SAHARA PRESSE SERVICE

El Aaiun (occupied territories), 02/07/2006 (SPS) The Saharawi political prisoner prisoner, Ahmed Sbai, recently arrested by the Moroccan repressive forces in El Aaiun, called on Morocco to respect human rights in the occupied territories of the Western Sahara, "energetically" denouncing ill-treatments against Saharawi children by the administration of the Moroccan Carcel Negra.

Mr. Sbai also called on the Moroccan penitentiary authorities of this prison to put an end to the human rights violations against the Saharawi prisoners, Mr. Sbai said in a press release publicised on Sunday, of which SPS received a copy.

He further reaffirmed that the Saharawi political prisoners in the Carcel Negra continue to suffer ill-treatments and violations of their most fundamental human rights, recognised by the international law.

He finally condemned the abusive transfer of Saharawi political prisoners towards Moroccan prisons, far from their families, the same source said.

Mr. Ahmed Sbai, member of the Executive Committee of the Saharawi Association of the Victims of the Flagrant Human Rights Violations Committed by the Moroccan State (ASVGDHCEM), was arrested last June the 17th in company of the Secretary General of this Association, Mr. Brahim Sabbar, as well as Heddi Mohamed Mahmoud El Kainan and his brother Heddi Saleh upon their coming back from Bojador.

They were brutally ill-treated by the Moroccan colonial authorities before been incarcerated in the Carcel Negra (Black Jail) in El Aaiun, it should be recalled. (SPS)

020/090/110/TRD 021240 Jul 06 SPS

SPS

SADR/AFRICAN UNION/SUOMMIT

Closure of the African Union Summit in Banjul

Banjul, 02/07/2006 (SPS) The 7^th African Union Summit closed its works on Sunday in Banjul (Gambia) by the adoption of many documents relative to the rationalisation of the regional economical communities (CER) and regional integration, health, development, the process of the end of crisis in Côte d'Ivoire and the situation in Darfour.

An important Saharawi delegation led by the President of the Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz, took part to the works of the Summit, which also discussed questions related to the system of functioning of the African Union and its budget and decided to hold an Africa-Latino America Conference, this November in Abuja (Nigeria), and to hold the next meeting of the African Heads of States in January the 30^th in Addis-Ababa.

A consensus was reached in Banjul on the question of the Western Sahara during the meeting of the Executive Council of the Union, which is composed of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the member States, which reiterated "a total support to the Saharawi people’s right to self-determination".

Some twenty African Ministers underlined their "attachment" to the Saharawi people’s right to self-determination but also stressed the fact that "the confrontation between the Moroccan forces and pro-independence Saharawi human rights militants is still raging in the Western Sahara".

"Appeals were launched to the international community to put an end to the human rights violations and to the respect of the right of the people of the Western Sahara to self-determination", it was indicated.

The President of the Republic arrived last Friday afternoon to Banjul, where he was received at the airport by the vice-President of the Republic of Gambia, Mrs. Aissata Njaye Sede, it should be recalled.

The Presidential delegation to the AU summit is composed of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mohamed Salem Ould Salek, he Member of the National Secretariat, Mhamed Khadad, and Mohamed Yeslem Beissat, Breika Lehbib, Alioune Habib Kentawi, Hamadi Bechir, Abdati Breika, respectively the SG of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador in the AU and Ethiopia, Ambassador of Nigeria, Director of the Cabinet of the President and Councillor at the Presidency. (SPS)

SPS

OCCUPIED TERRITORIES/REPRESION

Three persons detained in the occupied city of Smara

Smara (occupied territories), 02/07/2006 (SPS) At least three Saharawi citizens were detained by the Moroccan forces during a demonstration that took place, on Saturday evening to Sunday early morning in the occupied city of Smara (occupied Western Sahara), to claim for the “immediate withdrawal” of the Moroccan occupation, concordant sources reported.

In the “Tantan” and “Sakni” neighbourhoods of the city flags of the Saharawi Republic were raised and slogans in favour of the Saharawi people’s right to self-determination and independence were chanted.

The Moroccan forces of repression “brutally” intervened to disperse the demonstrators and arrested the Saharawi citizens, Maulud Barcoa and Butalha, who were led to a police station to be interrogated for hours, the same sources indicated.

Another Saharawi citizen, Wayahi Lehbib, was arrested around 23.00 hour when demonstrators raised the Saharawi flag instead of the Moroccan in the “yadida” school, it was further stressed. (SPS)

070/090/000/TRD 022124 Jul 06 SPS