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WEEKS 29-30 : 16.07.-29.07.2006 |
17.07.06,
Spain
The National Union of Saharawi Women's Officer for Information and
Culture, Khadija Hamdi, is visiting Cantabria. She met several
political officials and stressed that the autonomous government
should intervene with the central government in favour of the
decolonisation of Western Sahara. [SPS]
[Entrevista
en El Diario Montanes, 20.07.06]
21.07.06,
National Secretariat
At an ordinary meeting, the Polisario Front's executive body decided
that the movement's next congress, initially planned for 2006, would
be held "in the course of 2007". The NS reviewed the first semester
of the year and called on the UN to set up "mechanisms capable of
guaranteeing security, freedom and rights for Saharawi citizens in
the occupied zones". The NS asked France to "abstain from"
encouraging Morocco to "rebel against international law" and recalled
Spain to its "legal responsibilities" in the tragedy of the Saharawi
people in in "the decolonisation" of Saharawi territory.
[SPS]
19, 20 et
21.07.06, Madrid
The autonomous University of Madrid organised a summer school on the
subject "Los saharauis y nosotros un desafío pendiente y
urgente" (The Saharawis and us, a present and urgent challenge). On
this occasion the Saharawi Minister delegate for Europe, Mohamed
Sidati, questioned, in relation to the "autonomy proposal" put
forward by Morocco, "how, in a decolonisation process, whose solution
resides in the implementation of the right to self-determination,
could one substitute a pseudo-solution, which is nothing more than a
manner of trying to legitimise, between inverted commas, an illegal
occupation, a fait accompli? Morocco can propose autonomy for the Rif
or the Atlas, but not for Western Sahara, because it has neither the
administrative power, nor sovereignty over the territory", he added.
Concerning "direct negotiations" between Morocco and the Polisario
Front, Mr Sidati remarked that "negotiations have already taken place
under the auspices of the United Nations and that they have ended".
[SPS]
25.07.06,
Madrid
A Saharawi parliamentary delegation was received on Tuesday morning
at the seat of the National Spanish Parliament by Mrs Clemencia
Torredo, President of the parliamentary group "Peace and Freedom for
the Saharawi people". [SPS]
OCCUPIED TERRITORIES AND SOUTH MOROCCO
Police
reinforcement
The Moroccan authorities reinforced the police presence in Western
Sahara. In Foum ElOued (El Ayoun beach) a new barracks has been built
and 800 gendarmes have moved in, to prevent Saharawi students from
demonstrating during the summer holidays. In Boujdour, large
quantities of munitions have been recently delivered to the GUS
(Urban Security Group) and over 400 police and 300 members of the
secret services have been transferred to Smara and integrated with
the Mobile Intervention Companies (CMI).
Harrassment
Atouilia ment Ali ould Hmad was sexually harrassed at Boujdour market
by a member of the Moroccan auxiliary forces. The young woman started
calling out "Long live the Polisario". Members of the auxiliary
forces then beat her with truncheons. The girl was hospitalised.
[ASVDH,
24.07.06]
New
arrests
At the end of July we learned that the Saharawi citizen, Freik
Mohammed ould Brahim ould Mahmoud had been arrested on 8 June 2006
near El Ayoun by the Royal Moroccan Gendarmery. Taken to an unknown
destination, he was tortured and detained until 14 July 2006 without
knowing the reasons for being abducted. He was to lodge a complaint
with the General Prosecutor, which has not been pursued, like
hundreds of other previously lodged complaints.
[ASVDH
20.07.06]
In Smara, Moroccan forces of repression have carried out numerous arrests in July in response to the demonstrations being held. On 12 July 11 people were arrested, three of them were imprisoned in El Ayoun (Belyazid Ammar ould Alamine, Benalla Cheikh ould Dadah ould Boumrah, Zagham Ghali ould Asaaidi ould Mahmoud ould Bahaha). On 18 July three other Saharawis, accused of having hung up SADR flags, appeared before the instructing magistrate and were transferred to the Black Prison of El Ayoun (Dida Abdesalam, Bahaha Mohamed Salem and Mouloud Mustapha Brahim nicknamed "Mouloud Elhaj"). The latter's mother is under psychiatric treatment following the arrest of her son. On 23 July Abdel Fatah Mohamed Hamadi El Moukhtar Lekhrif and his brother, Abdel Maati were arrested. Still in Smara, five young people questioned on 26 July by plain clothes agents, were released following a sit-in by the population outside the police station. [ASVDH, 21.07.06]
On 20 July, Limam Sabbar, brother of Brahim, was arrested right inside the Black Prison during a visit to his brother. He was expelled from the town of El Ayoun after having been violently attacked. The same day El Houssein Limlih was arrested in the course of a demonstration in the Polco quarter. [ASVDH, 20.07.06]
Trial
The Court of Second Instance in El Ayoun confirmed on appeal, on
20.07.06, the sentences handed down on 27 June 2006 to the secretary
general of the ASVDH Sabbar Brahim and Saharawi former political
detainee Haddi Sidi Ahmed Mahmoud Elkainan.
[ASVDH
20.07.06].
Demonstrations
continue
At Foum elOued, the beach of El Ayoun, Saharawis organised a sit-in
for independence on 24 July. Saharawi political prisoners in the
Black Prison held a 48-hour hunger strike on 26 July to protest
against "bad treatment and their conditions of detention", the prison
authorities having not kept their commitments. In Mhamid elGhizlan,
Southern Morocco, a demonstration of solidarity was organised on 23
July, which continued for several days as a sit-in.
Appeal
The family of the Saharawi political prisoner, Sala Mouloud Brahim
Lehmam launched an appeal from Tan Tan to release all Saharawi
political prisoners.
Interview
The Saharawi human rights activist, Hmad Hamad, interviewed by the
Mauritanian weekly, Al Alam, said: "The Intifada is a natural
response to the policy of repression and plunder of natural riches.
It is the expression of the rejection of the Moroccan occupation."
For Hamad, despite all the attempts of the Moroccan government trying
to stop [democracy and human rights], the unshakeable desire
for freedom and independence of the Saharawi people is irreversible.
[translation
full text,
SPS 16.07.06]. - original
in Arabic
The Collective of Saharawi Human Rights Defenders CDDHSO, analysing the events of June and July, demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all Saharawi political prisoners (numbering at least 29 at present, updated list on: http://www.arso.org/intifadalistpris.htm) and for an inquiry to be conducted into human rights abuses committed by Morocco. The CDDHSO further asked democratic governments and international organisations to take away Morocco's seat on the UN Human Rights Council. [communiqué du 22 juillet]
June-July
2006
Two ships carrying phosphate arrived recently in New Zealand, coming
probably from Western Sahara. They are the ship Annou G.O. (Gleamray
Maritime), which arrived in Lyttleton on 18 July, to then berth in
Dunedin, Napier, Lyttleton again on 21 and finally Taranaki on 23.
The Le Bianco Zealand (First Steamship Company Ltd.) arrived in
Lyttleton on 10 July and continued on to Dunedin, Napier and
Lyttleton on 15.
16.07.06, New
Zealand
The Greens are worried New Zealand might be breaking international
laws, with the arrival of a shipment of phosphate from Western Sahara
in Africa. A cargo has been partly unloaded in Lyttelton. The Green
Party believes it is being sold by the Moroccan state-owned mining
company, but without the consent of those in Western Sahara.
Co-leader Russel Norman says the United Nations has previously said
it believes the phosphate is being exploited without regard to the
local people. He says it is potentially damaging to New Zealand's
reputation.
EU-Morocco
Fishing Agreement
The agreement of partnership in the fishing sector between the
European Community and the Kingdom of Morocco was approved on 17 July
by the Council of the European Union. The Council of Moroccan
ministers ratified it on 20 July. The EU and Morocco proceeded on 26
July to the final signature of the fishing agreement. The Agreement
is to be ratified by the two chambers of the Moroccan parliament,
whose next meeting is due in October. The Agreement was concluded on
28 July 2005 and should have entered into force on 1 March 2006.
[easy
Bourse,
26.07.06]
26.07.06, New
Zealand Parliament
Minerals-Importation from Non-self-governing Territories
Upon the arrival of the bulk carrier Sirius in the port of Tauranga
coming from El Ayoun, two Green Party members of parliament asked
oral questions on the importation of phosphates sourced in the
non-self-governing territory of Western Sahara of the Minister for
Trade. He replied: "I am advised that the New Zealand companies
concerned are not in breach of either international or domestic law
in importing phosphate from Morocco that may have been mined in
Western Sahara. I am aware of the opinion given by the UN
Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs, Hans Corell, back in 2002
on the basis of the charter principle of recognising that the
interests of the inhabitants of non-selfgoverning territories must be
paramount. The answer is that I do not think anybody can say with any
certainty what the local people in Western Sahara feel about the
mining of phosphate resources. I certainly have no evidence about
that."[transcripts]
18.07.06,
Morocco-France
The first secretary of the French Socialist Party, François
Hollande, on a visit to Rabat, stressed the necessity of finding a
"political solution" to the Sahara question "which has been going on
for over 30 years and which unhelpfully separates Algeria and
Morocco". He added that according to MAP that "it is also necessary
that this solution should be negotiated by all the parties involved
and should be mutually acceptable and finally the solution must also
receive the blessing of the United Nations."
23.07.06,
Niger-Algeria
In a final joint statement at the end of the visit to Algiers of the
Niger Foreign Affairs Minister, Mrs Aichatou Mindaoudou, the two
ministers recalled "the importance of the respect of international
law and the implementation of relevant resolutions of the United
Nations for the just and lasting settlement (of the) conflict" of
Western Sahara.
26.07.06,
Italy
The Italian parliamentary intergroup for Western Sahara was formed in
Rome during a meeting with the Vice-President of the Chamber, Carlo
Leoni. About a hundred members of the lower house and the Senate
belong to it. The intergroup proposes to undertake any initiative to
support the cause of the Saharawi people and their
self-determination.
19.07.06,
Landmines
Sweden has made available to Mauritania, through the United Nations
programme for development (PNUD) and the United Nations fund for
children (UNICEF), a sum of 190,000 US dollars for de-mining the
north of the country, the aftermath of the war with the Polisario
Front.
10.07.06,
Spain
The Andalusia branch of the workers commissions undertook to build a
school in Aguenit (liberated territory) and to take part in the
re-building of schools in the refugee camps for a total sum of
160,000 euros.
The 32nd European Conference coordinating support for the Saharawi people, EUCOCO 2006, will take place in Vitoria-Gasteiz (Spain) on 3, 4 and 5 November 2006. Further information --> contact
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