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WEEKLY NEWS |
original french
07.-20.12.2003
06.12.03
James Baker has been appointed by George Bush as his personal
representative in Iraq to restructure and reduce the Iraqi
international debt, amounting to 200 billion US dollars.
Peace Plan -
confidence building measures
Mhamed Khadad, Saharawi coordinator with MINURSO and Yahya
Bouhebeini, President of the Saharawi Red Crescent, had talks in
Geneva on 06-07.12.03 with the UN Secretary General's Special
Representative for Western Sahara Alvaro de Soto, on the subject of
"confidence-building measures" (exchange visits, telephone calls and
correspondence by post between the population of the occupied
territories and that in the refugee camps).
Folowing this meeting a delegation was sent to Algiers and Rabat made
up of Mr Alvaro de Soto, accompanied by Mrs Carmen Johns, Adviser on
Political Affairs for MINURSO and Mr Radhouane Nouicer, deputy
director of the Regional Office of the UNHCR for Central Asia, South
West Asia, North Africa and the Middle East. The point of these
visits is to agree a timetable for the implementation of the UNHCR
proposals to "reestablish direct contact between the Saharawi
refugees in the camps and their families in Western Sahara".
(UN-news
16.12.03)
The delegation is expected very soon in the refugee camps.
Diplomacy
Brussels, The Hague, Stockholm.
Mhamed Khadad was received at Foreign Affairs ministries in Belgium,
the Netherlands and Sweden. He also met representatives of Swedish
political humanitarian NGO officers and one from the Swedish agency
for international co-operation and development. All the Swedish
officials encountered expressed the hope that the Baker plan would be
implemented as soon as possible.
28.11.03
POWs
Tibari Benkiban, a Moroccan former prisoner of war held by the
Polisario, was discovered a fortnight after his death, in a hut near
Sidi Kacem, where he was living in complete destitution. (Maroc Hebdo
International No 582).
Appearing under the name Tibati Ben Kabbal on ICRC lists, he had been
captured by the Saharawi armed forces on 16 January 1978. A civil
employee of the Moroccan army, he was working at that time on the
repair of a bridge. He was released by the Polisario Front with 85
other prisoners on 1 May 1997 on the occasion of James Baker's visit
to the camps. This group was not repatriated for three years, until
the end of February 2000, the Moroccan government having refused to
accept its own fellow citizens.
In 1997, questioned by a Spanish journalist, Tibari declared: "If the
Moroccan Government does not recognise our existence, why does it
continue pension payments to our families?" adding, "The Moroccans
and the Saharawis are brother peoples, it's the boundaries which are
the problem. So long as there is no international solution for the
Sahara, we will not return home."
The Moroccan Association "of sons of martyrs and disappeared of the
Sahara" expressed "its disappointment in noting the absence of the
issue of Moroccan prisoners of war and their families in the
constitution of the body "Equity and Reconciliation".
The association which defends the interests of Moroccan prisoners of
war is calling for an apology from the Moroccan state and all those
responsible for "the tragedy of the oldest prisoners in the world".
It calls for those responsible for acts of torture to be brought to
justice, many of whom have gone to Morocco, and those "who deprived
the families of compensation and who have benefited from diverting
funds intended for this sector of the population." (Open letter to
the President off the CCDH)
08-09.12.03
Spain-Morocco
On the occasion of his visit to Morocco, the president of the Spanish
government co-chaired with the Moroccan Prime Minister the
deliberations of the sixth "high level meeting" between Spain and
Morocco. The joint statement underlines, on the question of Western
Sahara, that "... the two parties have called for the adoption of an
agreed political solution which is just and lasting on the question
of the Sahara, negotiated by all the parties concerned within the
framework of international law and the efforts of the United
Nations.
Spain is the second biggest exporter to Morocco with 16.6% of
exported trade and at the same time, the second biggest client of
imports from Morocco with 12.4% of imports coming from Morocco in
2002. The value of Spanish exports to Morocco reached 1,684 million
euros, with 1,377 million euros' worth of imported Moroccan goods in
2002.
Maghreb Arab Union
The 7th summit of the MAU (UMA) has been called for 23-24 December in
Algiers. According to the Moroccan press, Mohamed VI, although
invited, will not take part.
10.12.03
International Day of Human Rights
A petition to the King of Spain signed by over 1600 people was presented in Madrid. On this occasion the president of AFAPREDESA Abdeslam Omar declared that the real terrorism is the behaviour of Morocco in the occupied territories, where a reign of terror holds sway, as a reply to Mohamed VI who said in Tunis that Western Sahara represented a threat of terrorism for the region.
The Minister of Occupied territories, Khalil Sidi M'Hamed, called on the international community and human rights NGOs to make Morocco to respect human rights in Western Sahara, where "terror, repression and unjust trials are taking place". On a visit to France, the minister had talks on the Quai d'Orsay with officials from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Saharawi prisoners imprisoned in Agadir and El Ayoun observed a three-day hunger strike. They intended in this way to protest against the indescribable conditions of the "black prison" in El Ayoun. They welcomed the struggle of the Tunisian lawyer Radhia Nasraoui, a staunch human rights defender, who ended her 57 day hunger strike, undertaken to defend rights and liberties in Tunisia. (statement from the Action Committee for the Release of Tamek Ali Salem and all Saharawi political detainees)
Message from
Mohamed Daddach
"On the occasion of the world day for human rights I am writing this
message to you to describe our situation in Western Sahara and the
problems which we have here, for example, sentences handed down to
human rights defenders of over 10 years imprisonment for Bazaid
Essalek and Swaydi Timglite. As you know, this year the Sahara branch
of the Forum for Truth and Justice was dissolved by the Moroccan
police and human rights activists in Western Sahara were hit by a
travel ban. Since 27/03/2003 we no longer have passports. We do not
have the right to form associations to defend our rights any more.
For all these reasons I call all human rights defenders to demand
that Morocco release all Saharawi political prisoners and to
guarantee our civil rights."
Threats
Those close to the political prisoner Ahmed Naciri, due to be
released on 20 December have been subjected to pressure and threats.
His father was summoned in the name of the governor of Smara to be
told to advise his son that on leaving prison he should leave the
town. Saharawis were encouraged to have nothing more to do with
"certain persons", in particular Ahmed Naciri, because "people like
that only make trouble"... attempts were also made to buy them with
grants. (corr.)
Visit
Ali Salem Tamek, imprisoned in Aït Melloul, Agadir, was able to
visit the student Swaydi Timglite sentenced to 3 years in prison and
5000 dirhams' fine, who is imprisoned in the civil prison of
Inzegane, Agadir, where he is waiting to appear before the Appeal
Court. (corr.)
11.12.03
The Moroccan authorities arrested six young Saharawis who were trying
to get to the refugee camps in Algeria. After interrogations and
torture three of them were released. The three others were imprisoned
and have been sentenced on 18 December in Smara to three months in
prison and fines of 10,000 dirhams, accused of "people trafficking".
They are: Blaila Hamma Hmoudi Joumani, Khatri Hassana, Soukri Bachir
Nafyi. (corr.)
14.12.03
The committee of support for teachers transferred to Moroccan towns
organised a sit-in of protest outside the Moroccan parliament in
Rabat, in the presence of about a hundred people. The sit-in was
violently dispersed by the police. Placards belonging to the
demonstrators were confiscated and some demonstrators were beaten.
(corr.)
18.12.03
The magistrate's court in El Ayoun sentenced Sidahmed El Kainan, in
absentia to seven years in prison for drug trafficking, insulting the
king etc. Faced with these totally unfounded charges the accused
refused to present himself before the court.
El Kainan is at present imprisoned in El Ayoun's black prison, where
he is serving a three year sentence handed down in May 2003 by the
court in Agadir, for insulting the king and the government. He spent
6 months in the "black prison" in 2002, following an altercation with
police superintendant Alkoufili Hassan. (corr.)
06.12.03
According to the Madrid daily ABC, the Polisario Front is willing to
allow the European Union to hold an international enquiry concerning
accusations of misappropriating humanitarian aid in the Saharawi
camps. Saharawi officials made this statement at the end of a meeting
with officials from the European Commission in Brussels. European aid
for the Saharawi refugees amounted in 2002 to 14.3 million
euros.
19.12.03
The UNHCR and WFP launched an urgent appeal for funds for
humanitarian aid for the Saharawi refugees in Algeria. A UNHCR
spokesperson expressed the view that because of insufficient aid and
delays in its dispatch, over 10% of the refugee population have been
suffering from acute malnutrition for years and 30% from chronic
malnutrition, which can cause lasting damage.
(UN-news)
16.12.03
Belgium
The parliamentary intergroup "Peace for the Saharawi people" was
re-constituted within the Belgian parliament. This intergroup existed
already in the previous legislature. Its aim is to support the
Saharawi people in exercising their right to self-determination. The
Socialist Senator Christiane Vienne takes on the chair with Jacinta
De Roeck as vice-chair.
25-29.01.04
Tifariti (liberated territories of SADR)
International march to the wall of shame in Western Sahara
"For peace and self-determination for the Saharawi people", "Demand
that the UN keeps its commitments". Organised by Spanish associations
of solidarity in collaboration with the European Coordination of
support for the Saharawi people, this march to the "wall" which
separates Saharawi families is to denounce the suffering of the
Saharawi people who have been waiting for 28 years to decide their
own future. Its aim is to make the UN and the international community
implement the Security Council's resolutions. See Information,
program,
(at the moment only in Spanish)
13 February
2004: BRUSSELS
Sahara Blues - Mariem
Hassan and Leyoad
(Western Sahara) <http://mariemhassan.calabashmusic.com/>
Centre Culturel d'Etterbeek / Espace Senghor 366, chaussée de
Wavre - 1040 Bruxelles (Pedestrian entrance pl. Jourdan). Information
and reservations: 02 / 230.31.40. e-mail senghor.tn@chello.be,
http://www.senghor.be
21-28.02.04, Saharawi Refugee Camps: Sahara Marathon 2004. Further information: http://www.saharamarathon.com/
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