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WEEKLY NEWS |
original french
14.-20.07.2002
SADR
16.07.02
Abdelkader Messahel, Minister of Foreign Affairs responsible for
Maghreb and African affairs, reaffirmed "the traditional position" of
Algeria on the peace process in Western Sahara. At the end of an
interview with Mr William Lacy Swing, the UN Special Representative
for Western Sahara, Mr Messahel underlined that the "Algerian
position on the question of Western Sahara is based on the principle
of self-determination and the implementation of the action plan of
the United Nations as well as the Houston Agreements." Mr Swing
indicated that his visit to Algiers was part of an exchange of points
of view with Algerian officials on the question of Western Sahara.
(SPS)
OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
15.07.02
The three young Saharawis accused of having started a fire in the
neighbourhood of a police station in El Ayoun on 19 June, Salem
Mouloud, Salek Hazaña (El Alawi) and Duih Mohamed-Fadel
(see
week 27),
were judged by the appeal court of Agadir and sentenced to six
months' imprisonment for two of them and 12 months' imprisonment for
the third. (corr.)
REFERENDUM
12.07.02
The ad hoc delegation for Western Sahara of the European Parliament
published its report which was approved by a narrow majority. Mrs
Eriksson rejected it and drew up her own
report,
declaring that "the official version of events is far from the
reality witnessed and fears that such inaccuracies will prejudice
future Parliamentary policy to the detriment of the fragile peace in
the region".
Two Spanish members of the delegation, Isidoro Sanchez Garcia and
Carlos Bautista Ojeda, also withdrew their support for the report
(Ronny
Hansen)
(Full
EP ad hoc delegation report)
13.07.02
USA
37 members of the American Congress, in a letter to President Bush,
express their support for a referendum of self-determination for the
Saharawi people and ask the government to commit itself in favour of
the holding of a referendum without delay, the only solution which
will put an end to the conflict.
16.07.02
Declaration
On the eve of the deliberations of the Security Council on the
renewal MINURSO's mandate, the Minister Counsellor to the Presidency,
Mr Sidati, made a statement asking "the international community to
continue courageously to defend right and law" faced with "the
sinister conspiracy aimed at by-passing the Peace Plan". "The whole
question consists of knowing, writes Mr Sidati, whether the Security
Council, as an institution, is from now on prepared to curb the
insatiable territorial ambitions of Morocco and to enquire as to the
real role played by France which makes no secret of its unconditional
support for Morocco and its expansionist policies. The Moroccan
kingdom is no longer hesitating from acting recklessly as its recent
coup de force against Spain illustrates. Its acts of aggression must
be contained and neutralised if peace and stability in the whole
western Mediterranean rim are not to be put under serious threat."
(Press
Statement)
Mid-July
The Manifesto
for Peace in Western Sahara,
initiated by three Swiss NGOs and signed by several organisations and
numerous individuals, has been delivered to Spanish Embassies in
different countries, as well as to the members of the UN Security
Council.
18.07.02
Diplomacy
Morocco delegated its Minister for Human rights to visit Ireland and
Norway, two member states of the Security Council, to transmit to
their respective Premiers a message from the King concerning the
consultations of the Security Council on the question of Western
Sahara.
19.07.02
Abdelaziz in the USA
After presiding on 16 at a dinner organised in his honour in
Washington by Congressmen Pitts et Payne and the US-Western Sahara
Foundation, the Saharawi President met the UN Secretary General and
the President of the Security Council. He spoke to a group of
representatives of non-permanent member countries of the Council and
had talks with the Ambassadors of China, France, Russia, USA, Norway,
Mexico, Colombia, Mauritius, Ireland and Singapore. Mohamed Abdelaziz
reaffirmed the Saharawi side's attachment to the settlement plan and
its categorical rejection of the so-called draft Framework Agreement.
A memorandum detailing the position of the Polisario Front was handed
to the members of the Council and to all members of the United
Nations. (Min Info RASD)
20.07.02
Early
Day Motion, EDM 1517
The motion, put down in the British parliament by the MP, Jeremy
Corbyn on 26 June 2002 has been signed to date by 42 members of
parliament.
SPAIN-MOROCCO
Occupation of
the islet Leïla-Parsley (continued)
16.07. Moroccan gendarmes occupying the disputed Parsley islet for
five days (see week 28) are replaced by soldiers. This change in the
"nature of the Moroccan military presence" is felt as "a clear
provocation" by Spain, whose troops land at dawn on 17 on the islet,
capture the six members of the Moroccan security and handing them
over to Moroccan authorities. Morocco refers to the Security Council
and demands the immediate withdrawal of the Spanish
forces.
17.07. The Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Benaïssa, who had announced the day before his intention of wishing to "resolve [this dispute] through dialogue", considers that the military action of Spain "is tantamount to a declaration of war",giving assurance that "an agreement had been concluded before the start of the Spanish operation", thanks to the mediation of the United States, France and Belgium.
18.07. Spain declares itself ready to withdraw its troops as soon as Morocco guarantees a return to the situation which prevailed before 11 July. Satisfied with the support from the European Union, Madrid however, leaves it to be understood that France is playing a double game which favours Morocco.
19.07. "No negotiation, no discussion can take place (...) before the complete withdrawal of Spanish troops" from the islet, Benaïssa declares to the press in Paris, denying a declaration which had been attributed to him by AFP, according to which Morocco would not return to Parsley after a Spanish withdrawal.
20.07.02. Spanish troops began to leave the North African island of Perejil after Spain and Morocco reached a U.S.-brokered agreement over the disputed outcrop.
SOLIDARITY
Italia:
7 anni insieme per i Saharawi...
Quinto Alto (Sesto Fiorentino) 17 e 18 luglio 2002: Giornate di
solidarietà con il Popolo Saharawi organizzate
dall'Associazione "La Concordia", dalla Casa del Popolo di Quinto
Alto, dal Circolo M.C.L. "Quinto Alto", dalla Misericordia di Quinto,
dalla Parrocchia di S. Maria a Quinto, dal Centro Civico n. 3
(Quinto) ed con il patrocinio del Comune di Sesto Fiorentino e la
collaborazione organizzativa dell'Associazione di Solidarietà
con il Popolo Saharawi "Ban Slout Larbi".
España:
ACTO DE SOLIDARIDAD PARA LLEVAR AGUA A LOS CAMPAMENTOS DE REFUGIADOS
SAHARAUIS.
ONGs que participan en la campaña: Asociación de Amigos
del Pueblo Saharaui, Plataforma Mujeres Artistas, Paz y Tercer Mundo,
Solidaridad Internacional, Instituto de Estudios Políticos
para América Latina y África (IEPALA), ACSUR Las
Segovias y Movimiento Por la Paz, el Desarme y la Libertad (MPDL).
Infos: Asociación Amigos del Pueblo Saharaui, Tel. 91 531 28
29, e-mail: saharamad@congde.org
COMING UP...
Friday, 26 July: The Security Council has scheduled consultations on Western Sahara.
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