WESTERN SAHARA WEEKLY NEWS

WEEK 48

22.-28.11.1998

19-21.11.98
Delegation of the National Union of Saharawi Women in France
A delegation of the NUSW participated to the 12th Congress of the IFDW, International Federation of Democratic Women, which took place at Bobigny, France, with the participation of 500 delegates from 105 countries.
Later, the Saharawi delegation has been invited by the regional groups of the association "Femmes solidaires" to visit different twinned cities in France. At Le Mans the delegation was welcomed at the town hall by the assistant lord mayor Mrs Maryse Berger.

21-29.11.98
Uruguay
The Saharawi Ambassador in Venezuela visited Montevideo where he had numerous contacts with responsibles of the government and political parties of Uruguay. At this occasion the main daily newspaper El Pais published a report on the SADR and the TV diffused two interviews with Hash Ahmed.

23-24.11.98
Meeting of the Council of the Socialist International
In a resolution the SI considering the situation in Western Sahara, supports a just, peaceful and lasting solution of the conflict, encourages the current efforts by the UN Secretary-General, and calls upon all parties involved to fully cooperate with the UN.
On invitation of the SI, a Saharawi delegation assisted to the session.

24.11.98
Morocco
King Hassan II received Mr Ahmed Ould Sidi Ahmed, Mauretanian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, which brought him a message from President Ould Taya, probably concerning Western Sahara.

26.11.98
Morocco
"No delay has been fixed to respond to the proposals of the UN SG" concerning Western Sahara, declared the spokesman of the Moroccan government Mr Khalid Alioua. "Morocco will transmit its responses to the proposals from its own point of view", he added. Moroccan responsibles declared they prefer to wait for the anwers of Algeria and the Polisario Front before they give a definitive response (agencies).

26.11.98
Morocco
Prime Minister Yussufi will sign an agreement about the construction of the first nuclear power station in Morocco. The construction of a 10 MW reactor in the Tan-Tan region is foreseen. The produced energy will be used for dessalination of sea water for irrigation (Reuters).

27.11.98
Human rights
A Moroccan daily newspaper speaks about the demands of Mohamed Daddache, condemned for life: "Daddache Mohamed El Sahraoui, jailed since 20 years at the central jail of Kenitra, asks since many years to be transferred [to Western Sahara], to be near his family living at El Ayoun and Smara..... He declares he was visited by Amnesty International Secretary-General Pierre Sané in May 1998 and the ICRC in 1995 and should be released soon. He claims for royal pardon because he committed no blood crime" (Al-Hayat Al-Yawmia).

30.11.98
Annans visit to the Maghreb
On Monday 30 November the UN Secretary-General will reach the refugee camps in the south of Tindouf where he will be wellcomed by the Saharawi authorities at the Smara camp. He will stay for the day and turn to Algiers for a two days official visit. He will go to Tunis on Wednesday.

SOLIDARITY

Spain

• 14.11.98 Albacete:
  500 persons participated to a solidarity meal organised by the local organisation of Friends of the Saharawi People in occasion of the anniversary of the Madrid Agreements of 1975.
• 20-21.11.98 Cordoba
  On occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Human Rights Declaration, the Association of the Friends of Saharawi Children organised a debate on the childrens rights in presence of a responsible of the AFAPREDESA.
• 22.11.98 Sabadell (Barcelona)
  1500 balloons showing as a mosaic the flags of the SADR and of the city of Sabadell were released at a solidarity event organized by "Solidaris amb el Poble Sahrauí".

Germany

• From 21.10.98 to 20.11.98, the music group "Leyoad" continued its concerts in Germany, with great success. Newspapers, TV and radio stations related largely these activities.
• From 16.11. to 20.11.98 Mohamed Sidati, Minister Councelor at the Presidence visited Bonn for contacts with the new German governement.

ANNOUNCEMENT

• 8.-19.12.98, visit of Mama Sidi, president of the NUSW in Germany.
• 11. and 12.12.98, Berlin, conference organised by several "Bundeslaender" and Development NGOs. Goal: elaboration of a development programme for Western Sahara

The film "Khallil, Sohn der Sahara" about a 12 year old boy in a sahrawi-refugee-camp is now also available in a original-hassani version with english subtitles. Th english title is:"Khallil, Son of the Sahara.The address for orders ore more informations is:
Stephan Krause Filmproduktion
Schilfstr. 5
82223 Eichenau/Germany
Tel: ++49-8141-328668 Fax: ++49-8141-328667
e-mail: Krausefilm@aol.com

NEW PUBLICATIONS

• Réussir la transition démocratique au Maroc, Leveau Rémy, Le Monde Diplomatique, Paris, Nov. 1998, pp. 14-15.
• Annan in drive to resolve Sahara dispute, Khalaf Routa, Financial Times, 09.11.98, p. 4.
• Prisoners of a forgotten war for Africa's last colony, Blair Alex, The Scotsman, 12.11.98, p. 24.
• UN seeks a deal in the Western Sahara, editorial, ibid.
• Refugees reluctant to risk lives for a homeland most have never seen, Blair Alex, ibid., 13.11.98, p. 13.
• "Chaque jour qui passe est un jour de plus dans l'exil", entretien de Malek M. avec Salek Bobih, ambassadeur de la RASD en Algérie, Le Jeune Indépendant, Alger, 24.11.98.
• Westsahara-Initiative Annans, hcr, Frankfurter Allgemeine, D-Frankfurt a. M., 24.11.98, p. 10.
• Maroc (1) Hassan II et le drapeau du Polisario, Jeune Afrique, Paris, No 1976, 24.11.98, p. 7.
• Maroc (2) Le Fqih Basri attendu à Laayoune, ibid.

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