Polisario's
image and demanding a halt to humanitarian aid to Saharan refugees in
Tindouf.
Moroccan intelligence is using a group of Saharans, who were former
middle-ranking officials in the Polisario They are presented to
humanitarian aid organizations as representatives of non-governmental
organizations under the name of "human rights organizations group in
the Sahara". This is an attempt to divert attention from the impasse
that Rabat has found itself in, following the UN secretary-general's
warning about the need for it to agree to Baker's proposal by the end
of this year."
28.10.03
USA
Richard Boucher, State Department Spokesman, in his Daily Press
Briefing: «Our basic view, I think, remains the same, that we
support the efforts of the Secretary General and his personal envoy,
Mr. James Baker, and their peace plan for self-determination for the
people of the Western Sahara. We believe the Baker plan provides a
fair basis on which to move forward towards resolving this dispute,
and we've urged the parties in neighboring states to seize the
opportunity presented by the plan, and cooperate closely and actively
with the Secretary General and his personal envoy to move the process
forward. So, that's where we stand going into these
meetings.»
28.10.03
Security Council Resolution S/res/1513
(2003)
Security Council extends MINURSO mandate of UN mission in Western
Sahara until January 31 by adopting unanimously Resolution 1513
on the recommendation of the Secretary-General to accede to a request
from Morocco to give it more time to reflect and consult on the new
peace plan (Baker Plan II) the POLISARIO Front had accepted in July.
(Press
Release SC/7906
)
29.10.03
SADR
In a statement, the head of Saharawi diplomacy emphasises that
"Morocco finds itself with the weighty responsibility of
choosing between the way of law and peace and that of
intransigence and delaying tactics leading to instability and
confrontation". Ould Salek appealed to the Security Council and the
international community to "deploy efforts and to use all means
during these three months to force Morocco to submit to international
law.
"The Polisario Front considers that the pliability of the UN gives
comfort to Morocco in its intransigence at the same time as it erodes
the credibility of the international Organisation, the Minister of
Foreign Affairs, Mohamed Salem Ould Salek, declared.
(SPS)
29.10.03
XXII Congress of the Socialist International, São Paulo
Brazil
The SI expresses its support to the UN process and the resolution
1495 in order to achieve the self-determination of the people in
Western Sahara and calls all the parties to cooperate with the UN
and, in particular, with the efforts of the Secretary General of the
United Nations, as reflected in the latest report of his plan.
(Resolution
)
29.09.03
Transfer of civil servants - Further to the news of weeks
36-39
According to an "Urgent
Appeal to international opinion"
of Saharawi human rights defenders, the addition to the list already
published should be made of five people illegally transferred from El
Ayoun to Morocco. Their names are: Ahmed Khabz Skhoune - moved to
Rachidia, Boutazrout Mohamed - moved to El Jadida, Beleghzal
Abdlemjid - moved to Azilal, Khaadad Hamadi - moved to Souera, Salek
Jamaa - moved to Kalaat Esraghna, Habadi Hamadi - moved to Marrakech,
Raybou Abdallah - moved to Zagoura, as well as three teachers from
Boujdour: Bougnine Lahcen, trades unionist in the FDT, general
supervisor of a college transferred to Benimellal, Saili
Mohamed, trades unionist in the FDT and member of the former FVJSAH
(Forum for Truth and Justice Sahara Section) and general supervisor
at a college moved to Benguerir, Lakhal Mohamed Salem, member of the
former FVJSAH and of the local branch of the GSU, transferred to
Safi.
Four teachers from Assa have apparently also been transferred.
Four Moroccan activists, members of trades unions and NGOs and
left-wing parties, GSU and Annahj Addimoucrati, have also been moved
to Moroccan towns.
Human rights defenders speak of about fifty teachers working in
different towns of Western Sahara and southern Morocco, transferred
to towns in the interior of Morocco in flagrant violation of the
rules governing transfers within the Moroccan Ministry of education.
They are asking the government to annul all these decisions
immediately.
The Moroccan weekly Tel Quel headlines on 9 October : "Do they want to move witnesses out of the way?" and concludes : "Briefly, with less than one month to go before the final settlement of the question of the Sahara, it seems that "they" may have chosen to get out of the way the only people capable of informing civil society of what could be going to happen on the ground".
16 and
17.10.03
Saharawi and Moroccan teachers abusively transferred to Moroccan
towns organised a sit-in outside the Ministry of National Education
and Youth in Rabat. They stayed in Rabat waiting to be received by
the Minister of the Interior as they had been promised.
Teachers from Western Sahara under Moroccan control as well as those
from southern Morocco held a one-day strike in solidarity with their
comrades.
Rafto
prize-winner for 2002, Mohamed Daddach, sent his congratulations to
Mrs Shirin Ebadi, Nobel Peace Prize winner of 2003, was awarded the
Rafto prize in 2001. The former Saharawi political prisoner, as well
as two of his friends were summoned by the DST on 11 October, who
warned them orally not to go to Smara, threatening them with being
expelled from Western Sahara or brought before the law.
Meanwhile Mohamed Daddach launches an appeal for Ali Salem Tamek,
whose state of health is seriously affected by his conditions of
detention and his successive hunger strikes.
21.10.03
Trials
A committee of Spanish lawyers denounced in a press conference in
Madrid the repeated violations of fundamental rights in occupied
Western Sahara and the frequent lack of respect of the principles of
law and the presumption of innocence, the abuse of preventative
prison, etc. The committee was made up of the president of the
General Bar Council of Spain, the president of its Human Rights
Committee and a member of the delegation which attended trials of
Saharawi political prisoners. The report points out "the flagrant
violations of the norms of the Moroccan penal code" during the nine
trials the committee attended in El Ayoun, involving 29 people. The
report also notes the attempts to disguise the political character of
these trials to make it appear that they concern common law offences.
(texto completo en castellano
PDF)
27.10.03
At the beginning of October 2003, about a hundred Saharawi graduates
from Moroccan universities, unemployed for years, were called, in the
context of a job-creation scheme, to posts in the Moroccan civil
service. The two first groups called were to take up posts in the
courts and national education establishments. But these young
Saharawis - both young men and young women - were assigned to jobs in
Moroccan towns to the north of Marrakech. No placement was made
within the territory of Western Sahara under Moroccan control or in
the towns of southern Morocco "heavily populated with Saharawis" such
as Goulimine, Tan Tan, Assa and Tarfaya. Furthermore this operation
was reserved exclusively for young Saharawi men and women but dozens
of jobs were assigned to young Moroccan unemployed graduates on the
pretext that they lived in the territory of Western Sahara under
Moroccan control which is not the case for any of them.
It is clearly a case of a policy aiming to empty the territory of its
young inhabitants, especially well-educated ones, and to modify its
long term demography, in violation of the law.
09.10.03
Two Amnesty International delegates will visit Morocco and Western
Sahara next week (AI Index: AFR 05/005/2003) to investigate
allegations off torture of political and islamist prisoners or those
active in favour of independence for Western Sahara.
15.10.03
POWs
The Algerian daily, El Watan tells of the testimony of one of
66 Saharawi prisoners released on 30 October 1996 "I spent three
years wearing the same combat suit in which I was arrested", records
Saïd Ibrahim Moulay Zine, president of the group of 66 Saharawi
prisoners of war, imprisoned for 17 years. "They chained us in irons,
blindfolded us and forced us to undergo long and testing sessions of
interrogation and torture", he testified. "A treatment which the
Moroccan regime reserved for over 200 Saharawi prisoners". "I
remained for over 7 months in a narrow cell in complete darkness, I
only saw the guard who came and threw food to us once a day", the
ex-prisoner recalled, adding ironically : "Periodically they would
come and suggest asking for the King's pardon, but we replied each
time that we were not criminals and that we did not recognise
ourselves as subjects of the Kingdom." According to Saïd Ibrahim
Moulay Zine, there are still 121 prisoners of war in Moroccan
prisons.
28.10.03
Tamek
A delegation of the Consultative Council of Human Rights (CCDH),
official body charged by the king to deal with problems of human
rights abuses, visited Ali Salem Tamek in his prison of
Aït Melloul. The Saharawi political prisoner expounded on his
demands and his actions (hunger strikes, letters to the Minister of
Justice, etc>) and handed a dossier to the members of the
committee. The president of the delegation promised he would
get an official response.
17.09.03
A Royal Gendarmerie patrol in the locality of Tighmert (an oasis to
the south-east of Goulimine, in southern Morocco) proceeded to the
arrest of Saber Tamdaoui ould Mohamed Lembarek, 30 years of age. The
police are at present trying to intimidate young farmers of Saharawi
origin in this region. Saber was tortured, accused of having attacked
a person in authority and sent before the magistrate's court in
Goulimine, which sentenced him to two months in prison.
Tighmert is the largest oasis in the whole of Western Sahara, in the
heart of Noun Wadi, above an artesian well the size of which has only
become known in recent years. The region has become the new Eldorado
of big property holders and agricultural landowners, notably from the
region of Houara (to the south of Marrakech, between Haouz and Souss)
and of Ouled Tayma in the Souss (between Agadir and Taroudant).
Saharawi farmers feel threatened, but they lack the means and modern
know-how to compete. Some are obliged to rent their land to these
people to survive. We are seeing now a growing awareness among young
Saharawis who are asking questions about the falsification of history
by Morocco, about the impact of the conflict in Western Sahara and
about discrimination against them. Saber's brother is one of the rare
people who dared to say in front of the MINURSO identification
commission that the information presented by the Moroccan authorities
about him was false. (corr.)
29.09.03
Bernard Petit, head of OCRTIS (Central Office for the repression of
illegal drug traffic), giving evidence to a French Senate commission
of inquiry declared: "Honesty drives me to say that 85%, even 90% of
cannabis resin intercepted in all countries of Europe comes from
Morocco. Morocco is the greatest producer of cannabis resin for the
whole of Europe. This represents about 2,000 tonnes of resin produced
in Morocco - some would go as far as saying 3,000 tonnes - and the
Moroccan authorities only recognise 1,750. It is huge. Between 600 to
700 tonnes are seized in Europe and 1000 tonnes therefore evaporate
and pass through all the filters. Morocco really is a problem in
regard to the traffic in cannabis resin."
(Sahara-Info)
03.10.2003
In an
interview
for the weekly Tel Quel, Abraham Serfaty declares that the
Baker plan "is an acceptable plan if a few amendments are made. To
reject it is an irresponsible act."
09-11.10.03
Official trip of French president Jacques Chirac to Morocco -
declarations about Western Sahara:
In an interview to MAP Bureau in Paris prior to his state visit , the
French president insisted on a "political, realistic and lasting"
solution to the Sahara dispute "which takes into account Morocco's
interests and regional stability". "We make a plea for a political,
realistic and lasting solution that takes fully into account the
interests of Morocco and the regional stability", insisted the French
president who considered it "important that discussions (between the
two parties) be carried on in line with resolution 1495 of the (UN)
Security Council". Jacques Chirac also admitted that his country,
which supports Morocco's stand on the Sahara issue, has a different
point of view from that of Algeria which backs the "Polisario", a
separatist movement claiming independence of this former Spanish
colony. (MAP)
Chirac also reiterated France's support for Morocco on the question
of the disputed Western Sahara region. "We supported Morocco" at the
UN Security Council in July on resolution 1495, which Chirac said
ensures that "no solution can be imposed without the agreement of
both parties." "At the next Security Council meeting France will
again support Morocco," said Chirac, with the Council expected to
take up Western Sahara later this month. (AFP) (more
in
French
)
17-19.10.03
The Moroccan Forum for Truth and Justice organised a "Caravan of
Truth", which was due to go to the secret detention centre of Agdz
from 10-12 October, in the province of Ouarzazate. The demonstration
having been banned on that date, it was postponed by a week. Several
Saharawi former disappeared, from El Ayoun, Smara and Goulimine, as
well as several Saharawi human rights defenders took part. Members of
the "World network of mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, those close
to abducted and disappeared persons" asked the Moroccan authorities,
through the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders,
not to impede the activities of human rights defenders in Morocco.
(Retour
à la prison secrète
d'Agdz,
Isabelle Broz, RadioFranceInternationale, 21.10.03. )
05.10.03
A delegation from an Italian NGO AUSER (Associazione per
l'AUtogestione dei SERvizi e la solidarietà, an association
promoting active citizenship in solidarity) accompanied by Giuliano
Giuliani, the father of the young demonstrator killed on 21 July 2001
during the G8 summit in Genoa, opened a school for 580 children in
Dakhla camp financed by the Carlo Giuliani Foundation.
(ANSPS)
08.10.03
The German government released 250,000 euros for the Saharawi
refugees in Algeria, the German minister of Foreign Affairs
announced. (AFP)
29.09.03:
Japan
A group of Japanese citizen protested with force against the decision
of the government not to invite the SADR, member state of the African
Union, to participate to the Third Tokyo International Conference of
African Development, TICAD III. They have distributed to the
participants an appeal to the Japanese government.
(appel
FR, English letter
I
+ letter
II)
04.10.03:
UK
The British MEP Struan Stevenson (Conservative), chair of the
Fisheries Committee in the European Parliament, wrote to the European
Commission to ask them to press Morocco to compensate for the
pillaging of Saharawi fishing resources. In his letter to Chris
Patten, European Commissioner for External Relations, S. Stevenson
points out that Morocco has "sold fishing rights in waters belonging
to the people of Western Sahara". (SPS
Saharawi Women
Visit UK
Khadidja Hamdi and Zahra Ramdan of the National Union of Saharawi
Women have recently completed a 19-day tour of the UK. Their
purpose was to gain support for their work promoting the rights of
Saharawi women &endash; both as Saharawis in the context of the
struggle for self-determination, and as women striving to promote
gender equality within Saharawi society. Starting in London,
they spoke at a meeting in the House of Commons on their first full
day and rushed around the capital for the next two days meeting NGOs
and Trade Union representatives, and being interviewed on the BBC
Arabic service.
Then they were off round the country to attend political party
conferences: first to Wales, where they spoke at the Plaid Cymru
(Party of Wales) conference and saw the party adopt a resolution
supporting the Saharawi people's struggle for self-
determination. Their itinerary took them on to Brighton
(Liberal Democrat party conference), Inverness (Scottish National
Party conference), Edinburgh (meeting in the Scottish parliament) and
Bournemouth (Labour party conference). A further interview with
Zahra was later broadcast on the BBC World Service "Everywoman"
programme.
Fringe meetings on Western Sahara took place at every conference, and
at the Labour conference they were also able to meet Prime Minister
Tony Blair and discuss Western Sahara with Foreign Secretary Jack
Straw, and the well-known Labour MEP Glenys Kinnock. They met a
great number of other sympathisers from political parties, NGOs, and
trade unions and were greatly encouraged by their visit.
(WSC)
04.10.03:
Italy
Dans le cadre de la 5ème Assemblée de l'ONU des
Peuples, la commune de Lerici (Ligurie) a organisé un Forum
sur le Sahara Occidental avec la participation du président de
l'AFAPREDESA, de la représentante de l'UNFS, du
représentant du Front Polisario en Italie et de la
présidente de l'Intergroupe parlementaire Margot Kessler, du
président de l'ANSPS et de nombreux représentants des
administrations locales. Après un débat très
animé, le Forum a approuvé une motion de soutien au
Plan de paix et d'engagement des intitutions locales.
(Résolution
finale
- original en
italien)
Vitoria-Gasteiz, 5 al 11 de noviembre de 2003: Encuentro "Mujeres construyendo país, el caso del Sahara Occidental a la luz de la experiencia latinoamericana". Org: Asociación de Amigas y Amigos de la R.A.S.D. y la Asociación Cultural Hikaateneo Elkartea elkartea@saharaelkartea.org >> Mas info
Valencia: 14 de Noviembre a las 21:30 horas: II Concierto Solidario con el Pueblo Saharaui en la Sala República de Valencia. Con los grupos "SAHARA LIBRE y AMPARANOIA. Org: Federació d'Associacions de Solidaritat P.S. emparsor@hotmail.com
Ferrara, Italia: 18 novembre 2003 : Festival dei Diritti, Ferrara, ore 21:00 - Casa Cini: Le donne Saharawi, Sahara Occidentale: Incontro e dibattito con alcune rappresentanti di associazioni di donne Saharawi .
RASD: 20 - 23
de noviembre 2003 : Festival internacional de cine en los campamentos
de refugiados saharauis en Tinduf, Un proyecto de la
Asociación Amigos del pueblo saharaui, Ministerio de Cultura
de la RASD y Media Luna Roja Saharaui (MLRS) Consultar el programa en
<http://www.festivalsahara.com>
Vuelos charter:
Vuelo nº 1: Madrid-Tindouf-Madrid, 18.11.03 - 23.11.03
Vuelo nº 2 : Madrid-Tindouf-Madrid, 20.11.03 - 23.11.03
Precio: 500 Euro, Información: vuelos@festivalsahara.com
Telf. 679 356 470
Barcelona: 25 noviembre.- Conferencia sobre la Mujer Saharaui en Cornellà de Llobregat, con la participación de la escritora Anna Tortajada, autora de "Hijas de la Arena", y de una representante de la Unión Nacional de Mujeres Saharauis. Asociación Catalana de Amigos del Pueblo Saharaui (ACAPS) colonies@sahara-acaps.org
Vuelo
charter:
Desembre 2003, 04-09.12.03 : VOL "Catalunya aamb el Sahara"
Barcelona Prat - Tindouf- Barcelona: 04.12.03 - 09.12.03
Info: ACAPS-CATALUNYA, secció Vilanova i la Geltrú,
acaps_vilanova@yahoo.es
-29th European
Conference of Solidarity with the Saharawi People: 5, 6 et 7
décembre 2003, Info, contact: bur.aarasd@wanadoo.fr
Info, contact: mailto:bur.aarasd@wanadoo.fr
>> Flyers, Programme and Pre-registering Formulas in PDF
(english)
FRANCE: 4 au
19 décembre 2003, Musique sahraouie
Tournée en France de Mariem Hassan, Nayim Alal et le groupe de
femmes Leyod,
04.12.03, Gonfreville l'Orcher (ECPC),
06.12.03 Le Mans (Palais des Congrès),
07.12.03 Vitry sur Seine (Gymnase Paul Eluard,
08 à 18.12.03 sous réserve Maromme, Achères,
Bègles, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Lyon...,
19.12.03 Limoges (théâtre Jean Gagnant)
Vitoria-Gasteiz,
Pays Basque: 12-13-14 de diciembre de 2003
IIIe Journées de Coopération Sanitaire avec le Peuple
Saharaoui
Organizado por : Coordinación Sanitaria Saharaui en
colaboración con el Ministerio de Salud de la RASD que
asistirá a las Jornadas con una delegación de
expertos.
Secretaría de las III Jornadas: Unai Arribas, Edi Feros,
e-mail: saharasalud@kokia.org,
Teléfono: +34 945146490, Fax: +34 945147357
Mas informaciones : presentación
y dossier
(PDF)
Referendum
Opinion
Human rights
France Libertés Report
Analysis
Divers
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PUBLICATIONS
[External
links to newspapers may not be valid after some days because the
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