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22.09.97
52th session of UN General Assembly
Opening the 52th Assembly the Secretary General Kofi Annan declared :
"Since assuming office in January, I have taken initiatives intended
to begin, or revive, peace processes in several conflict situations
(...)". He added that former United States Secretary of State, James
Baker, he named as Special envoy for Western Sahara, is on the verge
of producing a breakthrough in the effort to carry out a referendum
on that territory's future.
The Secretary-General has also discussed with President Clinton on
Western Sahara, Congo-Kinshasa, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Haiti and
Afghanistan.
23.09.97
Contacts Spain - SADR
Mr Abel Matutes Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs meets in New York
Mr Mohamed Salem Ould Salek, Minister Councelor of the Saharawi
Presidence. He reaffirms the Spanish support to the
self-determination referendum in Western Sahara. The Saharawi
responsible, on his side, declares that the direct talks between
Morocco and the Polisario were the best and most positive way.
"Without them nothing would happen". The Saharawi Minister meets also
Mr Kofi Annan and other UN responsibles.
24.09.97
The Report of the Secretary General on the situation concerning
Western Sahara, S/1997/742
( full text)
In his introduction Mr Annan underlines that neither party had
indicated any willingness to pursue any political solution other than
implementation of the settlement plan. He exposes the details of the
mission of his Special Envoy and the content of the agreements
reached in the different discussion rounds. He takes stock of the
actual situation in the region. Aboutf the provisory lists of
Saharawi political prisoners and detainees which have been given to
the Moroccans on Sept. 9th, the Moroccan responsibles have identified
only one name ( It seems to be Mohamed
Daddach according to the description,ARSO), all others were
declared dead, unknown, had joined the F. Polisario, have been
released or amnestied.
The agreements of Houston create the conditions to proceed towards
the full implementation of the settlement plan, starting with the
resumption of the identification process. Mr Annan proposes to send
at the beginning of October a technical staff in the region in order
to prepare the resumption of the voter identification. The Minurso
should rapidely be provided with the needed human and financial
ressources. By the end of the identification process the list of
persons judged eligible to vote would be published, and the
transition period could begin shortly thereafter, upon completion of
other steps required by D-day in accordance to the settlement plan.
On the basis of the original timetable the referendum of
self-determination would thus be held within a year.
The Secretary General recommands to the Security Council that the
mandate of the MINURSO will be extended for three weeks untill
October 20 1997, and that it will be extended thereafter for a period
of six months until April 20 1998. The S.G. will submit a
comprehensive report in November including a detailed plan, timetable
and financial implications for the holding of the referendum.
25.09.97
Morocco will accept the results of a referendum in Western
Sahara
The Moroccan Minister of Interior Driss Basri affirms in Paris that
Morocco will accept the results of a referendum about the future of
Western Sahara also if they are aginst the integration of the former
Spanish territory to Morocco. "It is the first concern (of King
Hassan II) to respect international legality. If by accident the
people of W.S. would choice independence, Morocco will respect this
decision. It will be the first country to open an embassy there", he
added.
26.09.97
James Baker at Security Council
In a confidential session the Special Envoy for Western Sahara
informed the S.C. members about his mission. He declared to
journalists that the number of voters of 80'000 is only an
estimation, which does not limit the number of candidates to
identification. The definitive number could be more important. He
aded: the situation is hopefull but also precarious. Now we have to
hurry up. Mr Baker's mission is finished, but he stays at disposal of
the U.N. if necessary he said.
25-28.09.97
International Conference of Support
to the Peace Plan for Western Sahara
More than 200 guests, among them Peace Nobel Prize winner Ramos
Horta, Frank Ruddy, former US Ambassador, and members of Parliaments
of different countries, politicians of different parties and NGO
delegates, participate to this Conference in the refugee camps near
Tindouf. In his opening speach Mr Bachir Mustafa Sayed ( full
text spanish) linked to some aspects of the agreements, like a
lack of precision and of sufficiant warranties for the application,
which ask to be careful. As as open questions Bachir Sayed listed,
under others, the control of the northern borders of W.S., the
controle of the airspace, the presence of the Moroccan settlers, the
freedom of action during the referendum. The Saharawi Minister of
Foreign Affairs appealed for the constitution of a "Task force" which
would supervise the application of the agreements and warrant the
final result. He proposed James Baker as leader.
Mahfoud Ali Beiba, Saharawi Prime Minister explained that the
identification could be finished in 6 months, adding that the
transitional period would be of 4 months. Probably the refugees would
vote in the Saharawi controled liberated territories. He estimed that
the direct contacts with Morocco should be continued in order to
overcome difficulties.
Houston agreement : reactions and comments
Algeria
The chief of the Algerian govenment named 3 reasons for his country
to be glad of the evolution. First Algeria is determined to support
stability in the region and acts for friendship between the peoples,
second the Peace Plan and its conditions are good and third this
country always appealed for a dialogue between the
parties.(23.09.97)
Mauritania
23.09.97: The Mauritanian government exprimed its "satifaction". It
affirmed, as an official observer, that it will do all possible in
order to facilitate the implementation of the settlement plan.
Spain
21.09.97: In an interview Mr Matutes, Minister of Foreign Affairs
said that in spite of "numerous impediments", " all is well" and "
great progress was made thanks to the United States mediation". Spain
will support the MINURSO if it is asked for.
France
In a pressrelease (22.09.97) the "Association des Amis de la RASD"
underlines the importance of the results qualified as "historical".
But the Association remarks that only the accomplishment of the
agreements and the presence of foreign observers and the
international press will warrant transparency and regularity of the
process.
Russia
24.09.97: The direct talks between Morocco and the Polisario in
Houston allow optimism, declared the Russian Ministry of Foreign
Affairs. Russia follows the mission of J. Baker with interest and is
ready to contribute to the international efforts to find a solution
for the W.S. conflict, especially the MINURSO.
Moroccan newspapers
For original language see the french edition
!
3-9.10.97 Spain (Bilbao, Vitoria, Donostia, Barcelona, Madrid): "Shertat, cuentas par llegar al Sahara": information campaign about the results of the recent negociations and for solidarity and cooperation with the Saharawi people, organized by Paz y Tercer Mundo and the AsociaciÛn de Amig@s de la RASD de Euskadi .
AssociaciÛ Catalana d'Amics del Poble SahrauÌ,
A.C.A.P.S. Catalunya, EspaÒa,
URL: http://august.ivb.fut.es/altres/sahara/index.htm
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