08.08.96
Interior Minister meets unemployed youth from Western Sahara
According to official Moroccan sources, transmitted by Reuters,
"Interior Minister Driss Basri, accompanied by Minister of Marine,
Fisheries and Merchant Marines Mustapha Sahel and Minister of Vocational
Training Abdessalem Baroual, met the group of youths who came to Rabat
from Western Sahara. At the beginning of this meeting, spokesmen of the
group expressed their loyalty and allegiance to King Hassan The speakers
then went on to affirm that their coming to their kingdom's capital,
Rabat, aims to draw the public authorities' attention to some of their
problems, especially those related to youth employment, improving
housing opportunities and the settlement of various private and personal
cases.
Interior Minister Driss Basri emphasized King Hassan's particular
attention to the southern provinces - and to all his subjects in those
provinces, which have a special status in the hearts of all Moroccans -
so as to revive them and bring them to the standard of the rest of the
happy kingdom. Mr Driss Basri then went on to stress the government's
intention to intensify efforts to find the appropriate solutions to all
the issues raised and increase efforts to improve the economic and
social standard of these provinces and their inhabitants. He announced
that a ministerial delegation will shortly go to the concerned provinces
on a mission to decide, on the spot, the measures needed... "
The returning to their country, escorted by police forces, of the young Sahrawi demonstrators provoked violent troubles.
According to a communique of the Sahrawi Information Ministry, on
Saturday 10th the young Sahrawis were ill-treated by civil members of
police near Agadir, in presence of the police. Several persons were
hurted and transported to a hospital. The same day similar provocations
took place in T'Let-Lekhssess and Bouzakarn, between Agadir and
Goulimine.
The day later, the young demonstrators were held back by the Moroccan
police at the entry of El Ayoun, the capital of the occupied Western
Sahara. During 7 hours the policemen interrogated the young people to
establish their identity and to search for their leaders. The Moroccan
authorities did'nt appreciate the fact that the young people were all
dressed with traditional Sahrawi clothes to outstand their national
identity. The Sahrawi press release concluded with an appeal for a quick
intervention to avoid the Sahrawi people from a new cycle of
repression.
According to the Spanish news agency EFE, a dozen of people were injuried after confrontations between young Sahrawis and Moroccan civilians near Agadir. Eye-witnesses say that the confrontations took place after the refusal of the Sahrawis to pay the food and drink they consume. The inhabitants attacked them with sticks and throwed things. The Sahrawis were returning to Western Sahara after beeing stopped more than a week at the entrance of Rabat, where they were asking for work and social help. The witnesses affirmed that the Sahrawis were escorted by police forces, which were ran over. Only the nationalist daily newspaper "Alam" accounts for the riots, but without specifying the number of casualties. No other media echoed the confrontations, the first between Sahrawis and Moroccan civilians in the 90s.
13.08.96
Liberation of prisoners
The eight young Sahrawis, condemned in June
1995 to sentences of 15 to 20 years of jail, and who should be liberated
in Mai 1996, leaved finally the prison of Sale. All of them returned to
their homes in the occupied Western Sahara, according to AFAPREDESA.
14.08.96
Constitution of a parliamentary friendship group between Venezuela and the Sahrawi Republic
The group is composed by numerous senators and members of the parliament
of all political parties. It shall establish close relations with the
Sahrawi parliament and strengthen the friendship between the two
peoples. President of the group is Segundo Melendez, member of the
parliament.
Summary Weekly News,