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WEEKS 27-28 : 27.06.-10.07.2004 |
26.06.04
The National Council (Parliament) adopted a law on the exercise of
the legal profession and will examine its internal ruling.
(SPS).
01.07.04
The President of the Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz, presided at the
Chahid El Ouali military school over a ceremony of promotion of
under-officers and troops from the Saharawi Army of National
Liberation, forming four new companies. (SPS)
30.06.-08.07.04
Summit of the African Union
3rd ordinary session of the African Union Conference of Heads of
State and Government
The African Union adopted the report of its commission on the
question of Western Sahara, thus reaffirming its support for the UN
peace plan. The report deplored the attitude of Morocco, which
persists in its rejection of the peace plan. (SPS)
The Saharawi Minister for Foreign Affairs declared that the
"election of SADR to the post of vice-president of the Union is a
mark of respect and consideration for the Saharawi cause. It's above
all the consecration of the isolation of Morocco and the expression
of the refusal of Africa to change its position in relation to the
last problem of decolonisation on the continent, namely that of
Western Sahara. It's another failure for Morocco's policy."
The Saharawi President, Mohamed Abdelaziz had talks with heads of
state of South Africa, Angola, Zambia, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania,
Uganda, Sudan, Nigeria, Benin, Botswana, Tchad as well as the Prime
Ministers of Mauritius, Ethiopia, the Vice-President of Kenya and the
head of the delegation from the Seychelles.
See also interviews of the Foreign Minister of the kingdom of
Lesotho, His Excellency Mr. Mohlabi Kenneth Tsekoa
(SPS)
and of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Namibia, H.
E. Mr. Marco Hausiku (SPS).
05.07.04
Report and comments on the experience of a group of unfortunate
Asians with the Moroccan system of oppression by Malainin Lakhal,
Saharawi journalist (full
text with
list) (see also weeks
25-26
)
30.06.04
New
campaign
A dozen NGOs from the Netherlands, Great Britain, France, Norway,
Belgium, Spain, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Australia and Switzerland
launched a new campaign against the pillage of hydrocarbons in
Western Sahara. In a letter sent to the companies Fugro N.V.,
Robertson Research International and Fugro SL limited (Svitzer) they
ask for clarification on their activities in the field of oil
research on the territory of Western Sahara and accuse them of
complicity with the illegal occupation of this territory.
Relevant documents:
-
Press release
- Lettter
to Fugro
- Campaign
to stop oil exploration in Western
Sahara,
afrol News, 30.06.04 / Campaña
para detener la exploración petrolífera en
Sáhara,
afrol News, 30.06.04
- Stop
the Illegal Exploitation of the Saharawis' Riches
!
Ali-Salem Tamek
- Le
Maroc ouvre le territoire du Sahara Occidental à l'exploration
pétrolière,
dossier, Philippe Riché, Association des Amis de la R.A.S.D.,
Paris, juillet 2004.
02.07.04
Historical heritage
Morocco begins the destruction of la Factoría de Villa
Cisneros (Dakhla), a 120-year-old Saharawi heritage, Joint
Press Release AFAPREDESA / UJS
Marruecos
inicia la destrucción de la - Factoría de Villa
Cisneros (Dajla), un patrimonio saharaui de 120
anos,
comunicado conjunto AFAPREDESA / UJS
06.07.04
Letter to the Norwegian Prime Minister
Saharawi human rights activists in the occupied territories of
Western Sahara sent an appeal to the Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell
Magne Bondevik, asking Norway to intervene to "bring lasting peace"
in their country, exhorting him to defend the human rights of
Saharawis under Moroccan occupation. (SPS
- Sahara
update
)
25.06.04
Morocco-USA
The Americans considered the words of the Moroccan Minister for
Foreign Affairs to be offensive to James Baker. The Department of
State asked officially for an explanation from the Moroccan
government, who immediately replied that the official position was
that expressed in the communiqué from the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and not that contained in Benaïssa's statement which
expresses only his own opinion. (AL-OUSBOU dans Sahara -info du
02.07.04)
29.06.04
Confidence building measure- interim assessment
The UNHCR pointed out that this project which is part of their
confidence-building measures, is very popular and much appreciated.
800 people have been carried since March 2004, while 18,000 are on
the waiting list... The action expected to last until August could be
extended if finance can be found. The UNHCR would also like to extend
the telephone service which has enabled 3000 calls to be made of
which 60% are by refugee women.
Sources:
- Family
visits pilot project extremely
popular,
UNHCR Briefing Notes, Geneva 29.06.04:
- Western
Sahara family visits off to flying
start,
UNHCR, 29.06.04
avec / with web
VIDEO-
Gran
éxito del programa de visitas del ACNUR para personas del
Sahara Occidental,
Noticias del ACNUR, 28.06.04
- Sahara
Occidental: gran éxito del proyecto piloto de visitas
familiares,
Notas breves ACNUR, 28.06.04
- Sahara occidental: Les
familles séparées se
retrouvent,
un reportage de Sébastien Jedor, RFI, du lundi 5 au vendredi 9
juillet 2004.
07-08.07.04
Visit of M6 to Washington
A White House spokesman, speaking about Mohamed VI and President
George W Bush said, "The two leaders agreed on the need to
resolve the Western Sahara problem as soon as possible in a manner
that best enhances the security and prosperity of the people of
Morocco, Algeria, and Mauritania. ".(Press
release White House)
A spokesman of the American Department of State made clear on 09
July that "the President and the Secretary urged the King to work
toward rapprochement with neighbor Algeria, as a means to create an
environment conducive to settlement of the issue. The Secretary
expressed a commitment to work with the United Nations and with the
parties to the conflict: Morocco, Algeria, the Polisario Front and
Mauritania, along the lines of the peace plan that was put forward by
James Baker." (Daily
Press Briefing,
Richard Boucher, Spokesman)
Declarations, appeals and messages published on the eve of the
visit:
- News
from Congressman Joe Pitts,
Don't abandon Baker plan, 06.07.04.
- US-
Western Sahara Foundation Calls on President Bush to Use Influence
with Moroccan King to Hold Western Sahara
Referendum,
06.07.04
- Morocco:
Bush Should Criticize Backsliding on
Rights,
Human Rights Watch , 08.07.04.
- Beyond
diplomatic niceties,
J. Pitts/D. Payne, The Washington Times, 09.07.04.
24-25.06.04
San Sebastian
The Baker plan is not an "ideal solution, but a process which opens
new perspectives for the region", Ahmed Boukhari declared at a
colloquium in San Sebastian, organised by 140 twinned Spanish and
Saharawi institutions and communities. The permanent representative
of the Polisario Front at the UN explained that the Baker plan does
not constitute an "ideal" solution, but that it represents a "way
forward for peace" based on the principle of self-determination for
the Saharawi people, adding that the "success of this plan relies on
the position of Paris". In the final resolution voted unanimously,
the participants called on France "to stop supporting the colonial
and expansionist politics of Morocco and to practise in Western
Sahara, the same doctrine as in Iraq in relation to American
occupation". They demanded of the Spanish government once again
"active contribution" to the solution of the (Saharawi) conflict in
order to live up to its responsibilities, knowing that for as long as
the conflict continues that "it perpetuates injustice against the
Saharawi people and seriously harms peace in the Maghreb region and
will have as a result, profound repercussions in its relations with
its European neighbours".
05.07.04
Government
The Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Miguel Angel Moratinos,
affirmed that his country "wants to contribute positively to a
political solution" to the Sahara question, in such a way as to
"permit the parties to get out of the present impasse". This question
constitutes "a concern" for the head of the Spanish government and
the government pays a great deal of attention to it during this
period marked by "contact with the different regional actors", the
Minister declared in an interview published by the daily "Al Ittihad
Al Ichtiraki" quoted by MAP)
07.07.04
Parliament
All the parliamentary groups represented in the Congress demanded the
government to continue to be actively involved, in order to find a
"quick, fair and lasting solution" to the conflict in Western Sahara
within the UN framework. (EUROPA
PRESS)
09.07.04
Diplomatic Ballet
The President of the Spanish government Zapatero will travel to
Algiers on 14 July, preceded on 12 and 13 July by the French Minister
of Foreign Affairs Michel Barnier. Michèle Alliot-Marie,
French Minister for Defence, will be in Algiers on 17 and 18 July,
and Nicolas Sarkozy, French Minister for the Economy and
Finance is announced for the end of the month.
(agencies)
02.07.04
Senegal, Morocco and Mauritania decided on the creation of a "Forum
for African countries of the North Atlantic", the Senegalese
President, Me Abdoulaye Wade, announced. (agencies)
02.07.04
Joint Manoeuvres with NATO
20,000 troops from 10 NATO countries and Morocco will take part in
air and naval manoeuvres, which will take place from 11 to 16 July
between Madiera and the Moroccan coast.
(EUROPA
PRESS)
10.07.04,
Gijón: Marcha por los derechos del pueblo saharaui.
10.07.04, Sevilla: Marcha por la Paz 2004
Vacaciones en Paz - Vacances des enfants sahraouis - Saharawi children's holidays
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Nuevo
Libro:
Fernando Pinto Cebrián, ADIVINANZAS SAHARAUIS,
Colección: Libros de los Malos Tiempos, Miraguano Ediciones,
2004, 144 p.
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