WEEKLY NEWS

 

WEEK 22

26.05.-01.06.1997

 

 

End illegal occupation of Western Sahara, urges South African MP (24.04.97)
South Africa should do all it could to end Morocco's illegal occupation of the Western Sahara, chairman of the foreign affairs committee Raymond Suttner said. The question of Western Sahara remained a blot on the map of Africa, he said in debate on the foreign affairs budget vote. It was important for South Africa to move towards implementing President Nelson Mandela's mid-1995 commitment to extend diplomatic relations to the Saharan Arab Democratic Republic. "We need, in line with out commitment to self-determination, to convince the Moroccans to vacate the area," he said. South Africa had to be seen to ally itself with the poorest of the poor and, in international relations, with those people struggling for self determination. There were limitations on what it could do about situations far from its borders. But what it could do was vote in line with its constitutional principles when the situation arose (ANC Daily News Briefing).

Conference of the UN Special Committee on Decolonization (21-23.05.97)
In the frame of the Decade of Eradication of Colonialism the UN Special Committee on Decolonization organized a conference at Antigua and Barbuda. The Polisario was present by its permanent representative in the USA, Mulud Said, who made a statement. The conference adopted a declaration concerning Western Sahara, in which it affirms that the Special Committee has to observe closely the implementation of a fair and free self determination referendum for the Sahrawi people.

Solidarity (24.05.97)
A manifestation named "Six Hours For Western Sahara" took place at Brussel with the presentation of a film, a foto exhibition and political debates, in presence of a numerous public.

26.05.97
Reform of the judicial system

The president of the Supreme Court, judge Ahmed Sid Ali, has sworned the clerks, the advocates and the experts of the SADR courts. The ceremony took place with the presence of the Minister of Justice Mr. Hammati Rabbani, Mr. Mustapha Ali Sidi El Bachir, member of the National Council and wali of Awsserd, Mr. Hamada Salam Daf, president of the Council of Jurisprudence, and other personalities.

28.05.97
Morocco-Italian Interparlamentary group

An interparlamentary group with about 130 Italian deputees was founded at Rome in order to develop the friendly relationship with Moroccan people and the exchange of informations about political, social, economical and cultural matters between the two countries.

30.05.97
Disappearance

Mr Hammad Ali Hamad, Sahrawi citizen born in El Ayun in the sixties, was arrested in the night of May 26th at El Ayun by Moroccan police and disappeared (AFAPREDESA).

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