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WEEKLY NEWS |
original french
07.-13.04.2002
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SADR
08.04.02
A French delegation of over 60 people, comprising elected members
from various French towns twinned with Saharawi localities
(Gonfreville l'Orcher, Le Havre, Le Mans and Rezé), as well as
solidarity movement representatives, is in the refugee camps.
Received by the walis of Smara and Ausserd, the delegation visited
health and educational establishments and had talks with officials
from the government, the parliament and Saharawi NGOs.
(SPS)
REFERENDUM
08.04.02
Swing in Mauritania
William Swing, special representative of the UN secretary general for
Western Sahara, was received by the Mauritanian president. On leaving
the audience the UN officer declared : "I am here in the context of a
series of visits relating to the peace process in the territory of
Western Sahara. I'm making contacts with the aim of having an
exchange of views on this question." It is the second visit of Mr
Swing to Mauritania, the first was on 13 February last.
11.04.02
MINURSO
According to Spanish diplomatic sources quoted by Europa Press, the
Security Council could extend MINURSO's mandate by 4 or 6 months, and
postpone studying the choice of one of four options proposed by Kofi
Annan. According to the same sources, none of the options, except for
refusing to withdraw the UN, would attract unanimity from the parties
involved in the conflict.
10.04.02
European Union - Ad Hoc Committee on Western Sahara
In the draft report on the mission to Western Sahara, in discussion
within the ad hoc committee, Mrs Lalumière is said to have
proposed greater involvement of the EU by setting up a working group
charged with facilitating dialogue between Morocco, Algeria and the
Polisario Front. This group would be in contact with the European
Commission and its commissioner for foreign policy, Mr Solana.
(Europa Press)
SPAIN
08.04.02
The general Council of the province of Huesca in Aragon unanimously
passed a resolution (spanish)
in favour of the rights of the Saharawi people, in particular its
right to self-determination, on the model of those accepted by the
parliament of Aragon and the municipal councils of Saragossa and
Huesca.
09.04.02
Morocco-Spain
In the diplomatic crisis provoked by Morocco, which unilaterally
withdrew its ambassador last November (week 44/01),
the Spanish position seems to have changed. The question of Western
Sahara will be included in discussions which are supposed to resolve
the differences between these two countries.
(press)
09.04.02
Annan honoured by a Spanish university
The University of Alcalá de Henares in Madrid conferred the
degree of doctor honoris causa on Kofi Annan. Members of solidarity
associations with the Saharawi people were present at the ceremony
with banners and placards to express their concern over the conflict
in Western Sahara. Kofi Annan came up to the demonstrators to let
them know that he was keen to find a solution to the conflict and to
express his concern for the future of the Saharawi people. The
demonstrators also gave him a letter. (spanish)
MOROCCO
09.04.02
«Le Journal hebdomadaire» (Morocco) speculates on
the secret accords between Israël, Morocco and the USA. In
return for hosting the Palestinian president, Arafat, Morocco would
allegedly be compensated by economic agreements and unconditional
American support for the Moroccan position on the question of the
Sahara in the Security Council. (Review of the press by the French
Embassy in Rabat)
12.04.02
In view of the visit of the King of Morocco to Washington on 23.04,
an official from the US Trade Department declared in Rabat that the
USA had the intention of developing mutually advantageous economic
partnership with Morocco and to conclude a Moroccan-US free trade
accord. Only four countries are bound to the USA by such an accord:
Canada, Mexico, Jordan and Israel.
HUMANITARIAN AID
11.04.02
A mission from the UNHCR and WFP, accompanied by representatives of
the EU and various European, American and Chinese diplomats
accredited in Algiers, is visiting the Saharawi refugee camps to
inquire about the needs and to ensure the continuity of supply of
humanitarian aid to the refugees. During a meeting with the Saharawi
population, political officials and representatives of Saharawi civil
society expressed their gratitude for the aid received and emphasised
the urgency of finding a definitive solution to the conflict, based
on respect for international law. (SPS)
SOLIDARIDAD
11.04.02, Algeciras: SAR. El Principe de Asturias Felipe de Borbón en su visita al Campo de Gibraltar y mas concretamente a la localidad de Algeciras, ha recibido en mano una carta firmada por Isabel Bandrés, Presidenta de la AAPS "Solidaridad" , Coordinadora de Cádiz y Vicepresidenta de la la Federación Andaluza de Asociaciones Solidarias con el Sáhara cuyo texto se adjunta.
11.04.02, Santander: La Asociación Cantabria por el Sáhara, constituida 27.02.02, anuncia la próxima organización de un "Referéndum para la Autodeterminación del Pueblo Saharaui" en Cantabria, similar al celebrado recientemente en Andalucía y en el que se invitará a participar a toda la población así como a las instituciones, organizaciones, partidos, sindicatos, juventudes, ONGs, etc, acercándoles de este modo a la lucha por la justicia y la libertad del pueblo saharaui. Denuncia el cinismo de Marruecos al mostrarse al lado del pueblo Palestino, víctima de la masacre por parte de Israel, siendo verdugo desde hace 26 años del Pueblo Saharaui al que ha sometido a invasión, genocidio y todo tipo de represiones sin atender las resoluciones de la ONU y ofreciendo como única solución una autonomía bajo su soberanía. Nos preguntamos ¿igual que la de Palestina, tal vez?
PROXIMAMENTE
Asociación
DAJLA, Alicante: Dentro de las actividades culturales que
desarrolla la Universidad de Alicante en colaboración con
Asociaciones e Instituciones, la asociación DAJLA ha
programado una Exposición itinerante por las Sedes
Universitarias de Alicante, Benissa, Cocentaina y Biar con el fin de
dar a conocer la Historia, Cultura y situación política
actual del Pueblo Saharaui.
En la Sede de Alicante, así mismo se celebrara una
conferencia del Catedrático de la Universidad de
Santiago de Compostela D.Carlos Ruiz Miguel que analizara la
situación actual del Plan de Paz y las diferentes vías
de solución del conflicto que se proponen desde diferentes
instancias. Tendrá lugar el día 19 de abril,
viernes, a las 20'00 h. en el salón de conferencias de la Sede
de la Universidad sito en la calle Ramón y Cajal nº4 de
Alicante, antigua Escuela de Comercio.
08-19.04.02, León: La Organización No Gubernamental para el Desarrollo del Pueblo Saharaui, La Hamada, presenta la exposición fotográfica «El amargo te del exilio», del 8 a 19 de abril en el hall de Filosofía y Letras, Campus Universitario de León. <ongdhamada@usuarios.retecal.es>
Odisea TV vuelve a emitir los reportajes "Sáhara: la guerra olvidada".
Lunes 8/04/02 (20h00m): "Una cuestión de soberanía"
Lunes 15/04/02 (20h00m): "El camino a la guerra"
Lunes 22/04/02 (20h00m): "El Plan de Paz"
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