POLISARIO UK AND IRELAND

Los saharauis celebran su 35 aniversario

2011-02-28T14:17:00.000+02:00

Los saharauis celebran su 35 aniversario

So much for human rights

2010-12-15T12:19:00.000+02:00

Western Sahara Echo- L'Echo du Sahara Occidental - Sada Assahra al -Gharbiya: Democracy Now Televised Interview 11-15-2010

2010-11-17T14:28:00.000+02:00

Western Sahara Echo- L'Echo du Sahara Occidental - Sada Assahra al -Gharbiya: Democracy Now Televised Interview 11-15-2010

Ruscombe Green: Massacre in Western Sahara – Please Help

2010-11-12T11:13:00.000+02:00

Ruscombe Green: Massacre in Western Sahara – Please Help: "This week the worst violence and the highest number of deaths in Moroccan occupied Western Sahara since the ceasefire in 1991 has erupted. ..."

THE NORDIC COUNTRIES MEPS SAYING NO TO THE EU-FISHING AGREEMENT

2010-07-07T11:10:00.000+03:00

Nordic parliamentarians call for halt of unethical EU fisheries

Press release
Western Sahara Resource Watch
7 July 2010

32 parliamentarians from Finland, Sweden and Denmark today requested the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of their countries to prevent renewed EU fisheries in occupied Western Sahara.

“We urge the governments of Denmark, Finland and Sweden, to actively and jointly work to prevent an automatic prolongation of the EU-Moroccan fisheries agreement as long as Western Sahara is not clearly excluded from its application”, stated the letter, urging that the EU fisheries offshore the occupied territory terminate.

The EU is currently paying its tax payers money to the Moroccan government to be able to fish in offshore Western Sahara, a territory that Morocco has occupied.

Sweden, Denmark and Finland all treated the 2007-2011 EU-Moroccan fisheries agreement seriously when it was first debated in the European Council in 2006. Sweden voted against the agreement, stating it was in violation of international law. Denmark and Finland also raised concerns about the legality of the agreement. Finland abstained from the vote, underlining that the Saharawi people must be consulted. The European Commission has since ignored the conditions the Finnish government set in its separate statement in 2006.

The letter from the parliamentarians point to a Legal Opinion of 2009, made by the Legal Service of the European Parliament, which concluded that the conditions for respecting international law have not been met: there is no proof that the Saharawi people has been consulted, nor that it has benefited from the agreement. During the three years of fisheries, the Commission has not been able to present a single piece of information showing the contrary. Both the Saharawi representative, formally recognised by the UN, the Polisario Front, and all major Saharawi civil society organisations have made clear statements against the present agreement and any new version that includes their own territory.

“We expect that the Swedish, Danish and Finnish governments will stand by their defence of international law, as a basis for a determined, constructive Nordic action for a fully legal agreement. That would also bring the EU in line with the US and EFTA, who in respect for international law clearly exclude Western Sahara in agreements with Morocco”, stated the parliamentarians.

The letter was signed by parliamentarians from the Social Democratic Party, The Greens, The Left Party and Left Alliance, the Christian Democratic Party, the Liberal Party, the Center Party, the Socialist People’s party and the Danish Red-Green Alliance.

For questions or comments, contact
Sara Eyckmans, Western Sahara Resource Watch, Belgium, tel +32 475458695
Mr. Sören Lindh, Western Sahara Action, Sweden, tel +46 8392769
www.wsrw.org

IDN-inDepth NewsAnalysis

2010-07-06T12:09:00.003+03:00

Western Sahara Back on Radar Screens

A small shop in El Argoub, Western Sahara | Credit: Wikimedia Commons

By Ramesh Jaura

IDN-InDepth NewsAnalysis

BERLIN (IDN) – Western Sahara, one of the most thinly populated territories in the world, mainly consisting of desert flatlands, is drawing renewed focus after having been consigned to mainstream neglect for years.

The disputed territories are back on radar screens in the aftermath of new reports that the area is one of the most heavily mined territories in the world. These have been accompanied by one significant step taken by the United Nations.

Spanning 266,000 square kilometers (103,000 sq miles), Western Sahara has been on the UN list of non-self-governing territories since the 1960s when it was a Spanish colony. Spain withdrew from Western Sahara in 1976.

But he noted that two informal meetings under the auspices of his personal envoy Christopher Ross held in August 2009 and February 2010 produced no movement on the core substantive issues, and more work is needed before a fifth round can be held.

The efforts undertaken by Ross -- since his appointment in January 2009 -- to promote a settlement have been "laborious", Ban said. "Their pace and substance have been heavily affected by the parties' reaction to events in the region and their unyielding attachment to mutually exclusive positions."(..)

Former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker went through a similar disappointing experience as Secretary General Kofi Annan's personal envoy for Western Sahara. Subsequently, he resigned in 2004. He was succeeded by Dutch Ambassador to the UN, Peter van Walsum in July 1995.

April 30 UN Security Council resolution called on the parties to continue the dialogue under the auspices of the Secretary-General without preconditions to achieve "a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara".

see the link

http://www.indepthn ews.net/news/ news.php? key1=2010- 07-06%2002: 14:43&key2=1

Saharawi people mournes Mr Mahfoud Ali Beiba the Speaker of the Parliament

2010-07-03T16:44:00.008+03:00

In the picture Mr Mahfoud Ali Baiba, and Chairman of the Swedish Parliament with Lamine Baali, at the Swedish-SDP Congress 2005

SADR declares national mourning for seven days following tragic death of President of National Council

Bir Lehlu (Liberated Territories), July 3, 2010 (SPS) - The SADR Presidency has declared a national mourning for a week starting this Saturday, following the tragic death of the President of the National Council, Mafoud Ali Beiba, died Friday at his home in the February 27th camp, because of heart attack, according to a statement received by SPS.

On this occasion, the Presidency announced the formation of a national committee including high members of the Polisario Front for the organization of the funeral, which will be held Sunday, the source added.

The committee comprises Mhamed Khadad, Saharawi coordinator with MINURSO, Mohamed Lamin Ahmed, advisor to the Presidency, Mbarek Lehdeib, vice president of the SNC, Hammada Selma and Sid Ahmed Tayeb, respectively minister of justice and minister of public health, Mohamed El Ouali, director for Protection of National Institutions, Brahim Beila, public prosecutor, Brahim Mokhtar, Polisario Front representative in Sweden and Habibullah Mohamed-Kuri, director of protocol.

Mr. Mahfoud Ali Beiba was born in 1953 in Saguia El Hamra, married and a father of three daughters. He was one of the main founders and leaders of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia El Hamra and Río de Oro (Polisario Front) and member of its executive committee. He was appointed deputy general secretary of the Polisario front.

He held several positions within the Saharawi state, including Prime Minister for some Governments and Chairman of the National Council until his death.
Since 1997, Mahfoud Ali Beiba, chaired the Saharawi delegation in the direct negotiations between the Polisario Front and Morocco under the auspices of the United Nations.

He was known for his patriotism and sincere devotion to the benefit of its people and its national cause, as well as his wisdom and serenity, the statement concluded. (SPS)

Good men must die, but death cannot kill their names. (Quote by author -- Proverb)

The international refugee's day

2010-06-21T11:56:00.001+03:00

THE SAHARAWIS AND THE WORLD REFUGEE´S DAY

On the occassion of the World Refugee´s Day, June 20th, the Saharawi Women would like to express their great concern about the plight of the more than fourty millions of refugee persons around the world among them the thousand of the saharawis whom were forced to scape their country: Western Sahara when Morocco invaded their country theirty-five years ago.
The Saharawi Women launched an urgent appeal to the international community to convince Morocco to implement the hundreds of United Nations´s resolutions on this problem of decolonization and to respect the human rights in the saharawi cities of Western Sahara, illegally occupied by the moroccan army.

The Saharawi Women are convinced that the hardships of the Saharawi refugees will continue as long as Morocco continues to illegally profit from the occupation of its neighbouring country and that is why we as women from this north-african country call on the international community to break the cash-flow from the occupied territories to the Moroccan treasury.

The humanitarian situation for the Saharawi grows ever more acute. The Saharawi people living in the refugee camps in Algeria suffer from donor fatigue and malnutrition. A study from 2008 establishes that 1 in every 5 Saharawi children is malnourished. It is unsettling to note that the annual multilateral aid to the refugee camps is only a small percentage of the massive profits Morocco makes by illegally exploiting the Saharawi resources.

Once again and on the World Refugee Day we, the Saharawi Women urge the international community to stop turning a blind eye to this persistent injustice. Choosing to look away is also a political choice, as it only strengthens the ongoing and untenable moroccanization of the territory.
Furthermore, it is an offense to the Saharawi refugees, who in the face of inhumane hardship have kept their end of the seize-fire bargain, doing exactly what the international community has asked them to do: wait. If the United Nations are truly committed to solving the last unresolved colonial conflict in Africa , breaking the cash-flow from the occupied territories to the occupying regime might be a good place to start.
POSTED BY WESTERN SAHARAN WOMEN AT 11:49 PM

A new Book by Stephen Zunes and Jacob Mundy

2010-06-19T14:39:00.001+03:00

Western Sahara
War, Nationalism, and Conflict Irresolution

Stephen Zunes and Jacob Mundy
With a Foreword by George McGovern

Cloth $49.95s | 978-0-8156-3219-1 | 2010

Reviews
"The Western Sahara is one of the world’s last vestiges of colonialism. In this thoughtful and impressive analysis, Stephen Zunes and Jacob Mundy provide valuable insights on the importance of enabling the people of the Western Sahara to determine their own future through a democratic referendum."
—the late Senator Edward Kennedy

"This book is a timely and scholarly synthesis presented with clarity and comprehension. Backed by their fieldwork, the authors consider Western Sahara’s irresolution as a consequence of not only competing nationalisms (and interfering actors), but also of conflicting imaginations of polity and society."
—Phillip Naylor, author of France and Algeria: A History of Decolonization and Transformation

Description
The Western Sahara conflict has proven to be one of the most protracted and intractable struggles facing the international community. Pitting local nationalist determination against Moroccan territorial ambitions, the dispute is further complicated by regional tensions with Algeria and the geo-strategic concerns of major global players, including the United States, France, and the territory’s former colonial ruler, Spain. For over twenty years, the UN Security Council has failed to find a formula that will delicately balance these interests against Western Sahara’s long-denied right to a self-determination referendum as one of the last UN-recognized colonies.

In the first book-length treatment of the issue in over two decades, Zunes and Mundy examine the origins, evolution, and resilience of the Western Sahara conflict, deploying a diverse array of sources and firsthand knowledge of the region gained from multiple research visits. Shifting geographical frames—local, regional, and international—provide for a robust analysis of the stakes involved.

View other books in the Syracuse Studies on Peace and Conflict Resolution series

Authors
Stephen Zunes is professor of politics and international studies at the University of San Francisco where he chairs the program in Middle Eastern Studies. He is the author of Tinderbox: U.S. Middle East Policy and the Roots of Terrorism. He was named Peace Scholar of the Year for 2002 by the Peace and Justice Studies Association.

Jacob Mundy is a doctoral candidate at the University of Exeter’s Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, and author of several book chapters and articles on North African politics. He is Amnesty USA’s Country Specialist for Morocco and Western Sahara, and served as a consulting external analyst for the International Crisis Group for the Western Sahara conflict.

8 1/2 x 11, 424 pages, 5 black-and-white illustrations, 7 maps, notes, appendix, bibliography, index

FREEDOM FOR ALL THE PRISONERS

2010-06-19T14:33:00.001+03:00

REVOLT OF ZEMLA 4O YEARS 1970

2010-06-18T11:49:00.003+03:00

SADR/ANNIVERSARY

Kicks off 40th anniversary of historical Zemla uprising

Smara (Refugee Camps) June 17, 2010 (SPS) - The activities in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the Historical Zemla uprising has been launched Thursday in the Wilaya of Smara, Sahrawi refugee camps.

The activities were held in the presence of the President of the Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz, besides members of the National Secretariat and government, political and military cadres, delegations from Algeria and Libya and historical figures of comrades of the leader of the Movement for the Liberation of Saguia El Hamra and Río de Oro, deceased Mohamed Ibrahim Bassiri.

Parades were held on the occasion in the middle of a square crowded with people, where traditional tents built symbolizing those embraced, 40 years ago in Zemla district, the rebelling members of the Movement for the Liberation of Saguia El Hamra and Río de Oro, before they were raided by the Spanish police and troops in that fateful day.

The ceremony which lasted for two hours was marked by the speech of President Mohamed Abdelaziz, Secretary General of the Polisario Front, admiring the steadfastness of Sahrawi prisoners and detainees in Moroccan prisons and denouncing the persecutions which they are exposed to.

The President of the Republic inaugurated the exhibitions organized on the sidelines of the commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the first uprising in Western Sahara against Spanish colonialism June 17, 1970, which reflects historical aspects and observe the evolution of the intifada in various stages since then, particularly after its rebirth May 21, 2005, in its new dress, Intifada of Independence, besides the cultural, political and historical aspects of the Saharawi people's continued struggle for freedom and independence. (SPS)

062/090/TRA 171845 JUNE 10 SPS

Brighton Hosting an Exhibition on Western Sahara

2010-06-17T13:45:00.001+03:00

Exhibition of forgotten refugees of the Sahara marks Refugee Week
THURSDAY 17 JUNE 2010 / BY ALICE LEFEVRE

A photographic exhibition marking Refugee Week opened this week in Brighton with images of refugees from one of the world’s longest and most forgotten conflicts. Known as ’Africa’s last colony’ Western Sahara, was given to Morocco by the Spanish when they withdrew in 1976. A 16 year war followed and a 19 year ceasefire, but the Saharawi’s displaced by the occupation have never been able to return home.

.

The exhibition – The Thirst of the Dunes - displays images by photographer Robert Griffin and the words by journalist Stefan Simanowitz. The pair spent time in the refugee camps in the desert in April and May 2010 and are keen to raise awareness of the situation of the 165,000 Saharawis who have lived in exile in four large camps in the inhospitable Algerian desert for over 35 years.

Despite efforts by the international community, including over 100 UN resolutions, the referendum promised at the time of the ceasefire has been repeatedly obstructed by the Moroccans who have remained in occupation of roughly three-quarters of Western Sahara.

"I only learned about the the plight of the Saharawi people relatively recently. It is a situation that is hard to ignore, although the international community seems to have no difficulty in doing so" says Griffin. "The refugees in the camps have nothing. They are entirely dependent on external supplies of food and water and face sandstorms and temperatures of 120 degrees – but what makes their lives even worse is that no one knows they are even there.”

Through his photographs Griffin has tried to capture a sense of the lives of the Saharawi and their environment. "Despite living in such harsh circumstances they have not lost their sense of humanity, optimism, hope or humour. It was truly a humbling privelige to meet them and I hope that through my photos I’ve captured something of their spirit, generosity and quiet dignity. They have nothing yet they give everything."

Simanowitz has reported on the situation in the Western Sahara for the Guardian, the Independent, the New Statesman and the Lancet. He also chairs the global campaigning organistion, the Free Western Sahara Network. He believes that the fact that we in Britain benefit from the exploitation of Western Sahara’s natural resources makes it incumbent on us to do something to help resolve the conflict. While in the camps he interviewed many of the refugees and their words accompany the photographs.

“Whilst I can write about their situation, it is much more powerful when the refugees use their own words to describe their lives” says Simanowitz. “You see their courage and their resilliance. One woman for example, a 32-year-old mother of four who was born and raised in the camps told me that how she has nothing in the camps. No work, no water, no land for her goats to graze. But she is not without hope. Greatest of her hopes is to set foot in her homeland for the first time.”

The exhibition – Thirst of the Dunes - will take place in the newly rennovated Real Patisserie, Western Road, Hove from 16th June - 17th July 2010.

It will then move to the Rosslyn Arms, Hampstead on London 28th July 2010.

The exhibition has been organised by the Free Western Sahara Network.

ACAS Bulletin

2010-06-09T11:50:00.000+03:00

6 June 2010
The Western Sahara conflict: regional and international repercussions
The lack of resolution of the Western Sahara conflict boils down to two main points: the conflicting positions of Morocco and Western Saharan nationalists, on the one hand, and geopolitical considerations, on the other hand. These geopolitical interests have been the main impediment to the resolution of the conflict because they strengthened the obstinate position of Morocco, which argues, thanks to external support, that it will only negotiate on the basis of ‘autonomy’ within Moroccan sovereignty. This proposal currently enjoys the implicit consent of France, the United States, and Spain, regardless of UN resolutions that refute any preconditions for the current negotiations.

Filed under: ACAS Bulletin
Keywords: Algeria • MINURSO • Morocco • Polisario • United Nations • Western Sahara
http://concernedafricascholars.org/tag/polisario/

The Moroccan POLICE pressure on the Saharawi civilian in the occupied territories of Western Sahara

2010-06-08T21:57:00.001+03:00

Film Festival

2010-06-07T11:21:00.001+03:00

Refugee Film Festival Joins Western Sahara Independence Struggle
Written by Stefan Simanowitz
Thursday, 03 June 2010

Audience member at festival
During the 1960s, when decolonization movements were sweeping the world, it was joked that after achieving independence a country had to do three things: design a flag, launch an airline and found a film festival. Western Sahara has a flag but no airline and despite a 35 year struggle has yet to achieve independence. The closest it comes to its own film festival is the Festival Internacional de Cine del Sahara (known as FiSahara), the world's most remote film festival, which had its seventh annual gathering this week in a refugee camp deep in the Algerian desert.
An estimated 165,000 Saharawi people that fled their nativeWestern Sahara have lived for over three decades in such refugee camps. Western Sahara, “Africa’s last colony,” was divided between Morocco and Mauritania by the Spanish when these countries withdrew in 1976 following the mass mobilization by the Moroccans known as “the Green March.” The preceding year the International Court of Justice rejected Moroccan and Mauritanian claims to sovereignty over the territory, effectively recognizing the Saharawis’ right to independence. In February 1976, the Saharawi independence movement, the Polisario Front, declared the creation of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic. A 16-year war ensued between the Moroccans and the Polisario Front, the Mauritanians having withdrawn in 1979. In 1991, the fighting came to end and under the terms of a 1991 UN ceasefire agreement, and a referendum for self-determination was promised. However, this has been continually blocked by Morocco, leaving the Saharawi to live in four large camps in the inhospitable Algerian desert.
A film festival might seem light the last thing needed by refugees who are dependent on external aid for virtually all their basic needs. Yet the festival organizers regard culture as an important and much overlooked aspect of social progress, essential for maintaining the spirit and identity of a people who have lived in exile over 35 years. FiSahara takes place in Dakhla, the most isolated of four camps in a region know as 'the Devil's garden'. It is 130 miles from the nearest town and home to around 30,000 Saharawi refugees. There are no paved roads, no sources of water, no vegetation and in the summer months temperatures regularly top 120F. And yet once a year Dahlka plays host to a gala of screenings, concerts and workshops attended by around 400 actors, directors and film industry insiders from around the world.

Audience at the film festival
The program boasts an eclectic mix of over 30 films including several about the experience of the Saharawis, some made by Saharawi refugees themselves. Other films offer the refugees a window to the rest of the world: an audience of over 300 refugees sat for two hours captivated by films such as Ken Loaches Looking for Eric, the story of a postman living in a Manchester housing estate. “Eric is not a refugee but he has just the same problems of the heart as we do in the desert” observed audience member Aliya Ahmed after the film. Sixteen-year-old Mahyouba Ahmedu was particularly enthusiastic about a South African film called The Maunscripts of Timbuktu. "Seeing the way that Tuaregs live like us in the desert was very interesting" she says. "I would like to travel to understand what it is that makes people different, and what it is that makes people just the same." While many of the films such as the Gaza documentary, To Shoot an Elephant, are about social struggles, festival organizers are also keen to ensure that audiences are also entertained. Gordos, a Spanish comedy about obesity went down well and the Spanish animation Planet 51 about an astronaut captured by aliens filled the desert night with children's laughter. Although films were generally culturally appropriate for a Muslim audience of all ages, there was no censorship and a scene in theHollywood epic, Agora, involving a naked Rachel Weiss sent an excited shockwave through the audience.
Despite his failing eyesight, seventy-year-old Salek Sahah Yahia sat through El Problema, a film exploring the history of the crisis in Western Sahara. "My head is full of memories" he said as the credits rolled. "It was many years ago but for me the day napalm bombs fell on our village is like this morning." In 1976 Yahia led his family to the safety of Dakhla before returning to fight for four years against the Moroccan occupation. "I am an old man but I am still ready to pick up a gun." he said clenching a boney fist. However, as Yahia struggles to get up from the sand before the next film begins, it is clear that his fighting days are over.
For Deiga Aklaminhom, who is 32 and has lived her entire life in Dakhla, FiSahara offers a welcome break from the monotony of life as a refugee. "I have been waiting all year for this week to come," she smiled. "For me the workshops have been so wonderful." Over a dozen workshops are run by film industry professionals offering refugees access to film-making equipment and audio-visual training. This year, twenty Britons from the Caravanserai acting studio ran a joint workshop with a film director to teach potential Saharawi film-makers how to work with actors. “There was one moment during the workshop when a scene we were developing about the torture of a hunger striker slipped into ultra realism” recalls acting coach Giles Forman. “It was incredibly intense and despite cultural and linguistic barriers I'm certain that everyone in that room had goose pimples.” It is this form of cultural interchange that makes FiSahara so remarkable. All visitors, including the celebrities, stay with Saharawi families, sharing their home and their food and talking leisurely over endless glasses of sweet Sahawari tea.
On the last day, festival-goers gathered for the opening of a new radio, film and television school built in a neighboring camp. The school will provide technical training and the work produced there will form part of the program of future festivals. According to Jadiya Hamdi, Minister of Culture of the Saharawi government in exile, engaging young people in film-making not only sustains and energizes Saharawi culture but also gives these forgotten people a sense of purpose. "Empty time is a dangerous thing," she said. "It can kill a human soul."
Stefan Simanowitz is a journalist, broadcaster and human rights campaigner. If you would like to help the Saharawi people or get involved in the film festival visit www.freesahara.ning.com
Photos by Robert Griffin

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OHCHR Concerned about the Human rights in Western Sahara

2010-06-07T11:13:00.001+03:00

WESTERN SAHAR/HUMAN RIGHTS/ OHCHR

OHCHR concerned about situation of human rights in Western Sahara

Geneva, June 2, 2010 (SPS) - The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, has expressed concern about the situation of human rights in Western Sahara, particularly, the treatment of Sahrawi detainees.

In a response to a letter of Sahrawi President Mohamed Abdelaziz, High Commissioner Navi Pillay stated, "I would like to thank you for your letter dated 10 April 2010 regarding the human rights situation in Western Sahara. I am equally concerned regarding the current situation."

Navi Pillay assured President Mohamed Abdelaziz that the information on the situation of Sahrawi detainees and on disappearances has been referred to the relevant United Nations human rights mechanisms for appropriate follow-up.

She also noted the recommendation of the President in his letter to send a delegation of OHCHR to examine the current situation and to ensure the protection of human rights in Western Sahara, with a view to issuing a detailed public report on the subject.

In this regard, the High Commissioner guaranteed that the Organization will follow the situation from Geneva. (SPS)

062/090/000 022040 JUNE 10 SPS

MOROCCO AGAIN REFUSES EU PARLIAMENT VISIT

2010-06-07T11:10:00.001+03:00

WESTERN SAHARA/MOROCCO/EU/FISHERY

Morocco stalls EU-Sahara fisheries examination (Afrol News)

Brussels, June 4, 2010 (SPS) - Last year, the European Parliament stated that EU fisheries in Western Sahara would be illegal if the indigenous Saharawis were not consulted. But now, Morocco refuses EU parliament members to travel to the territory to examine if they are, Afrol News Wrote Friday.

The fisheries agreement between the European Union (EU) and Morocco continues to create controversy as it includes licences for EU vessels to fish outside Western Sahara, a territory occupied by Morocco. Trade agreements between Morocco and the US or EFTA had specifically excluded Western Sahara and the UN has termed exploitation of Western Sahara resources illegal unless the Saharawi population benefits directly from it.

Within the EU, the Morocco-EU fisheries deal meets increasing resistance. In December 2009, the European Parliament's fisheries committee issued a request to visit Morocco, with the objective to examine how the EU-Moroccan fisheries partnership agreement (FPA) is implemented and whether the Saharawis benefit from it.

After months went by without any official reply, Morocco has now officially rejected the Fisheries Committee's proposal of visiting the territory, claiming the timing for such a visit "is not opportune". This happens several months after Morocco first had left the impression to the European presidency that a visit by the Europeans would be accepted.

The EU Parliament's own Legal Services had already stated that since the indigenous people in Western Sahara, the Saharawis, are not consulted over the agreement, the EU-Moroccan cooperation must be in violation of international law.

Morocco has occupied Western Sahara since 1975, and EU is spending millions of euros annually to pay Morocco to allow mostly Spanish vessels to fish off Western Sahara. The Sahrawis object to European vessels trawling their waters.

"It is a pity the Moroccan authorities do not grant the European Parliament the possibility to establish the facts on the ground", said Isabella Lövin, one of the 9 members of the EU parliament who had signed up to be part of the delegation.

"It seemed an excellent opportunity to demonstrate whether the Saharawi population of Western Sahara benefits from the EU-Moroccan Fisheries Agreement, as the European Commission claims. It is really a pity, and also a bit strange", Ms Lövin stated.

The negative response "does not come as a surprise," according to the pro-Saharawi activist group Fishelsewhere. The controversial EU-Moroccan fisheries agreement has been under increasing fire since the legal opinion delivered by the EP's Legal Services in 2009. The opinion questioned the legality of the agreement since there is no proof that the Saharawi people's wishes and benefits had been taken into account.

Attempting to defend the much criticised agreement it had negotiated in 2006, the European Commission has repeatedly responded that "there is no proof that the Saharawi people do not benefit". Yet, the Commission has still not presented any evidence backing that claim, and has up to now avoided mentioning the matter of the Saharawi peoples' wishes altogether.

The European Commission only defence is a UN legal opinion from 2002. The author of that opinion, Hans Corell, however has stated he is "embarrassed to be European", due to the EU's misuse of his text.

"It has been suggested to me that the legal opinion that I delivered in 2002 had been invoked by the European Commission in support of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement. I do not know if this is true. But if it is, I find it incomprehensible that the Commission could find any such support in the legal opinion," Mr Corell states.

During yesterday's session of the Fisheries Committee, parliament members also asked about the state-of-play on another request they had made to Morocco earlier this year: to deliver a report on the impact of the fisheries agreement on the Saharawi population. The deadline for that report was set during the first quarter of 2010. The Committee said it had still not received any official reply.

It is expected that Morocco's report, when finalised, will claim that the agreement is beneficial to the "local population", which is the way Morocco defines the people who have been moved into the territory from Morocco. A majority of Saharawis now live in refugee camps in Algeria, while Western Sahara's coastal towns now are dominated by Moroccan immigrants. (SPS)

062/090/000 041845 JUNE 10 SPS

Nordic Countries and Western Sahara

2010-06-07T11:06:00.000+03:00

WESTERN SAHARA/NORDIC COUNTRIES/SOLIDARITY

Nordic Countries’ solidarity groups reaffirm solidarity with Saharawi people

Copenhagen (Denmark) June 6, 2010 (SPS) - Representatives of solidarity groups with the Saharawi people from Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland reaffirmed Saturday in Copenhagen solidarity with the Saharawi people, according to a statement of the POLISARIO front Representation in Denmark.

During a meeting for coordinating the various activities of solidarity for the people of Western Sahara in the Nordic Countries, the participants developed an action plan for 2011 and reaffirmed their full and unwavering solidarity with the Saharawi people.

At the end of the meeting, which was attended by the POLISARIO Front Representative in Denmark, Abba Malainin, the Nordic Countries’ solidarity groups with the people of Western Sahara issued a statement demanding:

- The UN to speed up the decolonization of Western Sahara through the organisation of free referendum of Self-determination that MINURSO has been mandated for almost twenty years.

- The UN to establish a human rights monitoring capacity and the instigation of a Mission of Observation on the exploitation of the territory’s natural resources.

- Morocco to respect the international human rights law in occupied territories, notably the right to freedom of association, assembly, movement and expression.

- An end to the illegal exploration and exploitation of the natural resources of Western Sahara in the illegally occupied territory and the discouragement of the involvement of foreign companies in such activities.

- Given that the EU- Morocco fisheries Agreement including the waters of Western Sahara is in violation of international Law, we demand that Western Sahara Waters are explicitly excluded in the renewal of the EU-Morocco Fisheries agreement that will end February 2011.

- The EU to follow EFTA and the USA, which both excluded Western Sahara from their free trade cooperation with Morocco.

- The Nordic Countries humanitarian assistance to the Saharawi refugees.

- The Nordic Countries to follow the African Union in recognising the Saharawi Republic.

Moreover, the Nordic Countries’ solidarity groups with the people of Western Sahara decided that their next meeting will be held in Helsinki in Finland. (SPS)

062/090/000 060900 JUNE 10 SPS

IV International Art Encounters in the Western Sahara

2010-06-07T10:59:00.001+03:00

call: IV International Art Encounters in the Western Sahara

Call for entries
Deadline: 18 June 2010

ARTIFARITI 2010
IV International Art Encounters in the Western Sahara liberated Territories
October 16th – 30th 2010. Tifariti (Free Sahara)

CALL OF PROJECTS

1. The object of this call is the selection of artistic projects and interventions of permanent character to be executed in Tifariti, capital of the Western Sahara liberated Territories, reflecting and activating the cultural, social and geopolitical reality of the Western Sahara.

The central axis of this project is the existence of a 2,700 km wall, seeded by three million mines, that divides Western Sahara in two and splits the Sahrawi population between occupation and exile for the last 35 years.

ARTifariti 2010, IV International Art Encounters in the Western Sahara liberated Territories are organised by the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) Ministry of Culture and the Association Friends of the Sahrawi People in Seville (Asociación de Amistad con el Pueblo Saharaui de Sevilla - AAPSS). ARTifariti is an appointment with artistic practices as a tool to vindicate Human rights; the right of the people to their land, their culture, their roots and their freedom. It is an annual encounter of public art to reflect on creation, and society, and is a point of contact for artists interested in the capacity of art to question and transform the reality. ARTifariti wants to promote inter culture relations, fomenting the interchange of experiences and skills between local artists and international artists from other parts of the world; to contribute to the international diffusion of the Sahrawi reality, causing a reflection from the world of Art and the Culture through direct knowledge, and promote the development of these people through their cultural patrimony.

2. This is an international call. Artists of any nationality, whether individual or collective is eligible to apply. Collectives have to appoint one representative who will travel to Tifariti to execute the work.

3. The call is open to proposals from all artistic disciplines (painting, sculpture, drawing, video, performance art, site specific interventions, interventions in ta social context, etc.). Projects proposing to use local found materials and native resources such as: lsand, stones, , animal bones, recycled materials, construction steel, concrete blocks, bomb shells and other war remnants, local fabrics from jaimas, tinted melfas, etc. are preferred. As proposals for permanent artworks that will contribute to establishing Tifariti as an international cultural centre and a powerful symbol of the hopes of the Sahrawi People and the rest of humanity.

Other selection criteria will be the adjustment of the proposals to the conceptual approach of these encounters (as previously described in point 1), the context in which they are developed as well as their artistic and technical viability, considering the social, geographic and economic reality of the Sahrawi People.

4. A jury formed by professionals from the world of the Art will select a total of six projects based on their artistic merit. The names of the members of the jury will be published in ARTifariti´s Web (www.artifariti.org) one month before the selection of the projects.

5. The Ministry of Culture of SADR and AAPSS, organisers of the Encounter, will supply the materials and necessary tools for the realisation of the projects.

6. Flights from Madrid to Tifariti, internal transport, artist lodging and subsistence during the duration of the encounter will be provided by the organization. Note: participants will fund their own way to Madrid.

7. Artworks will become part of the cultural patrimony of Tifariti and will be exhibited outdoors at the Museum of Tifariti. Artists will transfer property rights of the work, as well as the publication and reproduction rights in any kind of support to the Ministry of Culture of SADR (by means of written document signed after the communication of the selection), with the aim of contributing to the spirit and reasons that govern the present call. In case the execution of the work obligatorily demands some process of finishing after to the conclusion of ARTifariti, their authors commit themselves to deliver it fully completed within a month at the AAPSS
offices, in order for them to be transported to the Museum in Tifariti.
8. The development and content of the Encounter, as well as the artworks realised, will be shown through mass media and trough the printing of a specific catalogue. For their elaboration, the selected artists commit themselves to transfer to the organization within the maximum term of a month their reflection on their creative experience and their work in a text (one page maximum), as well as other graphic documentation materials related to their creation (including photographs, web pages or action through the net).

9. Touring exhibitions will be organized, inside and outside Sahrawi territories, in order to maximise the spread of the Encounter, and in this context artists are asked to allow the recording and documentation of the creative processes and all the activities that take place during the encounter.

10. Artists who later develop presentations, exhibitions, catalogues or another printed or audio-visual material, as well as actions or any works derived from the artworks selected and developed in these encounter, will mention specifically in the different artistic distribution and promotion means that the work was realised for ARTifariti and, being transferred to the Ministry of Culture of the SADR, as part of the cultural patrimony of the Saharwi People; In the same fashion they shall notify the AAPSS and will deliver such material in order to make it part of the Museum of Tifariti.

11. Presentation of works:

Artists who wish to participate in IV the edition of ARTifariti must present a project that includes the following documentation:

- Author’s name, address, phone number, e-mail and curriculum (max. 2.000 characters).
- Title and illustrated description of the project (max. 4.000 characters)
- Relation of the technical, material and assembly needs, including work’s dimensions (if so) and estimated budget.
- Press and catalogue dossiers, if the artist considers it would aid the evaluation of his /her work and endorsement of the project proposal.

Projects should be send in PDF format to info@artifariti.org or by mail to:

ARTifariti 2010
Asociación de Amistad con el Pueblo Saharaui de Sevilla (AAPSS)
Calle Virgen de la Antigua, 4 – Bajo Derecha
41011 Sevilla - España

12. The verdict of the jury will become public from June 30th 2010. The organization will then make contact with the selected artists with the purpose of completing the details of their participation according to the previously specified bases. Artists will carry out their works in Tifariti during the days established for the Encounter, outdoors or in spaces equipped for their creative work. The finished projects will be presented on October 18th.

Artists participating in this call thereby agree with the rules and conditions set above.

INFORMATION:
www.artifariti.org
artifariti.blogspot.com

The curators of the IV edition of ARTifariti, Alonso Gil and Federico
Guzmán will be available for questions or for extended information at the
following addresses:
Alonso Gil: alongil@gmail.com
Federico Guzmán: ficoman@gmail.com

Thanks from AMINATOU Haidar

2010-01-02T14:24:00.004+02:00

A letter of gratitude and thanks
The battle has finally ended as we hoped it to end, and the triumphal ship of solidarity has anchored alongside the Saharawi homeland. During this journey, Aminatou was just a weak person calling for help, a victim who was stricken by betraying hands that implemented unjust decisions to throw her into the heart of the unknown, making of her a victim in an agitated ocean of ingratitude, traps and conspiracy, or to be more specific, a space where human feelings are blatantly trampled. A woman like myself, who is exhausted from the terrible sufferings in the Moroccan secret detention camps and from the sadism and cowardice of the torturers, had no other option but to gather what is left of her strength to say no. No to the persistence of repression against innocent people; No to the attacks against the Saharawi human rights defenders; No to their judgment charged with falsified accusation of intelligence by a Moroccan military court and their incarceration in a depressing isolation; No to the abandonment of Saharawi prisoners of conscience who are dying in silence in the Moroccan prisons because of dangerous and chronic diseases; No to more than 30 years of tragedy that turned the dreams of my people to nightmares separated by the Diaspora and the fate of hundreds of victims of disappearance.

It is true that the expression of my aching body may have reflected concerns, but it is my very love of life, while the plane was landing in the airport of Lanzarote, that pushed me to go for the path of dignity and firmness in my decision, out of faithfulness to all those who still remember moments we shared under torture, in prison cells or before courts, moments that overflow with the noble values of humanity that implanted in our hearts values of generosity, fellow-feeling and selflessness. It is these same moments, when I declared my decision to start the open hunger strike in the airport and when the platform for the support of Aminatou Haidar was formed to back my battle to return home, it is these same moments that repeat themselves with memories full of new meanings that affirm that no boundaries can stop the flood of noble and beautiful human feelings coming from all countries, crossing continents to honour Aminatou as a human being, to honour her motherhood and to honour in her the values and principles of the Saharawi people.

O! how powerful were those moments with all their strong symbolism, how warm they were, like the warmth of the affection of motherhood and fondness of the homeland, moments that express the most beautiful meanings life can have.

You gave me the means to resist, you who backed me in my refuge and embraced me in my ordeal, and you strengthened my hope to survive it. You never let me feel I was fighting alone and you opened before my eyes new horizons towards a vision of the values of humanity that transcends all forms of seclusion and fanaticism, a vision that doesn’t recognise the relevance of individuality unless it enriches the heritage of humanity, because cultures and religions with all their diversity can be used to serve tolerance, friendliness and coexistence between peoples. Anyone who followed the wide international mobilization that you initiated and maintained at a steady pace to support my unconditional return to my homeland, Western Sahara, will find out that the international response gives a proof, again, that the peoples who believe in the human being and who respect the values of justice and human rights are able to impose and implement their choices.

I would like to seize the opportunity of the New Year, 2010, to wish you success, health and peace

And I name, all the members of the Platform; Robert Kennedy Foundation; the associations of support to the Saharawi people in Europe, in the US, in Africa, in Australia, in Latin America and in Asia; The Nobel Prize laureates; the lawyers, doctors, artists, actors, filmmakers, writers, professors and university students; international human rights organisations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Front Line; International bodies such as the United Nations, the UN High Commission for Human Rights, the UN High Commission for Refugees, the European Parliament, the Spanish Parliament, the Portuguese Parliament; Women’s movements, trade unions, political parties, municipalities from Spain, Italy and elsewhere, Spanish and Algerian media and all free media world-wide that helped open a window of light in the darkness of the Moroccan propaganda; and to all the Saharawi communities especially in Lanzarote and the Spanish people of Lanzarote. To all these and to all those whom I may have forgotten to mention and I apologise, I send my congratulations for our collective success in this battle and for my triumphal return. I send to all of you thanks and gratitude in my name and on behalf of the Saharawi people who are now proud of the extension of the circle of their supporters and who hope that more pressure will be exercised on Morocco to release the 7 Saharawi activists imprisoned in the prison of Sale and all the Saharawi prisoners of conscience in the rest of the Moroccan prisons, and to find the truth about the fate of the victims of disappearance while waiting for the fulfilment of their demand to exercise their right to self-determination via a free, just and regular referendum.

Finally, I wish from all my heart that 2010 will be a year of peace, respect of human values and victory for international legality.

Aminatou Haidar,
Saharawi human rights defender

Amaidane at Parliament square with VIP LONDON

2009-10-17T23:01:00.002+03:00

Lamine Baali meeting the President of Catalonia

2009-10-17T22:59:00.000+03:00

2009-10-17T22:55:00.000+03:00

PRESS RELEASE – 16th October: IMMEDIATE

(From the Western Sahara Campaign & the Free Western Sahara Network)

Olympian joins MP's to mark International Court ruling call for
release of detainees

To mark the anniversary of the International Court of Justice's (ICJ)
ruling on Western Sahara's right to self determination, a Saharawi
Olympic athlete will today run around Parliament Square thirty-four
times: once for each year that the judgment has been ignored by
Morocco. The runner, Salah Hmatou Amaidan, will be joined for a lap by
various MP's, celebrities and campaigners who will also express their
concern for the safety of 7 prominent human rights activists arrested
in Casablanca last week.

The advocates belong to a number of human rights organizations and
civil society groups and have long track records of monitoring of and
reporting on human rights violations in Western Sahara. They were
driven away by security forces after returning from a visit to the
refugee camps in the Algerian desert where 165,000 Saharawi's have
lived for over three decades. Neither their location nor the reason
for their detention has been disclosed. Human rights organisations
including Amnesty International have expressed serious concerns about
this latest incident in a country where over 500 Saharawi activists
have 'disappeared'.

Amaidan, 26, who regularly trains with Paula Radcliffe in the France
where he lives in exile, has won gold medals in Africa and Europe and
is in London to promote the 'Running the Sahara' marathon that takes
place in the refugee camps next February. He will be joined by a
number of prominent lawyers, campaigners and MP's who will try and
keep up with him for a single lap each. Amaidan will then run to the
Moroccan Embassy where he will deliver a letter calling on Morocco to
disclose the exact place of detention of the seven activists and to
provide them with immediate access to their families, lawyers and any
medical attention they might require.

Jeremy Corbyn MP (Chair of the APPG on Western Sahara) said today:

“Today, exactly thirty-four years after the ICJ stated that the facts
did ‘not establish any tie of territorial sovereignty between the
territory of Western Sahara and the Kingdom of Morocco’ and upheld UN
resolution 1541 on the right of the Saharwi to self-determination,
Western Sahara remains occupied. Over 100 further UN resolutions have
been passed but not enforced. In the meantime Saharawi's human rights
are trampled. Those who stand-up against this repression - people like
Ahmed Alansari, Brahim Dahane, Yahdih Ettarouzi, Saleh Labihi, Dakja
Lashgar, Rachid Sghir and Ali Salem Tamek – risk detention, torture
and or even being 'disappeared' themselves.”

Those arrested are:

Ali Salem Tamek, first vice president of the Collective of Saharawi
Human Rights Defenders (CODESA) and member of the Moroccan Association
for Human Rights (AMDH);

Brahim Dahane, president of the Saharawi Association of Victims of
Serious Violations Committed by Morocco (ASVDH);

Ahmad Anasiri, general secretary of the Saharawi Committee for the
Defence of Human Rights in Smara and president of AMDH – Smara
Chapter;

Dagja Lachgar, member of the executive office of ASVDH;

Yahdih Ettarrouzi, member of AMDH – Laayounne Chapter;

Saleh Lebayhi, president of the Forum for Protection of Sahrawi
Children and member of the Laayoune Chapter of CODESA and AMDH;

Rachid Sghayar, member of Committee Action against Torture.

Amaidane Salah Hmatou will be competing in the Wimbledon 10k run on
18th October and giving testimony in Parliament at a meeting with the
All Party Parliamentary Group on Western Sahara at 3.30pm on 20th
October. Details of Running the Sahara are at www.sandblast-arts.org

The letter has been signed by Jeremy Corbyn MP (Chair of the APPG on
Western Sahara), John Austin MP, Katy Clark MP, David Drew MP, Hwyel
Williams MP, Kelvin Hopkins MP, Sally Keeble MP, Ruth Tanner (Head of
Campaigns, War on Want), Mark Leutchford (President, Western Sahara
Campaign UK), Stefan Simanowitz (Chair, Free Western Sahara Network),
Danielle Smith (Chair, Sandblast), Professor Isabel Santaolalla School
of Arts Roehamoton University and Y Lamine Baali (Polisario
representative for the UK).

solidarity with the Saharawi Human Right Activist

2009-10-17T22:52:00.000+03:00

Statement: Sandblast condemns arrest of 7 saharawi human rights activists
London, Oct. 13, 2009 – The apprehension of seven Saharawi human
rights advocates in Casablanca last Thursday, October 8, 2009, is the
latest systematic violation of human rights by Moroccans against
Saharawis after the detention of six Saharawi students in August this
year.

Moroccan police arrested a group of human rights defenders from
Western Sahara on October 8th 2009 at the Casablanca Airport at the
point of their return from the Saharawi refugee camps in SW Algeria.
While Moroccan police officers have confirmed the arrest, no further
details on the group’s whereabouts and their situation were released.

The group’s visit to the camps had previously been condemned in the
Moroccan press and they accused the advocates of treason. The widely
published articles and press releases stated that their visit “hurt
the feelings of the whole Moroccan people” and demanded an “exemplary
punishment” for all members of this group.

Mohamed Abdelaziz, the President of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic
Republic (SADR) expressed his concern to the President of the Security
Council, Mr Le Loung Minh for the safety of the Saharawi detainees.

Sandblast condemns the abduction and fears for the safety of
Ali Salem Tamek, first Vice-President of the Saharawi Collective of
Human Rights Defenders (CODESA);
Brahim Dahane, President of the Sahrawi Association of Victims of
Grave Violations of Human Rights (ASVDH);
Ahmad Anasiri, General Secretary of the Saharawi Committee for the
Defence of Human Rights in Smara;
Yahdih Ettarrouzi, member of AMDH Laayounne Chapter;
Saleh Lebayhi, President of the Forum for the Protection of Saharawi Children;
Dagja Lachgar member of the executive office of ASVDH, and
Rachid Sghayar, member of the Committee Action Against Torture

Sandblast Press release London 16th October

2009-10-17T14:33:00.000+03:00

PRESS RELEASE – October: IMMEDIATE
LONDON. Yesterday Friday October 16, Sandblast organized a reception to
honour gold medalist runner Salah Eddine, visiting the UK for the first time, in
collaboration with Caravanserai Theatre at their Acting studios in west London.
This date coincided with the 34th anniversary of the ICJ ruling in favour of
Saharawi self-determination over the Moroccan and Mauritanian sovereignty
claims to Western Sahara.
Around 20 Moroccans showed up before the start of the evening with the intent to
disrupt the occasion. Many amongst them did not have the decency to respond to
the greetings offered by their hosts. The members of this group appeared to be
organized and others who appeared under the influence of alchohol unfurled two
large banners with Arabic writing. According to sources who could translate the
banners claimed that Western Sahara is Moroccan. Amongst the Moroccan guests
were two journalists from the Moroccan Press Agency (MAP) and an imam from the
local mosque.
Unfortunately the two MAP journalists left before the evenings events began along
with most of the others who left when asked to put away their banners. Their
departure was marked by a hostile reaction and verbal abuses.
During the evening the documentary, Western Sahara: A forgotten war, originally
broadcast on the Correspondent programme, in 1998, was screened. This BBC 2
film is one of the rare films that present the perspective of all parties to the conflict
to expose why the self determination referendum has not taken place. In it the
inhabitants of the refugee camps and mostly Moroccan politicians express their
views on the question of independence in Western Sahara. Following the film
Salah presented his story of growing up under the Moroccan occupation and
becoming the sole Saharawi athlete to compete for the Moroccan national team and
win 3 gold medals for cross country.
All the young present and the sports, human rights, humanitarian organizations
present were moved by Salah’s testimony and were very interested in the film.
Many questions were asked about how best to provide support for Salah’s athletic
projects for the Saharawi youth.

Saharawi Students defending the right of self-determination of their people UN

2009-10-13T18:30:00.002+03:00

POLISARIO's Delegation at the SI MED Committee

2009-10-13T18:20:00.000+03:00

Tim Kustusch Advocating for the Western Sahara

2009-10-13T17:34:00.000+03:00

Timothy Kustusch to the Fourth Committee: Saharawis are ready for statehood

10/10/2009

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American student, Mr. Timothy Kustush, affirmed in his petition before the UN Foruth Committee for decolonisation that the Saharawi people “are ready for statehood”.

Here is his intervention before the Committee:
-----------------------

6 October 2009

Special Political and Decolonization Committee

Re: Western Sahara

Honorable Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee:

I thank you for accepting my petition to speak before this committee on what is for hundreds of thousands of people the most pressing matter of international law of our time. My name is Tim Kustusch, and I would like to speak to you about my latest trip to the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic, during which I travelled to Tindouf without any program, project, or organization. Within my first few days in the camps, I was invited to work as a volunteer reporter with the Saharawi Journalists and Writers Union, a Saharawi NGO that runs an online news site.*

Working in the camps for two and a half months as a journalist and photographer allowed me to see and experience many things that few foreigners are able to witness. I was able to speak with ministers, parliamentarians, generals, and President Mohammed Abdelaziz to learn about their country-in-exile from the inside. And what I learned is this: the Saharawis are, in fact, well-prepared to become a valuable neighbor to Morocco and a constructive member of the international community of states.

First, the Saharawis have constructed an impressive infrastructure that defies the traditional Western notion of refugee camps. They have built markets, hospitals, gas stations, Internet cafes, courthouses, conference halls, and barber shops. They have set up a national radio station and a national TV station that broadcast throughout the camps. The SADR has all the trappings of a modern state, ready to be replicated when the Saharawis return home.

Secondly, the Saharawis have established many of the social and civil services found in well-developed countries. They manufacture their own medicines, care for their own war victims, administer their own vaccines, and dispose of their own garbage. Further, in the first days following their expulsion from the Western Sahara, the Polisario Front set up a system of compulsory primary education for both boys and girls, which today even includes schools for the disabled. All of these services would be enhanced within the borders of a true Saharawi state.

Thirdly, the Saharawis have effectively secured their own camps through the efforts of the Saharawi People’s Liberation Army and the highly-professional Saharawi National Police. To combat the potential infiltration of terrorists experienced by Morocco, Mali, and other countries in the region, both the Saharawi army and police undergo intense human rights and anti-terrorism training. The Saharawis have protected their own camps, and they can protect their own country.

Finally, the Polisario Front has crafted a government-in-exile that is more democratic, efficient, and organized than many governments that are recognized by the UN. While monarchies predominate in North Africa, the Saharawis have been dedicated to the principles of democracy since the beginning of their movement The SADR is governed by a popularly-elected National Parliament, an executive branch with 20 fully-functioning ministries, and a judicial branch headed by a supreme court. Admittedly, the SADR’s democracy is still not perfect, but as the Polisario leaders were fond of telling me, “Look, we’re still in a state of war. When we have peace and we have our land back, our democracy will be perfected.”

The point of this account is simple: over the past 35 years the Saharawis have undertaken painstaking preparations to demonstrate to Morocco, to the UN, and to the world that they are ready for statehood. They are prepared and willing to join the rest of the Maghreb states in collective security and economic agreements. When the UN decides to enforce and when Morocco agrees to acknowledge the principles of decolonization clearly stated in this organization’s Charter, the Saharawis are ready.

Attached to this petition I have included a diagram in which I depict the structure of the Polisario Front and the SADR, and I would be happy to provide a more extensive report that I am working on if such a document would be useful to this committee. Thank you very much for your time and attention.

Sincerely,

Tim Kustusch
MA Candidate/Research Assistant
American University
School of International Service

Miss SENIA BACHIR AT UN IV COMMISSION 2009

2009-10-13T17:27:00.001+03:00

Miss. Senia to the Fourth Committee: take action to prevent human rights violations in the occupied territories of Western Sahara

10/10/2009

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Saharawi student, Miss. Senia Bachir Abderahman, called on the UN to “take immediate action to prevent the ongoing human rights violations in the occupied territories of Western Sahara”.

Here is the text of her complete petition:
------------------------

Petition to United Nations Special Political and Decolonization Committee

The Question of Western Sahara

By Senia Bachir Abderahman

Hearings of October 6-7, 2009

Mr. Chairman, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am humbled and honored to speak before you today as the voice representing those whose voices cannot be heard in the world: the Saharawi people. My name is Senia Bachir Abderahman. I am a native of Western Sahara, a country that I can only dream to see someday. Currently, I am in my last year at Mount Holyoke College; a women’s institution in Western Massachusetts that brings young and determined women from around the globe to share ideas and teach each other to make a difference in our world today.

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee

This is the third year I speak before the UN Special Political and Decolonization Committee, and it is unfortunate to say that little, if nothing, has been done regarding Africa’s last colony. Since the invasion of my country took place in 1975, the Moroccan authorities have knowingly violated international law, the resolutions of the United Nations and the Geneva Conventions. First, they refused the Saharawi people their right to self-determination, and then they imported several thousand Moroccan settlers into the territories of Western Sahara, which forced numerous Saharawis, including my family and friends to seek refuge in Algeria. Over three decades later, we remain there, more than 200,000 of us. Today, the Moroccan government goes even beyond that by violating human rights, exploiting our natural resources, and spreading deliberate lies through the media.

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee

As a young student, I am very fortunate to have this opportunity to express my concerns before you today. My fellow Saharawi students still living in the occupied territories of Western Sahara are not so lucky. Since May 2005, many Saharawi youths in the occupied territories of Western Sahara and students at universities in Morocco have taken on a nonviolent resistance for a basic human right; their right to self-determination. It is important to remember that this right has been recognized through various United Nations Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, as well as in the agreements signed between the kingdom of Morocco and the Polisario Front. Yet, according to many Saharawis, numerous international bodies including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, and witnesses, dozens of Saharawis continue to be brutally attacked, detained and arrested, while many more are getting injured and even killed by the Moroccan police and armed forces. In addition, it has been reported that the attacks involve severe beatings and sexual abuse, as well as harassment of hospitalized victims.

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee

The latest case occurred on August 2009 in Agadir airport, Morocco, where a group of six Saharawi and seven Moroccan students were banned from traveling to Oxford, UK to attend a program named TalkTogether. This program aims to foster greater trust and mutual understanding between the Saharawi and Moroccan youths by enabling them to explore possible solutions to the conflict. To protest against the injustice, the Saharawi students staged an open hunger-strike. However, after 23 hours, the airport authorities responded by calling the Moroccan police, who stormed in, beat students rigorously and drove them away in vehicles. Days after the incident, one of the female students, Nguia El Haouassi – it is sad her name does not ring a bell to many of you sitting here today – was kidnapped, beaten, sexually harassed and left naked in the outskirts of her city, Al-Aiun. It is absolutely unacceptable in today’s world, where we have organizations like you, the United Nations, that any individual be it young or old should face any kind of torture.

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee

As I speak now, many Saharawi prisoners are being harassed and tortured in Moroccan prisons, many students are discriminated against in universities and many are simply disappearing. I ask you why; as these deliberate violations continue to take place, does the International Community turn a blind-eye to the Western Sahara issue? Why does the Moroccan government’s ignorance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (articles two, three, five, seven, nine, etc.) go unnoticed? Why is our primary right to be “born, free and equal in dignity rights” as stated in Article 1, breached?

On behalf of the Saharawi youth, I urge the UN and the rest of the world to consider these questions, and take immediate action to prevent the ongoing human rights violations in the occupied territories of Western Sahara. As the president of the United States, Barack Obama said: “change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek,” I invite all of you to be THAT change.

Thank you!

MOROCCAN POLICE-SULTANA KHAYA -STOP

2009-10-13T17:24:00.001+03:00

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Sultana Khaya banned from travelling by Moroccan colonial authorities

11/10/2009

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El Aaiun (occupied territories) October10,2009 (SPS) The Moroccan colonial authorities prevented the Saharawi human rights activist, Sultana Khaya, Friday at the airport of El Aaiun, from travelling to Spain.

The Saharawi activist was going to the European country to have some medical examinations. She was arrested at the airport, ill-treated by police during three hours interrogation by police and held on the spot held five hours in police custody before she was released very late at 01 o’clock a.m.

Moroccan police agents and secret service ( DST) asked the young Saharawi activist about her relations and contacts with other Saharawi human rights defenders, about her political opinion and position on the question of Western Sahara and her relationship with the Group of the Seven activists of Human Rights abducted last Thursday in Casablanca (Morocco).

Sultana Khaya, a student at the University of Marrakech was bashed by police during a peaceful demonstration in the university on May 2007, the young lady lost her right eye, and was further beaten in the ambulance that was taking her to hospital.

Moroccan colonial authorities started lately a new campaign of arrest, harassment and intimidation against Saharawi human rights activists. 7 activists were detained upon their return from a visit to the Saharawi refugee camps.

BASF is not going to import phosphate from the occupeid territories of WESTREN SAHARA

2008-11-02T01:01:00.000+02:00

BASF will not repeat importation of phosphate from Western Sahara

01/11/2008

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The Belgian branch of German chemical company BASF is not planning further imports from occupied Western Sahara,
Western Sahara Resource Watch indicated yesterday in its webpage.

Early in October, the branch of Western Sahara Resource Watch in Belgium discovered that a Belgian subsidiary of BASF had imported phosphates from occupied Western Sahara.

On 22nd of October, German former MEP Margot Kessler, together with Western Sahara Resource Watch, wrote to BASF, asking for a clarification regarding the imports of phosphates. The letter requested information on the scope of the BASF imports.

In a reply yesterday, the company confirmed having received this shipment, but said they do not expect further imports.

"For the time being, this was an isolated replacement delivery from this territory which we do not expect to be repeated in the future. ", wrote Mrs. Anne Forst from BASF sustainability center in a mail to WSRW.

"A part of BASF’s phosphate demand is covered by Moroccan phosphate delivered by Office Chérifien des Phosphates (OCP). OCP has been a reliable supplier of phosphate from mines in the Kingdom of Morocco for over 20 years. In spring 2008, OCP contacted us because of a supply shortage at the Moroccan mine from which BASF usually receives the phosphate. OCP offered a temporary replacement order with phosphate in an alternative quality from a different mine operated by OCP in the Western Sahara region, which we accepted", Forst wrote.

The BASF representative says that the OCP has assured in an "expert opinion" that the OCPs operations in Western Sahara are to be beneficial locally. OCP has been running operations in occupied Western Sahara since shortly after Moroccan forces moved into Western Sahara on November 6th 1975.

"OCP provided an expert opinion which was able to demonstrate to BASF that OCP’s operations in the Western Sahara are beneficial through job creation for the local people, investments in the local infrastructure, community engagement, and economic stimulus. We are fully confident that the operations of OCP at Boucraa and the purchase of the replacement delivery were consistent with international law.", Horst wrote.

Since taking over the plant in 1975, OCP has replaced most of the Sahrawi workers with Moroccan settlers, who have been moved into the territory in violation of the Geneva Conventions.

Sixty-third General Assembly

2008-10-24T01:17:00.000+03:00

Source: United Nations General Assembly

Date: 21 Oct 2008
Print E-mail Save Fourth Committee recommends consensus draft resolution on Western Sahara for adoption by General Assembly
GA/SPD/407

Sixty-third General Assembly
Fourth Committee
13th Meeting (PM)

Continuing Debate on Information, Speakers Applaud Work of Department Of Information, Urge Greater Efforts to Advance Cultural, Interfaith Dialogue

Acting on the final decolonization-related text for its current session, the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) this afternoon approved by consensus a draft resolution that would have the General Assembly welcome the commitment of the parties to the Western Sahara dispute "to continue to show political will and work in an atmosphere propitious for dialogue in order to enter into a more intensive phase of negotiations".

Following that action, the Committee continued its general debate on questions relating to information, hearing from 16 delegates during the afternoon meeting. Most commended the work of the United Nations Department of Public Information and its efforts to leverage both traditional and modern information technologies to convey the world body's message to an increasingly large and more representative group of people.

By the terms of the draft approved on the question of Western Sahara (document A/C.4/63/L.7), the Assembly would support the process of negotiations initiated and sustained by Security Council resolutions 1754 (2007), 1783 (2007) and 1813 (2008), "with a view to achieving a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution that would provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara".

Further, the text would have the Assembly welcome the ongoing negotiations between the parties during four rounds of United Nations-mediated talks held in Manhasset, Long Island, just outside New York City, starting in the summer of 2007. It would also commend the efforts undertaken by the Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy in this respect.

Speaking in explanation of position, Morocco's delegate said the draft resolution was in line with legitimate expectations, particularly with regard to the developments of the past year, and would align the General Assembly with the Security Council regarding the issue's treatment. He added that his country's proposed approach to the conflict presented "sincere and serious means by which to solve this regional dispute".

Algeria's representative underlined the fact that, by reaching consensus, the Committee had once again reaffirmed that the question of Western Sahara was a question of decolonization, while also reaffirming the right of self-determination for the people of that Territory. For its part, Algeria welcomed the current negotiations and would be unstinting in its efforts to assist its fraternal neighbours to seek a just, lasting and final solution to the issue.

Echoing this support for the Manhasset negotiations, the representative of France, who spoke on behalf the European Union, stressed that a return to the situation prior to Security Council resolution 1754 (2007), which had launched those negotiations, would be a "major setback" for hopes of resolving the conflict, and would prolong an unacceptable situation for the population, especially in the refugee camps.

During the debate on information, Singapore's representative praised the way the Department of Public Information had actively tailored its messages to meet different target audiences -- particularly by launching several projects with partners like filmmakers and screenwriters. Such initiatives allowed the United Nations to be better understood by a wider public. Other important initiatives included a documentary television series and a comic book featuring well-known Marvel superheroes, and she urged the Department to ensure that materials such as the comic book be allowed to reach other young people around the world.

Nevertheless, the representative of Colombia said this broadening audience created greater responsibilities and challenges in collecting and conveying information. Indeed, Indonesia's representative said that, while the mass media was critical in fostering understanding and cooperation among faiths, cultures and civilizations, it either could spread a positive, unifying message or a divisive one. The United Nations Information Department played a vital role in sensitizing the media and eradicating the use of stereotypes. He, therefore, backed calls for that Department to support dialogue among civilizations and a culture of peace, as well as the Alliance of Civilizations.

Picking up that thread, the representative of Lebanon said that among the Department's most critical efforts in supporting the role of United Nations in maintaining peace and security was its promotion of that dialogue among civilizations, which should seek to dispel "Islamophobia".

Many speakers commended the Department's special information programme on the question of Palestine -– particularly the training provided to young journalists from that region and the special brochure it had published.

The representative of the Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine, highlighting the role the media could play in promoting a dialogue between the Palestinian and Israeli sides, with a view to advancing the peace process, praised the Department's initiatives in the field of media development. But he, like a number of other speakers, lamented that the Secretary-General's report on information had not included, as it had in the past, a review of the Department's work in addressing the situation of the Palestinian people.

Sudan's representative pointed out that Palestinian question had been on the United Nations agenda for six decades, and programmes were needed to increase awareness to help ameliorate this conflict. He said the Secretariat should play a larger role in promoting understanding between the peoples and the principles of peaceful coexistence.

Also speaking during the general debate on information were the representatives of Syria, Yemen, Bangladesh, Japan, Philippines, Kuwait, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Cuba, Burkina Faso and Peru.

The representatives of the United States and Cuba spoke in exercise of the right of reply.

The Fourth Committee is expected to continue its general debate and hear from the Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information at 3 p.m., Wednesday, 22 October.

Background

The Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) met this afternoon to take action on a draft resolution on the question of Western Sahara (document A/C.4/63/L.7), by which it would have the General Assembly support the process of negotiations initiated by Security Council resolution 1754 (2007) and further sustained by Council resolutions 1783 (2007) and 1813 (2008), with a view to achieving a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. It would also commend the efforts undertaken by the Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy in this respect.

By further provisions of the text, the Assembly would welcome the commitment of the parties to continue to show political will and work in an atmosphere propitious for dialogue, in order to enter into a more intensive phase of negotiations, in good faith and without preconditions, taking note of efforts and developments since 2006, thus, ensuring implementation of Council resolutions 1754 (2007), 1783 (2007) and 1813 (2008) and the success of negotiations.

It would also welcome the ongoing negotiations between the parties held on 18 and 19 June 2007, on 10 and 11 August 2007, from 7 to 9 January 2008 and from 16 to 18 March 2008, in the presence of the neighbouring countries under the auspices of the United Nations.

As it continued its general debate on questions relating to information, the Committee had two reports before it: the report of the Secretary-General on that topic (document A/63/258) and a report on the thirtieth session of the Committee on Information (28 April to 9 May 2008) (document A/62/21 (Supp.)). (For summaries of those reports, see Press Release GA/SPD/405 of 17 October).

Action on Draft Text

Taking up to the draft text on the question of Western Sahara (document A/C.4/63/L.7), the Committee Chairman, JORGE ARGÜELLO (Argentina), made slight changes to operative paragraphs 2 and 3 in the French version of the text.

The Committee then approved the resolution without a vote.

Speaking in explanation of position after action and on behalf of the European Union, the representative of France welcomed the approval of the text by consensus. Expressing the European Union's full support for the Manhasset negotiations, he said a return to the situation prior to the adoption of the Security Council resolution 1754 (2007), which had launched those negotiations, would be a "major setback" for hopes of resolving the conflict, and would prolong an unacceptable situation for the population, especially in the refugee camps. Further, the construction a united, stable and integrated Maghreb was largely dependent on finding a solution to the Western Sahara conflict.

The representative of Algeria welcomed the draft resolution's approval by consensus. By reaching consensus, the Committee had once again reaffirmed that the question of Western Sahara was a question of decolonization. At the same time, it had stated that the international community wished to see a successful conclusion to the issue. Further, the Committee had also reaffirmed the right of self-determination for the people of Western Sahara. It also welcomed the resolutions that had launched the current peace negotiations, particularly the text that indicated that talks between the Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Rio de Oro (POLISARIO Front) and Morocco should continue without preconditions. His delegation could also welcome those negotiations.

For its part, Algeria would be unstinting in its efforts to assist its fraternal neighbours to seek a just, lasting and final solution to the issue. He extended thanks to those delegations that had agreed to co-sponsor the original draft of the resolution, and paid tribute to those that had made efforts to reconcile differences among the Committee members. He also thanked the Chairman for his work on that front.

The representative of Morocco welcomed the consensus adoption of the text, and thanked all delegations that were willing to assist the parties to the conflict in their negotiations. He said the text was in line with legitimate expectations, particularly with regard to the developments of the past year, which were the result of the international community's endeavour to achieve a political solution. Morocco's proposed approach presented "sincere and serious means by which to solve this regional dispute".

He went on to say the incorporation of recent developments into the resolution, as well as the inclusion of references to Security Council resolutions 1783 (2007) and 1813 (2008) were positive steps forward. He called all parties involved to enter into a more intensive phase of negotiations and to consider the accomplishments made since 2006. The adoption of the resolution placed the General Assembly in line with the Security Council regarding the treatment of the issue. He welcomed the "spirit of compromise and realism", which had led to the adoption of the text by consensus, and said that the dispute should be overcome for the benefit, not only of the Maghreb region, but of all its international partners.

General Debate on Information

MANAR TALEB (Syria), aligning his statement with the statement made yesterday on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, said his country attached great importance to the establishment of a new, more equitable public information system, which would emphasize the concerns of the world's peoples -- particularly their diverse cultural values and their aspirations for an equitable world.

Syria had followed with great interest the Department of Public Information's activities to disseminate information in a world replete with transboundary challenges. Those efforts highlighted the growing role of the United Nations in meeting such challenges. Particularly important in that respect was the dissemination of a dialogue of peace among civilizations, which furthered respect for others, he said.

Still, due attention should nevertheless be paid to certain issues and to the decisions of the General Assembly and its various committees. In that respect, he said the Department could intensify its work on foreign occupation, on the question of Palestine and on the prevention of interference in the internal affairs of States in ways that sought to divide them. While those efforts would be undertaken in the midst of other global challenges -- climate change and rising food insecurity, among them -- they remained important.

Indeed, emphasizing the Department's demonstrated ability to cover those issues, he particularly underlined the attention it had already paid to the question of Palestine, including the training of journalists from the region and the issuance of the brochure on Palestine by the Department's section on that region.

Turning to the Secretary-General's report on questions relating to information, he stressed the expansion of United Nations Information Centres (UNICs) in developing countries, which would help build capacity and experience among young journalists from those States. He also stressed that more efforts were needed to reach parity among the official languages of the United Nations on its website, generally, and Arabic, particularly. He noted the Department's positive response to requests in that matter, but urged the Department to make further efforts to reflect the suffering of the Palestinian people and to allocate greater financial resources to its information programme on that region. Stressing that the process of issuing a pilot copy of the UN Affairs to replace the UN Chronicle had been "shrouded in mystery", he said his delegation would follow up during the deliberations on that issue.

In closing, he noted the Department's role in promoting dialogue among cultures and stressed that the freedom of expression was a global right that should not be used to hurt others. He further emphasized the Department's overall importance in raising awareness of the role of the Fourth Committee in the decolonization process, and of the Second International Decade to Eradicate Colonialism.

KHALID ALI ( Sudan ) expressed gratitude to the Secretary-General for his comprehensive report, and commended the Under-Secretary-General of the Department of Public Information for his continued efforts to develop the work of the Committee. The Sudan closely followed the work of the Department, and he said he hoped that the information system of the United Nations would be strengthened to better convey the Organization's mission to promote peace, dignity and a mutual respect that was "far from selectivity and double standards".

Furthermore, the digital divide must be minimized through new, creative means and methods, so that the United Nations could continue to communicate its voice and message to the people of the developing world. That should be done through traditional media, as well, and, importantly, in all official languages, he added. The Department should also expand its partnerships with more languages to extend the Organization's reach.

He said the UN Chronicle was a publication that could still be improved and developed, and he looked forward to seeing the positive results and "success stories" written there of Sudan's peace efforts in the future.

Turning to other matters, he said the Palestinian question had been on the United Nations agenda for six decades, and improved programmes were needed to increase awareness and training to help ameliorate that conflict. The Palestinian people were trying to establish an independent State, he said, and, although the Secretary-General's report used to make note of such activities, this year, those comments had been absent. The Secretariat should play a larger role in promoting understanding between the peoples and the principles of peaceful coexistence.

MOHAMMED AL HADHRAMI (Yemen), aligning his statement with those made yesterday on behalf of the Group of 77 and China and the Non-Aligned Movement, said his delegation supported the efforts to improve the Department of Public Information's performance and the content of its message. He particularly underlined those initiatives made to mark the sixtieth anniversaries of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and of the Organization's peacekeeping activities. He underscored the importance of the Department's special information project on the issue of Palestine, and expressed regret that the Secretary-General's report did not touch on that initiative.

Continuing, he said the Information Department should have the capacity to deal with those challenges that faced the world today, and to find different solutions to meet them. Noting the publication of the pilot copy of UN Affairs, which was meant to replace the UN Chronicle, he stressed that the new magazine should be published in all six of the Organization's official languages. While he saluted the naming of a director for the Information Centre located in his country, he suggested that until that official was able to take up his position, a deputy should be named and dispatched. In closing, he paid tribute to the sustained efforts carried out by the Department to improve its performance and to achieve multilingualism and to promote dialogue among civilizations.

CLAUDIA BLUM ( Colombia) said there had been an increase in information sources, as well as increased access to those sources, and that the United Nations was making use of such technologies to convey its message to an increasingly large and more representative group of people. It was through that type of media that Ingrid Betancourt had been able to communicate to the world how the terrorists of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia(FARC) were trampling the rights of Colombian citizens, and had, thus, helped ensure support for the rights if those citizens, she said.

Along with the increasing use of new technologies, there had also been an increase by about 116 per cent in the number of audio and visual packages consulted through the Internet. The broadening audience had also given rise to greater responsibilities and challenges in collecting and conveying information. The work being done by the Department was very important in publicizing the principles and objectives of the Organization. The capacities of the Information Centres should be strengthened, she said, adding that the Department should continue to train the personnel of the regional centres so those staff could spread further knowledge in the regions in which they worked.

She urged that the Information Centre programmes be continued and developed further, and said that the Committee on Information must continue to pay attention to rationalizing its work, particularly taking into account the specific characteristics of each area where Centres were located. The Department had provided access to documents in more than 80 languages through the UNIC website, she said, welcoming the initiative designed to further such a culture.

Finally, referring to the UN Affairs publication, she noted that there was great merit in it as an "editorial proposal" and had listened with interest to the various viewpoints it contained. It was a pity, however, to have to choose between UN Affairs and UN Chronicle, as both had their purposes and audiences, and, ideally, both informational organs should be maintained. If that was not to be, perhaps a chapter in UN Affairs should be created and designed to better meet the needs of various topics for the academic community.

M. HERY SARIPUDIN ( Indonesia) reiterated his country's appreciation for the Information Department's work. In an increasingly complicated environment, it was a challenging assignment to disseminate as much information as the Department did to the whole world, often in real time, towards creating a positive image of the Organization. Use of the Organization's website continued to grow and was an essential resource for news and information. Particularly commendable were the Department's promotion of issues related to peacekeeping, the Millennium Development Goals, New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), and the sixtieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

In general, he said the Department's worldwide network was increasingly more structurally sound and more efficient, and was increasingly able to take advantage of its systemic synergies. Progress had also been made through a highly professional communication strategy that focused on clear target audiences and appropriate new information and communications technology.

Despite those important strides, much remained to be done, he said. For example, the Department should recognize its indispensable role in maintaining momentum and keeping climate change in headlines around the world. As a troop-contributing country, Indonesia knew the value of disseminating accurate information on peacekeeping and was pleased with the cooperation between the Departments of Public Information and of Peacekeeping Operations, he added.

Regarding the challenge of promoting tolerance and harmony, he said the mass media was critical in fostering understanding and cooperation among faiths, cultures and civilizations. Yet, it could spread a positive, unifying message or a divisive one, and the Information Department played vital role in sensitizing the media and eradicating the use of stereotypes. While freedom of expression was a universal right that should be protected, it was best enjoyed if used responsibly. Thus, the challenge before the media was twofold: educating itself about broader issues, including faiths and cultures; and fostering respect among them. To that end, he backed calls for the Information Department to support dialogue among civilizations and a culture of peace, as well as the Alliance of Civilizations.

SHARKE CHAMAN KHAN (Bangladesh) said the Department of Public Information should continued to work to enhance its effectiveness, fulfil accountability, and actively engage in public relations activities in order to deliver its mandates in an effective and efficient manner. She supported the Department's work through continued campaigns on issues of importance to the international community, such as United Nations reform, counter-terrorism, climate change, preventing genocide, the rights of women and children, HIV/AIDS, and developments in Africa, among others. The collaboration between the Department of Public Information and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, as well as the role of the United Nations peacekeepers, should be better highlighted in the Department's information products.

She urged the Department to publicize locally and internationally the services rendered by peacekeepers. Next year, Bangladesh would mark the thirty-fifth anniversary of its entry into the United Nations, and she, thus, encouraged the Department to produce a short video and radio programme to highlight that and other "landmark events". Such acknowledgement would give the peoples of the featured countries a greater sense of ownership of the United Nations and its work. The Department should also do everything possible to support Information Centre staff, providing them with needed personnel and supplies.

She said Bangladesh had recently approved the "much-awaited" Right to Information ordinance, which ensured the people's inalienable right to information, and was a significant step reflecting the democratic values the country was "relentlessly" promoting. Finally, she turned briefly to the issue of climate change. As Bangladesh was one of the most vulnerable countries in that regard, she urged the Department to enhance its strategic approach to disseminating information on that important issue.

WILLIAM HABIB ( Lebanon) said that, at a time when the international community was commemorating several milestone anniversaries, the challenges facing humanity, such as those tied to climate change and global economic health, should not go unnoticed. Indeed, the world's peoples looked to the United Nations for the maintenance of peace and security, and the Information Department played a central role in disseminating information about that role. Among the Department's most critical efforts in that regard was promoting the dialogue among civilizations, which sought to dispel "Islamophobia". As the Department's assigned tasks grew, transparency and objectivity would be increasingly needed to promote the Organization's efforts towards human justice and progress, he added.

He commended the Department's tireless efforts to fulfil its mandate pursuant to the General Assembly's various resolutions, particularly highlighting its cooperation with the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support. Noting the presence of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), he said those efforts were effective. Efforts by the Secretariat to introduce new information and communications technology were appreciated and should continue to be pursued so that equality between the Organization's official languages could be achieved.

Commending the Department's special programme on Palestine, he underscored the importance of the training provided to young journalists from that region. Notwithstanding such vital efforts, the Department should step up its efforts in the political arena, particularly on the question of Jerusalem and the danger of ongoing Israeli excavations there. Full support should be lent to the Palestinian people in their efforts to establish an independent State.

Turning to the work of UNICs, he noted the Department's efforts to enhance their capacities. He called on the Department, as well as the wider Organization, to work with host countries to build up those Centres, so they could fulfil their mandate. He particularly noted the work done by the Centre located in Lebanon in that regard, and also underlined the new central website for the Information Centres, which would be a valuable portal for communication between the United Nations and recipient host countries.

MIKIO MORI ( Japan) appreciated the promotion of public information conducted by UNICs in 80 local languages, and commended the Department of Public Information for improving its effectiveness. In the first half of the year, Japan had held various important events, including the Group of Eight (G-8) Summit in July, which had been attended by the Secretary-General, in one of his two visits to the country. Japan highly appreciated the Department's role during those visits, especially in arranging high-level meetings. Noting that the G-8 Summit had addressed development and African issues, he welcomed the Secretary-General's personal initiative to mobilize the United Nations in implementing a comprehensive strategy for short- and medium-term food security.

In addition, he appreciated the Department's work in strengthening the UNIC offices, saying that Japan had lent support in organizing a strategic communications workshop for Asia and the Pacific. In the field of peace and security, Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs had organized with the Department a peacekeeping seminar, in which the 140 participants had discussed various peacekeeping challenges. With its recent election to a non-permanent seat on the Security Council, Japan would play a more positive role in promoting peace. In closing, he expected the Department to implement its activities in a more efficient manner "than ever before", and reiterated Japan's continued support.

HILARIO G. DAVIDE ( Philippines) congratulated the Information Department for successfully promoting the "three pillars of the United Nations" -- peace and security, development and human rights. The results of the Department over the past year had been the outcome of its efforts to broaden its reach by strengthening relationships with Member States, the rest of the United Nations system and civil society, as well as effective utilization of traditional and non-traditional media. The Philippines was particularly pleased with the growing integration between a "better equipped and better trained" network of UNICs, services, and the daily delivery of news and information products, which helped generate positive public awareness of the United Nations and its mission.

He reiterated his country's expectations that the Department make full use of new technology in order to bridge the digital divide and allow better and faster access to United Nations information. He applauded the Department's efforts to propagate a culture of dialogue among civilizations and promote religious and cultural understanding as a main component of the interfaith dialogue and cooperation for peace initiative within the United Nations.

Regarding the Organization's contribution to the public perception of peacekeeping operations, he said it had heralded the accomplishments of the United Nations "Blue Helmets" and reached out to troop-contributing countries and positively projected their participation in the operations. He underscored the important role of the Department in helping the United Nations address the issue of sexual exploitation and abuse, and noted the significant decline in allegations, which had been attributed to the increased public awareness the Department had generated.

TALAL A. AL SHATTI (Kuwait) commended the "salient and important role" of the public information administration in raising awareness about United Nations efforts, and its multiple constructive reforms in recent years to accompany the accelerated pace of developments in the field of information technology. He stressed the need to work on guaranteeing the free and equitable dissemination of information for all countries, adding that use of information must be limited to one of dialogue and interconnection between peoples and cultures. Highlighting the importance of equal treatment among the six official United Nations languages, he also called on the Department of Public Information to redouble efforts in providing assistance to developing countries.

Underscoring that journalists must be protected and that acts of aggression against them must be condemned, he also urged the public information administration to continue its efforts to cast light on the Palestinian question. For Kuwait's part, he said the Constitution -– and the democracy enjoyed in the country –- contributed effectively to improving the performance of media institutions, television, radio and print, ranking them among leading countries. In closing, he reiterated Kuwait's "total readiness" to cooperate in global efforts to achieve more media and press freedoms in a manner that did not contradict its Arab and Islamic traditions.

HO MOON SHIN (Singapore), aligning her delegation with the statement made on behalf of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), said it was undeniable that developments in information and communications technologies had opened up vast and new opportunities for social growth and economic development. In this day and age, when information was so readily available and empowering, it had never been more pertinent to equalize the access to such information.

She said the Information Department had actively tailored its messages to meet different target audiences by launching several projects with partners like filmmakers and screenwriters, so that the United Nations could be better understood by a wider public. Examples of such activities included a documentary television series and a comic book. She urged the Department to ensure that materials such as the comic book be allowed to reach other young people around the world.

Notwithstanding the proliferation of information technology, she said that face-to-face communications at the local level remained instrumental in "getting the United Nations message across". Hence, the Department should continue to collaborate with civil organizations to disseminate the Organization's message to the wider community.

However, the ability to reach millions came with an equally great responsibility, and the Department and the United Nations must strive to maintain credibility through the sharing of accurate and balanced information. When scandals arose, such as the "oil-for-food" incident and abuse by peacekeepers, they must be addressed. Where allegations were proved false, the Organization should defend itself robustly; however, when proved true, it must accept that it was in the wrong and make sure the actions in question were not repeated.

She reiterated that all people should have freedom of opinion and expression, and must seek information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers. Without such information, they would be deprived of the knowledge of what their Governments and the United Nations were doing for them. In closing, she said: "When we seek the truth and speak the truth, we must do so respectfully and carefully, lest we overstep ourselves."

KANG MYONG CHOL (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) commended the Department of Public Information for its activities on global issues of common concern, such as the food crisis, climate change and sustainable development, notably by steadily improving its "ways and means", in line with the requirements of new realities. While information activities were important in promoting world peace and security, information technologies continued to be misused by certain countries in pursuit of "sinister political purposes". A typical example of that was the United States' "Radio Free Asia" programme, which targeted Asian countries, including his own. That violated the United Nations Charter and international laws stipulating State relations.

In that context, he said the first task was to establish a new and just information order, which had been urgently demanded by the developing countries that constituted the overwhelming majority of United Nations membership. There was a long way to go in establishing that order, due to the reluctance among countries that monopolized most information and communications means, he continued, urging States to take substantial measures. He also stressed paying attention to helping developing countries enhance their information and communication capabilities, and urged developed countries and international organizations to enhance cooperation that would enable technology transfer and investment. In closing, he looked forward to greater efforts by the Department to help train broadcasters and journalists in developing countries.

RODRIGO MALMIERCA DIAZ ( Cuba), associating his delegation with the statements made on behalf of the Group of 77 and China and the Non-Aligned Movement, said accelerations in the development of information and communications technology had not resulted in resolving the gap between rich and poor. Indeed, that gap was growing, and the talk of the so-called digital divide gave the illusion that the disparity was only a temporary and soluble matter. But the flow of information was produced in a very peculiar manner, and the news was spread or silenced according to biases that favoured the powerful. Lies were imposed. History was manipulated. Discrimination was legitimized. Freedom of expression and of information was insulted.

He said it was clear that a new world information and communications order was needed. Further, the underdeveloped world should receive special treatment in the United Nations information system. The Organization's Information Centres, spread throughout the world, should play a more active role in disseminating balanced information. Broadcast mechanisms, particularly radio, should be promoted as a means of informing the vast illiterate populations residing in the global South. Despite its modest resources, Cuba had successfully implemented the literacy programme, "Yo si puede" (Yes, I can) in 15 countries. Using audio-visual aids and new information and communications technology, that initiative had broadened the scope and effectiveness of teaching materials, especially through the widespread use of radio.

Continuing, he denounced the well-known "television aggression" that the United States continued to wage against Cuba, openly infringing on the principles of the international law and the procedures of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Indeed, that Union had concluded at its last World Conference held in Geneva, that transmission from United States aircrafts to Cuba violated its radio-communications regulations.

Yet, each week more than 1,920 hours of radio and television were broadcast to Cuba through 32 different frequencies. The United States had, since 2003, used the Pentagon's C-130 solo command aircraft to beam invasive signals. Several of the stations broadcasting in Cuba, such as Radio and TV Marti, were United States Government properties, while others were linked to well-known terrorists who lived in the United States and acted against Cuba. Cuba condemned such aggression and believed that choosing the kind of information the Cuban people wished to receive was a sovereign decision, he declared.

PAUL ROBERT TIENDREBEOGO ( Burkina Faso) said that the United Nations had launched a vast revitalization of its work and that process deserved to be better known throughout the world. In that important phase of its evolution, the Organization should do more in the information realm, and in that regard, greater efforts were required by the Secretariat and the wider United Nations family to ensure that the Information Department could play a better, more catalytic role in telling the story of the United Nations.

Yet, by linking all the regions of the world -- a feat it accomplished through its Information Centres -- the Department already played a vital role in promoting a positive image of the Organization, he said. It was a critical source of information on peacekeeping, the Millennium Development Goals, and Organizational reform. Through its Information Centres, it was also raising awareness, providing training and enhancing information-gathering in developing countries.

Among those Centres that played a central role in the international structure of the United Nations was the one located in Ouagadougou. Nevertheless, those Centres required greater resources if their performance was to be improved. In closing, he paid tribute to the role of the Committee on Information and said that, as a member of that Committee, his delegation would continue to play active role in its work.

LUIS ENRIQUE CHAVEZ ( Peru), reiterating the statement made on behalf of the Rio Group, said he condemned the acts of violence committed against journalists in conflict zones. Protecting journalists and strengthening human rights were essential steps towards creating more robust international information centres, which would strengthen the United Nations in a coordinated fashion.

With regard to UNICs, abilities to handle certain issues varied greatly from region to region. It was necessary to continue working to make all UNICs more effective by ensuring they worked positively with one another, such as cooperation between Centres in Brazil and Mexico, and the Centre in Lima with the Organization's system-wide campaign to end violence against women. Also, Peru's Interior Club of Friends of the United Nations encouraged young people disseminate the message of the Organization in his or her own country, he added.

Regarding thematic issues, he underscored the importance of having the Department pursue work as proposed by the Secretary-General to realize concrete benefits that the United Nations could provide in areas such as response to natural disasters, climate change, the rights of migrants, peacekeeping and progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals, among others. He said great importance should be attached to achieving parity among the six official languages, and meetings coverage should be conducted in the six official languages and not just the two working languages of the Secretariat. Additionally, the United Nations should continue to welcome visitors and should not see a reduction in the number of visitors being welcomed in Spanish.

Although aware that there was a need to constructively evaluate the activities of the Department, such as the publication of UN Affairs, that must be carried out to convey the work of the United Nations to the academic community without effecting the budget of others activities.

YUSSEF KANAAN, Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine, expressed his delegation's deep concern and regret over the absence of information on activities and efforts undertaken by the Department of Public Information regarding the question of Palestine, in the report on questions relating to information. The Special Information Programme undertaken by the Department on the question of Palestine effectively contributed to the creation of an environment that was conducive to dialogue and support of the peace process.

Overall, the Department, especially the Section of Palestine, played an important and vital role, specifically through the organization of annual international media seminars on the Palestinian question and through its development of digital archives of film and video documentaries on the history of the Palestinian question. The participation of the Department in the field of media development, specifically in terms of a training programme for Palestinian broadcasters and journalists, was particularly important, especially considering the role the media could play in promoting a dialogue between the Palestinian and Israeli sides, with a view to advancing the peace process.

Israeli occupying forces continued to target journalists working to "convey the reality and truth about Israeli practices on the ground", he said, highlighting a number of cases in which Palestinian journalists had been killed or harassed by Israeli forces. Grave violations of human rights against Palestinians were not limited to the occupying forces, but extended also to acts of violence and terrorism perpetrated by Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians, such as the 18 October attack by settlers on a number of journalists covering the olive harvest of Palestinian farmers.

Palestinian people were deprived of the right of direct access to telecommunications services and information technology because of Israeli occupation. Thus, achieving development and advancing on the path of knowledge could not be realized without an end to that occupation. A just and comprehensive peace would guarantee security and stability in the region and would enable Palestinians to exercise their legitimate rights, including their right to use information technology and communications towards the achievement of sustainable development.

Right of Reply

The representative of the United States, speaking in exercise of the right of reply, said his Government had steadfastly observed its obligations, particularly of the International Telecommunication Union. But for 49 years, the Cuban people had been denied the right to choose their own representatives, to voice their opinions without fear of reprisal and to meet or organize freely. Indeed, the annual Country Reports on Human Right Practices had consistently and thoroughly documented years of abuses by the Cuban Government against Cuban citizens wishing to express their right to freedom of expression.

Journalists had been jailed and beaten, their homes had been raided and their paper, ink and fax machines seized. Anyone producing or circulating documents that did not identify their authors or their printing locations were threatened with imprisonment by the Cuban Penal Code. Due process was also routinely denied Cuban citizens. The Government placed severe limitations on freedom of speech and press as noted by the international non-governmental organization Reporters without Borders.

There were an estimated 225 prisoners of conscience detained in Cuba today, and as many as 5,000 people sentenced for "dangerousness" were living in the most inhumane conditions in the world. Further, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was denied access to those prisons and prisoners. In 2003, the Cuban Government had cracked down on peaceful human rights demonstrators, independent journalists and opposition figures, arresting 75 of them. As of August 2008, 55 of them remained incarcerated.

Given all that, it was clear that the Cuban Government's opposition to Radio and TV Marti and its continued incarceration of prisoners of conscience was driven by fear of the consequences if the Cuban people to receive uncensored information about their own country and the rest of the world. He urged the Committee not to forget the plight of the Cuban people, who were bullied by the Castro regime and denied their rights to information and expression, as set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Exercising the right to reply, the representative of Cuba said that, in contrast to what the United States wished those in the room to believe, the radio and television aggression aimed at Cuba was carried out in full contempt for the rules that governed international relations. Cuba did not ask for those broadcasts and did not need them, she said. It was not for the United States to determine what information Cuba required, but the Cuban people who should determine how to be informed.

Those involved in the broadcasts to Cuba belonged to organizations that were directly linked to well-known terrorist elements that operated in the United States territory with full impunity, she said. It was deplorable that millions of dollars of United States taxpayer money was spent on broadcasts that "no one in Cuba wanted to hear or see". She defended Cuba's revolution, which had "freed the Cuban people from illiteracy since 1960", and said they were capable of discerning among the "false, monopolized" information that was received from the United States, and genuine, balanced information.

She said Cuba worked to maintain human rights, and the Government that was reflecting that aggression was the least qualified to judge and inflict such things on her country. No one had asked the United States Government to treat Cuba in such a way, and it should learn to be silent and "at least show some shame" for the "infliction" it was bringing around the world. Those broadcasts were in violation of United Nations Charter and the ignored United Nations rules.

Additionally, she said that the United States Government was constantly "maintaining" Israel in its crimes against Palestine, as well as conniving to violate against human rights in Lebanon and Guantanamo. The United States representative had spoken of Cuba's restrictions against dissidents, prisoners of conscience, and supposed journalists, but those were "simply a band of lackeys and conspirators" paid by the United States Government. By battling the enormous protectorate of the United States for decades, Cuba had exercised its independence and denounced the "genocidal blockade of all kinds" being carried out by the United States.

For information media • not an official record

Torrential rains stroke the Wilayas and Dairas of the Saharawi refugee camps

2008-10-24T01:03:00.000+03:00

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Torrential rains affect the Wilaya of Smara in the Saharawi refugee camps

14/10/2008

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Torrential rains stroke the Wilayas and Dairas of the Saharawi refugee camps, on Sunday, especially in the Wilaya of Smara where considerable material damages were registered at the level of the social institutions, the Saharawi Ministry of Interior indicated Monday.

The damages touched mainly the refugees mud-brick shelters and the food stocks of the families who were forced to spend the night up in the hills, the Ministry indicated. Fortunately, no human loss was registered, the same source added.

On the other hand, the text expressed "thanks for the feelings of cooperation and exchanged help showed by the citizens of the Wilaya to face this natural catastrophe".

UGTSARIO 19-22 OCTOBER 2008

2008-10-24T00:56:00.000+03:00

Successful Congress of the Saharawi Workers General Union (UGTSARIO)

23/10/2008

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The Congress of the Saharawi Workers General Union (UGTSARIO) finished its 6th works, held in the Wilaya of El Aaiun (Saharawi refugee camps) by electing a new leadership, a new Executive Bureau and many resolutions, letters, a national programme and final communiqués.

The Congress that took place from the 19 to the 21 October, was attended by 380 delegates representing the different sectors of Saharawi workers coming from the refugee camps, Mauritania, Algeria, Spain and France.

More than 67 international guests representing trade unions and organisations from the African Union, Algeria, Nigeria, South Africa, Spain, Italy, Australia, Portugal, Norway, Greece, Mexico, Sweden, also participated to the activities organised, especially in the 4th International Trade Unions’ Conference of solidarity with the Saharawi workers, held on October 20.

A broad range of Sahrawi workers, amongst them teachers, journalists, health workers and jurists debated for three days to adopt its new national programme for the next four years until its next congress and elected new leadership.

On the first day of the Congress, Secretary General of the UGTSARIO, Mohamed Cheikh Mohamed Lehbib, presented the bureau’s financial and activities reports, before giving the floor to international delegations representing 16 trade unions.

The President of the Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz who was accompanied by members of the POLISARIO National Secretariat, the Saharawi government and Parliament, also gave a speech recalling the important role played by the Saharawi workers since the start of the revolution since Spanish and Moroccan colonialism

The Congress constituted three sub-committees to prepare documents to be adopted, while the plenary session opened the debate on many questions related to the Saharawi workers’ situation, problems and needs, especially in the occupied zones and in the neighbouring countries where there is a growing Saharawi migrant communities.

The next day of the congress was marked by the organisation, by the international delegations, of the 4th Trade Unions’ Conference of solidarity with the Saharawi people, to debate over three main subjects; the Moroccan and international plundering of Western Sahara Natural Resources and the best ways to stop it, the question of the human rights and the Moroccan abuses of Saharawi workers’ rights, and the question of the support UGTSARIO needs from international trade unions to help the Saharawi organisation get membership in international trade unions’ federations.

The conference was attended by 23 trade union and organisation from 11 countries, representing more than 200 millions trade unionists, and they were all unanimous in supporting the Saharawi people’s right to self-determination and independence.

The sub-committees of the congress presented their reports in the second day, starting with the sub-committee of the constitution, the sub-committee of the national programme and the sub-committee of the letters and motions. In the end of the day, the Congress was able to start the elections on the post of the Secretary General.

Three candidates run the elections, the ex-Secretary General, Mohamed Cheikh, Mr. Hamma Dadi, and Mr. El Qadi, while 20 candidates run the election for membership in the Executive Bureau, which is composed of 8 members.

The Congress adopted 5 motions and sent six letters, in addition to the adoption of a national programme, the constitution of the organisation, and two final declarations one adopted by the delegates and the other adopted by the International Trade Unions’ Conference and presented to the congress to be endorsed.

2008-10-18T00:41:00.000+03:00

SOAS LONDON POWER -LAW

2008-10-18T00:24:00.000+03:00

An international law event that is being held at the School of Oriental and African Studies from October 16th- November 6th 2008.

The International Court of Justice handed down its Advisory Opinion on the Western Sahara, upholding the right of its people to self-determination against the territorial claims of neighbouring states, Morocco and Mauritania.Three weeks later, in disregard of the Court's Opinion, and in violation of international law, Morocco staged its ' Green March' into the Western Sahara,so beginning the occupation that continues today. To mark the 33rd anniversary of the Court's Opinion, and to protest
its continuing non-implementation, the SOAS Centre for the study of Colonialism, Empire and International Law and SANDBLAST are inviting lawyers, academics, judges, human rights activists, members of the public, and sundry public figures to join with SOAS international law students and participate in the first ever WesternSahara marathon public reading of the ICJ's Advisory Opinion that will begin on the 16th October (the
anniversary of the Opinion ) and continue every lunchtime until the 6th November
( the anniversary of the Moroccan Green March).

2008-10-11T21:56:00.000+03:00

This can be seen as an advance warning for drastic change in the climate

2008-10-11T21:45:00.000+03:00

2008-10-11T21:33:00.000+03:00

These photos has been taken, from near by the Protocal in
Rabuni, by UPS' Director on Friday.This big storm you see in the
horizon was then above Aoussered
(some 30km away from me then), and you could see it coming to Rabuni. You can
see how small the hospital looks under the sandblast.

SAHARAWI PRESIDENT WILL PAY A VISIT TO NEW YORK

2008-10-10T21:57:00.000+03:00

The Saharawi President H.E, Mohamed Abdelaziz, will fly to New Yor in the mid October, to meet with the UN’s Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, Polisario Front’s Representative to the UN, Ahmed Boukhari, indicated.

The Head of the Saharawi State and Secretary General of POLISARIO will also meet representatives of the Member States of the UN Security Council.

The meetings will tackle "the current situation of the peace process in Western Sahara and its perspectives on the light of the latest developments", he stressed.Thie willbe the second visit to UN since the election of Mr Ban Ki-Moon last January 2007.

UN criticed by Former UN Rep -Mr Francesco Bastagli

2008-10-10T21:48:00.000+03:00

Francesco Bastagli criticises UN passiveness in the decolonisation of Western Sahara

10/10/2008

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Former Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Western Sahara, Francesco Bastagli, criticised the UN passiveness in the decolonisation of Western Sahara and failure to protect human rights in the occupied zones of the last colony in Africa.

In his intervention on Thursday before the UN 4th Committee, the former UN official said that the Committee had been “staring into the crystal ball of a stalled political process” while ignoring its core mandate, he said, adding: “This has to change.” Because no administering Power existed in Western Sahara to fulfil the “sacred trust” cited in the Charter, the Organization was duty-bound to fulfil that trust itself.

“The United Nations had also failed its responsibilities under Chapter XI of its Charter, particularly Article 73e, which listed commitments ranging from human rights protection to institution building to social and economic development. All of those commitments had been smothered in a conspiracy of silence”, he regretted.

He said that just days after he had resigned his post in August 2006, he had been accosted by a Saharawi woman on a street in the occupied city of El Aaiun who told him, “thank you for doing nothing the Saharawi people”, and he said he wanted to “convey that woman’s message to the Committee today”.

Continuing, he said United Nations bodies debated the future of faceless people, without the essential ingredients of responsible decision-making. No independent information analysis on the Saharawi people’s needs existed. Nor did anyone speak out on human rights violations or on the illegal plundering of the Territory’s natural resources.

The performance of the United Nations Secretariat “wavered between the embarrassing and the outrageous”. Indeed, no social or economic assistance was offered except hand-to-mouth aid relief in the refugee camps.

“The Secretary-General and concerned agencies should, among other things, secure independent information on the health, education and economic and social conditions of the Saharawi people in the camps and the Territory; transmit as appropriate the information and related analyses to the United Nations and other concerned intergovernmental bodies; advocate for the Saharawi people’s basic human and economic rights; and formulate and implement a programme of assistance pursuant to Article 73e. By pressing for such action to be undertaken, the Committee would break a stifling routine by providing a more informed and open decision-making environment for the political process”, he concluded.

MILDRED THULIN Sweden

2008-10-10T01:10:00.000+03:00

More petitioners on Western Sahara ask for the decolonization of the territory and protection of human rights

09/10/2008

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Many petitioners on Western Sahara called on the UN to finish the process of decolonization of the last colony in Africa, and focused on the human rights abuses committed by Morocco.

Here are some of the petitioners:
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TXOMIN AURRECOECHEA:
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Coordinator of Spanish Institutions in Support of the Western Sahara, expressed "profound shame" at being a member of an international community which, once again, had failed this year to ensure that international legality be upheld. He said the Saharawi people believed in speech and dialogue, as respected by the 83 Governments that officially recognized the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic. He also thanked Cuba and South Africa for training young people in Tindouf’s refugee camps in line with United Nations guidelines.

He said that the "worst of bad things" was the silence of good people, and he asked those present to break the silence and make themselves heard by their respective institutions and to condemn the Alaouite feudal monarchy’s failure to respect international legality. Despite difficulties, Saharawis were stronger and more united than ever. He called on the Government of Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero to work with the international community to strive for the decolonization of Western Sahara, which remained a colony of Spain. It was vital for Spain to drastically change its ambiguous posture of recent years and support an agreement wherein the Saharawi people were consulted about their future, including the option of independence.

ANTONIO LOPEZ ORTIZ:
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Secretary of the National Federation of Institutions Working in Solidarity with the Saharawi People (FEDISSAH), restated his request to extend the prerogatives of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) to monitor and defend Saharawi human rights. That was a problem of unfinished decolonization, as Saharawis had been prevented from exercising their right to self-determination in 1975 when Spain had "facilitated the illegal occupation". In the more than 16 years since the passage of Security Council resolutions 650 (1990) and 690 (1991), the problem had still not been resolved.

He said that Morocco continued to oppose the Baker plan, and had no political desire to respect the United Nations agreements and international law. The United Nations was at a crossroads, wherein it could either persuade the Moroccan Government to comply with the peace plan or accept its failure in the process and withdraw. The peace and security of the whole of North Africa was at stake. Saharawis must be allowed to exercise their rights through a referendum, with observers to ensure fairness. The international community was too tolerant of Morocco; the time had come to impose a solution.

MARÍA LÓPEZ BELLOSO:
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International Relations and International Law Researcher, Hego Institute, University of the Basque Country, said that for more than 30 years, Morocco had committed many different violations of international law. Those had occurred in international humanitarian and human rights law. Focusing on humanitarian law, she said that the rights of the Saharawi people were violated on two dimensions: humanitarian organizations did not have access to political prisoners and their humanitarian situations had diminished, owing to a serious lack of basic foods. In the first case, the prisons were overcrowded and detainees not only lacked medical assistance but were sometimes tortured and raped. In the second case, children and women were suffering from malnutrition.

She denounced the progressive reduction of aid delivered by major donors, including the United Nations agencies, emphasizing that international humanitarian law recognized the right of victims to assistance, as well as the obligation of the international community to provide it. In both the Tindouf refugee camps and the non-autonomous Territory, the Sahawari people’s human rights were being violated on many levels, from being forced to live under occupation to political persecution, to a denial of their right to peace and development. Women were particularly victimized. It was urgently necessary to provide a fair solution to this unfinished process of decolonization.

ARANZAZU CHACON ORMAZABAL:
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Associación de Vitoria-Gasteiz, noting that her intervention was based on a report before the Committee on the human rights situation, said that the United Nations had been created by the international community in the spirit of respect for human rights. The Organization had articulated several mechanisms in that area and the question of Western Sahara fell within that field. She called for the official publication of the 2006 Report of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

She said that, today, the violation of the human rights of the Sahawari people by the Moroccan authority continued; she had seen this for herself. Human rights defenders were restricted in their movements. There was an attempt to register organizations that aimed to defend human rights. The people were subjected to arbitrary detention and were beaten and tortured.

Nevertheless, she said, it was the direct responsibility of the States gathered in this forum to be involved in the events in Western Sahara. Transnational companies were part of the exploitation of natural resources in the Territory. Walls had been built to ensure that the human rights violations could take place in secret. But while much had been said about the wall in the Middle East, nothing had been said about the wall in Western Sahara, despite the fact that its length was 15 times longer.

ALBERTO RUIZ DE AZUA SOLOZABAL:

Mayor of Arrigorriaga and President of Euskal Fondoa, said a solution to the Saharawi conflict could be designed "in a few hours of democracy", by organizing a referendum on self-determination. Morocco must accept international law for the good of the Saharawi people, as well as for Moroccans "forced to live under the dominion of a regime anchored in the past". Morocco’s offer of a plan for autonomy was barely democratic and positively illegal, as it denied the right to self-determination. As the former administering Power, Spain bore political and legal responsibility and, therefore, must help find a solution. Furthermore, Spain must stop providing military equipment to Morocco, as it had done in January and June, in violation of "any code of conduct" on arms trading.

He criticized the European Union for signing a fishing agreement with Morocco, which exploited jurisdictional waters belonging to the Saharawi people. In closing, he presented a poem by Saharawi exile Ali Salem Iselmu, which reads:

"Tell them that the land is not theirs
that the people do not belong to them
that the rocks need to be free.
Tell them that the desert only knows
the nomads, masters of the sun and the wind."

At the sixtieth birthday of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Africa should awaken after the colonial night.

JASON POBLETE:
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Defense Forum Foundation, called for a new, transparent and creative dialogue focused on implementing a concrete and comprehensive plan for a free and fair referendum in Western Sahara. Asking how any free, democratic nation could fail to support the aspirations of the Saharawis, he said the people of Western Sahara were only asking for the ability to exercise their universal freedoms. The United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) had been deployed since 1991, but while the peace had been maintained, the expected referendum had never taken place. The Baker plan had been endorsed by the Security Council and agreed to by the Western Sahara leaders, but the Moroccan Government had not accepted it, saying that it would "never give up one inch of our beloved Sahara".

This gaming of the system, he said, had had a destabilizing effect in the Maghreb and should not be tolerated by the United Nations. A spirit of complacency had meanwhile exacerbated a human rights problem. Indeed, human rights challenges remained and more attention must be brought to bear on them. A resolution of the conflict would benefit not only the Saharawi people, but also the Maghreb region, expanding economic prosperity and enhancing the ability to fight terrorist extremism there. Thus, the Fourth Committee’s work should take on a new urgency.

To create the transparent and creative dialogue, all parties must come to the table with "clean hands and open minds", and prepared to negotiate in good faith, he continued. Morocco could, and should, be a regional leader, but it first had to change its posture of obfuscation, which delayed the referendum process. The United Nations had already invested more than $1 billion on the issue of Western Sahara, and that investment should not go to waste. The Baker Plan provided a road map for the path forward. He said that other key interested parties, such as Spain, should be allowed to play a part, and urged the committee to take immediate action to enable the Sahawari people to achieve their dream and freedom.

JOSE MANUEL DE LA FUENTE SERRANO:
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Observatorio de Derechos Humanos del Ilustre Colegio de Abogados de Badajoz, denounced the "genocide" of the Saharawi people and gross violations of human rights being carried out in the cities of El Aaiun, Rabat, Agadir and Marrakech. The situation of the hopeless civilian population was desperate. He had interviewed many human rights activists and victims and seen first-hand the "Black Prison of Aaiun" and mass graves where hundreds of Saharawis lay forgotten by the world. Furthermore, the situation in torture centres like the Recruit Training Battalion 1 was "unimaginable". He described incidents of torture, rape, illegal detention, and terror.

He said that, due to that oppression, many had decided not to collaborate with his fact-finding missions, rendering observation work even more difficult. Morocco should be forced to allow the presence in the territory of human rights organizations, and a bureau of defence of human rights immediately created in El Aaiun. The bureau would report to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, investigate and denounce violations and protect unarmed civilians until the decolonizing process was concluded.

FRANCE WEYL:
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Association des amis de la République arabe sahraouie démocratique, said that, since 2005, men, women and young people had been demonstrating in a peaceful intifada on the question of Western Sahara. Although they were peaceful demonstrators, they had been brutally repressed by the Moroccan authorities. People were prosecuted simply for chanting slogans and waving flags. Organizations aimed at upholding the human rights of the Saharawi people were also being repressed. Confessions had been obtained through torture, and defenders were not allowed to testify. Trials were expedited and hearings were brief. The punishment was very serious and the conditions of detention were harsh. The repression of those people, who were charged with claiming that the population of the occupied territories had the right to exercise their self-determination, was characterized by permanent harassment.

She said that, in July, dozens of people had been arrested or had simply disappeared after a peaceful demonstration. Despite that, the determination of the Saharawi people to exercise their right to self-determination was strong. She offered her testimony to support them and urged that their right be protected.

AHMED BOUKHARI:
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Speaking on behalf of the POLISARIO Front, noted that the question of Western Sahara was the last colonial case in Africa to appear on the agendas of the Special Committee on decolonization and the Fourth Committee. A human tragedy had been unfolding there since 1975. Finally, the cruellest chapters of that drama were gradually overcoming an imposed silence. A few months ago, a Moroccan newspaper had published what a member of the Moroccan delegation to the Manhasset negotiations had confessed -- that three or four officers from the Moroccan army had committed war crimes off the battlefield when civilians were thrown from helicopters or buried alive merely because they were Saharawi.

Indeed, he said the whereabouts of more than 600 civilians and 151 Saharawi military had remained unaccounted for since 1975. The 2006 report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights had said explicitly that the violation of the human rights of the Saharawi people derived from the fact that their right to self-determination had not been respected.

He recalled that even though Morocco had accepted the United Nations-Organization of African Unity settlement plan and MINURSO’s deployment for the purpose of holding a free and fair self-determination referendum -– which contained independence as an option –- it had not honoured its commitments. It had even rejected the "golden opportunity" to resume the referendum process through the Baker Plan in 2003. As a result, MINURSO remained in place 18 years after its establishment. Surrounded by Moroccan flags and forced into international secrecy, it was humiliated and impotent. How, he asked, had that happened before the eyes of the United Nations?

His people were determined to carry on their legitimate struggle and resistance until they were allowed to exercise their right to self-determination, he insisted. Today, Morocco was openly invoking a dangerous political realism stained with innocent blood as a substitute for international legality. It had offered so-called autonomy as the only option in Western Sahara’s decolonization process and had dared to set it as a precondition. But Western Sahara was not a Moroccan province in need of administrative autonomy. It was a country on the agenda of the Committee engaged in a search for its full decolonization by means of a free and fair referendum on self-determination. The Saharawis were guaranteed the right to freely choose between independence and any other option, including integration into Morocco, by the United Nations Charter.

Yet, the last round of negotiations at Manhasset had not moved forward even in the direction of some basic confidence-building measures, because of Morocco’s precondition, he said, adding that if that precondition was not removed from the table, substantial future progress would be impossible. The POLISARIO Front would continue to cooperate with the Secretary-General and his new Personal Envoy, and he was hopeful that its neighbour would act seriously and opt for serious negotiations. The POLISARIO Front was ready to negotiate.

LUCIANO ARDESI:
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Italian Association for Saharawi People, said that, although Morocco claimed that its territorial integrity must not be called into question, Western Sahara did not belong to it. The 1975 International Court of Justice advisory opinion on Western Sahara found no legal ties between Western Sahara and Morocco or the Mauritanian entity. Morocco’s proposal of autonomy in 2007 showed that the problem of decolonization still existed because Morocco refused any referendum that included independence.

He said that Morocco also denied the existence of oppression, but journalists and fact-finding missions were not allowed into the territory. The Fourth Committee and the General Assembly could only reaffirm that right and recognize that the negotiations under way should have self-determination as a goal since no other solution would be acceptable under the United Nations Charter. Additionally, MINURSO’s mandate should be expanded to cover human rights, so that peacekeepers could keep their eyes on violations taking place in the occupied territory.

MILDRED THULIN:
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Former Member of Parliament of Sweden, said that in 1975 the people of Western Sahara were awaiting the end of 90 years of Spanish colonial rule, but instead of finding freedom, Western Sahara was then brutally occupied. Thirty-three years later, that was still the case. Spain carried "huge guilt" for today’s situation by ending the conflict unjustly. Western Sahara had the right to self-determination and self-governance, and claims made by Morocco had been rejected by the International Court of Justice. No State accepted Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara, but more than 60 States accepted the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), and he urged other Governments to do the same. The wall built by Morocco, with thousands of military standing sentry, was indeed a "wall of shame". More than 6 million mines had been placed in the desert, which stopped people from moving safely. Not only was Morocco oppressing the Saharawis, but they were also stealing their natural resources.

Moroccan autonomy was no option, and the Moroccan oppression of Western Sahara must be stopped, she urged. The United Nations must demand that Spain resume its role as administering Power and take responsibility for a just decolonizing process. On the issue of natural resources, the United Nations must make public information on countries and companies doing business in Western Sahara. The United Nations, and not Morocco, must manage the natural resources and denounce the present fishing agreement between the European Union and Morocco to exclude the waters off of Western Sahara. Additionally, the United Nations must apply sanctions against Morocco for exploiting Saharan natural resources without the consent and control of the indigenous people, as well as for human rights violations. Finally, the United Nations must demand the release of all political prisoners, demolish the "wall of shame" and apply United Nations Charter Chapter VII "to the letter".

ALOUAT HAMOUDI:
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Western Saharan student, said his story had not been learned from history books, the media or Moroccan propaganda. Rather, he had lived it --indeed, he was still living it. Now in college, he was born in a Saharawi refugee camp. When his mother was 10, her family had been forced to leave their home under the threat of death by bombing from Moroccan planes. They had ended up in refugee camps in southern Algeria, where he was born. When he was a teenager and knew he wanted to become educated, he had had to leave his family for an Algerian boarding school. After a few years of study, he had received a college scholarship. He had become accustomed to the concepts of peace and equality. He was dedicated to returning to his land, which was everything to the Saharawis, even if it was forgotten by the rest of the world.

Saying the abuse of the Saharawi people by the Moroccan authorities must be recognized, he emphasized that the Moroccan regime was trying to convince the humanitarian agencies to stop sending aid to the Saharawi refugees. The international community had recognized the right of the Saharawi people to self-determination, but had done nothing to implement it. That double standard should make you laugh if it did not make you cry, he told the Committee. The region’s sovereignty was for the Saharawi people and would only come about once they could decide their own future. Otherwise, the gloomy reality of an outbreak of war would be unavoidable.

MARSHELHA GONÇALVES-MARGERIN:
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Speaking on behalf of Aminatou Haidar, 2008 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award Laureate, expressed deep concern over the dangerous human rights situation in Western Sahara, in southern Morocco and in the Moroccan territories as a whole. Since May, the Moroccan Government had committed gross human rights abuses against civilian Saharawis because of their views on Western Sahara and their participation in peaceful demonstrations in support for self-determination. Those violations had included kidnapping, torture, arbitrary and political arrests, as well as the invasion of homes, imposition of cruel and unfair judgements, banning the establishment of institutions, curtailing freedom of expression and plundering natural resources. Widespread arrest campaigns had been launched against Saharawi citizens and human rights defenders. She had been one of the political prisoners who had been released by the Moroccan State since 2006, but many like her had been rearrested and remained in prison today.

She said that human rights defenders were still waiting for the international community to increase pressure on the Moroccan Government to respect human rights in Western Sahara. Despite the completion of a report by the Office of the United N
ations High Commissioner for Human Rights in May 2006, its recommendations had not only not been implemented, they had not been made public. The Moroccan Government was thus allowed to disregard international norms and continue to commit abuses and violations.

Both sides of the dispute should enter into direct negotiations to reach a solution in accordance with the provisions and resolutions of the United Nations and the Security Council, she urged. A fourth round of negotiations had failed to reach agreement, which respected the Saharawi people’s right to choose their political future through a democratic, free and fair referendum. Saying the United Nations was responsible for the stalled state of affairs, she demanded urgent intervention and called on the Organization to search for tenable mechanisms to encourage respect for human rights in Western Sahara, including by expanding MINURSO’s mandate to include human rights issues. She also called for the publication of the 2006 report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

NEW YORK UN -WESTERN SAHARA

2008-10-10T01:05:00.000+03:00

Plundering of Western Sahara slammed in the UN General Assembly

09/10/2008

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The issue of the plundering of Western Sahara was a recurring topic, as the UN’s committee for decolonisation issues this week has gathered to debate the decolonisation process in Western Sahara.

Western Sahara Resource Watch representative, Mikael Simble, spoke before the 4th Committee to denounce companies from various countries were critizised for illegal phosphate exports, including for shipments to Ghent (Belgium), Varna (Bulgaria) and Tampa (USA) this week. Read the intervention from the petitioner of the Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara here.

October 9, 2008

Remarks by Mikael Simble,
Representative of the Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara

Mr. Chairman, distinguished delegates,

First of all, I would like to thank you for letting me address you here today on behalf of the Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara. For us, the respect for international legality and Human Rights is fundamental for the successful resolution of any international conflict.

Unfortunately, not all governments support these norms. At least, they are not quite willing to let their actions be guided by them when it comes to Western Sahara. As this distinguished audience is well aware of, there is a large number of United Nations rulings, opinions and resolutions confirming Western Sahara’s status as a Non- Self-Governing territory and the illegality of Morocco’s continued occupation. Examples of such are the ruling of the International Court of Justice in October 1975 and the opinion of the United Nations Under-Secretary-General Hans Corell in 2002. Nevertheless, states like France and the United States continue to give political and material support to Morocco’s continued occupation of Western Sahara. That has to stop.

Likewise, several private and state-owned companies from many countries consciously collaborate with the Moroccan occupier in exploiting the rich natural resources of Western Sahara, brushing aside protests from the Saharawis themselves, the international solidarity movement and sometimes their own governments that they are in violation of international law and that they’re supporting and paying for a brutal and illegal occupation.

We believe that these attitudes and acts seriously undermine the efforts of the United Nations to resolve the conflict over Western Sahara, they undermine our common security and will be a source of shame for those countries and companies as the history of the liberation of Africa’s colonies is finally written.

That is why the Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara in August of this year felt compelled to report the Norwegian fertilizer company Yara International to the Norwegian police for dealing in stolen goods. Contrary to their own earlier promises and advice from its largest owner, the Norwegian government, Yara had once again imported Western Saharan phosphates to their processing plant at Hærøya, Norway.

Other Norwegian-owned companies such as the shipping company Gearbulk and the fishing company Sjøvikgruppen have so far resisted calls to cease their exploitation of Western Sahara’s resources but both they and other foreign companies can expect increased outside pressure in the times ahead.

Another example, is here in United States. Yesterday, on October 8th, a bulk vessel full of phosphates from occupied Western Sahara will arrive at a port in Tampa, Florida. The local importer, fertilizer producer Mosaic Co, must have paid the Moroccan state phosphate company around 15 million USD for this one single shipment. That equals half of the entire multilateral aid to the refugee camps in Algeria. This week has also seen similar shipments arriving Belgium and Bulgaria.

At the same time, this and last week, Sahrawis in Western Sahara have taken to the street to protest this industry. Yesterday, there was a demonstration in Western Sahara against the Irish oil company Island Oil and Gas –which is exploring for oil for the Moroccan government, in disregard of the mentioned UN legal opinion from 2002.

We take this opportunity to repeat our call on these companies, their shareholders and the governments represented here to put an end to these highly unethical and unacceptable activities.

Mr. Chairman,

Of a long list of concerns for the treatment of Saharawis under occupation and the sorry plight of the Saharawi refugees, we are particularly touched by the fate of the Saharawi Human rights defenders. These Human rights defenders are particularly singled out by the Moroccan forces for harassment and maltreatment and often end up as political prisoners in the infamous "Black Prison" in El Aaiun or around Morocco. As has been documented and denounced by Saharawi, Moroccan and international Human Rights organizations, the majority are subjected to prolonged interrogation and some or all of the following Human Rights violations when detained: beatings, torture or other degrading treatment, rape, threats of rape or murder, forced feeding or injections when on hunger strike, isolation and deportation to Moroccan jails.

Among them are shining examples of dedication to the cause of liberation, tolerance and dignity, like Ms. Aminatou Haidar, recognized through several human rights prizes such as the Robert F Kennedy Memorial award this month. Other activists that deserve mention are Brahim Noumria, Sidi Mohammed Daddach and so many others who have suffered forced ‘disappearance’, torture and many years of imprisonment under subhuman conditions at the hands of the Moroccan occupiers.

It is important that the participants of this forum understand that the fate of these Saharawi human rights defenders- often political prisoners- is crucial to the success of the efforts of the United Nations in Western Sahara. I will mention three reasons for that:

1: they are actually doing the job of the United Nations. They are the ones who most actively promote the implementation of the UN resolutions in Western Sahara, and they do so through peaceful means,

2: through their courage, dedication and readiness to sacrifice their freedom and even their own lives they are defending concepts under great pressure globally, such as respect for human rights, respect for international law and negotiated peace agreements and the inviolability of inherited colonial borders.

3: through their peaceful work, based squarely on the respect for Human Rights and international legality, they lay the foundations for future peaceful coexistence between a decolonized Western Sahara and Morocco, thus hoping to avoid that the conflict returns to the agenda of the UN Security Council and the Fourth Committee.

Mr. Chairman,
There should be no doubt that most Saharawis, both under occupation and in exile, are determined to continue struggling for their inalienable right to self-determination. In this situation, Morocco has two options: either to continue to brutally suppress any hint of dissent and protest in Western Sahara through arrests, torture, killing and "disappearances" - or to start going down the path of respect for Human Rights, democracy and international legality. Until today, Morocco has obstinately followed the path of oppression and further continued violation of international law.

It is therefore high time that the international community, represented by the United Nations, tells Morocco that enough is enough. Countries like France and the United States must place respect for international law and the freedom of others before their own interests. Continued Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara not only threatens the peace and stability of the entire Maghreb region but it also undermines the ability and credibility of the United Nations as an arbiter in international conflicts. Foreign companies that collaborate with the Moroccan occupier must understand that high ethical standards and corporate social responsibility will set them apart as the companies of the future rather than the past.

While the international community is procrastinating and debating the issue, the Saharawis are paying with their freedom, exile, blood and tears to attain their basic inalienable rights as a nation. We therefore appeal to all governments and organizations represented here today to put real, tangible pressure on Morocco to immediately halt the repression of the Saharawis, to respect Human Rights, to put an end to the virtual blockade of the Western Sahara and ultimately, to end the occupation of Western Sahara.

Thank you for your attention.

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AFTER 18 YEARS OF MINURSO STILL NO REFERENDUM

2008-10-10T00:44:00.000+03:00

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Moroccan precondition of autonomy paralyses Manhasset’s negotiations (POLISARIO)

09/10/2008

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Negotiations on Western Sahara’s self-determination in Manhasset are paralysed because of the Moroccan precondition of autonomy, POLISARIO Front declared before the UN’s 4th Committee of decolonisation on Wednesday.

"The last negotiations of Manhasset did not progress, even with the implementation of some confidence-building measures proposed by the UN, because of Morocco’s pre-condition" of autonomy, POLISARIO Front’s representative to the UN, Mr. Ahmed Boukhari, indicated.

This is a "a violation of the resolution 1754" adopted last April 2007 by the UN Security Council, he affirmed. "If this unjustified pre-condition is not removed, it is simply impossible to have a substantial progress in the negotiations in the future", he underlined.

POLISARIO Front, he added "is determined to continue believing in the pre-eminence of the international legality as an essential parameter", underlining that the Saharawi party will continue cooperating with the UN Secretary General and his Personal envoy.

"We hope that our neighbour (Morocco) will seriously react and that one day i twill opt for serious negotiations", he said. Saharawis "are ready to give what can be given and take what must be taken. In one word: we are ready to negotiate on everything except on our people’s right to self-determination and independence", he affirmed.

"We are not a Moroccan province so as to need an administrative autonomy. We are a country listed on the agenda of the 4th Committee that longs for complete decolonisation through a just and regular referendum", Mr. Boukhari underlined.

"On the basis of the UN Charter and its resolutions, the Saharawi people are entitled to freely choose between independence and any other option, including integration with Morocco. This is the UN’s doctrine, the contrary is a doctrine of two weights two measures", he considered.

"We are a peaceful people, victims of an never preceded act of injustice in the history of the post-colonial Africa. The price is and will be expensive but we are determined to continue the legitimate struggle and our resistance until the full exercise of our inalienable right to self-determination", Mr. Boukhari said.

"The entrenchment of morocco behind its position of intransigence, paired with the persisting oppression against our people, will not help in building confidence and the necessary conditions for a solution based on self-determination", he warned.

Morocco "openly talks about a dangerous real politic stained with an innocent blood as a replacement to international legality", POLISARIO Front’s deplored.

He recalled that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights had stressed in its report last September 2006 that human rights violations in the occupied territories are the result of the non-respect of the Saharawi people’s right to self-determination.

He also recalled that morocco accepted in 1991 the AUO-UN Settlement Plan that include independence as one of three options in a referendum on self-determination that was supposed to take place the following year and organized by the Un Mission for the Organisation of a Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO).

"Morocco, he regretted, went back on its engagement as it did not honour its engagements in the Houston Accords of 1997, which stressed the modalities of the implementation of the referendum and which were endorsed by the Security Council.

18 years after its deployment, "MINURSO is encircled in its headquarters in El Aaiun by the Moroccan flags, humiliated and helpless in front of the human rights violations that are committed there. How can it be that this happens under the sight of the UN", he bitterly wondered.

The 4th Committee, which started its annual session on Monday, continued hearing petitioners on the questions of Western Sahara and other Non-Self-Governing territories on Wednesday.

The majority of the petitioners called on the UN to enable the Saharawi people to exercise their right to self-determination and put an end to the Moroccan illegal occupation of Western Sahara.

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SANDBLAST-ARTS LONDON

2008-10-08T19:04:00.000+03:00

Sandblast-arts organises a “mass public protest reading” in London in favour of Western Sahara

07/10/2008

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The British cultural organisation, Sandblast-arts, will organise “a mass public protest reading” of the 1975 International Court of Justice’s legal opinion, it indicated in a press release.

The text stresses that the Centre for the Study of Colonialism Empire and International Law and Sandblast are hosting “the first ever Western Saharathon”, where Students from all over the United Kingdom will congregate at SOAS to join with academics, activists and artists for a marathon public reading of the International Court of Justice’s Advisory Opinion (over 200 pages long)”.

These mass public reading, will take place at SOAS, in front of the Brunei Gallery, near “Russell Square tube” this October 16 to 31, from 12 p.m-01 p.m, except on weekends, the press release indicated.

The reading is a way to mark the 33rd anniversary of the International Court of Justice’s Advisory Opinion on the Western Sahara, issued on the 16th October 1975, and “famously upholding the right of self-determination of the people of Western Sahara over the territorial claims of neighbouring states, Morocco and Mauritania”.

It is also a way “to publicise and protest the continuing occupation of Western Sahara by Morocco, and the complicity of the international community in retreating from the right of self-determination”.

The organisation also asked for “at least 2 volunteers to help on Oct 16 and 17 to man the Sandblast stand, collect donations, sign-ups for the mailing list etc. Anyone who is able to help on other dates after these is also welcome to express his or her interest”.

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The Rio Group at UN -Western Sahara

2008-10-08T18:59:00.000+03:00

Rio Group supports Saharawi people’s exercise of their right to self-determination

07/10/2008

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The Rio Group, composed of 22 countries from Latin America and the Caribbean, declared support to the Saharawi people’s right to self-determination, on Monday before the UN 4th Committee for Decolonisation in New York.

The Group reaffirmed hope that with the support of the UN “the Saharawi people would be able to exercise their right to self-determination", declared Mexican Ambassador to the UN, Mr. Pablo Macedo, in his statement before the Committee on behalf of the group.

He declared that the group takes into account “the recent process of dispute settlement and the four of rounds of negotiations undertaken in the last year”, he appealed to the parties to “reinvigorate this effort”.

Mr. Pablo Macedo underscored the importance of ensuring that all the peoples of the world had the ability to exercise their inalienable right to self- determination, “a right that was affirmed in the United Nations Charter, as well as a number of General Assembly resolutions”, he affirmed.

“To date, the process of decolonization had made it possible for many peoples to win their independence, and the Special Committee’s establishment had been a milestone in this history”, he added.

“More than 80 countries had been aided by the Committee’s work. The fact that 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories remained on the United Nations list showed, however”, that “this task remained unfulfilled”, he estimated.

Thus, he appealed to the relevant administering Powers to adopt the necessary measures to achieve decolonisation in each of them, taking their particular situation into account on a case-by-case basis.

He also expressed the Rio Group’s appreciation to the members of the Special Committee, and expressed further hope that its recommendations would be adopted by the General Assembly.

The Rio group is composed of Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Salvador, Uruguay and Venezuela.

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The Foreign minister Mr Mohamed Salem Ould Salek in NEW YORK

2008-10-08T18:52:00.000+03:00

POLISARIO accepts the nomination of the new UN Envoy to Western Sahara (Ould Salek)

07/10/2008

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POLISARIO Front was informed by the UN about the nomination of the American, Christopher Ross, as the new Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary General to Western Sahara and officially accepted, the Saharawi Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Mohamed Salem Ould Salek, declared on Tuesday.

The UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, "informed us of this nomination that we accepted", Mr. Ould Salek declared in a statement to the Algerian Press Agency (APS), in margin of the works of the UN General Assembly’s fourth Committee that started Monday in New York.

POLISARIO accepted this nomination, Ould Salek said, "because we are ready, regardless who the mediator is, to negotiate on the basis of the Security Council’s resolutions that recognise the imperativeness of the exercise by the Saharawi people of their right to self-determination", he added.

"The mutually accepted political solution" recommended by the Security Council in its resolutions on Western Sahara, "must guarantee this inalienable right to self-determination", he affirmed.

The UN had already announced, last September, the end of the mandate of thee ex-Personal Envoy, Mr. Peter Van Walsum, but did not officially declared the name of his successor.

The Head of the Saharawi diplomacy said that this delay in the declaration of the name of the new nominee is due to the reluctance of Morocco to accept the new Envoy so far. Morocco "is putting pressures of the Secretary General and the new Personal envoy so as they accept the demarche of his predecessor, which was refused by the Security Council", Mr. Ould Salek said.

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NEW YORK/SADC-UN debate on Western Sahara 2008

2008-10-08T18:47:00.000+03:00

The fifteen Member States of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries affirmed Monday evening before the UN General Assembly’s Fourth Committee that “self-determination is the only answer for the situation in Western Sahara".

"For us, the Member States of SADC, the struggle for the people of Western Sahara is a struggle for self-determination and is based on the principles of decolonisation, promotion of human rights, international legality and the stability and security of the African continent", Ambassador Dumisani S. Kumalo, Permanent Representative of the Republic of South Africa declared on behalf of SADC.

"It is a struggle that we are familiar with in our sub-region", he added.

Here is the complete text of the intervention by Ambassador Dumisani S. Kumalo, Permanent Representative of the Republic of South Africa, on the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples at the Special Political and Decolonisation Committee (Fourth Committee)
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06 October 2008

Mr. Chairman,

Allow us to begin by congratulating you on your election as Chairman of the Fourth Committee. We also wish to express our appreciation to your predecessor, the Ambassador of Sudan, for his work during the 62nd session.

I have the pleasure to address the Committee on behalf of the fifteen Member States of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries, namely Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. We also align ourselves with the statement to be delivered later by the Permanent Representative of Cuba on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement.

Mr. Chairman,

For us, the Member States of SADC, the struggle for the people of Western Sahara is a struggle for self-determination and is based on the principles of decolonisation, promotion of human rights, international legality and the stability and security of the African continent. It is a struggle that we are familiar with in our sub-region.

For this reason, it is important to recall that Western Sahara remains the last remaining colony on the African continent and it has been on the UN list of Non-Self-Governing Territories since 1963 when it was under Spanish colonial rule. The General Assembly has since consistently recognised the inalienable right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination and independence, and called for the exercise of that right in accordance with General Assembly Resolution 1514 (XV) containing the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples. Therefore the continuous colonial occupation of Western Sahara by Morocco constitutes a challenge to the principles of the United Nations Charter and the authority and credibility of this body and it is for this reason that SADC cannot remain silent on this matter.

In fact, up to this day it is worth remembering that neither the United Nations nor any regional or international organisation, nor any other country in the world, has recognised Morocco’s claims of sovereignty over Western Sahara. The Moroccan territorial claims to Western Sahara have been rejected by the advisory opinions of both the International Court of Justice on 16 October 1975 and the Legal Department of the United Nations on 29 January 2002. The International Court of Justice stated that there were no links of territorial sovereignty between Morocco and the Western Sahara prior to the Spanish colonization of the Territory. The General Assembly resolution 34/37 (1979), among others, describes Morocco’s presence in Western Sahara as “a continued occupation”.

Mr. Chairman,

The Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic is a founding member of the African Union and was also a member of the Organisation of African Unity. At the same time, the Kingdom of Morocco is also a friendly African country. SADC has always carried the hope that these two African nations would find a way to resolve their differences which remain a challenge for our continent.

It is for this reason that SADC commends both parties, Frente Polisario representing the people of Western Sahara and the Kingdom of Morocco for their participation in direct negotiations during the Manhasset process based on the two plans that they submitted to the Secretary-General. We would like to believe that the participation of both parties, in negotiations and in compliance with Security Council resolution 1754 (2006) indicates a willingness to negotiate without preconditions and in good faith. The aim is to try and achieve a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.

In SADC, we believe that self-determination is the only answer for the situation in Western Sahara.

And, for the negotiations on self-determination between Western Sahara and Morocco to be successful, there should be no attempt to distort the intention of the Security Council in resolution 1754 or the language of the resolution by claiming that the Council preferred one plan over the other. Despite claims by the Moroccan delegation, South Africa can confirm as a member of the Security Council who was part of the negotiations on the text of resolution 1754, that the text of the resolution is clear that the Council “takes note” of both the Saharawi proposal and the Moroccan proposal. The Council called on the parties to enter into negotiations based on both these proposals. Any attempt to place one proposal over the other would undermine the negotiations process and would be counter-productive to the spirit of future negotiations based on the two proposals.

The problem thus far has been that Morocco has tried to impose an autonomy proposal on the people of Western Sahara thereby denying them their right under the United Nations Charter to exercise the right of self-determination. In other words, the Moroccan proposal is seeking to deny the people of Western Sahara the right to choose in a referendum their destiny, whether it be independence, integration or even autonomy.

Mr. Chairman,

SADC is also very concerned about the alarming reports of human rights violations and even atrocities perpetrated against the Saharawi people. The Secretary-General has often referred to a report of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on the situation in Western Sahara that documents the violations on human rights. We would hope that the Secretary-General will soon publish the findings and recommendations of the OHCHR because we are of the strong view that the human rights violations stem from the non-realisation of the right to self-determination for the people of Western Sahara.

We find it odd that in addressing the issue of Western Sahara, some Member States including the so-called Group of Friends on the issue of Western Sahara, have continued to refuse to include any mention of human rights in UN resolutions, despite the fact that the Secretary-General has continued to report on the human rights situation in Western Sahara. Additionally both parties, Frente Polisario and Morocco, have raised human rights concerns in letters to the Secretary-General. The refusal to deal with human rights abuses in Western Sahara creates a double standard and a clear impression that the United Nations simply does not care about the human rights of the people of Western Sahara.

Mr. Chairman,

In conclusion, SADC once again supports the adoption of a resolution on Western Sahara by this Committee that reiterates the principles of self-determination and decolonisation.

That is the least the people of Western Sahara expect from us.

I thank you.”

Polisario Representative In Finnish Parliament "Eduskunta"

2007-09-22T23:25:00.000+03:00

Yahioui Lamine In Finland

2007-09-22T23:23:00.000+03:00

Polisario Front Representative to the Nordic Countries, Mr. Yahiaoui Lamine, undertook a work visit to Helsinki, from September the 17 to the 21, to brief the Finish political parties and government on the latest developments in Western Sahara.

The Saharawi diplomat was thus received at the Finish Foreign ministry by Anna Gebrenedhgin, deputy Director of Africa and middle East department and Pauliina Hellman-Field, program officer, to talk about the latest political development in Western Sahara and the outcomes of the two rounds of direct negotiations between POLISARIO Front and Morocco that took place in June and August under the auspices of UN.

Mr Lamine drew the attention of his Finnish interlocutors to the fact that the conflict of Western Sahara is a decolonization question. That Western Sahara was registered by the UN, since 1963, as a Non-Self-Governing Territory, and thus the Saharawi people should exercise their inalienable right to self-determination and decide the status of their country in a free, democratic and genuine way in accordance with the UN Charter and international law.

"It becomes imperative that the European countries defend actively the rights of the Saharawi people as stipulated in the deferent UN resolutions. Explicitly or implicitly ignoring the moral and political responsibility of the international community towards the Saharawi plight will only encourage the Moroccan occupation to inflict more suffering to innocent people and prolong this long conflict much longer", Lamine said.

The Saharawi representative handed over a letter, to his interlocutors, addressed from the Saharawi authorities to H.E Mr Likka Kanerva, the Finnish Foreign Minister.

In the Finnish Parliament, "Eduskunta", the Saharawi diplomat met with politicians and members of parliament from different political parties, mainly Tero Shemeikka International Secretary of SDP Sari Essayah, Secretary General of the Christian Democrat, Jari Haapiainnen, International Secretary of Center party, Pekka Haavesto, MP foreign affairs committee of the Finnish Parliament, Jukka Manninen, Secretary for International Affairs of National Coalition Party, Jacob Soderman MP (SDP), Tiina Hankkarainen, assistant of Helevi Jarvinen (MP Green party), Turo Bergman International Secretary of left alliance party

In all his discussions, Mr. Lamine underlined the "boiling situation in the occupied territories of Western Sahara resulted from the accumulation of the Moroccan repression policy against the Saharawi people and the implementation of the strategy of isolation of this occupied zone, in addition to the deprivation of the world from knowing the Moroccan wrong deeds, perpetrated in total violation of human rights".

"Morocco has, for a very long time carried out a policy of abductions, political murder, systematic torture, forced displacement, arbitrary arrest of individuals, families and groups, ransacked houses, destroyed property, slaughtered cattle, all of these crimes exercised against unarmed and innocent Saharawi civilians, in addition to the restrictions put on the political and civil rights, freedoms and the prohibition of association and peaceful assembly, and other economic, social and cultural rights." Mr Lamine deplored.

Soultana Khayya in Stockholm

2007-09-15T12:06:00.000+03:00

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Saharawi student and victim of torture visits Sweden in a speaking tour

08/09/2007

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The Saharawi student, Ms. Soultana Khayya, who lost an eye last May under torture by Moroccan police last May, undertakes a speaking tour to Sweden since Wednesday, a source from the Saharawi representation in the Scandinavia countries indicated.

The young woman was bashed by a group of Moroccan police agents last May in her university campus when she was arrested during a peaceful demonstration. She lost an eye because of the torture, and was re-tortured by the same agents while she was transported in an ambulance.

The student started a speaking tour and a visit to Sweden, following an invitation from the Swedish Western Sahara Committee to raise awareness about the human rights situation in the occupied zone of her country, it was indicated.

On Wednesdsay, Soultana Khayya, accompanied by her sister, Oum El Moumnin Khayya, met with Ulla Eriksson-Moberg, from the Middle East and North Africa Department, in Stockholm.

She also had an interview with journalist Seluah Alsaati, and met with Camilla Navestad, an international law expert.

On Thursday, the young lady met with Parliamentarians Hillevi Larsson, Magdalena
Streijffert, Bodil Ceballos and Hans Arvidsson, the International Secretary of the left party at the Parliament.

The same day, the young Saharawi student animated a Seminar, at the Head quarter of Kristna Freds, about the human right situation in Western Sahara and the repression carried out against her compatriots and against Saharawi Students in Moroccan universities.

The organisin committed of Khaya’s tour also organised another Seminar, the same day, at ABF house, Sveavägen 41, it was indicated.

Self-determination is the only solution

2007-08-25T00:48:00.000+03:00

SADR/SOUTH AFRICA/HUMAN RIGHTS

"Self-determination: is the only juridical and legal possibility to resolve colonial conflicts such as Western Sahara’s" (Spanish jurist)

Durban, 19/08/2007 (SPS) Mr. Carlos Ruiz Miguel, Professor of Constitutional Law in the Spanish University of Saint Jaques de Compostelle, and eminent expert in the question of Western Sahara, affirmed on Friday in Durbin (South Africa) that “self-determination is the only juridical and legal possibility to resolve colonial conflicts such as Western Sahara’s".

Mr. Ruiz Miguel, who was speaking in a conference entitled "Direct negotiations and the perspectives of a just solution to the conflict in Western Sahara”, organised by the South African Institute for the Settlement of Conflicts “ACCORD”, stressed that the conflict over the sovereignty in Western Sahara between the Saharawi people and Morocco, the illegal colonizing power, "puts the UN to the test", and puts some major principle in he international law such as self-determination at stake.

"Colonial peoples must have access to self-determination through free, democratic and regular referendums as stipulated by the international law and this remains the only way out", the Spanish professor said.

Moreover, the international law "forbids the use of force to annexe foreign countries, and this is exactly what Morocco did in Western Sahara ignoring that way the continuous calls of the UN Security Council", he further stressed.

Another principle of the international law is “the respect of the colonial borders", and this is what the African countries and all the nations over the world opted for to avoid wars and problems, "Morocco is however among the few countries who violated this principle".

The Spanish expert, who presented a long set of violation committed by Morocco on the ground, and who considered that the Moroccan regime does not seem to be willing to respect the international legality, considered that the Saharawi people have got the legitimate right to defend their rights including by resuming armed struggle.

"The Moroccan vision of giving Western Sahara autonomy within its national sovereignty is contrary to the international law because it is unilateral and can be qualified whatsoever but can never be a mean of exercising self-determination. To put the Saharawi voters in front of one and unique choice is in reality giving them no choice at all", he said. (SPS)

020/090/000 191800 Aug 07 SPS

MOROCCO USES ALL TRICKS AGAINST SAHARAWI PEOPLE

2007-08-25T00:44:00.000+03:00

Former Islamic Armed Group, GIA chief: Moroccans asked me to recruit Saharawi in GIA

22/08/2007

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The founding father and former emir of the Islamic Armed Group GIA, Abdelhak Laiada, unveiled a chapter of his passage to Morocco in the early 90s, asserting that Moroccans tried to convince him recruit Saharawi students in the GIA but he refused.

The Algerian ex-Emir of GIA indicated in an interview to the Algerian newspaper, EL Khabar that Moroccan authorities "have been seeking to convince me to find Islamist Saharawi students in Algerian universities to recruit them in the GIA”.

According to Abdelhak, "the Moroccan plan was: Once I recruit Saharawi to join GIA, I will have to as them to the occupied city of El Aaiun, where they will be later persecuted by the Moroccan authorities for belonging to an Algerian terrorist group, they asked me to mediate it and give the impression that the Saharawi and the Polisario Front are terrorists."

He stressed that he has long been blackmailed by Moroccans because he refused this Moroccan dirty game and that was the reason behind his extradition to Algerian authorities.

The Moroccan secret services are trying for the last five years to accuse the Saharawi liberation movement, POLISARIO Front, of alleged connection to terrorism to take profit of the international fashion of war against terrorism.

POLISARIO Front is recognised by the UN and by all nations in the world as a liberation movement and is a party to the peace process initiated by the UN to decolonise the Western Sahara, Africa’s last colony illegally occupied by Morocco since 1975.

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HUMAN RIGHT IN THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES OF WESTERN SAHARA

2007-08-25T00:40:00.000+03:00

The “Black Jail” in El Aaiun: “A tomb for alive people”

23/08/2007

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The Saharawi human rights activist and ex-political prisoner, Tarruzi Yehdih, described the notorious Carcel Negra (Black Jail) he was imprisoned in for ten months as “A tomb for alive people”, in a written testimony of which UPES received a copy.

Here is the complete text of the testimony:

El Aaiún/Western Sahara: 10/08/2007

Secretariat of the Collective of the Saharawi Human Rights Defenders (CODESA)
Carcel Negra (Black Jail) of El Aaiún/Western Sahara

“A tomb for alive people”

Testimony of Saharawi Human Rights Activist and Former Political Prisoner “Tarruzi Yehdih”, after his release on July the 14th, 2007 form the “Black Jail” in El Aaiún, Western Sahara.

My name is Tarruzi Yehdih and I am an ex-Political Prisoner and Member of the Collective of the Saharawi Human Rights Defenders (CODESA). On the 13th of April 2006 I was arrested by Moroccan police agents in the city of Tan Tan, Southern Morocco. The agents arrested me in humiliating and repressive conditions and took me to the Judiciary Police Headquarters in El Aaiún, Western Sahara. At the Headquarters, I was interrogated and tortured by a group of Moroccan Security services who accused me of committing crimes I did not commit and enclosed me in the “Black Jail” of El Aaiún. In this jail I experienced ten months imprisonment in the most degrading and difficult conditions as a result to a sentence inflicted to me by the Second Penal Court after appealing the one-year prison verdict made by the First Court of El Aaiún, Western Sahara.

As a Former Political Prisoner, I have suffered, along with a group of Saharawi political prisoners, the lack of the simplest human living conditions and the worst mistreatment and abuses. The prison doesn’t even guarantee the conditions contained in the Law 23/98 with all its goods and wrong. Along with all the suffering of the prisoners provoked by the malnutrition, the lack of drinkable water, the deficiency of medical assistance, the non-existence of ventilation or hygienic conditions as well as the over-grouping of prisoners in one cell, the prisoners, mainly the political prisoners, endure everyday the oppression of the authorities.

Despite the attempts of the Saharawi Political Prisoners to challenge the daily violations of their Human Rights and their effort to be treated as Political Prisoners, the prison administration continuously reply to their claims with tortures and wild oppression. All these savage practices exercised against the Saharawi Political Prisoners is made in coordination with Moroccan Security Services, who should normally have nothing to do with the Administration of the prisons.

The situation continued as it is until January the 19th, 2006, when the Saharawi Political Prisoners were suddenly surprised by the aggressive and violent intervention of more than forty of the special prison guards known as “Les Paras” while sleeping inside their cell. This group of guards came to the jail with the main purpose of forcing the Saharawi political Prisoners to give up their opinions expressed during the demonstrations that claim for the respect of their legal demands. The repressive intervention of “Les Paras” was lead by Abd-Lilah Az-zunfri, The Director of the “Black Jail” of El Aaiún, in Western Sahara.

The aggression of this group was not only limited to the inside of the cells but thereafter we all were taken to the visit room and tied to the chairs for about twelve hours. During all this time we were subjected to beating on all the parts of our bodies and all kind of humiliating tortures as a punishment for our political ideas.

The torturers were always enjoying our pain and torture calling us “traitors” and “enemies of the country”, “enemies of the king” and so many other obscene classification. All these repressive behaviours are encouraged by the jail administration which has made of these agents its tool to torture, abuse, kill and execute innocent people.

Then, as a punishment, we were divided into separate cells and deprived from communicating with each other. Our possessions were stolen and all the area of the prison’s recreation was extremely watched. The authorities imposed an emergency alert to the jail and suspended our right to health treatment, appropriate food, information, etc.

As a result of this situation and with the objective to defend our dignity, we decided to carry on a “Hunger Strike” as a warning step and then an “Open Hunger Strike” to protest against the hard conditions and the tortures all the Saharawi Political Prisoners were suffering inside the jail. Our “Open Hunger Strike” lasted more than thirty three (33) days without any positive reply from the jail administration to our demands nor the medical assistance to our deteriorating health situation. Finally, the Moroccan justice listened to our complaints which were made by our families.

Despite our agony, the jail administration continued its repressive practices, submitting our cells to constant searching. And as if all these tortures were not enough, the authorities decided to punish two of our comrades; Lehbib Al-kasimi and Al-hafed Toubali, taking them to isolated cells (known as “Al-kashu”). The Moroccan police agents use to show aggression to the Saharawi political Prisoners in their way back and forth from the jail to the court rooms or to the hospital as we witnessed with the cases of Lehbib Al-kasimi and Al-hafed Toubali, Ah’meidat Mohamed Salem, and Abd-salam Lubadi.

On July the 11th, 2007, just three days before my release, we suffered again the aggressions of a group of the jail guards who beated us and took away all our belongings. The Director of the jail ordered them to take us to the visit room, where I, along with Lehbib Al-kasimi and Al-hafed Toubali, Luali Ameidan, Dida Abd-aslalm, Bachri bin Taleb, Lubadi Abd-salam and Mahamud Al-keinnan experienced many types of tortures without mercy from torturers who work at the jail administration, the same ones who did it before under the consent of the Director of the jail.

Taking into consideration the tortures exercised against us because of our beliefs, we also consider that the suffering of our families is increasing as they also suffer the aggressions of the penitentiary authorities during their visits. Our families are treated in a repressive way that at times reaches the rape and the use of force from the Moroccan police, which also used to deprive former political prisoners and Human Rights activists visiting us or notice our miserable circumstances at this horrifying jail.

While the oppressive practices continue and just two days before my release, I was provoked and intimidated by the so called Director of the jail Abd-Lilah Az-zunfri, who said that he will open a new procedure to arrest me again. I was really scared, after being out and seeing two police cars in front of the jail gate surrounded by the main torturers; the “Police Director” Abu Hassan Ichi and the “Officer of the Police” Abd Al-hag Rabih. Despite my fears I was also happy to see some members of my family and friends from the CODESA (Al-arbi Mas’ud and Brahim Al-Ismaili) expecting my release in an environment dominated by the extreme security siege made by a several security agents who accompanied me to “Matal-la” District which was extremely guarded by security forces.

At the same time, the jail administration in El Aaiún used to obligatorily transfer all the political and opinion prisoners who show their solidarity with the struggle of the Saharawi Political Prisoners, after assigning to them false accusations, they are transferred to the regional prison of “Ait Meloul”. Among the transferred prisoners were; Ahmed Daudi, Zubeir Algarhi, Mohamed Salem Al-kasimi, Agdafna Minah as well as the Political Prisoners Alamin Badi and Larosi Shubeida. The last one was taken by force to the regional jail of Tizinit. We can’t either forget the case of the Saharawi lady Mariam Ar-gueibi who was transferred to the regional jail of Ait Meloul. The Moroccan justice is still thinking about reopening on October the 1st, 2007, the cases of Saharawi Political Prisoners Brahim Sabbar, Ahmed S’bahi, Al-hafed Toubali, Lehbib Al-kasimi, Ahmeidan Mohamed Salem and Abd-salam Lumadi because they chanted slogans inside the jail and in the Court Room demanding the Saharawi people’s right to self-determination.

As long as the two police agents, responsible of the murder of the Saharawi martyr Hamdi Lembarki, are still spending their ten-years of prison sentences inside one of the jail offices, enjoying the 24hrs visits of their relatives and having access to telephone contact and satellite T.V. This policy proves the discrimination exercised against the Saharawi Political Prisoners, who are deprived from their most elemental rights as opinion prisoners.

After revealing a part of the sufferings I experienced together with the Saharawi Political Prisoners inside the jail, I would like to praise the efforts of the international observers who came from afar to attend our political trial. I also value the great role played by the Saharawi lawyers who defended us as well as the international and Moroccan Human Rights organizations and associations like; Amnesty International and its sections around the world, the Moroccan Human Rights Association, the International Commission Against Torture in Switzerland, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Italian section of the International Committee for the Respect of Human Rights in Western Sahara, the Association of the Families of the Saharawi Disappeards and prisoners, the Saharawi Jurists Union, the Spanish General Council of Lawyers as well as all the humanitarian organizations, the Human Rights activists, the judges, lawyers, intellectuals, artists, writers, poets, politicians, trade-unionists and simple people who follow from very closely the critical Human Rights situation in Western Sahara. I would also like to hail the support of the Saharawi people and the Saharawi Human rights activists who depict in their reports the daily battles of our struggle. This struggle that we are carrying on along with our families and all the Saharawi people, who became our angel guard in our fight for the respect of the Human Rights in the occupied territories of Western Sahara.

I wouldn’t like to miss the opportunity to record, with pride, the experience of the group of the Saharawi Political Prisoners who passed by this jail and who are known by the “Group of the 37”. Thanks to their struggle, we could finally reveal a part of the atrocities committed inside this horrible detention centre. They have also succeeded in starting the phenomenon of the political imprisonments showing to the world that the “Black Jail” of El Aaiún is “a tomb for alive people”. This fact of the “Black Jail” of El Aaiún was evidenced by the pictures of the political prisoners spread through the internet during their 52 days of Hunger Strike.

Finally I would like to make an urgent appeal to the peaceloving people in the world to work for:

Imposing the respect of the international legality and guarantee to the Saharawi people their right to self-determination.
Saving the Saharawi Political Prisoners from the horrifying “Black Jail” of El Aaiún and put pressure on Morocco to release all the Saharawi Political Prisoners from the Moroccan prisons as well as starting an international campaign to close the “Black Jail” of El Aaiún.
To open an international investigation on the brutal violations of the Human Rights committed by the Moroccan authorities against innocent people who were only expressing their opinions and protesting for respect of their rights.
Put the light on the allegations of torture presented by the victims and bring the persons accountable for these practices before the justice no matter how high are their positions in the prison administration or at the Ministry of Justice.
Widen the mission of the MINURSO to include the observation of the Human Rights in the occupied territories.
Publishing the Report of the mission of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, which visited the region on May the 17th and 18th, 2006 and implementing its recommendations.

Notice:

List of the torturers and the main outstanding “lords” of the “Black Jail” of El Aaiún:

1- Abd-Lilah Az-zunfri: Director of the jail.

2- Mohamed Al-mansuri: President of the etention centre.

3- Mohamed Al-buhzizi: Vice-president of the detention centre.

4- Abd Al-ali Al-buhnani: Vice-president of the detention centre.

5- Abdelkader Ait Sus: Responsible for general works.

6- Abderrahim Al-harruchi: Responsible for construction and general work in the jail.

7- Abderrazag Mugtasam: Responsible for the visits and the searching of possessions.

8- Jamal Beiruk: President of the Section or the centre.

9-Abdelhag Wahbi: Searching.

10- Ahmed Alharrag: President od the judiciary office of the jail(director of the third level).

11- Yusef Al-manur: President of the judiciary office(director of the third level).

12- Ismail Bachari: President of a sector.

13- Idris Butib: Nurse.

14- Mustafa Al-azizi: Nurse.

15- Yusef Butiglidin: Nurse.

16- Abdelhag Fartamis: He was transferred to “Ramani Jail”.

17- Abdelhakim: He was transferred to the central prison of Al-kinetra.

* A technical presentation on the jail:

Director of the jail: Abd-Lilah Az-zunfri.
His office number: 24/35.
Director of the third level.
He is a former director at the central prison of Al-kenitra. He came to the “Black Jail” of El Aaiún on January the 14th, 2007. He is well known for his black record on torturing and humiliating the prisoners.

Number of guards: 62 guards. 13 of them are women.
Number of prisoners at the jail: 280.
Section of common delinquency(Minors): 39.
Section of women: 20.
Political Prisoners: 27.

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POLISARIO SCANDINAVIA

2007-08-22T10:39:00.000+03:00

POLISARIO FRONT REPRESENTATION FOR THE NORDIC COUNTRIES
42 TORSGATAN 1TR
S-113 62 STOCKHOLM
TEL 08 31 56 10
FAX 08 31 12 80
e.mail polisasw@yahoo.com
statement
Y.Lamine Polisario representative

On Tuesday , the Moroccan authorities have detained Two young persons from the Nordic Countries Andrea Gustavsson ,Swedish citizen and Kamilla Eidsvik, Norwegian citizen in El Aaiun the in the occupied territories of Western Sahara, and they have been interrogated by the Moroccan police .

The Polisario Front condemned in most strongest term the Moroccan gangsters behavior which reflects the implementation of a strategy of siege imposed on the occupied territories Western Sahara, and depriving the world from knowing the Moroccan wrong doing, totally in violation of human right , Morocco have for a very long time carried a policy of : abductions, murder, systematic torture, forced displacement, arbitrary arrestation of individuals, families and groups, ransacked homes, destroyed property , slaughtered cattle, all of this exercised against the rights of unarmed innocent Saharawi civilians, in addition to deprivation of the political and civil rights, suppression of freedoms and the prevention of association and peaceful assembly, and other economic, social and cultural rights.

Morocco has expelled from the occupied territories journalist, MP, lawyer, trade unionist ,NGO, human right activist ,and denied access to the territories for MEPs, MPs, regional and local politician and diplomats .

It becomes imperative that international community assume its full responsibly and ensure that the occupied territories must be open to visitors , mass medias, observers ,politician and secure the safety of the Saharawi civilian .And put pressure on Morocco to release all Saharawi political detainees which are more 60 persons , Ensure the right of the Saharawi people to self-determination and Expand MINURSO mandate to be able to observe of the human rights state in the territory .
We call upon on Europe to use its influence on Morocco to cease the violation of human right in the occupied Western Sahara .

Yahiaoui Lamine
Polisario Chief-representative
For the Nordic Countries

latter from the Saharawi president Mr Mohamed Abdelaziz to Mr Ban ki-moon UN GS

2007-08-19T21:48:00.000+03:00

Secretary-General of the United Nations
New York

Bir Lehlou, 19 August 2007

Mr Secretary-General,

Since its invasion of Western Sahara, which took place on 31 October 1975, the Moroccan Government has persistently violated the dictates of international legality. Indicative of this conduct is its illegal colonial presence in the Territory and the concomitant abuses of human rights of Saharawi civilians including assassination and other despicable practices such as burning and burying people alive in mass graves, deportation, massive settlement of Moroccans, and systematic plundering of the natural resources of our country. Of late the Moroccan Government has also reneged on its international commitments and turned its back on all the agreements it had concluded, under the aegis of the United Nations, with the Saharawi side.

Mr Secretary-General,

I would like to address to you this letter to draw your attention to serious and repeated provocative practices that are utterly incompatible with the Security Council resolution 1754 that called for good faith in the direct negotiations to be held between the two parties with a view to reaching a solution that will provide for the self-determination of the Saharawi people.

In the Saharawi territories under Moroccan occupation the Moroccan authorities are exerting all forms of pressure on Saharawis to compel them to vote in elections that concern another country that is not theirs, namely the Moroccan Kingdom, whilst depriving them from the right to vote for exercising their inalienable right to self-determination.

Mr Secretary-General,

The persistence of the Moroccan Government in these practices is yet another move towards escalation and a gross violation of international law, in view of the fact that it does not have sovereignty over Western Sahara and therefore it cannot treat the population of the Territory, which it has invaded by force, as it would treat the population of any other region situated within its internationally recognised borders.

At the same time as the Moroccan occupying authorities intensify their repression and tighten their security siege and information blackout on the Territory, their holding of elections in the occupied Western Sahara is yet another blatant defiance of the dictates of international legality, and an attempt to impose the Moroccan colonial fait accompli in a territory supervised by the United Nations.

The responsibility of the United Nations lies in ensuring the exercise of the right to self-determination and decolonising Western Sahara. For that reason, the United Nations cannot remain idle in the face of an act that is openly contemptuous of its own responsibility and scornful of its mission, MINURSO, which is present in the Territory for the sole purpose of organising the only valid vote called for by the international community, namely the self-determination referendum.

In this context, we would like to call on you, Mr Secretary-General as the head of the highest international body, to intervene to put an end to this violation of international law and international humanitarian law, and to put pressure on the Moroccan Government to refrain from this provocative course of action by confining its elections to its internationally recognised borders, and ceasing its attempts to involve the Saharawis in polls that do not concern them.

We would also like to call on the United Nations, as the responsible for the Territory, to fully assume its responsibility in putting an end to the brutal repression exerted by the Moroccan occupying authorities against Saharawi civilians, and allowing access to the Territory by independent observers and media; it is also called on to ensure the release of the 66 Saharawi prisoners of conscience who are still held in prison as part of hundreds that had been detained following the peaceful demonstrations that started on 21 May 2005 to demand the respect for the right to self-determination.

We also demand the accounting for the fate of more than 500 Saharawi disappeared and 151 prisoners of war who are still held by the Moroccan Government, and the release of the report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights of September 2006 and that its recommendations be acted upon, as well as the broadening of the mandate of MINURSO to include the monitoring of human rights in Western Sahara and reporting on the situation.

Please accept, Mr Secretary-General, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Mohamed Abdelaziz,
Secretary-General of the Frente POLISARIO

2007-08-15T21:48:00.000+03:00

Polisario representative greeting Mona Sahlin at SSU Congress

2007-08-15T21:29:00.000+03:00

POLISARIO SWEDEN

2007-08-13T20:12:00.000+03:00

POLISARIO SWEDEN

Saharawi youth meeting the new leader of SSU

Polisario representative meeting LO leader at SSU congress

2007-08-13T20:07:00.000+03:00

2007-08-13T19:59:00.000+03:00

2007-08-05T18:10:00.000+03:00

In
Finland

2007-08-05T18:06:00.000+03:00

Hmad Hammad in Stockholm May 2007

The Moroccan Security Accused of Shooting African

2007-08-05T17:58:00.000+03:00

Several Moroccan human rights associations have accused the Moroccan security forces of killing two people in El Aaiun, capital of the zone of Western Sahara under Moroccan occupation, according to PANAPRESS. According to these associations, two other people were seriously wounded on the night of 30 July in the shooting by the Moroccan security forces while attempting to sail from the El Aaiun coasts. They claim that the Moroccan police arrested over 450 Sub-Saharan nationals (migrants and asylum seekers) a few days earlier during a large-scale combing operation on the campus of the north-eastern Moroccan city of Oujda near the border with Algeria. Those arrested among whom are six women and two children, one of whom four years old, were first taken to the Oujda police station where their mobile phones were seized before being driven out of the city in police vans towards the border. According to some testimonies gathered by the associations, policemen, soldiers and auxiliary forces surrounded these migrants about 4.00 local time and began arresting, mistreating and beating them violently with belts and hardened rubber sticks. Many of them got injured before police took them in their vans and drove away. "People who managed to escape the camp to the neighbouring forest were pursued by the security forces some of whom were accompanied by dogs. These forces searched the camp with bulldozer, destroying and burning everything in it," the rights associations complain in their statement. The organisations are calling for "the setting up of a thorough, unbiased and public enquiry into the incident in the occupied city of El Aaiun as well as for the release of people arrested and the restitution of all assets seized from them in the Oujda police station". At least 11 people were shot dead in September-October 2005 as they were trying to reach Europe by crossing the wire fences separating them from two Spanish enclaves -- Ceuta and Mellila. The Beni Znassen Association for Culture, Development and Solidarity (ABCDS), the Association Friends and Families of the Victims of Illegal Immigration (AFVIC), the Association of Congolese Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Morocco (ARCOM), ATTAC-Maroc, Men and Environment, Migreurop, RSF Morocco (Refugees without Borders) signed the document.
05/08/2007

Colombia SADR

2007-04-05T10:36:00.001+03:00

SADR/COLOMBIA
The Senate of Colombia adopts a resolution in favour of the Saharawi people

Chahid El Hafed, 29/03/2007 (SPS) The Senate of the Republic of Colombia adopted on Tuesday a resolution unanimously approved on Tuesday by the two chambers of the Parliament reaffirming the support of the two Colombian Chambers to the Saharawi people’s right to self-determination and independence.

The Colombian Senate estimated that the conflict of the Western Sahara is a "question of decolonisation", according to the UN General Assembly’s 4th Commission. The UN stressed the Saharawi people’s inalienable right to self-determination in all its resolutions.

The draft resolution was presented the same day by Senator Gustavo Petro, who is also the Spokesperson of the Democratic Pole. The resolution was consequently adopted by all the members of the Senate.

On his side, the Spokesperson of the Colombian Conservative Party submitted the text of the draft resolution to the plenary session of the Chamber of Representatives, who expressed adopted the text by consensus.

The Colombian Parliament reaffirm through the adoption of this resolution its support of the Saharawi people’s right to self-determination and denounced the human rights violations in the occupied territories of the Western Sahara. (SPS)

020/090/000/TRD 291240 MAR 07 SPS

urgent appeal from the Saharawi Red Crescent

2007-04-05T10:36:00.000+03:00

RASD/HCR
The Saharawi Red Crescent underlines the seriousness of the food situation of the Saharawi people

Chahid El Hafed, 31/03/2007 (SPS) The President of the Saharawi Red Crescent (CRS), Mr. Yahia Bouhebeini, stressed, in a letter to the High Commissioner for Refugees (HCR), the seriousness of the food situation of the Saharawi refugees, as well as the rupture, since September 2006, of the "Special programme" for the Saharawi children and women who suffer from malnutrition.

This special programme was elaborated, Mr. Bouhebeini indicates in a letter he addresses to the highest official of the HCR, Mr. Antonio Gutierrez, following recommendations included in the report of the specialised Italian Nutrition Institute (INRAN).

The President of the CRS recalled that the study undertook in March 2005 concluded that "76,5% of the pregnant women, 66,4% of breast-feeding women as well as 68,5% of the children who are under 5 years and victims to anaemia".

Mr. Bouhebeini indicated, on another hand, that the annual budget dedicated to 2007 "has diminished by 12% in comparison with the last year, by 31% in comparison to 2005 and by 50% in comparison to 2004".

The President of the CRS related the seriousness of the humanitarian situation to the "arbitrary and unilateral decision adopted by the regional director of the HCR (...), in the 22 of August 2005, when he decided to reduce to number of the beneficiaries from the Saharawi refugees from 158.000 persons to 90.000 "most vulnerable refugees!!".(SPS)

The 5th Congress of the Saharawi Woman

2007-04-05T10:35:00.000+03:00

SADR/WOMEN/CONGRESS
The 5th Congress of the UNFS opens tomorrow in the 27th of February

Chahid El Hafed, 04/04/2007 (SPS) The 5th Congress of the Saharawi Women National Union (UNFS- in Spanish abbreviation) will open on Thursday in the women’s School of 27 February in the Saharawi refugee camps with the presence of foreign delegations, indicated a press release published by the UNFS n Tuesday.

Hundreds delegates of the UNFS, representing the Wilayas and institutions of the Saharawi Republic, the occupied territories and abroad will participate to this fifth congress that will take place between the 5th to the 7th of April.

The Congress will be an opportunity for the Saharawi women to reaffirm its unshakable determination to continue the struggle to get the Saharawi people’s legitimate rights to freedom and independence.

During three days, the delegates will elect a new Secretary General, an executive bureau and adopt a short time and a long time programmes of action of the organisation, as well as the exchange of experiences with the other Saharawi women coming from foreign countries to participate in the struggle of the Saharawi women for a just and egalitarian world.

The Congress that takes place every five years, is the highest body in the UNFS. It usually bares the name of a woman Martyr, victim of the Moroccan repression. (SPS)

020/090/000/TRD 041710 AVR 07 SPS

SADR NORWAY

2007-04-05T10:32:00.000+03:00

SADR/NORWAY/MEDIAS
The President of the Norwegian Parliament will raise the human rights situation in the Western Sahara with Rabat’s authorities

Oslo, 04/04/2007 (SPS) The President of the Norwegian Parliament, Thorbjorn Jagland, affirmed that he will raise, with the Moroccan authorities, the question of the human rights situation in the occupied territories of the Western Sahara, in an interview he had on Monday with the Norwegian newspaper, Verdensmagasinet X, reported the Saharawi Representative in the Nordic countries.

Mr. Jagland asserted that he "will exercise pressures on the Moroccan authorities so as it also a Nordic delegation to visit the occupied territories of the Western Sahara". He will also discuss about this question with the Norwegian Ambassador in Rabat.

Concerning the Moroccan proposition of autonomy or the Western Sahara, Mr. Jagland, estimated that this unilateral proposition "can only be part of the occupation policy of Morocco".

Comparing between the Palestinians and Saharawis, who wants to decide about their affairs, Mr. Jagland stressed that "the Saharawis are living in more hard conditions that the Palestinian". (SPS)

020/090/000/TRD 041130 AVR 07 SPS

SADR- ITALY

2007-04-05T10:31:00.000+03:00

SADR/ITALY
An Italian Party reaffirms its engagement with the Saharawi people

Roma, 04/04/2007 (SPS) The Italian Party of the communist Reconstruction (PRC) reaffirmed its engagement an support to the Saharawi people’s struggle and called on the Italian Government to act in agreement with the international bodies, for the organisation of a self-determination referendum in Western Sahara, as defined in the Baker Plan.

In a press release published on Monday after the meeting that gathered members of the Italian party leadership with a POLISARIO Front’s delegation chaired by Mr. M'hamed Khadad, member of the National Secretariat and Coordinator with the UN Mission for the Western Sahara (MINURSO), the PRC renewed its "full engagement" to the Saharawi people.

He called on the Italian Government to support a "political solution based on the UN’s resolutions that provides for a self-determination referendum for the Saharawi people that is the only solution of the conflict". (SPS)

020/090/700/TRD 041245 AVR 07 SPS

The Saharawi president

2007-04-05T10:28:00.000+03:00

SADR/POLITIC
Mohamed Abdelaziz: "Any solution that does not respect our right to self-determination is unacceptable"

Chahid El Hafed, 01/04/2007, (SPS) The President of the Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz, underlined that "any solution that does not respect our right to self-determination is unacceptable", in a speech during a luncheon he offered on Saturday at the presidency on the occasion of the religious holyday of Iid El Maoulid with the presence of some hundred Saharawi personalities, notables, members of the Polisario Front’s leadership, members of the Saharawi Government, Parliament in addition to many national cadre.

"Any solution that does not respect our rights to self-determination and independence, is unacceptable", he underlined, indicating that the Moroccan dilatory manœuvre will only lead to the deterioration of the stability and security of the region.

The Head of the State, who tackled in his speech many subjects, "sources of legitimate preoccupation of all Saharawis", underlined that the Saharawi political direction "clearly informed the United Nations, the member States of the UN Security Council and many other government about the Saharawi people’s categorical refusal of any solution that does not respect the international legality, the Saharawi people’s right to self-determination and independence".

"We indicated to the UN Secretary General, Mr. Ban Ke-moon, during our recent visit to New York, that the big mistake that was committed in 1975 when Spain and Morocco aborted the efforts of the UN in the decolonisation of the Western Sahara, should not be committed again 30 years after. The Moroccan attempts to impose the colonial fait accompli through the so-called autonomy plan, in addition to be unilateral, illegal and unacceptable, will only submerge the region in a new period of instability, war and sufferings" for both Saharawi and Moroccan peoples, the President of the Republic said.

Mr. Abdelaziz stressed that the Saharawi State is an irreversible reality. We want the entire world to know that it is the choice of all Saharawis, starting from the children in schools in the occupied territories to the fighters in the Saharawi military regions, they are all unanimous around the Republic, the national flag and around their only and legitimate representative, POLISARIO Front, and they are all determined to defend their rights to freedom and independence by all legitimate means in their possession, without restriction".

In this respect, the Head of the State paid "a vivid tribute to the Saharawi resistant, women, children and militants in the occupied territories of the Western Sahara, in the south of Morocco and even in the Moroccan cities and in the Diaspora, who give proof to the Moroccan government that it is impossible to break the will of unified and resolute people, who above all is peacefully defending his legitimate rights to dignity, freedom and independence by civilised ways".

In another subject, Mr. Abdelaziz informed the very attentive audience that the Saharawi government is facing these last years increasing pressures from the international humanitarian organisations, "which think that they can break the Saharawi people or force them to give political concessions".

For these organisations, Mr. Abdelaziz declared that "the Saharawi people will never cede its legitimate rights", and will never accept humiliation because of its needs, underlining that "the dignity of our people comes in the first place and for it the Saharawi people is ready for all sacrifices".

On another hand, the Head of the State criticised the position of France, "that scorns the international legality and provides Morocco with an unconditional support in its colonial adventure in the Western Sahara", regretting at the same time the position of the Spanish socialist government which I increasingly hostile to the Saharawi people’s legitimate rights. (SPS)

060/090/000/TRD 011980 APR 07 SPS

American Senators -Western Sahara

2007-04-05T10:27:00.000+03:00

SADR/UNITED STATES
American Senators wrote to President Bush about the Western Sahara

Washington, 01/04/2007 (SPS) Members of the US Senate addressed a letter to the President of the USA, Mr. George W. Bush, asking him to support a fair and lasting solution to the conflict of Western Sahara that respects the international legality, and rejecting the Moroccan autonomy plan, which “represents a flagrant violation of international law and a denial of the right to self-determination for the Saharawi people”

Here is the complete text of the letter, of which SPS received a copy :

The Honourable George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvanian Ave.
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President,
We are writing to express our deep concern regarding the ongoing conflict in Western Sahara. Despite the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice denying Morocco any sovereignty over the territory and upholding the right of the people of Western Sahara to self-determination, international law continues to be ignored.

The United Nations (UN) has reaffirmed the right of the Saharawis to self-determination and established the UN’s mission for the referendum in the Western Sahara (MINURSO) in 1991 with the goal of organizing and conducting a referendum in which the people of Western Sahara will choose between independence or integration into Morocco. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent on MINURSO, but unfortunately, Morocco, with the support of the French government in the Security Council, has frustrated all efforts by the UN to carry out a free, fair and transparent referendum.

In 1997, former Secretary of State James Baker was appointed as Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary General. After seven long years of negotiations, he presented a compromise that was unanimously endorsed by the UN Security Council, accepted by the Polisario Front on behalf of the Saharawis, but was rejected by Morocco.

According to recent reports, there is an attempt to bring a so-called solution which claims to bring “autonomy to the territory”. This actually represents a flagrant violation of international law and a denial of the right to self-determination for the Saharawi people. The right to self-determination is a core value of the United States of America and we believe your administration should not associate itself with this violation of a fundamental human right.

MINURSO was entrusted by the international community with organizing the referendum and, if its responsibility is to be changed, we should reconsider whether the United States taxpayers should continue to finance a UN operation that violates international law. Furthermore, we regret that past attempts to include human rights monitoring as part of the MINURSO mandate, which were in reaction to the violence against the Saharawis by Moroccan authorities, were blocked by France at the UN Security Council, and we encourage the UN mission at the UN to pursue this objective at the next UN Security Council meeting regarding Western Sahara.

It is our hope that you and your Administration will uphold the right to self-determination in Western Sahara, and by doing so, will advance the just and lasting solution that will bring peace and stability to that part of the world.

Sincerely,

- James M. Inhofe
United States Senate
- Patrick Leahy
United States Senate
- Russell Feingold
United States Senate

Copies were also sent to:
Honourable Condoleezza Rice,
Secretary of State
Honourable Stephen Hadley,
Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs
Honourable Alejandro Wolff,
Acting US Ambassador to the United Nations”. (SPS)

TIFARITI DECLARATION SADR 28 FEB 2007

2007-03-02T20:46:00.000+02:00

SADR/CONFERENCE
Complete text of the Declaration of Tifariti

Tifariti (liberated territories), 28/02/2007 (SPS) The International Conference of solidarity with the Saharawi people closed its works on Tuesday in Tifariti with the adoption of a programme of action, letters to the Security Council, UN Secretary general, and the President of the European Union, in addition to the Declaration of Tifariti.

Here is the complete text of the Declaration:

Final declaration

In the framework of 2007, the International Year of Solidarity with the SADR, an international conference dedicated to the struggle of the Saharawi people was organised in Tifariti (the liberated territories of the SADR) on 26-27 February. The conference gathered a large number of participants coming from all over the world.

Organised for the first time in Tifariti, in the liberated zones, the conference acquired a very special importance as it coincided with the commemoration by the Saharawi people of the 31st anniversary of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic.

The conference pays tribute to the struggle for national independence that the Saharawi people have been waging for more than three decades under the leadership of the Frente POLISARIO against the illegal occupation of their country by the Kingdom of Morocco.

This relentless struggle conducted with strict respect for international legality is sustained by the will of a people that have demonstrated their determination to achieve their full freedom and to build their future in peace, democracy and freedom.

Equally, this struggle derives its legitimacy from the principles of the UN Charter and numerous resolutions that recognise the right of peoples subjected to colonial occupation to self-determination. Thanks to the sacrifices made by many peoples in Africa, Asia and Latin America, the international community has established as an international crime the use of force to deprive a people of that right. The corollary of this is the duty incumbent on all states to show that people their support and solidarity until the attainment of their legitimate national objective.

The participants reiterate their vehement condemnation of the military and political aggression unleashed, in October 1975, by the Kingdom of Morocco against the Saharawi people in the framework of the illegal accords of 14 November 1975 by virtue of which the former administering power of Western Sahara, Spain, renounced the responsibilities that it had and still has in conformity with the verdict of the United Nations of 29 January 2002, regarding the completion of the decolonisation process in Western Sahara.

The conference congratulates the SADR and Mauritania for singing the peace agreement dated 5 August 1978, whereby Mauritania opted for respecting international legality and, in an act of political coherence and in full exercise of its sovereignty, established official relations with its neighbour, the SADR. The conference encourages he two countries, bound by many and valuable ties, to strengthen constantly their bilateral relations, to consolidate the rule of law state, and to defend the principles enshrined in the Charters of the United Nations and the African Union. These are essential factors for securing peace and security in the region, which is a necessary step for the eventual launching of the unitary Maghrebian project.

The conference highly applauds the African Union for defending these principles, and in particular the principle of self-determination of colonial countries and people as well as the principle of the intangibility of the frontiers inherited from the colonial era, which it has shown by admitting the SADR as a full member amid the family of free and sovereign African nations.

The conference pays tribute to the support rendered by Algeria throughout the past decades to the legitimate struggle of the people of the SADR for their self-determination and independence, a constant position inspired by the unfailing attachment of this great country to the values and teachings derived from the heroic struggle of the Algerian people for their independence.

The conference shows its deep appreciation for the solidarity as well as the political and diplomatic support that a large number of countries in Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and Asia have given to the just cause of the Saharawi people bilaterally and in international forums. In this context, the conference expresses its profound gratitude to all political forces, MPs, local and autonomous bodies, and nongovernmental organisations of civil society in Europe, Latin America and the United States that have accompanied the Saharawi people with their encouragement and humanitarian and material support in order to mitigate the hardships and all forms of deprivations resulting from the conquest war and the colonial pillage carried out by the Kingdom of Morocco.

The conference has discussed in depth the current situation of the peace process in Western Sahara that was set in motion in 1990-91 by the United Nations in the framework of the Settlement Plan, which was approved by the Security Council in its resolutions 658 and 690 and accepted by the occupying power, Morocco, and the Frente POLISARIO, the legitimate representative of the Saharawi people. The explicit objective of this process was—and must continue to be—one of enabling the Saharawi people to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination in the context of the options set out in this plan and through a referendum organised and supervised by the United Nations in cooperation with the African Union.

Whilst reaffirming the content of the resolutions adopted by the General Assembly since the 60s as well as the content of the verdict of the International Court of Justice on Western Sahara dated 16 October 1975, this plan recognises that the Saharawi question is a decolonisation issue that can be resolved only through the implementation of the dictates of international legality contained in the Magna Carta of decolonisation set out in the well-known resolution 1514 (XV) of the General Assembly. In this context, the United Nations recognised—and continue to recognise—that Morocco maintains an illegal occupation of a territory that does not belong to it, and on which it does not and cannot exercise any form of sovereignty.

The participants are convinced that the referendum remains the only peaceful and legal means that enjoys the unanimous support of the international community for reaching a just, peaceful and lasting solution to the conflict in Western Sahara. The Saharawi people are the only depository of the right to self-determination of their territory and no one, and certainly not the occupying power, can determine on their behalf the destiny of their country.

Consequently, the conference CONDEMNS the policy of occupation and oppression pursed by Morocco in Western Sahara as well as its strategy aimed at thwarting and frustrating the efforts and decisions taken by the international community. Morocco’s rejection of the Settlement Plan and the Houston Agreements that it had already accepted and signed as well as its opposition to the Peace Plan (Baker Plan), which was approved by the Security Council in its resolution 1495 (2003), all indicate that Morocco has acted in bad faith and is deliberately determined to persist in challenging the resolutions of the Security Council and the General Assembly that recognise the right of the Saharawi people to self-determination.

The final status of the territory of Western Sahara is the exclusive prerogative of its people. In this context, the Moroccan unilateral project concerning the so-called “autonomy” within the framework of its purported sovereignty over Western Sahara that no country or body recognises, seeks to distort international legality applicable to a decolonisation question by trying to impose on the Saharawi people and the international community a disgraceful and unacceptable “colonial reality” in the midst of the 21st century. Every country that respects itself and international legality should reject this new attempt of colonial nature that aims to legitimise a colonial aggression perpetrated against a people to the detriment of their rights to freedom and independence. The conference would like to express its astonishment and surprise at the fact that France, in the words of its president, has described this project as “constructive” considering that it is a flagrant violation of international law aimed at depriving a people of their right to self-determination. As a member of the Security Council and present and future partner of the Maghrebian region, France would enhance its credibility if it employs its political and diplomatic leverage to make Morocco cooperate with the United Nations in the holding of the self-determination referendum to which it had committed itself, given the unanimous support given by the Security Council to the Settlement Plan and Houston Agreements as well as the Baker Plan.

The participants consider that the pseudo-solution called proposal of “autonomy” in the framework of Moroccan sovereignty constitutes a dangerous “flight forward” that will give rise to more tension in the territory and the region as a whole, and will eventually block all ways leading to a peaceful, just and lasting settlement of the conflict.

The Conference DECLARES the Moroccan project legally null and void. The participants call on France and its government to reconsider its position, and to cease its alignment with the Moroccan expansionist policies that are being pursued to the detriment of international legality and the obligations and responsibilities towards the Maghreb region whose future configuration cannot be done on the basis of the modification by the force of the frontiers inherited from the colonial era, or the violation of the fundamental right of self-determination of the Saharawi people.

The conference REMINDS Spain of its political, legal and ethical responsibility for the tragedy that the Saharawi people continue to endure. Having successfully overcome the transitional period and consolidated its democracy, and keeping in mind that responsibility and the view of the immense majority of the civil society, the official Spain should revise its current position in order to play its role as an administering power and thus contribute honestly and concretely to the peaceful and just solution to the conflict in Western Sahara on the basis of the respect for international legality.

The conference REGRETS that, after thirty years, the stand of the Spanish Government has not been in line with this binding responsibility. The conference condemns the Spain’s recent massive arms sales to Morocco and its abstention from supporting the last resolution of the UN General Assembly on Western Sahara are serious facts that can only contribute to encouraging Morocco to continue its rebellion against international law, and to intensify its violation of human rights in the occupied territories of Western Sahara. The conference launches an appeal to the civil society and all peoples and democratic forces of the Spanish State to intervene urgently to stop these arms sales to Morocco whose political consequences for peace and stability will very dangerous.

The conference REMINDS the European Union of its responsibility for the continuation of the conflict in Western Sahara. The EU, a big supplier of Morocco, should not allow this country to violate the terms and obligations derived from the association agreement especially those that are related to the respect for human rights. However, several governmental and nongovernmental organisations such as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, among others, have publicly recognised the fact that Morocco continues to massively violate human rights in Western Sahara, and that this violation is rooted in the violation of the right of the Saharawi people to self-determination.

It is not in favour of the international credibility of the European Union to turn a blind eye to what is happening in Western Sahara, and to pursue a policy of double standard in its consideration of the situation of human rights in the world particularly if these violations are perpetrated by countries that receive, as the case of Morocco, generous financial and economic aid from the EU.

The conference would like to REITERATE ITS DENUNCIATION of the Moroccan policy aimed at implicating foreign companies and governments in plundering the natural resources including fish and hydrocarbons of Western Sahara.

In this context, the fisheries agreement signed by the EU and Morocco, at Spain and France’s instigation, is an act contrary to international legality because it involves illegally the jurisdictional waters of Western Sahara. It is an act of illegal exploitation of the natural resources of the Saharawi people over which it has permanent sovereignty in accordance with international law. It is also an agreement that grants economic and financial benefits to the occupying power of the territory, thus encouraging it to continue its opposition to international legality. The conference considers this agreement as illegal and call for it to be immediately revoked.

During their visit to the Saharawi refugee camps and some of the liberated zones of the SADR, the participants have been able to see firsthand the hard life conditions of the population, which are aggravated by the harsh geographical environment. These dramatic conditions can only be overcome by the achievement of a just and lasting solution to the conflict. This solution, which was established by the international community in 1990-91, was sabotaged by Morocco in the face of the passivity of the Security Council.

Nevertheless, the reality is evident because the beginning of the conflict and its continuation has forced thousands of Saharawi women, elderly and children to go into exile and to engage in resistance against the occupation of their homeland by the invading forces.

Determined to prepare the future of their country in the domains of education, health, administration, economy and the like, this population has known a real demographic explosion. The three decades, which have elapsed since the beginning of the illegal occupation of the territory by Morocco, have created a human drama that amounts to an affront to the worlds’ conscience.

The delay by the UN agencies, especially the UNHCR and the WFP, in fulfilling their commitment towards Saharawi refugees leads to a legitimates concern and poses serious questions about the possibility of a hidden agenda aimed at exerting pressure on the Saharawis in order to persuade them to give up their right to independence.

The conference launches an URGENT APPEAL on these agencies, the European Union and the international community as a whole to contribute urgently to providing sufficient humanitarian aid that respects the legitimate needs of a people that are victim of an imposed colonial war.

In the occupied territories, the situation remains alarming as Morocco continues its repression and persecution against the Saharawi population: daily harassment of human rights activists, torture, unfair trials, inhuman prison conditions, etc. The seriousness of the situation has reached unprecedented proportions after the beginning of the peaceful intifada in May 2005. The whole world, and in the first place the UN through the presence of MIURSO in the field, has realised the ferocity of this repression against the Saharawi population. Medieval jails crammed with political prisoners, torture, disappearances, detentions and unfair and arbitrary trials are the daily reminder of a brutal colonial occupation. A specific report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights detailed, in September 2006, the horror in which the Saharawi population lives in the occupied territories. Morocco has reacted with brutal repression and police violence against the legitimate demands that are expressed peacefully in defence of a people’s right. At the moment, there are 38 Saharawi political prisoners that have been on hunger strike since 30 January, and their situation is deteriorating every day…

The conference DENOUNCES Morocco’s violation of human rights in Western Sahara, and would like to express its firm support and encouragement to the heroic resistance of the Saharawi population, and calls on Morocco to put an end to its policies of oppression and repression. It also CALLS ON the United Nations to make public the report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Western Sahara (15-23 May and 19 June 2006). The conference DEMANDS the UN Secretary-General and the Security Council to enlarge the mandate of MINURSO to include the defence of human rights and the protection of civil society in the occupied territories.

The conference has been able to establish that, a few kilometres from the town of Tifariti, the occupying authorities have erected a disgraceful wall of more than 2.700 kilometres that separates a people and divides entire families, which is invested with landmines and death instruments. It embodies the occupation and the logic of force…

This wall is an affront to the world’s conscience and to human dignity, and reveals the true face of Morocco’s illegal occupation of Western Sahara, its expansionist policy and its violations of human rights. The wall of shame erected along Western Sahara has separated the same people for more than thirty years, and concentrates the terrifying destruction means, among which millions of landmines of all types that cause death and desolation among the Saharawi population, in addition to the disastrous ecological consequences for the livestock and the fauna of the territory.

Morocco that refuses to sign the conventions and treaties, which ban the use of landmines (Ottawa Convention, Geneva’s Call …), is responsible for this chaos and the devastation caused by this wall which, by its very conception and architecture, calls to mind other sinister walls that are bound to fall and to disappear one day. The participants CALL FOR the dismantlement of this wall of shame.

There is an emergency situation in Western Sahara that entails an urgent action.

The conference express its vehement condemnation of the Moroccan escalation, and launches an urgent appeal on the United Nations, and especially the Secretary-General and the Security Council, to demand Morocco to respect its commitments that were agreed on in the Settlement Plan of 1991 and the Houston Agreements of 1997.

The conference considers that there will be no just, legitimate, democratic and acceptable solution without taking into account the respect for the will of the people of Western Sahara and respect for international law and the UN resolutions.

The conference calls on the Moroccan Government to put an end to its brutal repression against the Saharawi civilians in the occupied territories, to release all political prisoners and to allow visits by independent observers and NGOs.

The conference reaffirms its full solidarity with the legitimate struggle of the Saharawi people and draws up a plan that aims to put into practice this solidarity in political, humanitarian, parliamentarian, social, and economic domains, and on a world scale. The participants would like to thank the Saharawi political, military and administrative authorities for their invaluable contribution to the success of this conference.

The Saharawi President Speech at the 31th Anniversary of SADR in TIFARITI

2007-03-02T20:40:00.000+02:00

Keynote Speech of Mr. Mohamed Abdelaziz, President of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic and the Secretary-General of the Frente POLISARIO on the occasion of the 31st anniversary of the proclamation of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic and the International Conference of Solidarity with the Saharawi People
The liberated town of Tifariti, 27 February 2007

Combatants of the Saharawi People’s Army,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Brothers and Friends, Honourable Guests,

As we gather today in Tifariti, in the liberated territories, to commemorate the 31st anniversary of the proclamation of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic, the embodiment of the will of all the Saharawi people, allow me to pay homage to the memory of the Martyr El-Wali Mustapha Sayed, the founder of the revolution, who proclaimed the Saharawi State not far from this place on 27 February 1976, and to the memory of all martyrs of our national cause.

Whilst paying tribute to the memory of the two martyrs of the Intifada for independence, Lembarki Hamdi and Lekhlifi Abba Cheick, we also bow to the memory of a group of heroes who have devoted their lives for the cause of freedom and dignity and the right of the Saharawi people to self-determination.

We pay tribute to Brahim Sabar, Yhdith Tarouzi, Hedi Mahmoud Keinan, Ahemd Sebai, Moulay Omar Ben-El-Yazid, Hafed Tawbali, Bechri Ben-Taleb, Ghali Zegheim, Moulay Cheick Ben-Alal, Mohamed Salem Bahaba, Mohamed Mouloud Hadjaj, Abdsalam Deida, Ahmed Salem Hmeidat, Mohamed Habib Gasmi, Abd Salam Lumadi, Shubeida Arousi, Benka Cheick, Wali Amidan, Lumadi Siad, Abdallah Ali Salem Hassan, Brahim Ali Lehssen Kdjut, Salama Mouloud Brahim Lhmam, Dris Mulay, Faradji Mansuri, Mohamed Sueilem Mohamed Abd Tamek, Agdi Hussein, Hamdi Ahmed Mbarek Beid, Bachir Yehdih, Abdallah Nadji , Cheibata Ould Zdef Mudafa, Kawara Taquiallah, Omar Ould Hamudi Ould Mokhtar, Salek Assri, Amidan Saleh, Mahmoud Mbarek Cheick Abu Kasem, Buannan Mohamed, Abdeldjalil Mudjahid, Lutfi Mouloud.

They represent a group of heroes of the Intifada that the Saharawi people are carrying out in the occupied territories and Southern Morocco against the arrogance and oppression of the Moroccan occupation. They have chosen to go on an open hunger strike, which has so far lasted for a few weeks, at the Black Prison in the occupied Saharawi capital, El Aiún, and in Anzigan, Tiznit, Ait Meloul in Morocco. Despite all forms of terror, torture and degrading treatment to which they have been subjected, and although their healthy situation is deteriorating every day, they remain steadfast in their courageous resistance.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The holding of the International Conference of Solidarity with the Saharawi People in Tifariti, in the liberated zones, is an event with great importance and implications.

This year will also be marked by the holding of the conference of the councils and towns twinned with Saharawi councils in which the participants will discuss the possibilities of cooperation not only with the Saharawi refugees but also with the liberated towns of the Saharawi Republic.

The organisation of the different stages of the Sahara Marathon, which will involve the liberated territories, is also a qualitative step in the direction of deepening and diversifying solidarity with and support for the struggle of the Saharawi people.

The Saharawi Republic intends to destroy the remaining part of its stockpiles of landmines, which will be done soon in Tifariti, in line with the commitments it has undertaken in this regard and as a gesture of its sincere will to achieve a just peace on the basis of the respect for international legality. However, the Moroccan Government continues to reject the implementation of these resolutions, whilst reneging on its commitments and violating human rights.

Not far from this place, a crime against humanity is still taking place represented by the Wall of Shame, the wall of terror and separation that was erected by Morocco to divide Western Sahara and its people by the presence of many thousands of soldiers, huge military arsenal and millions of landmines, which have killed dozens of innocents. It represents the brutal face of a deplorable and abhorrent colonial reality that the world should move to put to an end.

The international solidarity, which had begun in the first years of the tragedy resulting from the Moroccan occupation of our country, faces serious dangers at the moment in terms of the human rights situation in the Saharawi occupied territories and the food situation in the refugee camps as well. It is shameful to see some quarters officially seeking to suppress the report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Western Sahara, or trying hard to reduce the humanitarian aid destined for the Saharawi refugees as a means of political pressure in order to force them to give up their right to live in their homeland in freedom and dignity.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thirty one years have elapsed during which the Saharawi State has been consolidated and has become an irreversible legal and institutional reality as well as a national, regional and international reality and a factor of stability in the region. The struggle of the Saharawi people and their heroic determination has not and will never be in vain. Today, the Saharawi people are more determined than ever; the liberation march continues and new generations are embracing and carrying on the struggle, which has taken the Moroccan colonial authorities by surprise when demonstrations began to challenge the occupation audaciously and resolutely even in places on which the colonial power has been tightening its iron grip for more than thirty years.

The Saharawi people are today more cohesive and united behind the vanguard of their struggle, the Frente POLISARIO; wherever they are they remain very attached to their national aspirations, be they in the occupied territories, in the liberated zones and the refugee camps, in Southern Morocco and the Moroccan universities, where Saharawi students study, or in the diapsora.

This fact is the expression of their national unity that is continuously becoming stronger and more inclusive whereby all Saharawis are united behind the Saharawi Republic. It is also an indication of their unwavering determination to remain steadfastly attached to their sacred rights knowing that international legality is on their side and counting on a long history of admirable struggle and on a massive international solidarity which is reflected today by the overwhelming presence of representatives of countries and governments, solidarity groups and networks worldwide.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

There will be no solution to the conflict in Western Sahara outside the framework of international legality, and there will be no respect for international legality without enabling the Saharawi people to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination and independence. The Moroccan presence in Western Sahara represents an illegal occupation of a non-self-governing territory pending decolonisation. International conventions clearly stipulate that this process should be concluded by means of respecting the right of colonial peoples to self-determination, and not by entrenching a new colonial reality and imposing the views of the Moroccan occupying power, simply because it does not have sovereignty over the territory.

Form this land that has been liberated thanks to the sacrifices of the martyrs and the suffering of our people, we would like to tell the world that the Saharawi people, under the leadership of their sole and legitimate representative, the Frente POLISARIO, will never accept any baseless approach such as the so-called “autonomy” proposal that aims to legitimise Morocco’s illegal occupation of Western Sahara and entrench the colonial fait accompli in the territory.

This misconceived and dishonest proposal, which is utterly inconsistent with the minimum international norms, is a blatant violation of international law, and could only lead to more tension and instability. It is a new form of the Moroccan illegal military invasion of Western Sahara, which took place on 31 October 1975. It could therefore lead only to the same disastrous consequences of that invasion for both the Saharawi and Moroccan peoples and the peoples of the region as a whole.

It is high time to implement the democratic and civilised solution that is consistent with international law and UN resolutions as well as the agreements between the two parties to the conflict, the Kingdom of Morocco and the Frente POLISARIO, with regard to giving the Saharawi people their legitimate chance to express their sovereign wishes through a free, fair and just referendum.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The repression carried out by the Moroccan colonial authorities in the occupied territories of Western Sahara has reached unprecedented propositions. Civilians are constantly subjected to persecution for no reason rather than their engagement in peaceful demonstrations to demand the respect for the fundamental human rights and freedoms in Western Sahara and the world at large.

The international community should not remain idle in the face of the gross violations of human rights that are being perpetrated in a territory under the supervision and responsibility of the United Nations. What does the world await after the report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has recognised that the absence of the fundamental right, the right to self-determination, is the root cause of all those violations?

It is inconceivable that the world will remain as a passive spectator regarding the situation of innocent victims who live under a tight security siege and a total information blackout that have nothing to do with the sprit of the 21st century.

We would like to call on this honourable gathering of solidarity, and through it on all peoples and governments of the world, to act urgently to save the lives of dozens of political prisoners who have gone on a hunger strike to defend some universal ideals and values. We also call on them to act to put an end to the brutal oppression against innocent civilians, assassination, and torture, which has even targeted women, children and elderly, abduction, detention, forced deportation, and the voracious plundering of the Saharawi resources.

We also call on the United Nations to put in place all necessary mechanisms to protect our citizens in the occupied territories that are under its supervision, by enlarging the mandate of MINURSO to include the protection of human rights. We also call on the United Nations to act to ensure the release of all Saharawi political prisoners and to account for more than 500 civilian disappeared and 151 prisoners of war.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Like other Saharawi zones, this land, in which we have our celebrations today, has witnessed remarkable episodes of our national struggle that were made by the combatants of the Saharawi People’s Army who remain resolutely prepared to defend the homeland and achieve justice and peace. To all of them, we would like to express our deepest gratitude and most sincere thanks for the warm reception that they have extended to all of us in this part of the liberated territories.

We would also like to express our many thanks to the sisterly Algeria, the Government, the people and the civil society, under the leadership of His Excellency President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. The land of one million and a half martyrs, Algeria, which is represented today by a very distinguished delegation, has constantly remained attached to its principled position in favour of just causes and the implementation of the dictates of international legality relating to decolonisation and self-determination.

Likewise, we would like to welcome our brothers and sisters from our dear continent Africa. The Saharawi Republic, a founding member of the African Union, is proud and highly appreciative of the positions taken by African countries and peoples that have embraced the Saharawi cause, and have translated into practice their conviction that their freedom would always be incomplete without the decolonisation of the last colony in Africa.

The great gathering of activists representing the Spanish solidarity movement is an opportunity for us to express the deepest gratitude of the Saharawi people to all Spanish peoples for their noble positions that are consistent with the distinguished ties binding us, which we intend to strengthen in order to remove that big stain on the Spanish modern history, namely the singing of the tripartite Madrid Accords.

We together, Saharawis and Spaniards, are expecting the Spanish State to fully assume its historical, legal and moral responsibility towards the Saharawi people by rectifying this error and completing the decolonisation of Western Sahara.

Obviously, some actions of the current Spanish Government, such as its abstention from voting on a UN resolution regarding the self-determination referendum for the Saharawi people and providing the Moroccan occupying power with arms, indicate that it has no willingness at all to assume that responsibility.

I would like to avail myself of this opportunity to express, on behalf of all Saharawis wherever they are, our many thanks and profound gratitude to all members of the international movement of solidarity with the Saharawi people in Europe, Latin America, Australia and the United States.

I would also like to express special thanks to the Moroccan party, Nahdj Dimukarati (the Democratic Path) and to all organisations, personalities, intellectuals and all free voices in Morocco that have called for the respect for international legality and enabling the Saharawi people to exercise their right to self-determination in order to be able to join their Moroccan and Maghrebian brothers and sisters in building a great Maghreb on the basis of democracy, fraternity, neighbourly relations and mutual respect.

Long live the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic!

2007-03-02T20:38:00.000+02:00

all united in calling for the respect of the Saharawi right of self-determination and independence .

2007-03-02T20:35:00.000+02:00

no comment

2007-03-02T20:31:00.000+02:00

one of the outcome of Morocco brutal repression against the Saharawi youth in the occupied territories of Western Sahara . Feb 2007

2007-01-15T19:23:00.000+02:00

Sidi Mohamed Dadach visiting his family in the Saharawi refugees camps

2007-01-15T19:20:00.000+02:00

olof plame school

2007-01-15T19:14:00.000+02:00

the School of Olof Plame in Aaiun is in the process of nenovation

Avoid famine in the Saharawi refugees camps

2007-01-15T19:11:00.000+02:00

WESTERN SAHARA/REFUGEES/FAMINE
Urgent appeal for an immediate aid to the Saharawi refugees

Chahid El Hafed, 09/01/2007 (SPS) The Saharawi Red Crescent (CRS) launched on Tuesday and "urgent" appeal, the third of its kind in three months, to the international community, to the donating countries, international organisations and civil societies, "for an immediate aid to the Saharawi refugees so as to avoid a famine that became imminent".

This appeal intervenes after the end of the stock of security last October 2006, while the "little assistance that arrived up to this date is not sufficient for the minimum needs of thousands innocent Saharawi women and children", who depend completely on the international assistance, stressed a communiqué of the CRS publicised the same day, of which SPS received a copy.

"During January 2007 the Saharawi refugees did not receive the minimum food to ensure them the basic needs, especially from vegetables, oil, sugar, floor and milk, unless new aid comes as soon as possible", the same source added.

The persistence of this tragedy starts to have a negative consequences on the health of thousands refugees, among whom the percentage of anaemia increased especially among children, pregnant women and breast-feeding mothers, the text regretted.

The number of cases malnutrition also increased amongst children and the famine is "imminent" if there is not a quick intervention to resolve the shortage, the CRS declared.

The Saharawi Red Crescent hailed the Algerian Government, and Governments of other donating countries such as the USA, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Finland, as well as some Spanish autonomous regions and Italy who lately brought assistance to the Saharawi and who helped in avoiding the worst.

The CRS especially called on the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to assume his "responsibilities in the danger of death that threatens thousands of innocent Saharawi women, children and elderly". (SPS)

SADR ECUADOR

2007-01-15T19:10:00.000+02:00

SADR/ECUADOR/INVESTITURE
President Abdelaziz attends the investiture of the New President of Ecuador, Rafael Correa
Quito, 14/01/2007 (SPS) The President of the Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz, arrived on Saturday to the Capital of Ecuador to attend the ceremony of investiture of the new President, Rafael Correa, who will pronounce the oath on Monday in Quito, the Saharawi Presidency indicated in a press release.

The Head of the Saharawi State was received upon his arrival by the Deputy- Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Ecuador accompanied with members of his Government, the same source indicated.

The Republic of Ecuador maintains diplomatic relations with the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (RASD), which is officially represented by an Ambassador in Quito, it should be recalled.

Mr. Rafael Correa, elected in the second tour last November the 26th with 56,8 % of the vote in the face of the richest man in the country, the conservator multimillionaire Alvaro Noboa, and is the first leftist President elected in Ecuador since 1978.

The new President, who will officially take power this January the 15th 2007 to be the 8 President of Ecuador in 10 years, announced that he will immediately attack poverty, start economical revolutions for the "dignity and sovereignty" and a "constitutional revolution".

The Saharawi Head of the State, who is chairing a delegation composed of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mohamed Salem Ould Salek, and Mr. Abdati Breika, Councillor at the Presidency, had attended last Wednesday in Managua the ceremony of investiture of the new President of Nicaragua, Mr. Daniel Ortega, it should be further recalled.

2007-01-15T19:07:00.000+02:00

representatives of Swedish political parties at a seminar in the Saharawi refugees camps

2007-01-15T18:27:00.000+02:00

El batoul the mother of Sidi Mohamed Daddach waiting for his arrival 2006 after the last meeting in Norway 2002

The presiden of SADR meeting with Swedish Member of the European Parliament

2007-01-15T18:23:00.000+02:00

THE SADR FALG IS THE SYMBOLE OF THE PEACEFUL RESISTANCE OF THE SAHARAWI PEOPLE IN THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES

AMINTOU HAIDAR

2006-10-21T20:32:00.000+03:00

SPS
OCCUPIEDRRITORIES/FRANCE/Mrs. HAIDAR/VISIT
Mrs. Aminetou Haidar "very satisfied" about her visit to France
Paris, 20/10/2006 (SPS) The Saharawi human rights activist and ex-political prisoner, Mrs. Aminetou Haidar, declared, on Friday, she was "very satisfied" about her turn in France where she informed many political personalities and members of the civil society, as well as Medias, about the « worrying » situation of her country under the Moroccan colonial occupation.
Coming back from a visit to Paris, The Saharawi human rights defender has undertaken a turn to France, where she met with deputies, local officials, and associations, and also animated press conferences, as in the Havre and Limoges, the last stages of a turn she started since 4 October pursuant an invitation of Amnesty International.
In these two cities, where he was received by the Mayors as well as by the French Parliamentarian, Daniel Paul du Havre, she animated debates and pres cones in which she denounced "the repression that martyrizes the Saharawi people currently in resistance against the Moroccan occupation" to fight for its rights, which are internationally considered as legitimate.
She recalled that the Saharawi people actually count more than 500 victims of forced disappearance since 1975, the date of the Moroccan invasion of the Western Sahara.
She added that the Moroccan authorities "maintain in custody some 37 political prisoners, including 4 human rights defenders".
Before these two French cities, Mrs. Haidar visited the city of the Mans, following an invitation of the « La Sarthe Association of the Friends of the Saharawi Republic » on the occasion of the celebration of the Day of the Book of the city, The 25th hour". The city of Le Mans is twined with the Saharawi Daira of "Haouza" since 1982.
In Paris, where she was also received by Senator Robert Bret, Deputy-President of the Communist group in the French Senate, the Saharawi human rights activist also evoked the "Moroccan wall of shame", a 2.700 kilometres long military wall, filled with more than 3 millions antipersonnel landmines, and which "separates the Saharawi families, who are living because of this a psychological tragedy".
Mrs. Haidar called on the international community, because of the deterioration of the situation, «to create a mechanism of protection for the Saharawi people".
This visit to France comes within the framework of an international turn the Saharawi human rights activist has started to raise awareness of the political movements and the civil societies about the cause of her people. In this respect, she visited the USA, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Belgium and South Africa. (SPS)
010/090/700/TRD 201956 oct 06 SPS

It is time for the EU intervention

2006-10-21T20:29:00.000+03:00

SADR/EU
Polisario asks the EU to intervene so as to end oppression in Western Sahara
Brussels, 20/10/2006 (SPS) Polisario Front asked the European Union to « urgently· intervene so as to put an end to the human rights violations and «all forms of oppression» in the occupied territories of the Western Sahara.
In a letter to the Heads of the European bodies, the Saharawi Minister Councillor at the Presidency in charge for Europe, Mr. Mohammed Sidati, affirmed that the persistence of the human rights violations in the occupied territories of the Western Sahara, has actually reached «unequalled extent, saving no social group», and thus the situation requires «an urgent intervention of the European Union».
One of the bases of the European Union's treaties, the Saharawi diplomat argued, is the respect of human rights, which is «a primordial condition for any country that signs accords with Europe, such as Morocco». Thus, he asked the EU to consider this base in its relation with Morocco.
The Saharawi Minister affirmed that it is with «complaisance if not the manipulation» of some Member States in the E that Morocco « hinders» the peace process n the Western Sahara in proposing, lately, «a so-called solution that goes apart from the Saharawi people's right to govern themselves and goes against their right to self-determination, the only unavoidable framework r a just and lasting solution to the conflict of the Western Sahara».
The «propaganda» spread by Morocco, Mr. Sidati adds, «can no more hide the reality that was unveiled by the report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Right», which has clearly described «the worrying situation» of the human rights in the occupied territories of the Western Sahara under the Moroccan occupation.
On another hand, Mr. Sidati expressed his joy about the attitude of the majority of the EU Member States, including the Finland, the current President, for their vote in favour of a resolution on Western Sahara in the UN General Assembly's Fourth Commission on decolonisation.
In fact, he recalled, although France, Spain and Portugal abstained from voting (but did not vote against), other important countries such as Germany, United Kingdom, Italy and the Nordic countries had voted in favour of the resolution which reaffirmed the necessity of the decolonisation of the Western Sahara. (SPS)
010/090/700 202003 oct 06 SPS

Polisario's representative to UN

2006-10-21T20:26:00.000+03:00

SPS
SADR/MORCCO/UN
Annan's report establishes limits to the Moroccan illusions, Mr. Boukhari affirms
New York, 19/10/2006 (SPS) Polisario Front's Representative to the UN, Mr. Boukhari Ahmed, declared that the UN Secretary General's report on Western Sahara, publicised on Wednesday, "established limits to the illusions of Morocco to implicate in its operation aiming to legitimise its colonial occupation" of the Saharawi territory.
In the same time, he underlined, "the objective of the proposed negotiations (between Polisario Front and Morocco) must be the exercise by the Saharawi people of their right to the self-determination". He further noted that the UN Secretary General has stressed that the Security Council "remains attached to the self-determination referendum".
"These political elements that confirm the structure of the report put the conflict in its real nature as a problem of decolonisation and clearly established limits to the illusions of Morocco to implicate the UN in its operation aiming to legitimise its colonial occupation of our country", he said.
the UN Secretary general, the Saharawi diplomat stressed, has considered in his report that the international community "does not recognise to Morocco any pretended sovereignty on the Western Sahara and that the UN can in no way endorse or support a plan that excludes Saharawi people's right to free self-determination".
Mr. Boukhari considered such a position as a response to "the Moroccan pretensions and propaganda", since the UN Secretary General and his Special Envoy estimate "the idea of a referendum that excludes the option of independence as inconceivable".
Recalling the anterior Secretary General's report, publicised last April, Mr. Boukhari estimated that things were clearly set right when Mr. Annan indicated that "any kind of negotiations must be between the Polisario Front and Morocco".
Expressing Polisario Front's "satisfaction" about the statement of the UN Secretary General, Mr. Boukhari recalled that the "only reliable, realist and just solution that profits f the support of the international community, is the organisation of a self-determination referendum that enables the Saharawi people to freely chose their future" (...) "contained in the Settlement Plan and the Houston Accords Morocco signed with the Saharawi people, as well as the Baker Plan, which is approved by the Security Council".
"Such plans were the fruit of long direct or indirect negotiations between the kingdom of Morocco and Polisario Front", he recalled, adding that it is "necessary now, not to resume negotiations, but to implement the signed accords", knowing that "the mutually accepted and acceptable political solution is in these accords and was consequently clearly defined by the international community".
On another hand, the Saharawi Representative to the United Nations noted that the UN Secretary General's report on the Western Sahara to reiterate his "preoccupation about the human rights violations in our country by the Moroccan forces of occupation and offers to the Security Council many substantial proofs".
"He even goes further of this concern by affirming that he supports the recent recommendations of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights' report, which confirms that the populations in the occupied territories were and remain the target of a fierce repression and whose rights are violated as a consequence to the non-respect by Morocco of the Saharawi people's right to self-determination", he concluded.
The UN recommended direct negotiations between the Polisario Front and Morocco to ensure the self-determination for the Saharawi people, in a report publicised on Wednesday by the UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, rappelle-t-on. (SPS)
010/090/000/TRD 191345 Oct 06 SPS

UK and Western Sahara Conflict

2006-10-21T20:24:00.000+03:00

UK-SADR/REFERNDUM
Great Britain reiterates its support to Saharawi people's right to self-determination
London, 20/10/2006 (SPS) The British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Kim Howells, affirmed that the United Kingdom of Britain will take, during the debates within the UN Security Council on the question of the Western Sahara, a decisive role conforming to its position that supports the just settlement of the dispute within the framework of the UN and guarantee the Saharawi people's right to self-determination.
The British House of Commons will organise on Tuesday, for the first time in its life, a debate in its plenary on the question of the Western Sahara with the presence of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Margaret Beckett, has announced Mr. Howells, the Minister in charge for the Middle East, North Africa and Intentional Security, in his answer to a question by the Parliamentarian, David Drew, who asked about the British position on the situation.
The United Kingdom, underlines its "support to the efforts deployed by the UN Secretary General and his Special Envoy Peter Van Walsum, aimed to convince e parties to the conflict to accept a permanent political solution that provides for the Saharawi people's right to self-determination".
In his annual report on human rights, publicised last week, the British Minister for Foreign Affairs, stressed the need to find "a political solution accepted by the two parties" to the conflict of the Western Sahara, which includes Saharawi people's right to self-determination. (SPS)
010/090/700/TRD 201517 oct 06 SPS

Arrest of a Saharawi human right activist

2006-10-21T20:22:00.000+03:00

OCCUPIED TERRITORIES/REPRESSION
Arrest OF A Saharawi human rights activist in the occupied city of Bojador
Bojador (occupied territories), The Saharawi ex-political prisoner and President of the Local Section of the Saharawi Association o the victims of the Flagrant Human Violations Committed by the Moroccan State in Bojador (ASVDH), Mr. Tahlil Mohamed, was arrested last Thursday by the Moroccan forces of repression, indicated a press release the Association publicised on Saturday.
Mr. Tahlil was "victim to atrocious torture and was forced to drink a mysterious liquid ,, which has dangerously affected his psychological state, indicated a source close to his family, before he was transferred to the Carcel Negra in El Aaiun".
The press release of the ASVDH talks about a dozen Saharawi citizens who were subjected to torture, intimidation, provocation and arbitrary arrest, adding that many Saharawi houses were ransacked.
The occupied cities of the Western Sahara are subjected since days to "very strong" pressures and are "completely" sealed by the Moroccan repressive forces, the press release recalled.
On another hand, three Saharawi students in the secondary school «Ghadi Ayad » in El Aaiun were arrested by the Moroccan forces of occupation during demonstrations organised in the different schools an secondary schools on the occasion of the anniversary of the first Martyr of the Intifada of independence, Lembarki Hamdi Mahjoub, who was killed under torture in the middle of a street in El Aaaiun by the Moroccan police, in October 2005.
The arrested students are: Sidi Zein Mohamed Moîlid, Sidi Low Sarakh and Mohamed Talbi, alias, Botna, who were "savagely" tortured by the Moroccan forces of repression because of their participation in peaceful demonstrations advocating the Saharawi people's right to self-determination.

Full report of OHCHR

2006-10-07T15:26:00.000+03:00

Report of the OHCHR
Mission to Western Sahara and the
Refugee Camps in Tindouf
15/23 May and 19 June 2006

Office of the United Nations
High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
OHCHR, Geneva, 8 September 2006

INTRODUCTION

1. Subsequent to the street protests and demonstrations in Laayoune
and other towns in Western Sahara in May 2005, which continued
throughout the following months and resulted in numerous injuries, the
arrest of hundreds of protesters, allegations of torture and a hunger
strike by several detainees, the High Commissioner for Human Rights
proposed to the parties concerned to carry out a mission to the region.

2. The mission was designed to gather information about the human
rights situation in Western Sahara and in the refugee camps in Tindouf,
Algeria. The mission was then to report to the High Commissioner about
the human rights situation and make recommendations on how to assist the
concerned parties to improve the promotion and protection of human
rights of the people of Western Sahara. With a view to continuing the
constructive dialogue with those concerned in implementing the
recommendations of this report, this report is not a public report.

3. After several months of negotiations concerning its terms of
reference, its itinerary and its dates of travel, the mission went to
Rabat, Laayoune, and Tindouf between 15 and 23 May 2006 and to Algiers
on 19 June 2006.

4. In Rabat, the members of the delegation met with Moroccan
officials from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Interior and Justice,
Parliamentarians, non¬governmental organizations (NGOs), ex-prisoners of
war, families of disappeared and members of the Consultative Council for
Human Rights as well as members of the former Equity and Reconciliation
Commission. In Laayoune, the delegation met with Local authorities and
officials of the Ministry of Interior and Justice, the Police and the
Auxiliary Forces, civil society activists, lawyers, families of
disappeared persons and NGOs, and was available to meet with any other
individual who wished to meet the delegation. In the refugee camps in
Tindouf, the members of the delegation met with officials from the
Frente Polisario and representatives of mass organizations and unions as
well as families of disappeared persons. In Algiers, the head of the
delegation met with officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

5. Despite heavy agendas set up by the parties upon the delegation's
arrival, its members were able to meet with whomever they deemed useful.
Security arrangements were extremely tight during the entire visit in
Laayoune and particularly during one half day in Laayoune, when the
delegation was required to negotiate the lifting of a security net which
effectively would have prevented interlocutors from meeting the
delegation. Overall, the delegation enjoyed a very good level of
cooperation extended by all parties during its mission.

BACKGROUND

6. The issue of Western Sahara is an issue pertaining to
decolonization and self-determination (cf. A/RES/1514 (XV) of 14
December 1960, the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to
Colonial Countries and Peoples). In 1963, the territory of Western
Sahara was designated as "non-autonomous" by the United Nations. In its
Advisory Opinion of 16 October 1975, the International Court of Justice
(ICJ) concluded that "the materials and information presented to it do
not establish any tie of territorial sovereignty between the territory
of Western Sahara and the Kingdom of Morocco or the Mauritanian entity.
Thus the Court has not found legal ties of such a nature as might affect
the application of General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December
1960 in the decolonization of Western Sahara and, in particular, of the
principle of self-determination through the free and genuine expression
of the will of the people of the Territory." The former Commission on
Human Rights in its last resolution on the question of Western Sahara
(E/CN.4/RES/2004/4) dated 8 April 2004 reaffirmed the inalienable right
for all people to self-determination and independence relative to the
principles of the UN Charter and the GA resolution 1514 (XV). The Human
Rights Committee (1) as well as the Committee on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights (2) reiterated the right of people of Western Sahara to
self-determination in accordance with Covenant provisions during their
most recent consideration of the reports of Morocco in 2004 and 2006,
respectively.

7. The Frente Popular para la Liberaci6n de Saguia el Hamra y Rio del
Oro (Frente Polisario), founded in 1973, claims that its aim is to
institute a Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) in Western Sahara.
The Government of SADR was constituted in exile in February 1976. The
SADR has been a full member of the African Union since 1984, but is not
recognized by the United Nations. It has ratified the African Charter on
Human and Peoples' Rights in 1986 and submitted its initial report to
the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR) in January
2003. This report was examined at the 33rd ordinary session of the ACHPR
held in Niamey, the Republic of Niger, from 15 to 29 May 2003.

8. The UN Security Council has repeatedly reaffirmed "its commitment
to assist the parties to achieve a just, lasting and mutually acceptable
political solution, which will provide for the self-determination of the
people of Western Sahara in the context of arrangements consistent with
the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations". In
its most recent resolution (S/RES/1675) of 28 April 2006, the Security
Council "reiterated its gall upon the parties and States of the region
to continue to cooperate fully with the United Nations to end the
current impasse and to achieve progress towards a political solution".
In as much as it calls for a political solution, the question of
self-determination is a fundamental human right. Its implementation must
be considered in a most constructive manner and all efforts by the
international community through the Security Council should be supported
and encouraged by all concerned.

HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION

9. The question of the right to self-determination of the people of
Western Sahara is paramount to the consideration of the overall human
rights situation in the respective territories. It is a human right
enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
(ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights (ICESCR). The respect of all human rights of the people of
Western Sahara must be seen in tandem with this right and a Jack of its
realization will inevitably impact on the enjoyment of all other rights
guaranteed, inter alia, in the seven tore international human rights
treaties in force.

10. The question of missing persons, both civilians and combatants,
is still an outstanding issue on the part of both sides, for which
families are continuing to seek clarity and resolution. Each party
claims to have answered to the best of its knowledge and abilities the
fate of the missing, both accusing the other side of not cooperating to
bring a resolution to the matter.

WESTERN SAHARA

11.The territory of Western Sahara is currently under the de facto
administration of Morocco, which claims sovereignty over the territory.
Therefore the law applied de facto in the territory is the Moroccan
constitution and laws and this report will thus evaluate the facts which
occurred in the territory administered by Morocco on the basis of
Moroccan laws and in light of Morocco's legal obligations entered into
under the relevant international human rights treaties. The latter
however shall not be interpreted as constituting a position vis-à-vis
the status of the territory according to international law or
attributing any legitimacy to claims of sovereignty, but rather
constitutes an evaluation of the de facto enjoyment of human rights by
the people of Western Sahara.

Right to life, liberty and security of person and the prohibition of
torture or cruel, Inhuman or degrading treatment

12. Demonstrations began in Laayoune in May 2005, as a result of
relatives and activists protesting against the transfer of a Sahrawi
prisoner to Agadir, which, according to witnesses interviewed was
violently dispersed by Moroccan security forces, prompting more
demonstrations to protest police violence and calling for the right to
self-determination and/or independence, also raising flags of the Frente
Polisario. According to reports, demonstrations had started peacefully,
but became violent over the next few days, with some protestors burning
Moroccan flags and throwing petrol bombs at security forces resulting in
material damage and physical injuries of several officers. By the end of
May, protests had spread to Smara and Dakhla, and were accompanied by
Sahrawi student demonstrations in Agadir, Casablanca, and Rabat. More
demonstrations have taken plate in Laayoune since late October 2005.

13.According to testimonies of Sahrawi activists who met with the
delegation, demonstrations started peacefully, but became violent after
Moroccan police, auxiliary forces and the Groupes Urbains de Securite
(GUS) used excessive force to disperse protestors against demonstrators
and bystanders, beating them with batons, injuring hundreds of
protestors and arresting a significant number. Individuals interviewed
reported numerous cases of excessive violence and the use of excessive
force, alleging that officers beat them severely on the head, arms,
legs, back and knees with truncheons. Some one hundred protesters were
arrested during or in connection with the demonstrations. Some of those
arrested alleged that they were ill-treated during the arrest or during
the transfer to the place of custody, and that they were subsequently
tortured or ill-treated in custody, believed to have been for the
purpose of forcing them to sign confessions confirming the official
version of the events, and intimidating them from expressing their
political views on the question of Western Sahara.

14. Violence used by security forces during the demonstrations resulted
in the death, on 30 October 2005, of Hamdi Lembarki, who was
participating in pro-referendum demonstrations in the streets of
Laayoune and died from his wounds in Hassan Hospital. According to
eye-witnesses, several Moroccan police officers arrested him during the
aforementioned demonstration, took him to a nearby wall, surrounded him
and repeatedly beat him with batons on the head and other parts of his
body. One eye-witness reported to the delegation that Mr. Lembarki had
been found unconscious on the ground by some people who drove him to the
hospital where he died. An initial autopsy indicated that his death was
the result of injuries to the skull. The father of Mr. Lembarki filed a
complaint with the King's Prosecutor at the Laayoune Appeal Court,
requesting an investigation into the circumstances of his son's death
and an investigation was opened. In addition, the Office of the Public
Prosecutor in Laayoune ordered a second autopsy. Officials of the
Ministry of Justice in Rabat informed the delegation that two police
officers are currently in custody and have been charged with having
inflicted injuries with a weapon and thereby unintentionally causing
death white acting in their capacity of public employees. The results
have been submitted to the General Prosecutor who transferred the
officers to the court of first instance, where the latter are awaiting
trial.

15.According to the authorities of the Ministry of Interior and Justice
as well as local authorities, violence during the demonstrations - which
were described as illegal as the procedures prescribed by law had not
been followed - was provoked by the demonstrators and the police
response was entirely justified. The authorities assured the delegation
that police used only force strictly required by the circumstances of
the situation. They insisted that demonstrations had not been peaceful,
that protestors burned Moroccan flags, and that stones and petrol bombs
had been thrown at police officers, endangering their safety. In cases
where there had been doubts as to the use of force in accordance with
law and procedures, prompt investigations had been launched into the
matter, as in the case of Mr. Lembarki. According to the authorities,
all complaints presented to the General Prosecutor are investigated
promptly and the delegation was provided with statistics in this regard
covering the entire country. The delegation notes that only three cases
relating to Laayoune appear in those statistics, with only one case, the
case of Mr. Lembarki having led to any tangible result until new. The
two remaining cases relate to two detainees who allege that they were
tortured and ill-treated in detention, and are noted as being under
investigation. No information was provided by the authorities as to
steps taken fully and impartially to investigate the disturbances or
that there was any intention to do so in the near future.

16. Based on the number of allegations regarding excessive use of force
by law enforcement officials received from individuals who had been
present during the demonstrations, the delegation notes the categorical
rejection by the authorities of any responsibility for the violence
which occurred since May 2005. It should be recalled that in the
dispersal of unlawful but non-violent assemblies, law enforcement
officials shall avoid the use of force, or, where this is not
practicable, restrict force to the minimum necessary. (3) Regarding the
reference by the authorities to the fact that the protests and
demonstrations were illegal, the delegation notes that it has received
information from several sources alleging a series of administrative
hurdles imposed by Moroccan authorities to organize assemblies lawfully.
The fact remains that the use of force should be avoided or restricted
to the minimum necessary. In light of the above, the delegation is led
to the preliminary conclusion that a) Moroccan law enforcement officials
seem to have used force in an indiscriminate and disproportionate manner
when exercising their responsibilities in the course of exercising their
duty to maintain public order and security; and b) administrative
hurdles imposed by authorities may compromise the ability of the people
of Western Sahara to fully exercise their right to freedom of expression
and assembly.

17.Activists and human rights defenders told the delegation that after
the May 2005 demonstrations, Moroccan authorities intensified measures
aimed at intimidating and harassing human rights activists and other
pro-referendum activists and supporters, severely restricting their
rights to expression, assembly and association. Numerous people
interviewed informed the delegation that in the aftermath of the May
2005 demonstrations, arbitrary arrests increased, both during
demonstrations and prior to and after meetings with other human rights
defenders or activists, as well as after having given statements to
international media. Many activists and human rights defenders who met
with the delegation reported that they had been detained repeatedly and
interrogated for periods ranging from several hours to one night about
their activities and political views, before being released, sometimes
at the outskirts of the city. Moreover, it was reported to the
delegation that in many instances, human rights defenders' or activists'
homes were searched white demonstrations were taking plate, often
causing material damage.

18. The delegation received several allegations from ex-detainees,
lawyers and total human rights organizations concerning the use of
torture and other treatment of detainees by law enforcement personnel,
as well as the Jack of prompt investigations into such allegations.
Ill-treatment reportedly also occurred during transfers from Laayoune
prison to other prisons in Morocco or from prison to the court. Some
ex-detainees also reported that they had been severely beaten in a
separate room at Laayoune Appeal Court prior to their appearance in
court.

19.The delegation was shown some bruises on bodies of human rights
defenders and activists, with whom it met, which were alleged to have
been inflicted by security forces during demonstrations and through
torture. While victims interviewed had shown the delegation medical
certificates related to their injuries, the delegation was not able to
confirm the causes of any of these injuries. The delegation presented
several allegations of ill-treatment and torture to officials of the
Ministry of Justice who replied by making general reference to the
applicable law and obligations of relevant authorities. The Ministry
also provided statistics of complaints filed with the Prosecutor's
Office and the results of any investigations conducted. The delegation
notes that only three cases, including the case of Mr. Lembarki noted
above, appear in those statistics. Authorities in Rabat and Laayoune
assured the delegation that prompt action is taken in all cases as
prescribed by the relevant legal provisions i.e. that in all cases where
complaints are lodged or where relevant authorities observe injuries
inflicted on detainees, prompt and thorough investigations are launched
and perpetrators held accountable. Furthermore, several officials
highlighted that evidence obtained under torture was inadmissible in
court proceedings, and that Morocco had adopted, on 14 February 2006, a
new law banning torture and punishing abuses committed by law
enforcement personnel. However, the statistical records of
investigations carried out which were provided to the delegation, and
the explanations provided by the Prosecutor and other authorities, did
not provide conclusive evidence as to whether or not any investigation
had in fact been carried out in response to claims of torture made by
victims. The delegation received conflicting statements as to whether
medical examinations have been granted when requested, but was not able
to verify the veracity of claims and counter-claims as well as reasons
provided during the brief period of its mission. However, it seems that
police and prosecutors as well as examining magistrates, have a broad
discretion in making decisions to grant medical examinations and
launching investigations when presented with claims of torture and
ill-treatment during the different stages of the procedure. Urgent
measures should be taken to ensure the full application of the
obligations undertaken by Morocco under the ICCPR and the Convention
against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment in practice. The right to a fair trial

20.Fourteen Sahrawi defendants including several human rights activists
were convicted by the Laayoune Appeal Court in January 2006. Charges
allegedly mainly related to the following: establishment of criminal
bands, criminal conspiracy in order to commit crimes, attempt of
voluntary destruction of buildings with the use of explosives, blocking
traffic, violence against police officers during the performance of
their duties, participation in unauthorized demonstrations while giving
instructions to disobedience and/or belonging to unauthorized
organizations. All defendants denied the charges throughout the trial
proceedings and two of them allege having been tortured during
questioning. The defendants were convicted to periods of imprisonment
ranging from 6 months to 3 years.

21.The delegation met with lawyers and some of the above mentioned
prisoners who had been pardoned by the King in March and April 2006.
They raised serious concerns about the fairness of the trial, including
the fact that convictions were based exclusively on confessions by the
defendants in written police statements. In these statements, defendants
implicated themselves in provoking and committing violent acts.
Defendants interviewed by the delegation claimed that these confessions
had been fabricated and two of them had been extracted under duress, but
were nevertheless used during the trial as evidence. Defendants declared
their innocence on all charges related to violent disturbances during
the trial proceedings. They claimed that they had been advocating
peacefully for the right to self-determination of the people of Western
Sahara. They consider that the lawsuit against them was of a purely
political character, related to their activities in documenting events
in Western Sahara, expressing their views on the right to
self-determination of the people of Western Sahara, and disseminating
this information internationally, including to international human
rights organizations, as well as OHCHR.

22.In addition, lawyers told the delegation that their request to call
witnesses for the defense, which would have challenged the content of
the written police statements were dismissed by the court, allegedly
without justification. Furthermore, the hearings were postponed several
times in the course of the court proceedings, which lawyers attributed
to the fact that international and local trial observers had been
present, and that the repeated postponement was intended to create
obstacles for their attendance. Finally, it is believed by many that the
international attention given to the trial of these activists had an
impact on the sentences, in that they were relatively light vis-à-vis
the charges raised.

23.Two ex-detainees informed the delegation that they had not been at
the crime scene at the time they had allegedly committed the crime. They
were nevertheless convicted for those crimes, i.e., participating in and
inciting violent protest activities. Other ex-detainees told the
delegation that they had been tortured, but that the follow-up by the
authorities pursuant to their complaints had been insufficient, and that
medical expertise had not been available in a timely fashion. They and
other ex-detainees also told the delegation that they and members of
their families had been ill-treated by judicial police immediately prior
to their trial, the facts of which they stated during the hearings. They
alleged that no follow-up action was initiated to investigate their
complaints.

24. Lawyers of same of the human rights defenders who had been detained,
informed the delegation about several procedural shortcomings prior to
and during the hearings, including inspections of homes of defendants
without search warrants; insufficient access to the case file of their
clients and the refusal of the police to inform the defendants, or any
other person, of the reason for their arrest. (4)

25.The delegation conveyed a number of concerns related to respect for
fair trial guarantees to the President of the Laayoune Appeal Court, who
informed the delegation that he was newly designated (15 days before the
arrival of the mission) and had not studied the case files. He was thus
not in a position to discuss the concerns raised by the delegation but
reiterated that Morocco's legislation was in full compliance with
international obligations and that all rights were fully respected.

26.In view of the above facts and witness testimonies, the delegation
remains concerned that there are serious deficiencies with regard to
ensuring the right to a fair trial. While the delegation is not in a
position to assess the substance of the charges brought against the
defendants, it has been presented with a series of reports about
Morocco's failure to guarantee the right to a fair trial to the
defendants, and was not provided with satisfactory replies by the
authorities.

Freedom of expression, assembly and association

27. The delegation received a series of allegations from human rights
defenders and NGOs reporting that they had repeatedly been targeted, and
some of them convicted, for publicly expressing their views, which are
not in line with official views on the issue of Western Sahara, but
rather advocate the right to self-determination for the people of
Western Sahara. The delegation heard testimonies by members of
associations which indicated an increase, since May 2005, of acts of
harassment and physical assaults – the latter primarily in the course of
pro-referendum/self-determination demonstrations - carried out by law
enforcement officials, including against members of the families of
activists. It was alleged that there were repeated searches of homes by
the security forces without a warrant. Harassment was also reported to
have occurred following statements about the situation in Western Sahara
to representatives of international organizations and international
media, both in Morocco and abroad.

28. According to the testimonies, it appears that limits have been
established with regard to the exercise of freedom of expression in
Western Sahara in practice. It has been confirmed in several meetings,
both with governmental as well as non-governmental counterparts, that
the sovereignty of Morocco over Western Sahara may not be questioned.
Such limitations, especially in view of the internationally recognized
right of the people of Western Sahara to self-determination, cannot be
interpreted as falling with the permissible restrictions under article
19 of the ICCPR, such as national security, public order or public
health or morals.

29. In addition, the delegation received information from local NGOs and
international NGOs prior to its departure to the effect that since
November 2005, several Internet web-sites advocating self-determination
of Western Sahara have been blocked by the authorities. Authorities in
the Ministry of the Interior confirmed that audio-visual and print
media, as well as internet sites are controlled by the authorities so as
to prevent assaults on the territorial integrity of Morocco. It was
confirmed by the authorities that any web-site advocating for
independence or judged in any way as a threat to the territorial
integrity of Morocco will be banned in accordance with the law.

30. The enjoyment of the right to freedom of assembly, closely linked to
the right to freedom of expression, allegedly has been affected by
similar restraints in the territories of Western Sahara relating to the
expression of individuals' opinions on the right to
self-determination.(5)

31. The freedom to establish associations equally has been curtailed in
the territory of Western Sahara in significant aspects. The delegation
met with several activists who had attempted to establish associations,
or were members of associations that had been dissolved, who outlined
several administrative hurdles imposed by authorities to obstruct the
registration process. For instance, three associations, the Sahara
section of the Forum Verite et Justice Marocain, based in Rabat, the
Sahrawi Association of Victims of Serious Human Rights Violations
Perpetrated by the Moroccan State (Association sahraouie des victimes de
violations graves des droits humains commises par I'etat marocain) and
the Laayoune branch of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights, have
either been dissolved and/or faced serious obstacles or administrative
delays when trying to re-register or register.

32. The Sahara section of the Forum Verite et Justice Marocain, was
established in 1999 and legally registered until its dissolution by
Court order in June 2003, following a complaint made against the
section. The complaint included "conspiring with international bodies
and organizations which are hostile to Morocco, with the aim of causing
the diplomatic position of the Kingdom to deteriorate," and "being
responsible for slogans hostile to territorial integrity." Its members
told the delegation that they continue to undertake their activities,
but are subject to strict police surveillance. They informed the
delegation that the dissolution occurred shortly after they had met with
the ad hoc Western Sahara delegation of the European Parliament on 12
February 2002, during which they had given them video recordings and
documents regarding the human rights situation in Western Sahara and the
right to self-determination. They also noted that the President and
other members have been subject to harassment and assault by police
officers on various occasions. On 11 May 2006, the Executive Committee
of the Sahara section of the Forum Verite et Justice Marocain applied
for a new registration under the same name and is waiting for a response
from the authorities.

33. The Sahrawi Association of Victims of Serious Human Rights
Violations Perpetrated by the Moroccan State has been effectively
prevented from registering its association with the authorities.
According to members of the Association, the relevant authorities have
repeatedly refused to accept their file and to issue a receipt, thus
paralyzing the administrative process. The Moroccan Association for
Human Rights equally alleged that the establishment of its branch in
Western Sahara in 2003 faced a series of administrative obstacles and
delays.

34. Given the de facto illegality of their organizations, several human
rights defenders have been prosecuted for membership in an illegal
organization as they continued to carry out their work despite the lack
of registration. Officials of the Ministry of Interior affirmed to the
delegation that no association will be authorized if it aims to question
the territorial integrity of Morocco. As for the Sahara section of the
Forum Verite et Justice Marocain, the authorities informed the
delegation that it had been dissolved by a court judgment in conformity
with the law at the request of their headquarters.

35. Officials at the Ministry of Interior informed the delegation that
registration of associations is governed by the dahir 1-58-376 of 15
November 1958 on the right to association, which was modified in January
1959 and April 1973. According to the officials, various provisions
guaranteed freedom of association, with an obligation on the
administrative authority to issue a receipt for the application within
60 days at the most. The delegation notes that article 3 of the above
mentioned dahir provides that "if the purpose of an association
requesting a registration attacks the integrity of the territory, it is
null". Such limitations on the right to freedom of association,
guaranteed by article 22 of the ICCPR raise similar questions as
indicated earlier with regard to freedom of expression, and there are
serious doubts as to whether such restriction can be interpreted as
falling within the restrictions permissible under article 22.

Freedom of movement

36. Several activists informed the delegation that passports of some
Sahrawis have been confiscated by Moroccan officials at international
airports, preventing them from traveling abroad (6). The delegation
raised this issue with Ministry of Interior officials, who indicated
that all such cases, if any existed, would be solved immediately and
that people concerned could recover their passports at any time. In
Laayoune, the delegation presented a list of nine specific cases of
confiscation of passports to the Wali, who indicated that he would
inquire about the passports and hand them over to their owners within a
few days. However, one month after the mission returned to Geneva, the
passports were still withheld.

REFUGEE CAMPS, TINDOUF (Algeria)

37. Refugees living in the camps in Tindouf are organized under a
republic in exile, the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) governed
by the Frente Polisario, which, white in exile, is recognized by Algeria
and 52 other countries (7). The SADR is a member of the African Union
and has ratified the African Charter on Human and People's Rights, but
has no status with the United Nations and has no international
obligations under international human rights treaties. The SADR defines
itself in the Constitution of 1976 (amended in 1999), as an independent
and sovereign State, which is governed by a democratic system on the
basis of free popular participation. The Frente Polisario claims to be
the sole and legitimate representative of the people of Western Sahara.
It aims at leading it to realize its right to self-determination in
order to establish the SADR in an independent Western Sahara.

38. Pending a durable solution to the question of Western Sahara, the
United Nations High Commissioner for refugees (UNHCR), in coordination
with Algeria as the asylum country, continues to carry out assistance
and protection activities for the benefit of the Sahrawi refugees. Other
UN agencies, the European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO) and
various international NGOs have also provided assistance within their
respective mandates.

39.Algeria, the country of asylum, is party to the seven core human
rights treaties, under which it has obligations to respect and ensure
the rights guaranteed in those treaties to all persons in its territory.
It is also party to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of
Refugees (since 1963), its 1967 Protocol, as well as several regional
human rights treaties. While the refugees are present in the territory
of Algeria, the authorities reiterated during meetings with the Head of
the delegation that despite this presence, the responsibility for human
rights and any other related matters lies with the Government of the
SADR. As indicated below, as a State party to these instruments, the
Government of Algeria is obliged to ensure that all rights stipulated in
these instruments are upheld for all persons on Algerian territory.

40. It should be underlined that UNHCR works directly with the
Government of Algeria as the country of asylum/host government on all
matters related to the Sahrawi refugee programme.

Political participation

41. Whilst the SADR Constitution envisages a multiparty system after
achieving independence of Western Sahara, Frente Polisario is currently
the only political party in the camps. The functions of the President of
the SADR have been exercised by the Secretary General (SG) of the Frente
Polisario, who is at the same time the chief of the Sahrawi Popular
Liberation Army (SPLA). In addition, the members of the SADR Government
and various community structures are members in the Frente Polisario.

42.Officials of the Frente Polisario described the political,
administrative and legal system currently applied in the territory under
its control to the delegation. The delegation raised with officials the
gap between the constitutional multi-party principle and its
implementation in practice. Officials emphasized the temporary nature of
the current state of affairs due to the extraordinary circumstances
linked to the unsolved status of the question of Western Sahara, which
has inevitably had an impact on the normal functioning of governmental
structures. Accordingly, several paragraphs in the Constitution were
described to the delegation as suspended until the achievement of "full
independence of Western Sahara". It was also asserted that
exceptionally, any political representation is through the Frente
Polisario, the one and only legitimate representative of the Sahrawi
people. The right of the people of Western Sahara to self-determination
and independence as the key determinant of living conditions and the
functioning of the State was consistently emphasized to the delegation.

Freedom of association

43.The delegation met with several mass organizations present in the
camps, all linked to the Frente Polisario. Members of the General
Workers' Union, the labor organization of the Frente Polisario
highlighted that unemployment is near total, with existing work, which
is compulsory and unpaid, being organized by the camp administration of
the Frente Polisario. The President and members of the National Union of
Sahrawi Women, the women's organization of the Frente Polisario,
highlighted the achievements of the union in improving the situation of
women, as well as their international work in support of women's rights
as well as the Sahrawis' right to independence. Almost all
representatives of associations and unions met by the delegation
emphasized the right to an independent Western Sahara as the single most
important goal.

44.The delegation did not receive any complaints about attempts to
establish an association being stopped. However, all associations met by
the delegation are linked to the Frente Polisario and the delegation was
not able to establish the extent to which refugees in the camps are able
to exercise the right to freedom of association in practice.

Freedom of expression

45.The Frente Polisario organized several more or less spontaneous mass
gatherings during the visit of the delegation, during which Sahrawis
reiterated their right to independence. While the Constitution
stipulates that the right to freedom of expression is guaranteed, the
delegation notes that it heard only one view concerning the future of
Western Sahara and the right to self-determination of the people of
Western Sahara leading to an independent Western Sahara, including about
who would eventually govern the independent state.

Freedom of assembly

46. Public gatherings witnessed by the delegation were all organized
by the Frente Polisario or its mass organizations. All claimed the right
of the Sahrawi people to the independence of Western Sahara, the longing
for an independent Western Sahara and praised the glorious role of the
Frente Polisario to achieve this goal. Demonstrators were waving the
SADR flag and chanting slogans on independence. The delegation, whilst
meeting with Sahrawis in the camps, did not receive any allegations of
the violation of the right to the freedom of assembly.

Freedom of movement

47. As refugees, the population living in the camps faces
difficulties in traveling since it does not have identity papers that
are recognized worldwide. Prior to its arrival to Tindouf, the
delegation had received allegations that Sahrawis in the Tindouf camps
had to obtain permission from the authorities controlling the camps to
travel outside the boundaries of the camps. Sahrawis who met with the
delegation denied such allegations. The delegation was not in a position
to obtain evidence to confirm allegations as to the restrictions on
movement.

48.The UNHCR supervises and organizes, with the help of the MINURSO, a
programme of Confidence Building Measures (CBM), consisting of visits
between Western Sahara and Tindouf benefiting families from both sides.
The delegation met with Sahrawi refugees who claimed that families in
Western Sahara under Moroccan rule were not free to register in the list
of those wishing to travel to Tindouf, while some sources in Western
Sahara claimed that the leadership of the Tindouf camps had not been
allowing some Sahrawis to register in the visiting programme. The
delegation was not in a position to confirm the claims on either side.

Economic, social and cultural rights

49.The refugees in the camps around Tindouf are lacking adequate
housing, with most of them living in shacks made of brick or mud, have a
precarious access to healthcare, have scarce access to food and water,
all rationed, and Jack the means to adequately educate their children.

50. In view of the limited opportunities for education in Tindouf, the
refugee leadership has been undertaking bilateral agreements with
various countries to ensure a framework of scholarships for Sahrawi
children. These scholarships are for secondary and university education,
notably in Algeria, Spain, Cuba and other destinations. Prior to its
arrival in Tindouf, the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
cooperation handed over to the delegation a Note verbal dated 15 May
2006, in which the Ministry reported, inter alia, Jack of consent of the
parents of Sahrawi students, prior to their enrolment in Cuban schools.
The delegation was not in a position to obtain evidence in this regard.

51.According to the Labor Union representatives who met with the
delegation, the arid nature of the desert and remote location of the
camps are the two main factors preventing refugees from pursuing
income-generating activities. The Jack of economic opportunities has
determined the dependency of the refugees on external assistance.

THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

52. Realization of the right to self-determination of the people of
Western Sahara is the responsibility not only of Morocco as
administrative authority but also of the international community. Almost
all violations of human rights noted above stem from the non-realization
of this right, including civil and political rights as well as economic,
social and cultural rights of the people of Western Sahara in all
locations where they currently reside. In accordance with international
obligations with respect to the question of Western Sahara, the
international community should take all necessary measures to ensure the
right of self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. It should
also be recalled that article 1 of both the ICCPR and the ICESCR
requires States parties to "promote the realization of the right of
self-determination" and to "respect that right in conformity with the
provisions of the Charter of the United Nations."

CONCLUSIONS

53.Overall, the human rights situation is of serious concern,
particularly in the Moroccan-administered territory of Western Sahara.
Currently, the Sahrawi people are not only denied their right to
self-determination, but equally are severely restricted from exercising
a series of other rights, and specially rights of particular importance
to the very right of self-determination, such as the right to express
their views about the issue, to create associations defending their
right to self-determination and to hold assemblies to make their views
known. In order to comply with its international obligations,
particularly under the Covenants on Civil and Political Rights and on
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, serious changes to both
legislation as well as government practice on the issue of Western
Sahara are required.

54. Despite the level of cooperation extended to the delegation
during its visit of some of the camps, it was unable to obtain
sufficient information to draw extensive and well-founded conclusions
with regard to the de facto enjoyment of human rights by the refugees in
the camps. Therefore, serious further inquiries are required.

55. States parties to human rights treaties are under an obligation
to respect and ensure those rights to all persons who may find
themselves on the territory of the State party (8), including aliens,
refugees and asylum seekers. Algeria, as the country of asylum of some
90,000 Sahrawi refugees (9), holds that it bears no responsibility with
regard to the human rights situation of the Sahrawi people. According to
the Algerian authorities, respect for human rights is a matter for the
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, a state recognized by Algeria and
several other countries, to ensure that human rights of its people are
respected, and to implement the obligations it voluntarily assumed,
including by ratifying the African Charter on Human and People's Rights.
No international human rights treaty body has specifically validated
this view with regard to the international human rights obligations
accepted by Algeria. It is our opinion that all possible efforts should
be made towards the fulfillment of all human rights of the people of
Western Sahara. Accordingly, Algeria should take all relevant measures
to ensure that all individuals present on its territory benefit from the
protection of the international human rights conventions to which it is
a party.

56. In view of the stalemate in reaching a political settlement for
Western Sahara, the planning of the voluntary repatriation and of the
care and maintenance activities in the camps are carried out without
UNHCR being in a position to factor in unexpected political developments
beyond its control. In operational terms, UNHCR co-operates with MINURSO
as recently shown by the efficient co-operation achieved in respect of
the organisation of family visits within the CBM programme.

57.Considering the seriousness of the human rights situation in Western
Sahara, and considering as well the expectations from the international
community — be it Member States or UN actors — the following
recommendations are put forward:

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. As has been stated in various UN fora, the right to
self-determination for the people of Western Sahara must be ensured and
implemented without any further delay. As underlined above, the
delegation concludes that almost all human rights violations and
concerns with regard to the people of Western Sahara, whether under the
de facto authority of the Government of Morocco or of the Frente
Polisario, stem from the non-implementation of this fundamental human
right.

2. The efforts by the international community through the Security
Council and the Secretary-General aiming at assisting the parties to
achieving a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution
consistent with the right to self-determination of the people of Western
Sahara should be fully supported and upheld. However, in addition,
urgent measures should be taken by the concerned parties to ensure that
all human rights are protected fully. It is of extreme importance that
human rights issues cease to be instrumentalized and that all human
rights be implemented in a less politicized manner.

3. Closer monitoring of the human rights situation both in Western
Sahara and in the refugee camps in Tindouf is indispensable. The United
Nations should explore with all relevant actors the best way to ensure
adequate and continuous monitoring of the human rights situation in the
region, and to offer effective capacity building, protection and
redress. All concerned should fully cooperate with the United Nations in
the implementation of this task.

4. This report is not a public report. It is shared exclusively with
Algeria, Morocco and Frente Polisario, who were consulted prior to and
in the course of the Mission of OHCHR to Western Sahara and the refugee
camps in Tindouf in order to ensure the continuation of this
constructive and fruitful engagement. Ultimately, the rights of the
people of Western Sahara will be best served by enhancing this
cooperation on the basis of continuous human rights monitoring.

NOTES:

(1) The Human Rights Committee in its concluding observations
(CCPR/CO/82/MAR) of November 2004 remained concerned about the lack of
progress on the question of the realization of the right to
self-determination for the people of Western Sahara. The Committee
recommended that the State party should make every effort to permit the
population groups concerned to enjoy fully the rights recognized by the
Covenant.

(2) The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in its
concluding observations (E/C.12/MAR/CO/2) of 19 May 2006, raised
concerns about the fact that there has still not been a clear solution
to the question of self-determination of the people of the Western
Sahara. The Committee encouraged the State party to deploy all its
efforts to find a clear and definite solution to the question of the
self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.

3) UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law
Enforcement Officials, 1990, principle 13.

(4) The Human Rights Committee in its concluding observations
(CCPR/COI82/MAR) of November 2004 considered the period of custody
during which a suspect may be held without being brought before a judge
- 48 hours (renewable once) for ordinary crimes and 96 hours (renewable
twice) for crimes related to terrorism - to be excessive. The Committee
recommended 'hat the State party should review its legislation on
custody with a view to bringing it into line with the provisions of
article 9 and all the other provisions of the Covenant. Furthermore, the
Committee was concerned that the accused may have access to the services
of a lawyer only from the time at which their custody is extended (that
is after 48 or 96 hours). It recalled that, in its previous decisions,
it had held that the accused should receive effective assistance from a
lawyer at every stage of the proceedings. It recommended that the State
party amend its legislation and practice to allow a person under arrest
to have access to a lawyer from the beginning of their period in
custody.

5) The Human Rights Committee, in its concluding observations
(CCPR/CO/82/MAR), of November 2004 remained concerned that the process
of issuing a receipt for advance notice of meetings is often abused,
which amounts to a restriction on the right to assembly, as guaranteed
by article 21 of the Covenant. The Committee recommended that the State
party should eliminate the obstacles to the exercise of the right of
assembly.

(6) The Human Rights Committee in its concluding observations
(CCPR/CO/82/MAR), of November 2004 was concerned that some
representatives of non-governmental organization had their passports
confiscated and were thus prevented from attending a meeting of
non-governmental organizations on the question of Western Sahara at the
fifty-ninth session of the Commission on Human Rights in Geneva. The
Committee recommended that the State party should apply article 12 of
the Covenant to all its nationals.

(7) Information according Frente Polisario in Geneva.

8) Sec, for instance, Human Rights Committee, General Comment No. 31,
paragraph 10; also see CRC/C/15/Add.269 of 30 September 2005, in which
the Committee recommends "that the State party take all feasible
measures to ensure hill protection and care. as well as access to health
and sosial services and to education, of Western Saharan refugee
children living in refugee camps in Algeria..."

(9) This is the latest, revised UNHCR figure which is strongly disputed
by the Frente Polisario who puts the figure at some 160,000 persons
living in the camps.

_________________________________

UN Debate on Western Sahara 2006

2006-10-07T15:24:00.000+03:00

STATEMENT BY THE FRENTE POLISARIO
BEFORE THE IV COMMITTEE
4-5 October 2006

Mr. Chairman, honourable Members of the Commission,

First of all, I would like to thank you, on behalf of the Frente POLISARIO, for giving me the opportunity today to address this important Commission on Decolonisation.

Mr. Chairman,

The continuous colonial occupation of Western Sahara by Morocco constitutes a challenge to the principles of the United Nations Charter and the authority and credibility of this body.

In April of this year, the UN Secretary-General submitted a report to the Security Council contained in the document S/2006/249 on the situation relating to the decolonisation of Western Sahara. In the report, he reminded the Council that no state in the world has recognised Morocco’s claim of sovereignty over our country. At the same time, the Secretary-General considers that the United Nations cannot endorse any peace plan for Western Sahara that excludes—as Morocco wants—the right of the Saharawi people to self-determination. The Secretary-General also expressed his concern about the deterioration of the human rights situation in Western Sahara.

In the first place, I would like to tackle this particular question.

In my statement you will find annexed graphic evidences of the barbarity and the unspeakable cruelty of the Moroccan repression against the Saharawi civilians. Dozens of Saharawi men and women have been imprisoned and tortured through medieval practices including dousing prisoners with petrol and setting them on fire, as demonstrates the case of the youngman, Salek Saidi, which appears on the second page of the annex. Committing such crimes is a shameful act unworthy of a Member State of the United Nations that is also a member of the Human Rights Council.

As a result of the repression, three Saharawi civilians died since may 2005. A Moroccan official body unearthed, in southern Morocco last year, the mass graves of 50 Saharawis who disappeared after being kidnapped by the Moroccan occupying forces following their invasion of our country. This could also have been the tragic fate of the rest of the disappeared among whom 526 Saharawi civilians and 151 POWs. The notorious Black Prison of El-Aaiun is still filled with Saharawi detainees, at the same time as 29 political detainees who have recently been given heavy sentences by Moroccan political courts, continue their hunger strike. On 23 September 2006, new peaceful pro-independence demonstrations took place in the city of El Aaiun, which were faced with brutal repression, resulting in several people injured and 40 detained.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, following several attempts that were frustrated by he Moroccan Government, managed eventually to dispatch a delegation to the Saharawi territory in May this year. In its report, while highlighting the importance of the respect for the right of the Saharawi people to self-determination, it brings to light the seriousness of the situation regarding the human rights in the occupied territories of our country.

Morocco tries to cover these crimes derived from its illegal occupation through denying access to the territory to independent observers while resorting to a policy of disqualification of the adversary as the Apartheid did with the ANC and SWAPO, searching, like all colonialisms, for scapegoats in third countries to blame them, playing tricks like a thief crying “stop the thief” much of it we are going to see and witness right here.

Mr. Chairman,
Morocco has seriously complicated the peace process and has put the United Nations in an extremely delicate situation from which it should know how to break away if it wants to maintain its credibility. After having sabotaged the referendum process set in motion by the United Nations in 1991, Morocco is trying today to sell the idea of the possibility of a pseudo-solution to the conflict contrary to the right of the Saharawi people to self-determination. To this end, it has launched a noisy campaign vis-à-vis certain capitals of countries members of the Security Council and others which the occupying power seeks to implicate in the process.

Morocco specifies that this solution is a so-called “autonomy” for Western Sahara in the framework of the purportedly Moroccan sovereignty. On the one hand, this pseudo-solution departs from the illusion of considering, beforehand, our country as an integral part of its territory. As the Secretary-General stated in his report of April, no one recognises for Morocco this sovereignty.

The idea is born dead and our rejection of it is categorical and is not open to appeal. And this is for the following factual reasons. The Saharawi people is the only depository of the sovereignty over the Territory and it is up to them, only to them, to decide on this fundamental question by means of a free and fair referendum on self-determination organised and supervised by the United Nations. If they decide to be part of Morocco, this would be their right, and it should be respected. On this assumption, whether Morocco grants or not an administrative autonomous status, this would be a Moroccan internal issue. However, if the Saharawi people choose to be an independent nation, their decision should equally be respected, and consequently, the form in which they would decide to organise administratively their state would be an issue that lies within their exclusive competence. This is the essence of the message and wisdom of the authors of the resolution 1514 (XV) that is called the Magna Charter of decolonisation.

On the other hand, this pseudo-solution involves serious consequences whose responsibility should be assumed by Morocco. The Moroccan Government should not lose sight of the fact that putting and end to the Settlement Plan and Baker Plan necessarily implies putting an end to the current cease-fire which was agreed on by the two parties as an inseparable element of the referendum process that was the very reason for the deployment of MINURSO in the Territory.
Morocco is playing once again with fire, and using and abusing of its bilateral relations with some capitals could finally drive the Saharawi people and the region as a whole into a situation of extreme tension and risks that had so far been avoided.

As things stand at the moment, Mr. Chairman, our position regarding the solution to the conflict is clear and well-known. We are before a decolonisation problem on the agenda of both the IV Committee and the Special committee since the sixties. As such, the United Nations assumes a particular responsibility that it cannot renounce nor forsake for the siren songs of the so-called “realpolitik” chanted recently by the Moroccan Government to certain ears.

The self-determination referendum stipulated in the peace plans approved by the Security Council was and remains the only mutually acceptable political solution and the only arrangement endorsed by the United Nations. Morocco solemnly and voluntarily accepted this democratic solution and had as witnesses the Security Council and the International Community. No one has forced it to do so, and no one led it into error. A State which respects itself must respect its own committeemen’s. For the Frente POLISARIO, the self-determination referendum is the way forward and, thus, something essential, inalienable and non-negotiable.

The political logic, the need of preserving UN credibility and a decent vision of the future of the peoples of the region advocate the implementation of this principle, since no one, including the occupying power, should make the error of trying to determine unilaterally the future of a people subjected to colonial occupation without consulting this people in a genuine way. This great mistake was made in 1975 when Morocco militarily invaded and occupied the Western Sahara, an occupation whose tragic consequences are still enduring for both the Saharawi and Moroccan peoples as well as for the entire region. In the past, a great part of guilt was attributed to the Cold War, but today this will be unjustifiable. The just and lasting solution to the conflict in Western Sahara is essential for the security and stability of this region of North Africa that is open to globalisation and which is eager to progress in peace and freedom. Peace in Western Sahara passes by a self-determination referendum. The United Nations should not fear this principle enshrined in its own Charter and Morocco, if it is honest in its public statements, should cooperate, put an end to its policy of double standard, to its occupation and violation of human rights in Western Sahara and not fear democratic solutions endorsed by the International Community.

Thank you.

Famous Mariem Hassan

2006-09-23T19:35:00.000+03:00

Mariem Hassan

Songs
of ,faith ,fight,love
in Söderateatern Stockholm the 22 September 2006

SADR -Finland

2006-09-17T13:12:00.000+03:00

Polisario delegation received by the Finnish Foreign Minister Mr Erkki Tumioja .
on his right, Amhamed Khadadd member of the Polisario's leadership coordinator with UN
on his left, Yahiaoui Lamine Baali Polisario's representative to the Nordic Countries

2006-09-17T12:57:00.000+03:00

Chahid El Hafed, 14/09/2006 The President of the Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz, ratified Today at the seat of the presidency, three oil Accords signed last March in Tifariti, in the liberated territories of the Saharawi Republic, with three British oil companies, Maghreb Exploration Limited, Osceola Hydrocarbon Limited, Nighthawk Energy Limited.

"We highly appreciate your signature of these accords, which will have a high value in the future and also appreciate the concern you show to the Saharawi people’s just cause", the President of the Republic indicated during the ceremony of the handing over of the Presidential decree of the ratification of these accords, held Today with the presence of the Minister Delegated to Europe, Mohamed Sidati, the President of the Saharawi Red Crescnt, Yahia Bouhoubeini and the Councillor at the Presidency, Bechir Sghair.

"We are convinced that you are putting you bet on the right horse and we will save no efforts to be at the level of your expectations, because our people is strong thanks to its rights, now violated by the Moroccan occupation, but which it is determined to recover", Mr. Abdelaziz added in his address to the two Directors of the British companies, Nighthawk Energy Limited and Maghreb Exploration Limited, respectively, Roger Norwich and Frederik Dekker.

In accordance with these accords, the three British Firms will undertake exploration operations on shore ad off shore the region of Bojador, it was indicated.

In statements to the press, the two British Directors expressed their satisfaction about the meetings they have with the Saharawi Government and of the visit, the first of its kind to the Saharawi refugee camps.

"We came here to establish constant relations of friendship and to participate to the construction of the independent Saharawi Republic", Mr. Frederik Dekker said.

These accords "show that the Saharawi Republic is determined to progressively enlarge its cooperation with international actors, which affirm through these accords that they are convinced that the independence of the Western Sahara is unavoidable", the Member of the Polisario Front’s National Secretariat, M'Hamed Khadad, said last March the 16th 2006 during the signature of the accords in London.

"The conclusion of these accords also confirms the determination of the Saharawi people to advance in the consecration of its national independence and recover its sovereignty on all its natural wealth ", he added then.

Besides these three oil companies, five other companies had signed similar accords in other regions of the Western Sahara, mainly in: Haouza, Mahbes, Bir Lehlu, Hagounia, Mijek, Laguera and Guelta. The mentioned companies are Premier Oil Limited, Ophir Energy company Limited, Europa Oil and Gas plc, Oil Plc et Comet Petroleum limited, it should be recalled-t-on.

SPSOCCUPIED TERRITORIES/SOUTH MOROCCO/REPRESSION
Abduction of a Sahara human rights defender in Tan Tan (Morocco)

Tan Tan (Morocco), 14/09/2006 Moroccan authorities abducted the Saharawi human rights activist, , Ettarrouzi Yahdih, Wednesday night, while he was heading towards a cyber cafe in the city of Tan Tan, according to a press release publicised on Thurs by his family in this Moroccan southern city, which is populated by a Saharawi majority"Eyewitnesses affirmed that a Moroccan agent of the Direction of the Territorial Security (DST) was closely watching our son few minutes before he was abducted, and that the car used for the abduction was a Moroccan secret service’s that came to the city of Tan Tan from outside", the text of which SPS receive a copy stressed.The family of the Saharawi human rights defender, Ettarrouzi Yahdih, condemned this abduction calling for the immediate release of their son, of whom it did receive no news since he was abducted.It also launched an appeal to international human rights organisations, democratic organisations and all persons concerned about freedom "to intervene vis-à-vis the Moroccan authorities so as to give explanations about the fate of their son Ettarrouzi Yahdih", the press release concluded.Mr. Yahdih Ettarrouzi was born in 1981 in Tan Tan, graduated in mechanic and informatics, and was abusively dismissed from his job in 2002 because of his activities as a human rights defender in the Western Sahara.

OCCUPIED TERRITORIES/USA/AMINETOU HAIDAR
Mrs. Aminetou Haidar starts a visit to the USA

Washington (DC), 14/09/2006 The Saharawi Human Rights activist and ex-political prisoner, Mrs. Aminetou Haidar, undertakes a visit to Washington, Wednesday and Thursday, in response to an invitation from Members of the US Congress and representatives of human rights associations and organisations in the United States of America.This visit to the US Federal capital intervenes few days after the publication by the US organisation, Freedom House, of a report on the human rights violations and civil liberties in the Western Sahara by the Moroccan forces of occupation.
It will give the Saharawi activist, who was victim to forced disappearance without any judgment (from 1981 to 1991), an opportunity to inform her different interlocutors about the serious human rights situation that prevails in her country, before she will visit other American cities, the organisers of the activist’s turn indicated to the Algerian press service, APS.During her sojourn, Mrs. Aminetou Haidar will meet many political personalities, congressmen, activists of the US civil society, to also discuss with them the impasse of the political solution of the conflict in the Western Sahara but also to attract their attention to the continuity of the human rights violations in her country, which is a result to the Moroccan intransigence and refusal to subscribe to the international resolutions on the subject.Many meetings and reception on the honour of Ms. Aminetou Haidar will be organised, for the two days visit to Washington the activists is planning to make, knowing that she will be receiving the American "Freedom award 2006", which will be offered to her by the Defence Forum Foundation, for her struggle and defence of civil liberties and human rights.
The award will be handed over to the Saharawi activist by US Congressmen during a reception that will be organised in the Capitol Hill (seat of the Congress).It should be recalled that the US political society is progressively concerned about the Saharawi question. Senators an Congressmen had sent two letters to the US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, last April, asking her, among other requests to put all her influence so as to help in the settlement of the serious situation that prevails in the Western Sahara. Many Congressmen are in fact supporters of the organisation of a self-termination referendum for the Saharawi people, as recommended in UN’s resolutions.On another hand, it should be recalled, the Saharawi President, Mr. Mohamed Abdelaziz, had undertaken a work visit to Washington last April the 5th and 6th, after a meeting with the UN Secretary General, Mr. Koffi Annan, in New York.

SPSOCCUPIED TERRITORIES/MOROCCO/SPAIN/HUMAN RIGHTS
Associations will start legal procedures against Moroccan responsible for human rights violations

Madrid, 14/09/2006 A group of human rights associations will register a complaint at the National Court (the Spanish highest criminal court) against ''Moroccan military officials'' charging them for human rights violations in the Western Sahara, The Spanish Association of solidarity with the Saharawi people (CEAS-Sahara) announced on Wednesday in a press release.This legal procedure, which will be led in accordance with ''the principle of the universal jurisdiction of the courts of justice'', targets the ''accountability'' of these officials for ''the genocide, torture, illegal detentions, sequestrations and forced disappearance practiced by the Moroccan State against the Saharawi people'', it was indicated.The press release mentioned among the targeted officials more than six ex-senior officials of the different Moroccan corpses of security, generally against ''all those who assume a responsibility as authors, accomplices or those who provide coverage" to the mentioned crimes. The Associations that adhered this initiative are the CEAS-Sahara, the Association of the Families of the Saharawi Prisoners and “Disappeareds” (AFAPREDESA), the Spanish Federation of the Associations promoting human rights defence, the Spanish human rights Association (APDHE) and the Spanish Federation of State’s institute supporting the Saharawi people (FEDISSAH).
SPSOCCUPIED TERRITORIES/POLITICAL PRISONERS/TRIALS
Reduction of imprisonment sentences for two Saharawi political prisoners

SADR/EUROPEAN UNION
Mr. Mhamed khadad received by the Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs

Brussels, 14/09/2006 The Member of Polisario Front National Secretariat and Coordinator with the MINURSO, Mr. Mhamed khadad, was received on Thursday by the Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Erkki Tumioja, at the seat of the latter’s diplomatic representation to the European Union in Brussels.

The discussion between the two parties tackled the current situation in the Western Sahara and the perspectives of the international community’s efforts for a just solution to the decolonisation conflict.

Khadad recalled his interlocutor that "Europe must get implicated in favour of a solution that is conform to the international legality", underlining in this respect that "it is only the respect of the Saharawi people’s right to democratically decide over their future that will enable the resolution of the conflict" in the Western Sahara.

The Saharawi diplomat also added that, "by trying to ignore this reality will only perpetuate the conflict wit all the risks of deterioration that this my cause to peace and stability in the region".

Mr. Khadad finaly called for an European action to stop the Moroccan violations in the occupied territories of the Western Sahara and the protection of the civil population.

Mr. Erkki Tumioja reaffirmed, on his part, the position of his country in favour of the respect of the Saharawi people’s right to self-determination and recalled the concern his country have for the respect of the human right in the Western Sahara, to the pursuit of the UN’s family visits’ exchange programme between the Saharawi families in both sides of the Moroccan military wall as well as the humanitarian aid for the Saharawi refugees.

The meeting was also attended by the Finnish Director for Political Affairs, Mrs. Pilvi Sisiki Viorros, the Councillor to the Finnish Minister, Mrs. katri Viinikka, as well as Mr. Lamine Yahiaoui, Polisario Front’s Representative to the Nordic Countries.

It should be stressed that Finland is the current president of the European Union until the end of 2006. (SPS)

SADR/UN
Abdelaziz calls on Annan for the liberation of 29 Saharawi political prisoners in hunger strike

Bir Lahlou (liberated territories), 14/09/2006 The President of the Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz, called on the UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, to help in the "immediate and unconditional release" of 29 Saharawi political prisoners and human rights activists in hunger strike since the beginning of September in the different Moroccan prisons, knowing that the state of health of some of them has seriously deteriorated.The Head of the State described the state of the Saharawi political prisoners as "extremely serious" and "precarious", and asked the UN Secretary general for an urgent intervention "to put an end to the injustice that is striking these innocents, and to oeuvre in emergency for the immediate and unconditional release of all Saharawi political prisoners and human rights activists detained in Moroccan prisons".He further addressed Mr. Annan "to reiterate you our request concerning the constitution of a mechanism that would enable the UN to protect the Saharawi civilians i the occupied territories of the Western Sahara and in the South of Morocco, and this in the expectation of the implementation, in the briefest delays, of the international law and the UN’s resolutions, which will enable the Saharawi people to freely chose their fate through the organisation of a free and democratic self-determination referendum", the Saharawi President said.The Saharawi leader further recalled in his letter that the “Moroccan authorities of occupation had perpetrated serious human rights violations such as: bombardment of Saharawi population with Napalm and White phosphor, bombs that are internationally banned, the throwing of dozens Saharawis from military planes, burying of dozens other in collective graves, forced disappearance and other cruel methods that can not be named, which marked for life the victims”".

OCCUPIED TERRITORIES/REPRESSION
Intimidation and terror in the occupied cities of the Western Sahara

El Aaiun (occupied territories), 14/09/2006 The Moroccan colonial forces started a wide campaign of intimidation and research for Saharawi human rights activists, on Sunday, so as to terrorise the Saharawi youth and stop them from organising possible demonstrations, especially with the near coming of new year school entry, 2006-2007, credible source indicated.In this respect, some Moroccan police officers visited textile magazines in El Aaiun, "warning them from selling textile materials to Saharawi youth, who can use them to make the flags of the Saharawi Republic, the Moroccan officers said", the same sources reported.Many Saharawi families were also threatened by the Moroccan forces of repression in many streets of the occupied city of El Aaiun.In the occupied city of Smara, the same sources said, flag of the Saharawi Republic were lifted and fixed on Electric poles.In the occupied city of Bojador, writings advocating the Saharawi people’s right to self-determination and the rejection of the Moroccan occupation were written on the houses in this city.The schools in the city of Bojador were "completely sealed" since days by the different Moroccan colonial corps, aiming to "repress all demonstration that ay be organised in the future", according to the same sources.

Aauin Occupied territories of W.SAHARA

2006-09-17T12:51:00.000+03:00

El Aaiun (occupied territories), 14/09/2006 The Moroccan colonial court of appeal in the occupied capital of the Saharawi Republic, El Aaiun, reduced on Monday the sentences of imprisonment of the Saharawi political prisoners, Torqui Ali and Laaraibi Mohamed Ali, to one month, after they were sentenced two months imprisonment by the Moroccan colonial court of first instance last August, concordant sources reported.The two Saharawi political prisoners were released Monday after they spent a month in the notorious Carcel Negra in the occupied El Aaiun, the same sources said.
Mr. Torqui Ali and Mr. Laaraibi Mohamed Ali, were arrested for having participated to demonstrations advocating the Saharawi people’s right to self-determination, and were tortured before they were transferred to the Carcel Negra last August the 15th, it should be recalled.On another hand, the Moroccan colonial authorities postponed to September the 19th the trial of 8 Saharawi political prisoners, incarcerated in the local prison of Inzegan.The concerned political prisoner are: Bouregaa Omar, Banga Cheikh, Lefkir Lehsen, Najiaa Bachir, Waissi Elkharchi, Elmansouri Driss, Tamek Mohamed, Kajout Brahim, who are maintained undr detention without judgment since they were arrested last April, it should be recalled. (SPS)020/090/110/TRD 141220 Sept 06 SPS

THE CHALLENGE OF THE OCCUPATION CONTINUES

2006-09-11T22:42:00.000+03:00

NEW PICTURE OF THE DEMONSTRATION IN THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES OF WESTERN SAHARA