SPS SADR/USA/HUMAN RIGHTS US Congressmen and Senators calls on Rice for the respect of the human rights in the Western Sahara         05.10.06

 

Washington DC, 05/10/2006 (SPS) More than 20 US Senators and Congressmen have recently sent a letter to the UN Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, urging her to exercise "pressures" on Morocco to compel it respect the human rights in the Western Sahara and put an end to the excessive use of force against Saharawi peaceful citizens.

 

Here is the full text of the letter:

 

"

Congress of the United States

Washington, DC 20515

September 29, 2006-10-05

 

The Honorable Condoleezza Rice

Secretary of State

Department of State

Washington, DC 20520

 

 

Dear Madame Secretary,

 

Recently, noted Western Sahara pro-democracy leader, Aminatou HAidar, came to Washington to describe to Members of >Congress, representatives of international human rights organisations and officials at the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour the mistreatment that she and others have endured as a result to their non-violent support of a referendum for self-determination.

 

We are informed that efforts to expand the United Nations’ mandate in the Western Sahara to include human rights have been opposed by the Government of France. We believe such an expansion is urgently needed, and we respectfully request the Department to vigorously pursue this matter with French authorities. We also ask that you urge the Moroccan Government to respect the rights of free expression and association of the people of the Western Sahara, and to end the excessive use of force by Moroccan security forces and the wrongful detention of individuals like Ms. HAidar.

 

The situation in the Western Sahara will remain unresolved until its people can freely, democratically, and peacefully determine its future through a referendum. In the meantime, it is essential that the United States makes every effort to ensure that Morocco, a major recipient of U.S. economic and military assistance, respects human rights.

 

Thank you for your assistance.

Sincerely

 

Senator James Inhofe,

Senator Patrick Leahy,

Senator Edward Kennedy,

Senator Jim DeMint,

Senator Ross Feingold,

Congressman Chris Smith,

Congressman Donald Payne,

Congressman Ed Royce,

Congressman Joseph Pitts,

Congressman Zach Wamp,

Congresswoman Barbara Lee,

Congresswoman Diane Watson,

Congressman Robin Hayes,

Congressman John Boozman,

Congresswoman Julia Carson,

Congresswoman Betty McCollum,

Congressman Benny Thompson,

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee,

Congressman Wayne T. Gilchrest,

Congressman Bobby L. Rush,

Congressman Robert Aderholt,

Congressman Chaka Fattahi,

Congressman Dana Rohrabacher". (SPS)

 

020/090/700/TRD 051020 Oct 06 SPS

 

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SPS EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT/MOROCCO European Parliament denounce Moroccan refusal to allow it to visit the Saharawi territory

 

Brussels, 05/10/2006 (SPS) The European Parliament denounced, in a press release, the Moroccan refusal to allow it visit the Saharawi territory, "after a year dialogue" and despite "a basic accord many times reiterated".

"The members of the ad hoc delegation for the Western Sahara, all political tendencies included (seven European Parliament Members from the different groups), deeply regret this attitude of a country that is a privileged partner of the European Union", deplored the press release publicised in Brussels.

The Moroccan Government, via the President of the Moroccan House of representatives, Abdelwahed Radi, asked for the umpteenth time for the "postponement" of this visit "less than 48 hours before the departure of the delegation to Rabat and El Aaiun" (...) "putting forward that any report from this delegation will only be a plea for the thesis of the Intergroup [Peace for the Western Sahara] and of Polisario Front’s", the text stressed.

In this respect, the ad hoc delegation, chaired by Mr. Ioannis Kasoulides, recalled that its formation "was absolutely fixed by the political groups of the European Parliament" and consequently it rejects the Moroccan orders that demand the "right to review the designation of each Member" of the delegation and henceforth wants to interfere in its composition.

Mr. Kasoulides, Member of the European Popular group and ex-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Cyprus, indignantly estimated that his "good faith was abused", and recalled that the delegation discussed the problem of the Western Sahara "in a humanitarian and regional optic and in a spirit of impartiality", and that if it had visited Algiers and the Saharawi refugee camps in the mid September, "that was with a conviction that Morocco, on its part, would respect is word".

Chaired by Mr. Joanis Kasoulides, the delegation opposed by Morocco since more than nine months, is composed by seven European Parliament Members from different political groups of this European institution, which has adopted last October 2005 a resolution condemning the human rights violations in the Western Sahara and asked for the organisation of a self-determination referendum for the Saharawi people.

The same resolution, adopted on October the 27th 2005, also called "for the protection of the Saharawi population, the respect of the fundamental human rights, especially the right to the free expression and movement conforming to the Universal Human Rights Declaration, and other pertinent human rights treaties and conventions".

It exhorted Morocco, then, "to facilitate the access to the territory of the Western Sahara to independent observers, representatives of human rights organisations as well as to the international press", it should be recalled. (SPS)

010/090/000/TRD 051625 Octo 06
 

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