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AFAPREDESA
At the 21th session of the African Human Rights and Peoples Rights
Committee, April 15 to 24 1997, in Nuakschott, Mauritania, the
AFAPREDESA, Association of Families of Prisoners and Disappeared
Sahrawis, founded on August 20 1989, received the observatory
status.
16.10.97
Moroccan spying
The legal action against the former chairman of the Goeteborg
Moroccan Association ended in this city. The sentence will be known
in 2 weeks. This individual of Moroccan origin was sentenced to 6
months of jail at the end of 1996. He spied and denounced Moroccans
living in Sweden and Swedish people acting in favour of the Polisario
on behalf of the DGED, the General Direction of Studies and
Documentation (a military intelligence service directed by General
Kadiri, which hides its agents in foreign countries as members of the
ATCM, the Friendship Association of Moroccan Workers and
Businessmen). He used the diplomatic channels of the Moroccan embassy
in Sweden to transmit his informations.
20.10.97
AFAPREDESA press release
Arbitrary arrests
Lalla el Ouali Youssef and Malainin M'Bairik Faddali were arrested by
Moroccan police at El Ayun on Oct. 10 and liberated after 4 days of
arbitrary arrest. Both showed publicly their happiness about the
referendum to be held. According to the press release they were
tortured and could not receive medical help in the hospitals, which
were told not to accept them. The Sahrawi human rights organization
appeals to act in order to put an end to tortures and arbitrary
arrests in the occupied Western Sahara. "There can be no peacefull
solution of the conflict without respect of human rights in Western
Sahara", concludes the press release.
20.10.97
Referendum campaign already beginning !
A ministerial delegation leaded by the Moroccan Minister of Interior
Basri, accompanied by three other ministers was on trip in the
occupied Western Sahara. The aim of the visit was to mobilize the
electorate for the next regional elections (Oct. 24), and especially
to reassure the population after the Houston agreements. The
delegation inaugurated some infrastructures and laid the foundation
of new projects. They visited El Ayun, Bujdur, Dakhla, Smara and also
Gulimin in South Marocco. In El Ayun they met officials, chiukhs,
representatives of Sahrawis who joined Morocco and also delegates of
youth and women movements. Basri in a speech numbered the important
realizations accomplished or in way of realization in the region. He
promized new and important economical advantages for the local
population. He took long hearings with the chiefs of tribes,
essentially focussed on the problems of unemployment and lack of
housing. Basri said that the Houston agreements are in favour of
Morocco, adding that "the identification process will concern all
individuals with some relation to the territory, according to the 5
criterias of the UN". "Morocco will work from Tangier to Laguera to
prepare the referendum" (EFE, AFP).
20.10.97
Resolution
1133 (1997) of the Security Council
The Security Council decided to extend the mandate of the MINURSO
until 20 April 1998. It also requested the Secretary-General to begin
the identification of voters eligible to participate in the
referendum for self-determination, with the aim of finishing the
process by 31 May 1998. The Council also requested the
Secretary-General to submit, no later than 15 November, a
comprehensive report, including a detailed plan, a timetable and
financial implications, for holding the referendum. Further, the
Council requested the Secretary-General to report every 60 days on
the progress of the implementation of the settlement plan and the
agreements reached between the parties, and to keep the Council
regularly informed of all significant developments in the interim.
Following the adoption of the resolution, the President of the
Council said the Council requested the Secretary-General to name a
special representative as soon as possible. The US representative
Bill Richardson declared that the US support to MINURSO will depend
of its progress, if there are no significant progress the US can no
longer support it in its actual form.
22.10.97
An other language ?
During a press conference at El Ayun Basri declared that Morocco will
fairly collaborate with the UN, but will denounce all manoeuvres of
the other part in order to sabotage the referendum process. He thinks
it is possible that the identification will be finished at the end of
May 1998. "The Sahrawis living in Tinduf will have all guarantees in
order to participate to the referendum process", he says. Morocco
wishes "cleanness" and will ask the UN to allow journalists of the
whole word to be present in the identification offices. Answering to
a question he says that the Polisario will have the possibility to
use the Moroccan medias. "In exchange we will ask the UN that our
positions will also be defend in the medias, where ever people coming
from the Sahara are living".
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