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WEEKS 03 - 04 : 14.01. - 27.01.2007 |
15.01.07, Ecuador
The Saharawi president, Mohamed Abdelaziz, attended the
investiture of the new president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa in Quito.
During his stay he met representatives of Ecuadorian human rights
organisations, who intend to set up a solidarity organisation for the
Saharawi cause and to organise a South American mission of observation
of human rights in the occupied territories of Western Sahara. [SPS].
23.01.07, declaration
In an interview to the Panama daily, El
Siglo digital, the Saharawi
president considered that Panama, a member of the UN Security Council
since the start of the year, could contribute to finding a solution to
the conflict in Western Sahara. He called on the UN to implement the
measures which require Morocco to respect its commitments. He also
recalled that Panama was the first Latin American country to recognise
SADR in 1978.
20-25.01.07, 7th World Social Forum
A large Saharawi delegation took part in the 7th World Social Forum in
Nairobi. Its presence was much commented on during the solidarity march
with Africa at the opening of the Forum, its information stand and the
musical performances of the group, Estrella Polisaria, aroused great
interest. Various aspects of the question of Western Sahara were
treated in workshops: human rights violations in occupied Western
Sahara and the self-determination of the Saharawi people.
[Photos]
[Video]
The Parliamentary Platform of the Forum unanimously approved a motion
of support for self-determination of the Saharawi people and the
immediate implementation of UN resolutions, as well as the holding of a
free and fair referendum.
It should be noted that a group of Moroccans and defectors of Saharawi
origin tried to make trouble during the discussions, as they have done
on other occasions.
[Letter of protest to the WSF]
OCCUPIED
TERRITORIES AND SOUTH MOROCCO
12.01.07,
Taghjijt, Southern Morocco
Two Saharawi citizens, Hassan Bachir Mohamed Boufi and Mohamed Houssein
Brahim Erjdal, were arrested and interrogated. They are accused of
being the instigators of demonstrations which took place recently in
this locality and the authors of graffitis in favour of the
independence of Western Sahara. [SPS]
13.01.07, Aoueinat, Southern Morocco
An independence demonstration was brutally dispersed by the police in
this locality near Goulimine, causing numerous injuries.
[AmbRASD
Alger]
13.01.07,
El-Ayoun
Independence slogans were painted on houses near that of Lembarki’s
family on the occasion of the first anniversary of the burial of Hamdi
Lembarki, assassinated by the police in October 2005.
15.01.07, trial in Smara
Naama Asfari, arrested on 5 January,
released provisionally since the
12th (see...) was given a two month suspended sentence with a fine of
500 dhs (45 euros). Numerous policemen from El Ayoun on board
about twenty minibuses prevented any demonstration and barred access to
the court. Four international observers, Daniel Voguet, French
barrister, Ines Miranda and Simplicio del Rosario, Spanish lawyers
mandated by the General Bar Council, and Nicola Quatrano, a magistrate
with the Naples court, mandated by the municipality of Naples, attended
the trial. [Rapporto
italiano]
15.01.07, Agadir
A Saharawi political detainee, Lefkir Lahcen, imprisoned in Inezgane
(Morocco), sentenced on 3 November 2006 to three years’ prison, was
acquitted on appeal.
15-19.01.07, Ali Salem Tamek in Germany
Invited by the Gesellschaft fuer bedrohte Voelker (Society for
threatened peoples), the Saharawi activist had talks during his stay in
Berlin with the officer in charge of international relations for the
SPD, Achim Post, as well as with spokespersons from the Socialist
parliamentary group on the Committees for Human Rights and humanitarian
aid, Christoph Straesser, and cooperation and development, Gabriele
Groneberg, as well as with the vice-president of the Greens
parliamentary group, Hans-Christian Stroebele. He was received at the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs by the director of the Department for the
Middle East and Arab Magreb, Sabine Sparwasser.
The Gesellschaft fuer bedrohte Voelker published a detailed report on
human rights violations in Western Sahara in 2006. It demanded that
Morocco “release immediately and unconditionally Saharawi political
prisoners”. It also called for the extension of Minurso’s prerogatives
to include the protection of Saharawi citizens.[Press Release]
17.01.07, interview
The coordinator of the mission of observation to Western Sahara of the
Spanish General Bar Council, the lawyer, Ines Miranda, in an interview
with the Spanish daily ABC, accused Morocco of pushing young Saharawis
towards exile. Mrs Miranda cited the example of a young Saharawi
arrested and tortured in El Ayoun in the course of a gathering
organised recently by Saharawi activists to celebrate the international
day for human rights. She pointed out that the Moroccan police had
proposed to this young man either to collaborate with the police, or
the leave in a small boat for the Canary Islands, promising him, in the
latter case, to facilitate the journey. [ABC,
17.01.07]
19.01.07, exactions
At the Black Prison of El Ayoun, Saharawi political detainees, in
particular Brahim Sabbar and Ahmed Sbai, were attacked and beaten by
guards. Handcuffed, they were taken to the common law cells. Their
personal effects were confiscated. Their families have not been able to
obtain any information. The Saharawi political detainees started a
hunger strike to denounce this attack and to claim protection.
Ali Salem Tamek launched an appeal
in favour of Saharawi political
prisoners, from Brussels where he was received in the Belgian
Parliament and by the NGO "Solidarité Socialiste".
20/21.01.07, Smara
During demonstrations against the Moroccan occupation, four people are
arrested, interrogated, taken outside the town, beaten up and abandoned
there.
20-21.01.07, El-Ayoun
On the occasion of the first regional congress of the USFP,
demonstrations took place in Saharawi quarters, graffiti appeared on
the walls, Saharawi flags were hung up and leaflets calling for
independence were distributed to congress members.
Mines
The number of victims of landmines continues to grow. On Thursday 18
January 2007, the member of parliament Mohamed Lamine ould Elkori ould
Lamghaimad, member of the Chamber of Councillors, was killed following
the explosion of a mine in the region of Bakari. Likewise, Mohamed ould
Khatri ould Eljoumani, president of the commune of Gueltat Zemmour,
member of CORCAS, was killed also by a mine which exploded in the
region of Bir Nzarane, on Monday 22 January 2007. The same day, a young
Saharawi girl of 9 years, Nora ment Brahim Lahmar, died from the
explosion of another mine in the region of Haouza, while her brother
was transferred to hospital in a very critical condition.[ASVDH]
23.01.07, El-Ayoun
The court of appeal of El-Ayoun postponed once again sentencing Sabbar
Brahim, secretary general of ASVDH, of Sbai Ahmed, member of its
steering council and Loumadi Abdessalam until 6 February 2007.
Moroccan police recently questioned Ahmed Lbachra, a young Saharawi
living in Spain, on a family visit to Western Sahara. On arrival at El
Ayoun airport, the police arrested him and confiscated his passport.
Lbachra is accused of having taken part in a demonstration of
solidarity with the Saharawi people in Madrid in 2006. [ASVDH]
Norway
A Norwegian independent journalist, Erik Hagen, published four articles
which reveal the implication of Norwegian firms in the
commercialisation of fishing resources coming from Western Sahara,
whereas the Norwegian government, which does not recognise the
annexation of Western Sahara by Morocco, still disapproves of economic
cooperation with this occupied territory and Norwegian public opinion
is sensitive to the ethical aspects of the trade.
Read:
[Norwatch
is an independent news service that conducts critical journalistic
investigation on Norwegian businesses in developing countries,
investigating whether the companies act in accordance with basic human
rights, labour rights, safety and environmental standards. In addition,
Norwatch covers issues concerning Norwegian investment, export and
import ethics.]
21-22.01.07,
Algeria-Portugal
In a joint statement at the end of the visit of the Portuguese Prime
Minister, José Socrates to Algiers, the two parties reaffirmed,
on the subject of Western Sahara, “their attachment to a fair, lasting
and mutually acceptable solution to the conflict, within the framework
of international law and relevant UN resolutions devoted to the right
to self-determination of the Saharawi people.” [Déclaration
commune]
23.01.07, Spain
The Popular Party of the Basque Country presented before the Basque
parliament a draft motion calling the central government to “involve
itself” during the current year at an international level towards the
holding of a referendum of self-determination in Western Sahara. [SPS]
24.01.07, European Parliament
Speaking before the External Affairs Committee of the European
Parliament, the European commissioner for external relations, Benita
Ferrero-Walder, warned Morocco that it must avoid criticism of its
respect for human rights in Western Sahara. She added that the EU would
follow closely the implementation by Morocco of UN resolutions on
Western Sahara. [EFE]
27.12.06
The Minister for Foreign Affairs declared in the parliament that
Morocco refuses to ratify the statute of Rome of the International
Penal Court, signed in 2000, under the pretext of non-conformity with
the Moroccan constitution (the sacredness of the person of the king).
[agencies]
14.01.07
The president of the Saharawi Red Crescent (CRS) during a conference in
Algiers, launched a new “urgent” appeal to all humanitarian
organisations, since the food stocks ran out in October 2006. He
indicated that the distribution of foodstuffs for January, which should
have been done on the 1st, has not yet happened. He asked the World
Food Program to speed up the allocation of aid which has been sent to
it. “The WFP has been holding for three months a Spanish donation
valued at 1.5 million euros, declared the president of the CRS, Yahia
Bouhoubeini. The WFP also holds other donations, notably those coming
from the general management of European humanitarian aid (ECHO) of 1
million euros and from Finland (240,000 euros)”
[Sahrawi Red Crescent (SRC): Urgent
call for assistance] [The
Saharawi Red Crescent exhorts the WFP to block the funds intended for
the Saharawi refuges, SPS, 17.01.07]
23.01.07
Specialists in the management of food aid from WFP and UNHCR will
evaluate, over 12 days, “the urgent food situation of 90,000
“vulnerable” Saharawi refugees in the refugee camps, in collaboration
with NGOs on the ground, representatives of donor countries and the
Polisario Front”. Ron Redmond, UNHCR spokesman, insisted on the lack of
funds of the UN agencies, despite repeated appeals to donor countries.
The president of the CRS expressed “surprise that the mission of this
mixed delegation from the UNHCR and WFP consists only in evaluating the
situation, at a moment when we are expecting from these two bodies the
distribution of urgent humanitarian assistance to the refugees”. The
principal administrator of the WFP, Nicole Steyer, joint leader of this
delegation, confirmed that “the situation is critical, very critical at
this moment” in the Saharawi refugee camps. [UN
agencies assess 'dire food situation' of 90,000 refugees, UN News,
23.01.07]
[Mission
to assess food situation in Sahrawi refugee camps in western
Algeria, UNHCR Briefing Note, 23.01.07]
On 25 January, the WFP announced having received 1.3 million euros from
the European agency, ECHO.
[WPF
release]
23.01.07
Eva Reinbacher erhält für den Beitrag "Westsahara - der
vergessene Konflikt" aus der Sendereihe "Globale Dialoge - Women on
Air" auf ORANGE 94.0, dem Freien Radio in Wien, den diesjährigen
Radiopreis für Erwachsenenbildung in der Sparte Information.
(semaine 29-30 : 16.07.-29.07.2006)
Diesen Beitrag anhören oder downloaden: http://cba.fro.at/show.php?eintrag_id=6254
05.02.07,
Santander: Presentación del libro "Sáhara, 30 años
de exilio" de Javier Rodríguez Gómez, y
proyección del DVD "Saharauis, arquitectos del exilio", el
próximo lunes 5 de febrero a las 7:30h. de la tarde en el
Salón de Actos del IES Santa Clara, en la calle Santa Clara
nº 13 de Santander.
En el acto intervendrán:
José Félix García Calleja, Director General de Asuntos Europeos y Cooperación al Desarrollo del Gobierno de Cantabria.24.02.- 03.03.07: VUELO CHARTER desde Cantabria. Info: http://www.labarored.org/interpueblos/Sahara/vuelos/index07.htm
Rosa Eva Díez Tezanos, Consejera de Educación del Gobierno de Cantabria.
Javier Rodríguez Gómez, periodista y autor del libro y del DVD.
Zahra Ramdan, Responsable de Relaciones Exteriores de la Unión Nacional de Mujeres Saharauis.
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