|
WEEKS 09-10 : 26.02.-11.03.2006 |
Floods
Humanitarian aid continues to arrive in the camps badly affected by
the floods. For further details see: ARSO
or Reliefweb/UN
]
Following an appeal on 24.02. by the HCR and WFP to donors and
because "a serious shortfall in food aid threatens the whole
population of Saharawi refugees", several governments put planes at
their disposal for transport: France, Turkey and the USA.
Commemoration
of the 30th anniversary of SADR
[special
page]
- [Picture
galeries
on website of the SADR embassy in Algeria] -
[videos
by RASD-TV]
Despite the disruption caused by the floods, festivities took
place in the different wilayas of the refugee camps. From 25
February, foreign delegations arrived and had the opportunity to see
for themselves the extent of the damage and the setting up of the
emergency operation.
In the wilaya of El Ayoun popular parades and exhibitions about
traditional activities and crafts of the refugees preceded the
International Conference of Solidarity with the Saharawi People,
presided over by Pierre Galand and the Saharawi Prime Minister
Abdelkader Taleb Oumar. [Final
declaration in French]
The next day the guests travelled to Tifariti, a place situated in the liberated zones of the Saharawi Republic about 350 km to the west of Tindouf, to attend the ceremonies of commemoration.
27.02.06,
Tifariti
An imposing military parade of soldiers of both sexes, followed by
troops mounted on 150 camels, opened the ceremony in the presence of
a crowd of Saharawis and many guests of honour, including two
Algerian ministers, as well as representatives from various
governments (African Union, South Africa, Angola, Guinea Bissau,
Kenya, Mauritania, Nigeria, Tanzania, Cuba, Mexico, Timor Leste,
Venezuela etc), and associations of solidarity, NGOs, MPs, elected
politicians from the whole world, (Algeria, Angola, Australia,
Austria, Belgium, Cuba, Ecuador, Finland, France, Greece, Guinea
Bissau, Holland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Lebanon, Mauritania,
Mexico, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain,
Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tanzania, United Kingdom, United States
of America,
The SADR
President's
speech
After recalling the "shameful withdrawal of the Spanish
administration without having honoured its commitments respecting the
organisation of a referendum of self-determination of the Saharawi
people", the head of the Saharawi state affirmed that Spain bears the
responsibility for the tragedy that the Saharawi people have
experienced, deprived as they are of their right to
self-determination.
He spoke of the courageous resistance of the population under Moroccan occupation, who "succeeded in renewing its means of fighting and to reduce to nothing the calculations of the Moroccan coloniser". Then he exhorted the international community "to put an end to the pillaging and profiteering from its natural resources, which are the property of the Saharawi people."
Reiterating "the willingness of the Saharawi party to cooperate fully with the efforts of the international community to find a just and lasting solution to the conflict", Abdelaziz recalled that the Polisario Front had accepted in turn, the initial Settlement Plan, then the Baker Plan. He exclaimed: "The Moroccan Kingdom cannot take to itself the right to speak in the name of the Saharawis", to declare that the Saharawi party rejects globally and in detail, the autonomy proposal recently put forward by Morocco, which is only another manoeuvre in total contradiction with the United Nations Charter and the resolutions of the Security Council."
Messages
For the messages from the African Union and the heads of state of
various countries (Algeria, Cuba, Mauritania, Namibia etc), from
parties and liberation movements: see
SPS
.
Destruction of
landmines
To illustrate the choice of the Saharawi people for "a just and
lasting peace, based on the respect of its legitimate rights to
freedom and independence", the Polisario Front proceeded to destroy
3000 mines during a ceremony attended by a delegation from Geneva
Call, with its president, Mrs Elisabeth Reusse-Decrey.[Geneva
Call - Press
Release, 01.03.06,
The Polisario Front starts to destroy its landmine stockpile]
This was a way to put into practice the Polisario Front's undertaking
on 3 November 2005 when it signed the Geneva Call's Deed of
Commitment. [Press
statement 03.11.05]
The day finished with a long cultural evening in the course of which several guests, including Algerian parliamentarians and several European NGOs spoke. Old Saharawis read long poems in Hassaniya, groups of traditional musicians played and a comedian and troupe of singers and dancers performed an opera relating to the annexation of the Sahara by Morocco.
Elsewhere
Receptions, conferences and meetings took place in the European
Parliament, in Australia, in Mexico, Cuba, Spain, Italy and in
Switzerland to commemorate the 30 years the Saharawi Republic has
existed.
28.02.06, 6th
Sahara marathon
200 athletes from 17 countries took part in this sporting event which
has become traditional. The marathon was won by a Spaniard, Ramon
Alvarez Sainz in 3 hours 06 minutes, the half-marathon by an Irishman
Michael Collins and the women's race by Chikha Abba
Cheikh.
Moroccan
hysteria
The organisation of the festivities of the 30th anniversary of SADR
in the liberated Saharawi territories unleashed violent reactions
from the Moroccan press and government, who called the region the
"buffer zone", while, according to the cease-fire agreement, "there
is a 'prohibited area' 3 km wide, to the east of the Moroccan wall,
then a "buffer zone" 30 km wide, where the UN must be notified in
advance of any activity". Tifariti is clearly outside this zone. The
permanent mission of Morocco at the United Nations even send a letter
of protest on 28 February to the UN Secretary General. [voir
revues de presse dans Sahara.Info]
OCCUPIED TERRITORIES AND SOUTH MOROCCO
13.02.06, El
Ayoun
Bachir Jenhaoui, father of a Saharawi prisoner, Likhlipha Jenhaoui
[Eljanhi], was arrested by the torturer Ichi Abou Al Hacen,
who confiscated documents relating to his car for "the simple reason
of having asked explanations for the daily harrassments he is
subjected to by the Moroccan Intelligence Services."
20.02.06,
Human rights defence
The Moroccan Forum for Truth and Justice decided to reconstitute its
Sahara branch dissolved by decree on 18.06.03
[see
dossier].
24-25.02.06
At the approach of the 30th anniversary of SADR, demonstrations were
held in the towns of occupied Western Sahara. Arbitrary arrests
followed by heavy handed interrogations, not to say torture, were
reported in Dakhla, Boujdour and El Ayoun.
[détails]
[detalles]
26.02.06,
Dakhla
The human rights activist El Mami Amar Salem, the president of
Dakhla's Committee against Torture, was arrested near the defensive
wall on his way to Nouadhibou. His passport and his money were
confiscated. He was beaten and tortured, then abandoned in an area
close to the Mauritanian border in a condition giving cause for
concern.
27.02.06,
Goulimine
Mokhtar Benjelloune, abducted and tortured twice in February, was
sentenced to a year in prison and fined 1000 DH for "holding and
selling cannabis". The lawyers for the defence withdrew from the
trial as a sign of protest against the irregularities of this case.
Benjelloune
is incarcerated in Inzegane. Born in 1973, he holds a master's degree
in law and has been unemployed since 2001. He is vice-president of
the Association of Unemployed in Goulimine and a member of the
Goulimine branch of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights
(AMDH).
27-28.02.06,
El Ayoun
A large ministerial delegation from Morocco paid a two-day visit to
El Ayoun. This trip can be set in relation to the announcement made
by a Moroccan daily of a visit by King Mohamed VI to occupied Western
Sahara probably after 15 March. [L.
de Vega, ABC, 10.03.06]
01.03.06, El
Ayoun
The police intervened brutally to disperse a peaceful demonstration
in the quarter of Dir Eidak, composed of a majority of women
brandishing SADR flags. Several arrests are reported, including two
girls, Leila Said Ramdan and Meska Aminatou.
01-02.03.06,
Smara, Assa
Several independence demonstrations of students. Aminetu Beiba is
injured following police intervention. In Assa the arrest of Mousbahi
Housam.
02.03.06,
Goulimine/Guelmime
Nine young Saharawis arrested after demonstrations in February in
this town have been transferred to the civil prison of Inzegane and
presented on 2 March 2006 to the examining magistrate. They are
Mohamed Lamine Sahel, Hamdi Labayed, Bachir Handi, Bachir Charguaoui,
Bachir Driouech, Lekhlifa Erreguibi, Saleh Choukri, Brahim Aabanni,
Mostapha Bakrim. A group bringing together trade unions, human rights
associations and activists, has been constituted to work for their
release and to provide solidarity with these detainees.
03.03.06,
Dakha
The Saharawi human rights activist, Mamay Ahmed Menhenoun, was
dismissed from his job by the Moroccan authorities. This move comes
after the forced sacking of two other Saharawi human rights defenders
Oulad Cheikh El Mahjoub and Wani Beida, as well as the torture of
Miské Ahmed Zein, another human rights activist who is still
suffering from the injuries inflicted.
05.03.06 Abusive dismissal of a Saharawi human rights activist in the occupied city of Dakhla, [SPS, 05.03.06]
03-03-06,
Smara
Big demonstrations of joy welcomed the arrival in Smara of the
families of Loud ould Salek ould Hseina and Mheiyiba ment Ali Boulla,
within the family visit scheme organised by the UNHCR.
03.03.06,
Boujdour
Students waved the national colours of SADR in the demonstrations
calling for the respect of the rights of the Saharawi people to
self-determination and independence. Elazza Babait, Maelainin Babait
and Khaya Safia are arrested. Many people are injured. The families
of eight students in the demonstration were given trouble.
08.03.06,
International Women's Day
Dozens of Saharawi women demonstrated peacefully in El Ayoun on the
occasion of International Women's Day, calling for the inalienable
right of the Saharawi people to self-determination and
independence.
The wife of the Saharawi human rights activist Ali Salem Tamek, Mrs
Aichatou Chafii, started a 24-hour hunger strike, on the occasion of
International Women's Day, in protest and denunciation of the human
rights abuses inflicted by the Moroccan colonial authorities in
Western Sahara.
A ceremony organised in Algiers in honour of Saharawi women, for
International Women's Day, in homage to their struggle for the right
to self-determination of their country. The National Union of
Saharawi Women, for its part, organised a meeting in Madrid for the
occasion with Cristina del Valle, president of the Plataforma de
Mujeres Artistas Contra la Violencia de Género.
08.03.06, El
Ayoun
Inauguration ceremony for Bouchaïb Rmail, the Prefect of Police
replacing Ibrahim Bensami, and of Benashir, head of the
Gendarmeríe Royale in occupied Western Sahara.
09.03.06,
Boujdour
More independence demonstrations in six educational
establishments.
09.03.06,
Disappearances
The families of 15 young Saharawis disappeared since 25 December 2005
launched an appeal to the Moroccan authorities to shed light on these
disappearances. Apparently these 15 young people had been summoned by
the Moroccan authorities while they were getting ready to immigrate
to the Canary Islands. [appeal]
09.03.06, Dr
Labbas Sbai
The Saharawi doctor, Ali Sbai ould Mohamed Cheikh ould Sid
Labbas, serving a sentence of six months' prison in Ouarzazate since
2 February last, was released. The Saharawi human rights defenders
wrote a joint statement dated 8 March to the international campaign
for Dr Sbai, who holds dual Swiss and Moroccan nationality.
[SPS]
Fish
Elsewhere
The coalition of 19 countries in Europe which launched on 13 February
an international campaign to prevent the EU from ratifying the
fishing agreement with Morocco concluded on 28 July 2005, continues
its actions with letters to European MPs, governements and a
petition. [see
the website]
28.02.06
Two members of the American Congress wrote to the European
Commissioner for Fishing, J. Borg: The Fishing agreement between the
EU and Morocco is a violation of international law, it does not
specify a ban on fishing in the territorial waters of Western Sahara.
Joseph Pitts et Donald M. Payne ask for the agreement to exclude this
zone. [Letter
original English]
02.03.06
The Committee for the respect of freedoms and human rights in Western
Sahara (CORELSO, France) asked the European Parliament to hold
hearings for associations to speak on the "denial of international
law" in the EU-Moroccan fishing agreement.
07.03.06
The Saharawi government asked the European Union not to include
Saharawi territorial waters in its fishing agreement with
Rabat.
09.03.06
The legal service of the European Parliament expressed its opinion on
the geographical extent of the fishing agreement, which involves the
"waters under the sovereignty or jurisdiction of Morocco". It
concludes that the agreement is not contrary to international law and
submits that "the important thing is that a share of the Community
financial contribution should be set aside for the development of
local populations in Western Sahara". The Legal Service suggests"
that Parliament might receive an assurance from the Commission and
Council that they will call on Morocco to provide the necessary
guarantees in this regard, and that the Community would envisage
suspending the agreement if the populations in Western Sahara do not
receive part of the financial contribution".
[Legal
opinion by the European Parlament' Legal
Service,
20.02.06 [PDF]] - [Draft
opinion of the Committee on Development for the Committee on
Fisheries]
The question of possession arose following a question formulated by
Great Britain, Sweden and Denmark. For its part, Morocco has
postponed by two months the date at which the fishing agreement comes
into force, first due on 1 March and and threatens to grant fishing
licences to private companies.
01.03.06,
Spain
The Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya party (ERC, Republican Left of
Catalonia) presented a draft motion to the Congress (lower house of
the Parliament) in which it calls on the Spanish Government to
recognise "officially" the Saharawi Republic.
02.03.06,
France
Response of the French Minister for Foreign Affairs to the question
of a member of parliament:
France "is working towards an agreed political solution to this
conflict" ...and "supports the efforts of the United Nations
Secretary General in this regard... France has observed with concern
the deterioration of the situation which had marked the beginning of
the summer 2005. This has now found greater stability... France
supports the normal procedures of the presidency of the European
Union on the humanitarian aspects of the conflict. It recalls the
obligations which fall on each party..."
Tazmamart
The Moroccan authorities demolished, two weeks ago, the two prisons
"which served as tombs to 30 people among conspirators of two
military putsches of 1971 and 1972." [Tel Quel
26.02.06]
Autonomy
The Moroccan authorities announced that the proposal for autonomy
will be finished for April. The political parties have been called
for 3 March to the royal palace for consultations. They have until 30
March to formulate proposals.
The Ennahdj Eddimocrati party (the democratic way) refused to take part in the meeting, believing that the solution to the conflict in Western Sahara can only be found "within the context of a referendum of self-determination" and in "the return to international legality". Ennahdj Eddimocrati called for the holding of a national conference which would bring together the authorities, the political actors and Moroccan civil society, as well as Saharawi activists from the territories administered by Morocco and those outside Morocco around this question. [Statement in Arabic] and [French]
After a visit to Germany, the Moroccan Prime Minister, Driss Jettou had talks in Brussels on 8 March with the President of the European Commission, Manuel Barroso. He also met the former head of the Spanish Government, José Maria Aznar, to acquaint himself with the position of the Popular Party on the subject of Morocco's autonomy proposal. The Spanish Government is thought to have already accepted this "solution". After Brussels the Moroccan Prime Minister went to Chile for the investiture ceremony for the new president, Michelle Bachelet.
Concerning Western Sahara, Mr Bouteflika recalled during a lunch given in honour of the Korean President, Mr Roh Moo-Hyun, on 12 March, that it remains "one of last territories whose decolonization is still pending". "It is the responsibility of the United Nations to bring to this decolonization to a satisfactory conclusion" he stated.
The ambassador and permanent representative of Algeria with the Office of the United Nations and international organisations in Switzerland, Idriss Jazaïry, affirmed that the "much awaited" negotiation between Morocco and the Polisario Front "should take place" and that "no solution could be upheld in despite it (Polisario Front) or without its knowledge". Mr. Jazaïry, speaking on the occasion of the commemorative ceremony for the 30th anniversary of the creation of SADR, organised in Geneva, declared that "negotiation should have as its basis and objective the satisfaction of the right of the Saharawi people to self-determination". "Any other measure in particular, when it ignores this right or when it claims to prejudge in advance the outcome of the choice of this people is anti-democratic and is doomed to fail," he said. [El Moudjahid, 11.03.06]
04.03.05
The library of the Marguerite Emery Centre for the documentation and
promotion of human rights (CEMEM), was inaugurated at the
headquarters of the Association of Families of Saharawi Prisoners and
Disappeared (AFAPREDESA), at Chahid El Hafed, under the presidency of
its president, Abdessalam Oumar (Marguerite Emery, who lives in
Geneva, is a long-standing activist in BIRDHSO).
- La III edición del Festival Internacional de Cine del Sáhara (FISAHARA), que se celebrará en el campamento saharaui de El Aaiún entre el 4 y el 9 de abril, tendrá como país invitado a Cuba. A partir de esta edición, FISAHARA, que dirige el realizador Javier Corcuera, va a dedicar una sección especial a un país invitado, con la proyección de una selección de sus películas. El festival mantiene sus habituales secciones de cine para niños, cine documental o cine de temática saharaui. [El Mundo, 09.03.06]
- El vuelo charter de Catalunya se realizará del 12 al 17 de abril. Para más información e inscripción: www. saharacatalunya.org
NEW
PUBLICATIONS
[External
links to newspapers may not be valid after some days because the
servers are restarted]
Français
>> Revue de la presse internationale francophone http://fr.groups.yahoo.com/group/revue-de-presse-sahara-occidental/messages
English
>> English publications on Sahara Update mailinglist: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sahara-update/messages
Castellano
>> Revista de la prensa en español http://es.groups.yahoo.com/group/revista-de-prensa-sahara-occidental/messages
Italiano
Attualità in italiano: El Ouali Bologna + Radio for Peace
Deutsch
Suomi
Português
RASD, proclamada ha 30 anos ( La RASD, proclamée il y a 30 ans), "Noticias", Mozambique, 28/02/2006. [L'article a, brièvement, relaté l'histoire de l'occupation du Sahara Occidental et a longuement commenté le discours du Président Mohamed Abdelaziz à Tifariti. Il a, pariculièrement, mis en exergue la responsabilité de l'Espagne dans le processus de la decolonisation du territoire, la mauvaise situation des Droits de l'Homme et l'oppression sauvage que subissent les saharaouis dans les territoires occupés.]
Svensk
[Summary
Weekly News,]
[Western
Sahara Homepage]