WEEKLY NEWS
WEEK 10, 04-10.03.1996
03.03.96
Excerpts concerning Western Sahara from the king's address to mark
the 35th anniversary of his accession to the throne:
"As I already confirmed to you, O dear people, in our speech on the
occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Green March, we will never
change our declared position one iota. We have full confidence in the
firmness of the UN Security Council and its determination to remain
true to its resolutions. This artificial problem which has been
concocted by the foes of our territorial integrity would not have
lingered, had everybody the will to build a (united) Arab Maghreb.
However, the recent stance taken by some sides forced Morocco last
autumn to call for the suspension of the institutions of the Arab
Maghreb Union (AMU) for a limited period. During this period, member
states should review their policies and evaluate the position of the
union objectivel in a bid to give fresh impetus to its march by
removing all obstacles. Our call stemmed up from our belief that
joint action at the level of the union needs clarity of objectives
and cooperation in an atmosphere of concord, responsibility and non-
belligerence, in accordance with the stipulations of the AMU's
Charter, which was unanimously adopted by the union's founding
members".
In a message of greetings to the Moroccan king Jacques Chirac
announced the state visit of Hassan II in France May 6 and 7 1996.
04.03.96
"The purpose of Hassan II confirms that the refusal of the peace
remains the only Moroccan policy", says the Information Ministery of
the SADR in a press release. "Direct negociations are the only
solution".
04.03.96
20th anniversary of the SADR
They were manifestations in Paris, Bruxelles, New Dehli, Vienna,
Geneva, in Cuba and Venezuela.
05.03.96
Trip in the liberated zones of Western Sahara, from Febr. 29 to
March, by 2 two Italian TV-reporters, a South African journalist, a
French photograph and seven journalists and photographs of the
independent Algerian press. The route: Bir Lahlou, the Moroccan berm
in the Legdim region, Tifariti, that is near 1000 km.
07.03.96
Publication of a letter given on March 3 by Mr. A. Boukhari,
Polisario representative to the U.N., to the President of the
Security Council. Mr. Boukhari states that MINURSO has not
accomplished the following two steps, mentioned by the
Secretary-General in his last report, because of the categoric
refusal of Morocco:
paragraph 27: to proceed with the identification of all
applicants, irrespective of their place of residence, who are members
of subfractions included in the 1974 census.
paragraph 16: to make arrangements to share with both parties list of
applicants identified so far as eligible to vote as well as a list of
applicants still to be identified.
The real cause of the actual deadlock is, according to Mr.
Boukhari, the non-application of this two measures. Since last
December no new applicant has been identified.
NEW PUBLICATIONS
- Western
Sahara Human Rights practices 1995, U.S. Department of
State, March 1996
- Morocco
Human Rights practices 1995, U.S. Department of State,
March 1996
- Morocco / Western Sahara. Kelthoum Ahmed Labid El-Ouanat.
Prisoner of Conscience. Amnesty International, March 1996 (AI
Index: MDE 29/03/96), 4 p.
- Le périple de la presse. Ratiba A., Le Matin,
Alger, 5.3.96
- Le mur de défense marocain, témoin monumental
de l'occupation problématique du Sahara occidental.
Ihsane El Kadi, La Tribune, Alger, 5.3.96
- A Tifariti les séquelles de la guerre sont dans
l'âme et la mémoire des hommes. Djemaa Maazouzi,
La Tribune, Alger, 5.3.96
- En terrain miné. Ziri Hamid, L'Authentique,
Alger, 5.3.96
- Les territoires libérés du Sahara occidental,
voyage dans un désert souverain. Ihsane El Kadi, La
Tribune, Alger, 6.3.96
- Les djounoud sahraouis ont laissé de leur vie dans
les abris de peintures millénaires. Djemaa Maazouzi, La
Tribune, Alger, 6.3.96
- La douleur d'un peuple en mal de paix. S.A.M., El
Watan, Alger, 7 et 8-9.3.96
Summary Weekly News,
Western Sahara Homepage