|
NEWS |
original french
11.01.- 24.01.2004
12.01.04
Parliament
The Prime Minister, Abdelkade Taleb Oumar presents to Parliament his
government‚s programme for the year 2004, centred on "the
reinforcement of resistence by developing human resources and
material means", the improvement of living conditions in the camps,
the strengthening of social services for elderly people, the
handicapped and war veterans, the emanicipation of women, the
encouragement of agricultural and pastoral farming, manufacture of
crafts, cooperatives and professional training. The Saharawi
Parliament has 51 members of whom 12 are women. (SPS)
15.01.04
Germany
Mhamed Khaddad, member of the National Secretariat of the Polisario
Front and Coordinator with MINURSO, accompanied by the Representative
of the Polisario Front in Germany, Zakari Djamal, were received at
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the Bundestag (Federal
Parliament) by all the parliamentary groups. Several political
parties expressed their "consternation over the procrastinations and
blockages which prevent the United Nations from completing their
mission" in Western Sahara, Khaddad declared.
The Polisario Front's delegation held a working session at the
regional parliament at Erfurt, capital of Thuringa, where the
creation of a support group for the Saharawi people, called "Salma",
chaired by the MEP Margot Kessler, was announced.
18-22.01.04
Cuba
Bachir Moustapha Sayed, Saharawi minister for teaching and education
took part in Havana in the 8th meeting of the joint Cuban-Saharawi
committee for scientific and technical collaboration between Cuba and
SADR, which meets every two years. The Cuban government was
represented by Ernesto Senti Darias, interim minister for foreign
investment and economic collaboration.
10-11.01.04
Khartoum - 8th Congress of the Organization of the African Trade
Unions Unity (OATUU)
The congress recommends to the UN the acceleration of the
decolonisation of Western Sahara and asks Morocco to abide by
international law and by resolution 1495 (2003) of 31.07.2003.
The congress calls trades unions across the whole world to join the
Saharawi workers in their struggle for freedom and independence.
Finally it condemns abuses of the rights of workers in the
territories occupied by Morocco.
12.01.04
Confidence-building measures
Direct telephone links between the Saharawi refugee camp of "27
February" and the occupied zones of Western Sahara have been opened
by the UNHCR. The international organisation envisages establishing a
"air bridge" between the Saharawi refugee camps and El Ayoun thanks
to MINURSO, whose Antonov planes make two flights each way daily
between Tindouf and El Ayoun, which could carry about twenty
passengers on each trip. The Polisario Front has given verbal
agreement for this operation. The HCR is waiting for a reply from the
Moroccan and Algerian authorities, "hoping for a favourable response
which will allow the first trip to be made on the occasion of Eid el
Kebir, on 1 February next".
Concerning exchanges of mail, the latest report from Kofi Annan
indicates that the Polisario Front and Algeria have accepted the
HCR‚s conditions, which would be responsible for collecting and
distributing the mail. Morocco has asked that the Moroccan postal
service "should look after the collection and distribution of the
mail" (sic!), which the HCR cannot accept.
19.01.04
Secretary General's Report S/2004/39 (PDF)
In July 2003, the Security Council in resolution 1495 ratified
Baker's peace plan and asked the parties to accept it. The Polisario
Front having replied favourably, it was to allow Morocco to express
its position that the mandate of MINURSO was extended to 31.10.03,
then to 31.01.04. In his latest report the Secretary General asks for
a further extension of three months, on the recommendation of James
Baker, "to allow him to consult further with Morocco on its final
response to the peace plan."
If the report does not state the content of Morocco's response, there
is information circulating about its substance. Thus the Spanish
press has claimed that Morocco would accept internal autonomy, but
would refuse any reference to independence in a referendum which
should take place in 4 or 5 years.
According the well-informed Saharawi sources, Morocco would concede a
wide autonomy to Western Sahara, but would not accept holding a
referendum. This return to Baker's first plan, the
framework-agreement, has apparently not found a favourable response
from Baker or the Security Council. The ball remains in Morocco's
court which has until the end of April to decide. According to
certain UN diplomats this extension could the "the last".
The Polisario representative in Spain, Ghali, considered Morocco's
position to be a challenge to the international community, and that
talk of sanctions should begin so that no more time is
wasted.
14.01.04
Film
Release in Spain of the film ´Cuentos de la guerra
saharaui´(stories of the Saharawi war), which is fiction by
Pedro Pérez Rosado, based on the true story of a Spanish
legionnaire who deserted in 1975 to join the Saharawi people and
share their life.
10.01.04
Assa
Ali Salem Tamek and other Saharawi political prisoners pardoned on 7
January were given a triumphal welcome in Assa (southern Morocco). A
large crowd was waiting for them at the town gate entrance, to then
accompany them in a procession. The return of those pardoned was the
occasion for a reception with many speeches. After the president of
the "Committee for the release of Tamek and all Saharawi political
prisoners" Al Moutawakil, Mohamed Daddach expressed his "satisfaction
at the victory over the forces of repression and the arbitrary". By
telephone, European human rights associations congratulated the
former detainees on their struggle.
See photographic
reportage
.
See the special
page
on the release of Saharawi prisoners with press articles, reactions
and statements.
18.01.04
Rabat
Tamek and the poltical detainees just released were received in
Rabat. A crowd of lawyers, human rights defenders, families of the
disappeared, former political detainees, journalists and
representatives of political parties welcomed them outside the
lawyers‚ club, where a meeting was held for over two hours, with
speeches by Moroccan human rights organisations (AMDH, OMDH, FVJ),
action committees and political detainees. According to El Moutawakil
Mohammed, spokesman for the action committee for the release of Tamek
Ali Salem and all Saharawi political detainees, "this liberation is
positive and a step in the right direction, but remains incomplete
without the liberation of all Saharawi political detainees, without
light being shed on the disappearance of over 500 Saharawis, without
the lifting of the ban on the Sahara branch of the Forum for Truth
and Justice, without the return of activists deported to northern
Morocco and the return of their passports to Saharawi human rights
defenders who were intending to visit Geneva last year". Tamek, also
congratulated all the organisations, the press and the personalities
who had supported him all around the world, adding that "human rights
abuses in the Sahara are linked to the political conflict which has
been going on since 1975. These abuses will not stop unless a
definitive way out of the political issue is found."
(corr.)
14.01.04
In a speech to the European Parliament on the preparations for the
60th session of the United Nations Commission of human rights,Yasmine
Boudjenah invited the governments of member states to support
strongly the United Nations in their present efforts. The deadline
being fixed for 31 January, there is urgency in exerting an influence
on Morocco to make it accept and implement without any further delay
the UN peace plan.
22.01.04
The Australia Western Sahara Association (AWSA) sent a letter to the
President of the 60th session of the UN Human Rights Commission, the
Australian Ambassador, Michael Smith, to draw his attention to human
rights abuses in Western Sahara, and to ask him to contribute to the
release of all Saharawi political detainees, 500 disappeared
Saharawis and 150 prisoners of war. Deploring the fact that Western
Sahara "is in a state of siege", AWSA demands respect for free
circulation, freedom of expression and assembly, including the right
to travel abroad and to take part in the Commission of Human Rights.
It also called for "free access to the occupied zones for observers
and the media".(letter).
12.01.04
The Saharawi Red Crescent (CRS) called on the ICRC to put more effort
into the release of Saharawi prisoners of war (list)
and other detainees in Morocco.(SPS)
13.01.04
Risk of famine in the Saharawi camps
"The situation risks being disastrous for the Saharawi refugees in
2004 in terms of food" Peter Kessler declared, the official in charge
of North Africa and spokesman for UNHCR, in an interview with the
Algerian daily El Watan, adding that the Saharawi refugees were close
to a food crisis in 2003. "Fortunately, he stated, the government in
Algiers made a gift of 10,000 tonnes of rice to 5 camps in Tindouf".
(El Watan)
20-24.01.04
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) coordinates
with the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Algerian government on a
guided tour for Western diplomats based in Algiers to the Saharawi
refugee camps with the aim of updating them on the food situation and
of raising awareness among the principle funders, the USA, Japan,
Australia and Canada. The ambassadors of Austria, Finland and
representatives from the embassies of Belgium, Spain, the USA,
France, Italy and South Africa accompany the officials from the HCR
and WFP as well as the Algerian government, the Algerian Red
Crescentand the Humanitarian Affairs Office for the European
Commission (ECHO). The mission will also inquire into the progress of
confidence-building measures put in place by the HCR.
(IRIN)
16.01.04
EUROPEAN ACTION CONCERNING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW UN PEACE
PLAN FORWESTERN SAHARA: Demonstrations in Paris, Brussels, Madrid,
Seville, Stockholm, see special
page
.
17.01.04
Italy
The national Association of solidarity with the Saharawi people
(ANSPS) in collaboration with the local association Haima organised
at the head quarters of the commune of Naples a national Seminar on
the hosting of Saharawi children to prepare the next
holidays.
23.01.04
CHARTER FLIGHT from ITALIY
Also this year the usual charter flight to Tindouf will leave Pisa
airport on 23rd January thanks to the commitment of the Tuscany
Branch of the National Association for the solidarity to the Saharawi
people.
Public administrators, volunteers, common people and many students
from the secondary schools will visit not only the Saharawi refugee
camps, but undertaking a long trip through the liberated West Sahara
desert, they will also peacefully demonstrate in front of the "wall
of the shame", which was built by the Moroccan authorities and about
which too few words are spoken up. Moreover, a great party will be
organised to inaugurate a water-hole, drilled by the Italian
Publiacqua Company, which will provide water to the Auserd tent
town.27.01.04 New York. Security Council. Debate on the extension of
MINURSO.
29.01.04 Berlin. The German parliament will debate a motion entitled "Support for the Baker plan and a political solution to the conflict in Western Sahara", lodged on 7 January by the four most important political parties represented in the Bundestag. The motion asks the government to make Morocco and the Polisario accept the Baker plan, and for European countries to support the peace process, for the government to make military observers available if needed, to call on WFP and ECHO to deliver sufficient food aid for the Saharawi refugees, and to put pressure on the Polisario for the release of prisoners of war and on Morocco to shed light on the fate of the disappeared.
Sveden, 25
january 2004: EN ANNAN RÖST
Alternativ konferens om folkmord, terror och mänskliga
rättigheter
Söndag 25 januari, ABF-huset, Sveavägen 41 •
Entré 40 kr
Workshop 11.30 Ockupationen av Västsahara
Hillevi Larsson, riksdagsledamot (s), medlem i föreningen
Västsahara
21 to 28 February 2004: Sahara marathon.
The Spanish Associations‚ "White March to the wall of shame in Western Sahara" due to be held 25-29 January 2004, has been postponed until 7-11 April 2004.
Toledo, 16-18
april 2004
International Conference on information in Western Sahara (contact:
aapss@saharasevilla.org)
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