SAHARA PRESS SERVICE

Notterdam, 07/08/2004 (SPS) Dutch company, Fugro N.V, specialised in Providing and analysing seismic data, announced through its President and CEO, Mr. M. Kramer, that it will scrupulously take into consideration the political and ethical aspects of any possible future activities in the occupied Saharawi territory, in the light of the arguments presented during the meeting that gathered a delegation of the solidarity movement with the Sahrawi people in Leidschendam (Netherlands) with the Chairmanship of the company last July the 30th 2004.

"We appreciate their readiness for initiating a constructive and open dialogue, and are pleased to hear that Mr Kramer has ordered his subsidiaries to consult Fugro headquarters in the event of any offer for further contracts covering Western Sahara", declared Mrs. Liesbeth den Haan, President of the Dutch Foundation for Self-determination in Western Sahara in a communiqué SPS received.
 
Mrs. Den Haan speaking on behalf of the "International Coalition for the Protection of the Natural Resources in Western Sahara" (ICPNRWS), has underlined that the activities FUGRO.NV undertook were " ethically irresponsible, politically inappropriate and legally dubious", adding that the ICPNRWS is leading an international campaign "against the companies involved in natural resource exploitation" in occupied territories of Western Sahara, giving as an example the case of the Norwegian company, TGS-Nopec.
 
Fugro, with over 275 subsidiaries in more than 50 countries, had achieved last June 2004 seismic researches on hydrocarbon offshore occupied Western Sahara in front of Boujdour, for US based Kerr-McGee and completed its latest contract about the end of June 2004.
 
ICPNRWS, which is gathering representatives of the associative movement in Norway, UK, France and Netherlands, had expressed its "deep concern about the recent activities of the Dutch trans-national corporation, stressing the negative implications for the Saharawi people and its right to self-determination ", estimating that this technical services to Kerr-McGee constitutes " a further step toward the illegal exploration and exploitation by the Moroccan occupying power".

Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara, backed by many parliament members, Norwegian organisations had pushed TGS-Nopec last year to give up its activities of similar seismic survey offshore occupied Western Sahara, which is a violation to international legality, it should be recalled. (SPS)

010/090/666/TRD 071658 August 04 SPS

SPS
SADR/POLITICS
The National Secretariat attached to the resolutions of the United Nations and African Union

Chahid El Hafed, 07/08/2004 (SPS) Polisario Front's National Secretariat Bureau called to the strict implementation of the UN and African Union's resolutions on the settlement of the Western Sahara conflict, estimating that this problem can only be resolved within the framework of the UN's doctrine related to decolonisation, announced a communiqué from the Presidency SPS received.

In a meeting Friday chaired by the President of the Republic and Secretary General of Polisario Front, Mohamed Abdelaziz, the Bureau of the National Secretariat, other members of the National Secretariat, Ministers Counsellors at the presidency, Ambassadors and other high officials of the Polisario Front, evaluated the last developments of the Saharawi people's struggle for independence on the light of the resignation of Mr. Baker, Un Secretary General's Personal Envoy, and the last diplomatic pressures led by France and Spain to deform the nature of the conflict.

In this respect, the communiqué highly appreciated the message recently sent by Algerian President, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, to UN's Secretary General, Kofi Annan, in which he "re-clarified the position of principle of Algeria" and denounced "Moroccan Government's intransigence".

Finally, the meeting put forward the "delicate" character of the actual stage of the struggle, stressing "Saharawi people's attachment to international legality, conforming to the resolutions of the United Nations and the African Union". It also called the Saharawi people to more sacrifices and abnegation to recover its freedom and independence. (SPS)

010/090/100/TRD 071034 AOUT 04 SPS