WEEKLY NEWS

WEEK 05

27.01. - 02.02.1997

27.01.97
Solidarity Conference on the Canary Islands

Members of the Spanish Parliament met on the Canary Islands on the theme "Peace and independance for the Sahrawi people". In his opening speach the President of the Canarian Parliament remembered the historical bonds between Canarian and Sahrawi people. Mr. Abrago Laguna underlined the responsibility of the Spanish Government for the actual suffering of the Sahrawi people. He appealed to the U.N. and the E.U. to get busy searching a solution for the Sahrawi problem.

28.01.97
AFAPREDESA

The President of AFAPREDESA, Association of Families of Prisoners and Disappeared Sahrawis, met Spanish delegations on visit in the refugee camps. He explained the situation in the occupied territories of W.S. and asked them to intervene on Spanish Government and Human Rights organisations in order to make pressure upon Morocco for the liberation of all "disappeared" Sahrawis.

30.01.97
Kofi Annan and W. S.

Staying at Geneva for a first visit to the U.N. seat since his nomination as Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan spoke about the W. S. conflict. He announced a new global initiative for a political solution to the conflict, adding that " some countries with influence in the region could be associated". For the new Secretary-General Western Sahara remains a hanging problem for the U.N.. He regrets that the past proposals gave no positive results because of a "lack of cooperation of the parties". " The political situation in W.S. is totally paralysed, in part because of the difficulties of the identification process. But the U.N. will continue to seek for the renewing of the dialog and for a political issue to the problem."

30.01.97
U.S.Department of State : Country reports on Human Rights Practices 1996

The Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor of the U.S. Department of States publishes its new reports on Human Rights Practices in Western Sahara and Morocco.

01.02.97
Communique of the National Secretary of the Polisario Front

In its reunion of January 30 and 31 the supreme organ of the Polisario Front made a schedule of the activities of the past year. It underlines that the Sahrawi people stays attached to its "full territorial independance". It appeals the populations in the occupied territories to face the repression used by the occupants and establishes that the implementation of the peace plan is still hindered by the Moroccan government. The Polisario reaffirms its disponibility for direct negociations but adds " that it will not stay indefinitely with folden arms if Morocco continues to occupy its land."

NEW PUBLICATIONS

• Le rÙle de l'Union de la Jeunesse de Saguiet el-Hamra et Rio de Oro (UJSARIO) dans le conflit du Sahara Occidental: un ÈlÈment clÈ pour une paix durable, Morales Marisa Atienza, mÈmoire de maÓtrise en politique internationale (CERIS-ULB 95/96).
• U.S. Department of State: Western Sahara Country Report on Human Rights Practices for 1996 , January 30, 1997.
• U.S. Department of State: Morocco Country Report on Human Rights Practices for 1996 , January 30, 1997.
• El Karama, No spÈcial, fÈvrier 1997, Bureau des Droits de l'Homme de la Coordination eurropÈenne du soutien au peuple sahraoui, GenËve, 4 p.
• Papers, No 6, desembre 1996, publicaciÛ de la Llega dels Drets dels Pobles, c.p. 2045, E-08280 Sabadell.
• Saguia el Hamra y Rio de Oro. RecopilaciÛn informativa. Propuestas didactic·s, 1996, Llega dels Drets dels Pobles, c.p. 2045, E-08280 Sabadell.

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