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22.02.-06.03.2004 |
23.02.04
Sahara Marathon
The American Hugh Jones, general secretary of the Association of
International Marathons and Road Races (AIMS) won the 4th Sahara
Marathon, organised by an Italian committee in collaboration with the
Ministry of Culture and Sport. Over two hundred athletes, the great
majority from Western Europe, ran the 42,159 km separating the
wilayas of El Ayoun and Smara to show their active solidarity and
support with the Saharawi people in their struggle for freedom and
independence. About 20 Saharawi athletes took part in this
marathon.
24.02.04
Repatriation of 100 prisoners of war
The Polisario Front handed over to the ICRC the 100 Moroccan
prisoners of war freed at the request of Qatar, who were repatriated
through the military base of Inzegane (Agadir) on board an aeroplane
put at the disposition of the International Red Cross by Qatar.
During the ceremony, the Polisario Front deplored that "Morocco
continues to hold in complete secrecy 150 Saharawi combatants and
over 500 disappeared civilians" and asked for the intervention of
Qatar with Morocco. The Polisario deplored the fact that the fate of
these people "has not been a focus of interest for the ICRC which has
invested much more in the Moroccan prisoners of war." Recalling that
they still intend to favour "the peaceful road for decolonising
Western Sahara, in accordance with what is right and legal", the
Polisario Front considered that Morocco "cannot continue to go
against the efforts of the international community with impunity and
reject the resolutions adopted by the Security Council and in
particular number 1495 of 31 July 2003 which asks it expressly to
subscribe to and implement the 'Peace Plan for the self-determination
of the Saharawi people' of James Baker."
After welcoming the Saharawi leadership's gesture, the Qatar Minister
of State Cheikh Hamad Ben Abdallah Al Thani declared that the
government of Qatar would try as hard as it could to ease the
suffering caused by the conflict in Western Sahara.
The regional delegate of the ICRC, Harald Schmid de Gruneck, thanks
the Polisario Front for this "new aid" as well as the authorities of
Qatar. According to him, the Moroccan authorities are no longer
holding any prisoners of the Polisario Front.
In a joint statement, the Union of Saharawi Lawyers and AFAPREDESA
express their gratitude to the government of SADR and the Polisario
Front for this gesture, which comes at the very moment when the
authorities of the Moroccan occupation are increasing their
repression against the defenceless Saharawi population.
24.02.04
The President of the Saharawi Republic sent a message of condolence
to the King of Morocco after the earthquake in Al Hoceima.
(SPS)
26-28.02.04
African Union - summit at Syrte
The President of the Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz, accompanied by the
Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Defense took part in
the 2nd extraordinary summit of the African Union (AU) devoted to
common defence policy for the continent, to questions linked to water
and agriculture.
The Saharawi delegation comprised the Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Mohamed Salem Ould Salek and the Minister for Defence Mohamed
Lamine Bouhali. The summit adopted the "Declaration of Syrte on
challenges to integrated and lasting development of agriculture and
water resources in Africa", as well as a formal declaration of common
defence and security policy. This declaration stresses the
"intangibility of the borders inherited from colonialism" and the
"indivisibility of the security of African countries", holding that
"the security of one African country is indissolubly linked to that
of other African countries and to that of the continent as a whole".
The Saharawi Minister of Foreign Affairs pointed out that "these
clauses will not fail to upset Morocco and isolate it more from the
heart of the international community... We greatly regret the absence
of Morocco from this process of African integration, because it is
the only country of the continent which does not respect the borders
of its neighbours", he concluded. (SPS)
27.02.04
28th Anniversary of SADR
Commemorations in many places around the world. >> see
SPS
>> communiqué
des Amis de la RASD
>> Letter
of the Australia Western Sahara
Association
(AWSA) to Kofi Annan<
27.02.04
New association: the Club
of the Friends of Tifariti
A group of Algerian journalists announced the birth of the Club of
the Friends of Tifariti, "an free space, open to professionals of the
media, intellectuals, researchers, students and personalities from
Algeria and abroad who are interested in the Saharawi issue". The
group intends to "express the broad solidarity of journalists with
the Saharawi people who are suffering the pangs of Moroccan
colonialism."
27.02.04
The Union of Saharawi Women announce the opening of an office in
Madrid.
03.03.04
Wall of Shame
President Mohamed Abdelaziz opened an exhibition in the 27 February
School of paintings by Fadili Yeslem inspired by the Moroccan wall of
defence. (SPS
with
photos)
04.03.04
Visit of the Saharawi Minister of Foreign Affairs to Cuba.
(agencies, see Sahara-Info)
05.03.04
Confidence-building measures
The first exchange visits between families living in the refugee
camps and those in the occupied territory have started. About twenty
people took the MINURSO plane, respectively from Tindouf bound for El
Ayoun and from El Ayoun to Tindouf, for stays of 5 days. During the
next six months weekly flights are planned which will be part of the
program of confidence-building measures of the UNHCR aimed at
permitting direct contact between the families who have been
separated for over 25 years. These measures figure in Security
Council resolutions.>> Special
page
21.02.-07.03.04
Visit to Switzerland of the Minister of Occupied Territories
On the occasion of a series of meetings in Geneva, Lausanne, Berne
and Basel, with ambassadors or representatives of the UN, the
president of the ICRC, human rights and solidarity NGOs, the
authorities, parliamentarians and politicians, Mr Khalil Sidi M'Hamed
described the situation of the Saharawi population living under
Moroccan occupation and called for measures to protect human rights
defenders. He recalled the case of 500 disappeared Saharawis and
asked for free access to the territory for journalists and observers.
(SPS)
19.02.04
Sentence
The El Ayoun Magistrate's court sentenced the Saharawi Mohamed Bahia
Sidi Brahim Errachida to a year and a half in prison. He was
apprehended in a café, where like many young Saharawis, he had
sided with Algeria during an Africa Cup match between Morocco and
Algeria. (see week 07/04)
21.02.04
Moroccan counter-proposal
The Spanish daily, El Pais publishes large extracts from the Moroccan
response to James Baker and Kofi Annan on 23 December 2003. Morocco
has created some time out with the help of a team of French lawyers,
to study a modification of its constitution, in order to introduce
the notion of regionalisation and allow the creation of an autonomous
Western Sahara, without the slightest reference to a referendum of
self-determination... This "draft statute" provides for a regional
legislative Assembly, elected by the 86,000 Saharawis on the UN
electoral list, the refugees enrolled by the UNHCR and everyone
resident in the territory before 1993 (?). The Assembly would elect
the President of the executive, appointed later by the King. The
competence of the autonomous authority would cover education, health,
social services, but not the police, justice system or economic
policy. In the case of divergence of opinion or conflict between the
Moroccan state and the region, it is a Moroccan institution - the
constitutional Council as it happens - which would decide.
25.02.04
Austrian parliament
The parliament accepted a motion presented by its Foreign Affairs
Committee (see week 07-08). During a debate, the Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Ferrero-Waldner declared that Austria has not forgotten the
conflict in Western Sahara. It considers that the Baker plan is an
optimal solution for the exercise of the right to self-determination
of the Saharawi people. Concerning humanitarian aid to the Saharawi
refugees, Austria is active in basic community infrastructure and
training, and has made available for 2003 and 2004 approximately
640,000 Euros.
04.03.04
Australia
The Australian Senate passed unanimously a motion on Western Sahara
on 4 March 2004. The motion was sponsored by Senator Allison, Deputy
Leader of the Australian Democrats Party and also by Senator Nettle
of the Greens Party. In this motion the Senate takes note of the 28th
anniversary of the proclamation of the Saharawi Republic, the 13
years of delays of the original Peace Plan and the UN Security
Council resolution of 30 January 2004 which "gives Morocco more time
to respond to the latest peace plan for Western Sahara."
The Senate takes note as well of the agreement by the government of
Morocco to allow the "exchange of family visits for Saharawis
separated by war, occupation and the 2,720 km long military rampart
erected by Morocco." The Senate urges the Australian Federal
Government to "use its best efforts to persuade Morocco to sign the
latest UN peace plan that is based on the organisation of a
referendum of self-determination in Western Sahara". The Senate
appealed to the Australian Government to "provide humanitarian
assistance to the Saharawi refugees who need food and medicine
urgently". >> full
text
05.03.04
Denmark
The Danish Government continues to give its support to the UN efforts
to find a solution to the conflict in Western Sahara.
In response to an appeal made to him by a member of the Danish
Parliament (Folketinget), Mr. Per Stig Møller, the Danish
Foreign Minister, stated that the Danish Government continues its
support for the efforts deployed by the UN Secretary-General and his
Personal Envoy, Mr. James Baker, with a view to finding a solution to
the conflict in Western Sahara.
It is noteworthy that Mr. Møller had earlier reaffirmed the
same position of his government vis-à-vis the question of
Western Sahara in a statement made before the Parliament's Standing
Committee on Foreign Relations, while underlining that the position
of his country regarding this particular question remains based on
the resolutions of the UN Security Council in this regard.
19.02.04
According to the Madrid daily, La Razon, Morocco's second largest
fishing company, Kaben Pêche, has been sold. It belonged
to Generals Abdelhak Kadiri and Hosni Benslimane. The sale took place
following pressure from the palace, which wants to improve the image
of the armed forces, and also because of the uncertain future of the
Sahara, on whose coasts the Kaben Pêche fleet is
active.
01.03.04
USA-Greater Middle East
The American under secretary of state for political affairs, Marc
Grossman, was received by King Mohamed VI as part of a tour of
several Arab countries presenting the project "Initiative for the
Greater Middle-East". The American initiative anticipates making a
sum of 100 million dollars available to develop democracy and the
role of civil society in the Arab world, by favouring education,
equality between men and women, in order to put an end to "terrorism"
and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
American military experts are already in Mali, Mauritania, Niger and
Chad to train troops in border control. It is expected to send more
to Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. (agencies)
02.03.04
USA-Free Trade
The United States and Morocco have concluded in Washington a free
trade agreement. This free trade agreement, the second of this type
signed by the United Nations with a Muslim country after Jordan
concluded an agreement, is part of President George W Bush's plan to
establish a free trade zone between the United States and the Middle
East between now and 2013. A similar agreement has already been
signed with Israel and negotiations are in progress with Bahrein.
(AFP)
21.02.04
Statement
from the Collective of Saharawi Human Rights Defenders from the
"territory of Western Sahara under Moroccan control"
The Collective points out that since his release at the beginning of
January, Ali Salem Tamek has become the target of a hysterical media
campaign orchestrated by Moroccan political parties and journalists
who call for his arrest or his expulsion. The Saharawi NGO expresses
its support and solidarity with the Saharawi human rights activist
and announces that it will continue to pursue its commitment and
action to get respect for the legitimate rights of the Saharawi
people.
23.02.04
Appeal of Sidi Mohamed Daddach human rights defender, Rafto Prize
winner 2002 (French
or Spanish)
23.02.04
Appeal
On a working visit to Switzerland, the Saharawi Minister of Occupied
Territories Mr. Khalil Sidi M'Hamed, launched an appeal
in Geneva, for freedom of movement and circulation of Saharawi human
rights defenders. He recalls that a year ago a delegation of 13
people representing families of disappeared Saharawis and human
rights defenders from the occupied territories was prevented from
leaving Morocco to take part in a meeting in Geneva and that the
passports confiscated on that occasion have still not been returned.
Deploring the isolation in which the Saharawi population is kept
under Moroccan control, he asks that this delegation could this year
visit Geneva to take part in the 60th session of the UN Human Rights
Commission which will be held from 16 March until 23
April.
27.02.04
Solidarity campaign with Ali Salem Tamek and human rights defenders
in Western Sahara
Sign
AFAPREDESA's appeal
28.02.04
The General Workers Union of Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro
(UGTSARIO) denounced the decision of the Moroccan Confederation of
Work (CDT) against Ali Salem Tamek, considering that this "racist"
decision encourages the Moroccan government to "take the most
dangerous position capable of attacking the life of this Saharawi
activist". It also appealed to trades union organisations of the
world to intervene with international human rights organisations for
the protection of human rights defenders in Western Sahara, notably
Ali Salem Tamek, who is the "object of a big antidemocratic and
racist media campaign" so that he could have his human rights,
personal rights and trades union rights safeguarded, in accordance
with the international conventions in force".(SPS)
22-25.04.04
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)
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 sur Sahara-Info, liste de courrier (français et espagnol): http://es.groups.yahoo.com/group/sahara-info/messages
English
English publications on Sahara Update mailinglist: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sahara-update/messages
NEW BOOK:
Western Sahara: Towards Decolonisation, Dr. Uma Shankar Jha, Indian
Africanist and President of the Association of Indian Africanist.
(press
release)
Castellano
Todos los despachos, articulos de prensa, etc, en la lista de correo (castellano y francés): http://es.groups.yahoo.com/group/sahara-info/messages
Italiano
Portugais
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