WESTERN SAHARA WEEKLY NEWS

WEEK 45

01.-07.11.1998

20.10.98
Swedish parliamentary motion
Five of the seven parties represented at the Parliament have presented in a motion to the Swedish Government the numerous difficulties still on the way of a fair and free referendum in W.S. and asked for more support to the Saharawis.

01.11.98
Peace Plan: Moroccan objection
In a press release the Moroccan delegation at the United Nations declares that the publication of the lists of voters at December 1st is not completely in conformity with the settlement plan and qualifies the decisions of the Security Council in its adopted Resolution 1204 as "just proposals".

03.11.98
On invitation of Professor Juan Soroeta of the Department of Laws of the University of San Sebastian, Mr Abba Salek El Haissen, Secretary General of the Saharawi Union of Lawyers made a conference titled "Peace Plan and Human Rights Violations in Western Sahara". The conference was followed by a debate.

04.11.98
Aggression
AFAPREDESA announces that Mr El Bochr Haydar, a Saharawi citizen and former governor of Tarfaya, has been assaulted by a member of the Moroccan secret forces while he was in the office of the Wali of El Ayoun.

05.11.98
Declaration of Mr Youssoufi
"For us the question of the (Western) Sahara is closed" declared once more the Moroccan Prime Minister. He will visit the region November 23.

06.11.98
23th anniversary of the "Green March"
On this occasion the Moroccan King pronounced his traditionnal speach. He declared to be convinced that : "the Saharawis would never turn back to Middle Age (if they choose independence), but they rather want to go ahead with their northern brothers on the way of development". Hassan II announced the construction of an university in Western Sahara and exhorted Morocco to keep calm "as somebody who is sure of his good right".

07.11.98
UN Secretary general's visit
On November 7 Mr Annan flys from Paris to Nouakchott. He will reach El Ayoun an Sunday 8. In Morocco he will have a charged programm: personal meeting with King Hassan II at Marrakech on November 9 and working session on day 10 with Prime Minister Youssoufi and Interior Minister Driss Basri. The UN S.G. will conclude his visit to Morocco with a press conference on November 11. On next day he will visit the refugee camps near Tindouf and continue on November 13. to Tunis and Algiers on 14. and 15.11.98.

NEWS FROM THE RASD (Saharawi Ministry of Information)

Elections for the Saharawi National Council (Parliament) began in all wilayas.

A delegation of the main British trade union visits since Nov. 4 the refugee camps.The delegation includes the president of the Committee of International Relations and a journalist of "The Scotsman".

On the same day the Saharawi Prime Minister Ali Beiba and Wadadi Ahmed Cheikh Heiba, principal private secretary of the President met Mr Charles Dunbar to take stock of the evolution of the Peace Plan.

On November 5 President Abdelaziz received an important delegation of Italian parliamentaries leaded by Mr Vito Leccese, vice-president of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Parliament.

On November 5 the Saharawi Minister of Foreign Affairs was received at Nouakchott by President Ould Tayaa as sspecial Envoy of the Saharawi President. He brought a message about the bilateral relations and the next visit of Mr Kofi Annan in the region.

Announcements

Activities of the National Union of Saharawi Women
Members of the NUSW will participate to following events:

• November: cycle of conferences in Algeria about Saharawi Woman.
• 13.11.98: Manifestation about violence against women at San Sebastian, Spain.
• 8 - 16.11.98: Meetings in Switzerland, organised by the Christian Movement of Peace.
• 18.11.98: Alicante, Spain, Conference about Saharawi Women.
• 19 - 21.11.98: World Congress of FDIF (International Federation of Democratic Women) in Paris.
• 21 - 25.11.98: Conferences at Le Mans, Limoges and Argenteuil organised by departmental groups of the Women Solidarity organisations.
• December: Foundation of the Bask Plateform Solidarity with the Saharawi Women.

More informations: "Fundació Maria Aurèlia Capmany", e-mail: fmac@bitmailer.net

Gesellschaft der Freunde des Sahrauischen Volkes e.V. Munich, Germany

• 13.11.98: Veranstaltung in Muenchen. Thema: Menschenrechte in den besetzten Gebieten, mit einem Vertreter der AFAPREDESA.
• 09.11. - 12.02.99 Austellung. (Geschichte, Leben im Exil / Besetzten Gebieten, Fotos, Handwerk , ...)
  Infos: bm396687@muenchen.org .

NEW PUBLICATIONS

• Security Council Resolution S/RES/1204 (1998), 30.10.98.
• Referendum verschoben, Neues Deutschland, Berlin, 29.10.98.
• Making a Difference in a Corner of Africa, Kaplan R., Wall Street Journal (Europe), October 30, 1998.
• El Arenal de Bilbao acoge diversos actos a favor del Sahara, El Mundo, Madrid, 31.10.98
• Un día de fábula por el Sahara, Nieto Marta, El Pais, Madrid, 31.10.98.
• Westsahara-Referendum verzögert sich, Frankfurter Allgemeine, D-Frankfurt a. M., 31.10.98.
• Marruecos no aceptará cambios en el plan de paz del Sahara, Serbeto Enrique, ABC, Madrid, 01.11.98.
• Objection du Maroc sur la liste provisoire des électeurs, Le Matin du Sahara et du Maghreb, 01.11.98.
• Verlängerung des UNO-Mandats in der Westsahara. NZZ, Zürich, 02.11.98.
• Wer darf in der Sahara abstimmen?, Wandler Rainer, Badische Zeitung, D-Freiburg i. Br., 04.11.98.
• Vor Verschiebung des Referendums, Nowak Nikolaus, Die Presse , A-Wien, 04.11.98.
• Kofi Annan comienza su primera gira oficial por la región, Serbeto Enrique, ABC, Madrid, 06.11.98.
• Que peut-on encore se dire? Bendaoud Karim, Maroc Hebdo International No 345, 7.11.98.
• L'épopée pérenne, id., ibid.
• Mohamed Abdelaziz, Presidente Saharaui: "Si Rabat bloquea el proceso de paz, habrá hostilidades", Lozano Irene, El Mundo, Madrid, 07.11.98.

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