WESTERN SAHARA

WEEKLY NEWS

 

WEEK 19

09.-15.05.1999

 

09.05.99
AFAPREDESA
During a special meeting of its executive board, AFAPREDESA decided to launch its "Campaign 2000" on May 23, 1999 at Balearic Islands. The campaign's objective is the liberation of all Sahrawi prisoners before the year 2000. The Sahrawi NGO is also calling for direct involvement by Spanish authorities in order to help solve the issue of the disappeared Sahrawis.

11.05.99
Morocco-France
While on a visit to France, Mohamed Benaïssa, Moroccan minister of foreign affairs and cooperation, was received by President Jacques Chirac. Among other things, they discussed the latest developments concerning the Western Sahara.

12.05.99
Referendum
The Consultative Committee on administrative and budgetary questions approved the Secretary-General's requests and recommended that the General Assembly make an appropriation of $49,023,000 to cover the period July 1, 1999 to June 2000, contingent on an extension of the mission's mandate beyond May 14 by the Security Council.

12.05.99
SADR-France
A delegation of French political figures and parliamentarians conducted a four-day visit of the refugee camps and SADR liberated zones. Delegates included Michel Voisin, UDF member of parliament and vice-president of the foreign affairs and defense commission in the National Assembly, Christian Martin, UDF member of parliamant, Martine de Froberville, president of the French committee for the Western Sahara and Sofiane Belguerras, parliamentary assistant, member of the executive of Mr. Chevènement's "Mouvement. des citoyens" (SPS)

14.05.99
Resolution of the Security Council S/RES/1238 (1999)
The Security Council decided to extend the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) for 4 months until 14 September in order to resume the identification process, start the appeals process and conclude all outstanding agreements needed to implement the Settlement Plan.
By its unanimously adopting resolution, the Council reaffirmed the rights of the applicants, with the expectation that the appeals process will not be turned into a second round of identification.
The Council supported the proposed increase in staff of the Identification Commission from 25 to 30 members, as well as the proposed increase in the necessary support activities. The Secretary-General was requested to report every 45 days on significant developments in the implementation of the Settlement Plan, focusing in particular on issues which will form the basis of the Council's consideration of a further extension of the mandate of MINURSO.Those include:

The Council further requested the Secretary-General to submit to it a revised timetable and financial implications for the holding of the referendum.

14.05.99
MINURSO
Next week the Security Council is to approve the nomination of the new special representative to head MINURSO, ambassador William Eagleton. The experienced American diplomat has occupied a number of foreign postings, particularly in the Arab world. Eagleton was special UN coordinator for Sarajevo.
Robert Kinloch, current special interim representative and president of the identification commission, will become the special assistant representative. Italian Eduardo Veteri, currently president of the UN Centre for International Crime Prevention will become president of the Identification Commission.

14.05.99
Sahrawi statement
M'hamed Khadad, Sahrawi coordinator with MINURSO, stated in Algiers that the Polisario Front has «agreed to the identification of all applicants as long as the Identification Commission finalizes the operation in a transparent and regular manner.» He added that Morocco is «dreading the referendum results and what the identification operations are going to reveal, which is why it has been delaying the whole process while the international community is unanimous in calling for a solution to the problem by giving a voice to the people.» Khadad also said, «To guarantee that the identification process is transparent, the media and NGOs will be able to visit the occupied regions and closely monitor the operations. We hope that this is a new beginning for Morocco and an end to its policy of delaying the process, that it will respect international law and allow the Sahrawi people to freely express themselves» (APS)

SOLIDARITY

28.04.99, Vienna, Austria: Three Sahrawi teachers-in-training were invited by the Austrian federation of women for peace to talk about their country.

10.05.99, Tarragona, Catalonia: Collection of material for the sixth Catalonian peace caravan to Western Sahara began in Catalonia, with the slogan "Catalonia for the Sahara" in collaboration with the "Catalonian cooperation and development fund."

03-08.05.99, Asturies: Kheira Boulahi, in charge of the National Union of Saharawi Women's foreign affairs, gave several seminars in Aviles, Corvera, Castropol, Gijon and Oviedo on the situation faced by Sahrawi women. She also met with the media and representatives of women's organizations. She then went on to Barcelona, Madrid and Navarra.

09-11.05.99, Barcelona, The Catalonian association of friends of the Sahrawi people set up information booths during the diversity celebration organized by SOS-Racisme.

 

NEW on INTERNET

Humanitarian Success, Political Failure, Bhatia Michael, Crosslines Global Report, Issue No. 33, Vol. 6, No. 1,September-October 1998, pp. 51-54.

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