SAHARA PRESSE SERVICE

Bir Lehlu, 03/08/2006 (SPS) The President of the Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz, sent a message of congratulations to the President of theSeychelles, James Michel, on the occasion of his re-election to the presidency of his country.

ere is the complete text of the letter, of which SPS received a copy:

"H.E. James Michel
Presidency of the Republic Seychelles

Mister President and dear brother,

Your brilliant re-election to the Presidency of the Seychelles gives me the happy occasion to address you, on behalf of the Saharawi people and Government of the Saharawi republic and on my own name, my warmest congratulations and hopes of progress and prosperity for the brotherly people of the Seychelles.

We are sure that in the coming five years, under your leadership, the people of the Seychelles will realise new achievements at an economical and social levels and will strengthen its good state.

Renewing our determination to strengthen the brotherly relations existing between the Saharawi Republic and the Seychelles as well as our engagement to develop peace, please accept, Mr. President and dear brother, the expression of my highest consideration.

Mohamed Abdelaziz,
President of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic".(SPS)

010/090/100/TRD 031125 Aug 06 SPS

SPS

SOUTH OF MOROCCO/TAMEK

Tamek expulsed from the Western Sahara: his family denounces

Assa (south of Morocco), 03/08/2006 (SPS) The family of the Saharawi human rights activist, Ali Salem Tamek, denounced the interdiction from access by the Moroccan colonial authorities against its son, who was expulsed last Thursday by the Moroccan security from the borders of the Western Sahara upon his coming from Tan Tan in company of the ex-victim of forced disappearance, Mr. Yahya Mohamed Elhafed, the Tamek Family declared in a press release, of which SPS received a copy.

The Tamek family, who condemned is decision qualifying it as a "violation of the international human rights Conventions", estimated that Morocco must assume its responsibilities about all the consequences that may result from this decision".

It also hailed the wide campaign of solidarity of the human rights organisations and the Saharawi activists that aim to unveil "the violations committed by Morocco against the Saharawi citizens in the occupied territories of the Western Sahara and in the south of Morocco".

The family of Ali Salem Tamek finally launched an appeal to all persons concerned about peace and justice for support and to exercise "pressures on the Moroccan Government to compel it put an end to the aggressions that target the Saharawi citizens, especially the Saharawi hum rights activists".

The Saharawi Collective of Human Rights Defenders in the Western Sahara (CDSDHSO in French abbreviation), and the Saharawi Journalists’ and Writers’ Union (UPES in its Spanish abbreviation) denounced the denial of access to the Western Sahara the Moroccan security services imposed on the Saharawi human rights activist last Thursday at the borders of the territory, which is occupied by Morocco since 1975, the two NGOs wrote in press releases.

The two NGOs called on Morocco to "review this decision and to open a just and transparent inquiry on the facts", expressing their solidarity with the human rights activist and ex-political prisoner, Ali Salem Tamek. (SPS)

020/090/00 031200 Aug 06 SPS

SPS

OCCUPIED TERRITORIES/TAMEK

A Saharawi NGO denounces Tamek interdiction from access to the Western Sahara

Dajla (occupied territories), 03/08/2006 (SPS) The Committee against Torture in Dajla denounced on Tuesday the interdiction from access to the Western Sahara the Moroccan authorities exercised against the Saharawi human rights activist, Ali Salem Tamek, who was expulsed last Thursday by the Moroccan security services at the borders of his country, which is occupied since 1975 by Morocco the NGO indicated in a press release of which SPS received a copy.

The Saharawi NGO expressed its "unconditional solidarity" with the human rights defender and ex-political prisoner, Ali Salem Tamek, considering this Moroccan decision as "a serious human rights violation".

The Committee against Torture in Dajla finally launched an appeal to the international and Moroccan organisations and bodies to "exercise pressures on the Moroccan Government to compel it review its decision, which is an aspect of the policy of oppression adopted against the Saharawi human rights defender", according to the text.

The Saharawi human rights activist, Ali Salem Tamek, was not allowed by the Moroccan forces of occupation to get into the Western Sahara and driven back at the borders "following orders from their superiors", Mr. Tamek indicated in an interview with the Saharawi Service of Communication in the Canaries Islands (SCSC), it should be recalled. (SPS)

020/090/000/TRD 031120 Aug 06 SPS