WEEKLY NEWS

 

WEEK 49

02. - 08.12.1996

 

Headlines

Reconversion of Moroccan debt

Mr. Boutros Ghali exposed to criticism

Morocco-Polisario: a new spirit

Polisario urges Spain to mediate talks

Solidarity

 

02.12.96
Reconversion of Moroccan debt

The Moroccan Minister of Economy precises, the day before signing of a so-called "experimental" agreement with Spain, that the amount of the first part of the debt to be reconverted is of 50 millions of $ (not 500 millions as mentionned on 29.11.96).

03.12.96
Mr. Boutros Ghali exposed to criticism

In a memorandum distributed to the press at the Franco-African Summit of Ouagadougou, Rwanda speaks of the multiple failures of Mr. Boutros Ghali. This document blames his inability to manage the bloody conflicts in Africa, especially Rwanda. The document shows also the examples of Angola, Liberia, Mozambique, Western Sahara, "where M.B.Ghali does not hide his complicity with Morocco", Somalia, the Balkans, Cambodia and Haïti.

04.12.96
Morocco-Polisario: a new spirit

The weekly newspaper Jeune Afrique underlines, under this title, the fact that Morocco and the Polisario Front, even if the discussions are suspended untill a neutral place for the meetings is found, demonstrate their will to find a solution by common consent.

05.12.96
Polisario urges Spain to mediate talks

Mahfud Ali Beiba, prime minister of the Sahrawi Republic, told at a news conference in Sevilla that Spain had a responsiblity as the former colonial ruler to help settle the dispute. "The two parties need someone to support and push talks, and Spain has an important responsibility in the matter since it left the problem unresolved," Beiba said after talks with Spain's regional government in Andalucia. He added that the Polisario Front was ready for mediated talks in a neutral country, and it was simply waiting for Morocco to give the sign that it was willing to participate.

On Monday 09.12.96, the first meeting of the Averroès Committee will take place at Sevilla. This organism, created in February 1996, wants to promote the relationship between Spain and Morocco. The meeting will be presided by Moroccan Prime Minister and the Spanish Foreign Minister.

07.12.96
Solidarity

The flamenco singer Enrique Morente and other wellknown Spanish artists produce a CD in aid to the Sahrawi children in the refugee camps. The writer Manuel Vázquez Montalbán wrote a text joined to the disc which will be sold from 20.12.96.

NEW PUBLICATIONS

Presentation of a book in project

Emilio Cuevas:
"Sociology, demography and population registration in the Western Sahara"
written in Spanish

The ARSO has been recently contacted by Mr. Cuevas, who would know the possible interest of people for his new book, finished but unpublished yet because of lack of financial support . He can be contacted by his e-mail ecuevas@arrakis.es
A summary (spanish) of the content of his book can be found at URL: http://www.arrakis.es/~ecuevas/sahara.htm

The author: Emilio Cuevas was official of the Spanish information, security and interior policy service in the Sahara, he was secretary of the Genral Assembly of the Sahara, the djemaa, chief of the registry office, of the census and the statistics in the Spanish Sahara . He planned and directed the census of 1974. He was adviser of the UN for the settlement plan from 1988 to 1990 and later adviser of the MINURSO untill 1994.

[Summary Weekly News,] [Western Sahara Homepage]