|
Résumé December 2007 WEEKS 49 - 52 : 01.12. - 31.12.2007 |
14-20.12.07
12th Congress of the Polisario Front, Tifariti, on the theme of “the
general struggle to impose sovereignty and full independence”.
The congress discussed “a new strategy for getting out of the present
impasse” and the record of the Polisario Front leadership. It also
decided a program of national action and elected a new political
management team. The 1750 delegates came from the five Saharawi refugee
camps, the diaspora and from the territories occupied by Morocco. Over
250 foreign visitors, from about 30 countries attended the opening
session, at the end of which they adopted a joint declaration.[déclaration
commune/La Tribune]
Particularly notable was the presence of the former head of the
Algerian government, Rédha Malek, the president of the
Republican National Alliance, and a large Mauritanian delegation
representing the Popular Progressive Alliance of Messaoud Ould
Boulkheir, the party of the presidential majority, the Union of the
Forces of Progress, the Assembly of Democratic Forces of Ahmed ould
Daddah, the Alliance for justice and democracy, the Partyfor
Unity and Change (Hatem), the Union of Democratic Forces and the
Mauritanian Association of Friendship with the people of Western Sahara
(AMASO). [see more
details on WS-Info]
The governments of Nigeria and South Africa, the political parties FLN,
RND, MEN of Algeria, MPLA of Angola, PS of Senegal (Jacques Baudin),
PARENA of Mali, ANC and communist party of South Africa, the
Palestinian FPLP, as well as political parties of Venezuela, Mexico,
Bolivia, Cuba, Spain and Germany and the South African union COSATU and
committees of support and associative movements in Algeria and Europe
were represented.
The second day of the Congress was devoted to an in-camera discussion
of the moral
report presented the day before by the Secretary General of
the Polisario Front, Mohamed Abdelaziz. Debates ranged over the
possible return to war, the continuation of the Moroccan-Saharawi talks
and the preparation of the army in the eventuality of a return to war
if the negotiations fail.
The proceedings continue on the third day in five committees (statutes
and internal regulations, international relations, recommendations and
program of national action). [Le
Soir d'Algérie,
16.12.07] [La Tribune, 16.12.07] [La Tribune, 17.12.07]
On Monday 17 December, the committees submitted their reports for
discussion and the approval of the Congress, which also pronounced on
the Polisario Secretary General’s report. The national program of
action accords priority to the army, to the strengthening of political
structures, to support for the intifada in the occupied territories, to
the reconstruction of the Saharawi liberated territories to establish a
population, the improvement of the diplomatic work, of the information
services and the institutions of the Saharawi state.
The executive took the decision to extend the Congress by two days to
allow time for the elections. Mohamed Abdelaziz, the only candidate,
was re-elected by 85% of votes. 146 candidates stood for 25 seats on
the National Secretariat. [New POLISARIO Front National
Secretariat 2007 - Nouveau
Secrétariat national Front POLISARIO 2007 - Nuevo
Secretariado nacional del F. POLISARIO 2007]
In the final declaration, the Congress decided on the continuation of
negotiations, but should they fail, “hostilities could resume”. The
decision will be taken by the National Secretariat in six months. [Déclaration
finale] [Declaración
final] [official documents in Arabic] [Revues
de presse Sahara-Info fr + esp.]
28.12.07
The Saharawi President, Mohamed Abdelaziz, re-appointed Abdelkader
Taleb Oumar to the post of Prime Minister, and proceeded with the
nomination of the new government. [New SADR Government 2007
-Nouveau
Gouvernement de la RASD 2007 - Nuevo Gobierno de la RASD 2007]
Moroccan manoeuvres and counter-moves
At first, Morocco tried to prevent the holding of the Congress in the
liberated territories, advancing arguments such as the danger for the
peace dynamic, the breaking of the cease-fire by the violation of the
military agreement No 1 of the peace plan, the forced movement of
populations, etc. Morocco sent a letter to the UN Secretary General to
ask him to ban the Congress. [English] [details on the military agreement No 1 can be
found on the MINURSO site]
The two chambers of the Moroccan parliament meeting together on
12 December send an urgent appeal to the UN Secretary General in the
same vein. The Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs further intervened
with the UN Secretary General. Other Moroccan diplomatic interventions
took place with the EU President, the European Commission and the
Parliament. The UN did not take up the matter, see the Secretary
General’s spokesman’s daily press briefing.[Daily
Press Briefing 14.12.07, Office
of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General]
During the Congress, the Moroccan press played its part, it makes an
issue of mysterious meetings of pro-Moroccan Saharawi notables in
northern Mauritania, allegedly expressing their support for the
Moroccan autonomy proposal.
At the same time in Smara, CORCAS meets on 17 and 18 December and
launches an appeal to “brothers in the Tindouf camps to allow the logic
of reason and history to prevail and to return to their mother land”,
while in the streets, despite a strong police presence, demonstrators
call for the holding of a referendum of self-determination and the
support of the Polisario Front’s struggle.
19.12.07, Moroccan-Senegalese diplomatic incident
Morocco recalls its ambassador to Senegal “for three days” to protest
at the statement of Jacques Baudin, the former minister and member of
the Senegalese Socialist party, expressed before the 12th Congress of
the Polisario Front, calling it a “frankly unfriendly and
incomprehensible gesture”. Africans “have a moral duty to support
people who are fighting for their freedom”, the Polisario Front’s
struggle “will be inscribed on the façade of the Pantheon of all
those who fight to defend their dignity”, Baudin declared at Tifariti.[Reuters] [déclaration
de Jacques Baudin]
The Senegalese government recalls its
ambassador from Rabat. [communiqué
Premier ministre
Sénégal] [réaction
du Premier ministre marocain, le
22.12.07]
OCCUPIED
TERRITORIES AND SOUTH MOROCCO
INDICTIMENTS
17.12.07, Madrid
The judge, Baltasar Garzon heard the descendants of four disappeared
Saharawis and decided to start a procedure for genocide in Western
Sahara against 13 Moroccan officials. [AFAPREDESA
span.]
DEMONSTRATIONS
Demonstrations took place in Smara on 18 December in support of the
Polisario Front’s Congress and on 26, during a peaceful demonstration
following the arrest of Saïd Mustapha El-Beillal. It is claimed 40
persons were injured when the gathering was brutally dispersed. In
Boujdour also the intervention of the police on 14 December creates
dozens of injured people and two arrests. In El Ayoun on 25, a sit-in
of families of the 15 young Saharawis who disappeared at sea on 25
December 2005 [remember] was violently repressed.
The families had met to demand the truth on the fate of their children
and of numerous people who have expressed support for them. [comunicado] [Comunicado
de Madres de Secuestrados Saharauis,
AFAPREDESA, 31.12.07]
Following these events, the Saharawi government reiterated on 24
December its “pressing” appeal to the United Nations in favour of
urgent intervention to put an end to the repressive practices of the
Moroccan Kingdom against innocent Saharawis. [SPS]
SENTENCES
04.12.07, El-Ayoun
A Saharawi political prisoner, Mohamed Tahlil -
<http://arso.org/intifadalisteprisdet.htm#tahlil>http://arso.org/intifadalisteprisdet.htm#tahlil
– was sentenced to two and a half years in prison by the appeal court. [plus] [Testimonio
de Luis Mangrané]
QUESTIONING AND ARRESTS
14.12.07, El-Ayoun
Daha Rahmouni, member of the executive board of ASVDH and Brahim
Elansari, a member of AMDH (El-Ayoun branch), were arrested and
released 48 hours later. Human Rights Watch asked the Moroccan
authorities to set up an inquiry into the bad treatment and violence
suffered by these human rights defenders during their detention. [Morocco:
Investigate Police Beating of Rights Activists in Western Sahara] [arabic]
26.12.07, Smara
Arrest in Smara of Saïd
Mustapha El-Beillal, member of the Committee of Support for the
Self-determination of Western Sahara, who has just completed his
studies at the University of Mohamed V in Rabat. A protest
demonstration was very brutally repressed by the police. On their side,
the Saharawi students of Rabat University also demonstrated against
this arrest.
Beillal is accused by Moroccan justice of “having taken part in the
12th Congress of the Polisario Front, of having contacts with the
Polisario Front leadership, as well as having organised actions and
armed demonstrations and having attacked public agents during the
exercise of their function”. The trial, fixed for 31.12 in Rabat, was
postponed until 14 January at the request of the defence.
SENTENCE SERVED
Ahmed Sbai, who was sentenced to a year and a half in prison by the
court of El Ayoun, was released after having served his sentence.
11.12.07
Western Sahara Resource Watch denounces the practice of bird hunting by
a group of Saudis, observed at the east of Khat Alfater (north east
from El-Ayoun).[pictures] [mas y fotos]
PHOSPHATE
03.12.07
The ship, Silver Bay, arrived on 3 December in the port of Lyttleton,
New Zealand, the Greek ship, Lorentzos on 16 December in Northport, NZ
and in Tauranga on 17, continuing to Marsden Point and Bluff, carrying
phosphate from Western Sahara. [more:
http://www.lpc.co.nz/RP.jasc?=&Node=N38P0&Page=A_Shipping_Forecast&PrinterFriendly=true
- http://www.northport.co.nz/Frame.html
- http://www.port-tauranga.co.nz/Shipping-Information/Schedules/ ]
04.12.07
The Australia-Western Sahara Association, AWSA, continues its campaign
against the illegal importation of phosphate from Western Sahara. [English/PDF]
The Australian government replied that the Security Council had not
issued trade sanctions against Morocco, but that Australian companies
should pay attention to international law and the respect of human
rights. [Will
the camel get a vote? AWSA,
20/12/2007]
20.12.07
At the Annual General Meeting of Incitec-Pivot, the largest Australian
importer of Saharawi phosphate, a shareholder raised a question about
Western Sahara while members of AWSA were demonstrating outside.
Incitec confirmed that the larger part of their phosphate in their
superphosphate fertiliser comes from Western Sahara. All Australian
producers of superphosphate use phosphate rock from Bou Craa. Incitec
acknowledges having spoken with representatives of the people of
Western Sahara – including the Polisario – over the past 18 months and
that it follows the directives of the United Nations and the Australian
government. [photos
and videos] [Sydney
Morning Herald, Australia - Dec
20, 2007]
OIL
26.12.07
Tamoil denied reports that it had acquired concessions to look for oil
in Western Sahara. [Reuters, 26.12.07]
01.12.07
According to the Moroccan press agency MAP, several vehicles belonging
to MINURSO attracted acts of vandalism and their transmission systems
were stolen by an Islamist group operating in the region of Tindouf.
The news was denied
by MINURSO who described the report as false.
02-04.12.07
Official visit of the French President to Algeria, who reiterates his
support for autonomy. [texte
intégral
déclaration de Sarkozy] [texte
intégral discours
Bouteflika]
08-09.12.07, Euro-African summit in Lisbon
During a seminar on Africa, organised in Lisbon, a Saharawi official
regretted that SADR had not been invited to the EU-Africa summit.
[agencies]
During this summit, Mohammed VI warned against the balkanisation of
national entities and support for separatist movements and artificial
entities”. [texte
intégral du discours de
Mohamed VI]
11.12.07, Norway
The Norwegian government reaffirmed its support for the
Moroccan-Saharawi negotiations and the right of the Saharawi people to
self-determination during an interview between Mohamed Khaddad and
Raymond Johansen, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. [SPS fr] [SPS esp]
16.12.07, South Africa
During the ANC conference, its president, Thabo Mbeki, emphasised the
necessity of resolving the question of Western Sahara in conformity
with the resolutions of the UN. He revealed that the South African
government had granted to SADR humanitarian aid worth over 2.2 million
euros for the next three years.
17.12.07, UN General Assembly
The draft resolution drawn up by the 4th committee (document A/62/412)
on the question of Western Sahara was accepted without a vote.[résolution français] [resolution English] [resolucion espanol]
19.12.07, Canaries
The parliament of the Canaries accepted unanimously a declaration which
asks for a just, urgent and lasting solution to the conflict in Western
Sahara through a democratic referendum. [Declaración
Institucional]
05.12.07,
Economic development
The European Union allocates 28 million euros more to
cross-border cooperation with Morocco for the period 2007, within the
framework of neighbourhood policy. This financial aid could be destined
for projects in Western Sahara. The EU grants 654 million euros
for 2007-2013 to Morocco. [European
Neighbourhood Policy]
02.12.07,
European Students' Union, Vilnius
The Union of European Students asks for the protection of Saharawi
students in the occupied territories.
[Statement]
07.12.07,
Melbourne, Australia Western Sahara Association (Victoria)
Stephen Zunes launches the new book "International Law and the Question
of Western Sahara" at the Institute of International Law and the
Humanities, Melbourne Law School to an audience of lawyers, academics
and supporters of the Saharawi cause. Zunes said the outcome of the UN
peace negotiations between Morocco and Western Sahara are important for
the whole world. Not only because the Saharawi people deserve a
just resolution of the conflict and a chance to determine their future.
But if Morocco’s autonomy plan were to be approved in the Security
Council, the repercussions would go far beyond the fate of the Saharawi
people. It would mark the first time in the 60-year long history of the
United Nations that a country would be allowed to extend its boundaries
by force”. [more]
07.12.07,
conference at l'istituto italiano per gli studi filosofici de Naples
with the theme « Occupied Western Sahara Occidental :
international law and human rights abuses ». [résumé
in italiano]
10-15.12.07, V Festival de Cine Solidario de Guadalajara. Homenaje al
pueblo saharaui: http://www.cinefilia-films.com/
15.12.07
The Bishop of Laghouat, Mgr Claude Rault, launched an appeal for
solidarity with the Saharawi refugees after visiting the camps. [italiano]
15.12.07, mourning
Robert
Emery, founding member of the International Bureau for Human
Rights in Western Sahara, BIRDHSO and an activist in the Swiss
Committee of support for the Saharawi people, died in Geneva. [plus]
18.12.07, vandalism
The British scientist, Nick Brooks, denounced to the UN authorities the
damage caused intentionally at various archeological sites in the
liberated territories of Western Sahara by members of MINURSO. Dr
Brooks directs an archeological research program. (Visiting Research
Fellow School of Environmental Sciences University of East Anglia,
Norwich, UK) [UN
Personnel Vandalise Archaeological Sites] [photos] [otro
testimonio: El personal de
Naciones Unidas destruye el arte rupestre del Sahara Occidental,
Universitat de Girona]
07-09.01.08,
Next round of negotiations between Morocco and the Polisario Front in
Manhasset, near New York.
25.02.08, Sahara Marathon: http://www.saharamarathon.org/
NOUVEAUX - NEW -
NUEVOS BLOGS
NOUVEAUX -
NEW - NUEVOS
DOCUMENTS
Intéressant
OPINIONS: http://opinions.arso.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
Nuevos libros
Italiano
Deutsch
[Summary
Weekly News,]
[Western
Sahara Homepage]