SAHARA PRESS SERVICE

Algiers, 09/09/2004 (SPS) The President of the Spanish women and artistic association (the platform) and UN's Ambassador for Peace, Mrs. Cristina Del Valle, has stressed on the need for the respect of the international legality regarding the Western Sahara question by allowing Saharawi people to decide over their future through the organisation of a referendum.

Speaking during a meeting of solidarity, which is organised from the 07th to the 09th September in Algiers by the Algerian National Committee of solidarity with the Saharawi people under the theme "Friendship-solidarity and peace" (CNASPS), Mrs Del Valle called Spanish Government to "remedy to the historical mistake committed 30 years ago against the Saharawi people".

This event, which is gathering Spanish artists, is denouncing "since many years, through the Medias, all the injustice committed around the world, is struggling against all forms of violence against the Woman and for an effective promotion of the latter, and is undertaking all kinds of initiatives to encourage friendship between the peoples and dialogue between cultures", it was indicated.

Mrs. Del Valle also recalled the action of her association, which is struggling since six years to "banning the culture of violence against women and establishing equality between the two sexes", hailing by the same occasion the struggle of the Saharawi woman.

Putting forward the daily sufferings of the Saharwi Woman in refugees' camps, the Spanish artist promised to put the voice of artists to the service of the Saharawi people so as to spread the Saharawi message.
 
This Spanish group of artists composed mainly of women (actresses, musicians, painters, writers, film directors…) and accompanied by some Spanish political figures, has joined his "Algerian friends to reaffirm its complete support and active solidarity with the Saharawi people's legitimate cause".
 
Intervening during this meeting, the Moudjahida Zohra Drif Bitat,  vice-president of the Algerian National Council (Parliament) underlined the position of principles of Algeria regarding the Saharawi legitimate cause, recalling the Algerian people's struggle against colonialism and the role the Algerian woman played then.

On behalf of the CNASPS, Mrs. Leïla Tayeb stressed the importance of this event, which is undertaken by imminent figures, who are leading since years a consistent struggle against violence against the woman and human rights violation and for peace and friendship between the peoples.

Many Algerian and Saharawi personalities, of whom Saharawi first Lady, Mrs. Khadija Hamdi, and Saharawi minister for Culture and Sports, Mrs Mariem Salek Hmada, had intervened in this occasion to expose the Saharawi people's struggle and women contribution to the education of the new generations.

Besides this meeting, the CNASPS organised a musical concert for peace Wednesday, in the El Mouggar, with the participation of Algerian and Spanish artists (SPS)

010/090/600/TRD 091855 Sept 04 SPS


 

SPS
AFRICA/SUMMIT
AU adopts a plan of action for the struggle against poverty

Ouagadougou, 09/08/2004 (SPS) The 3rd African Union's extraordinary summit has adopted, Thursday in Ouagadougou, a plan of action for the struggle against poverty in Africa, where 320 of 820 million inhabitants live with less than a dollar a day. The summit gave the "priority" to employment, promotion of rural and private economic sectors and equality between the two sexes.

The summit, to which is participating an important Saharawi delegation chaired by the President of the Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz, has asked African Governments to undertake "reforms" in the private sector by "re-orienting" the invests of the public sector and "re-structuring" industrial and agricultural sectors, keeping in mind that the latter is providing 70% of Africans with jobs.

The Pan African organisation asked its members to afford 10% of their budget to the enforcement of "detailed programmes of agricultural development", and to "give more importance to intra-African trade" of agricultural products.

The African leaders had also adopted "the declaration of Ouagadougou", expressing their will to use the globalisation as a mean for promoting freedom, prosperity, and to establish democracy and development in local communities.

The Ouagadougou summit has discussed the actual situation of the international economy, which is suffering from a deep lack of balance, considering it as ethically and politically unacceptable.

The African States are opting now for consensus, of which a common action can materialise a fair globalisation that offers an opportunity to all entities in the world. (SPS)

010/090/000/TRD 091838 SEPT 04 SPS

SPS
SADR/SPAIN/ALGERIA/SOLIDARITY
Spain has got a "duty" towards the Saharawi people, affirmed the President of Algerian Senate

Algiers, 09/09/2004 (SPS) The President of Algerian Senate, Abdelkhader Bensalah, affirmed Tuesday before a Spanish artists women delegation that Spain has got "a duty" towards Western Sahara, supporting the adoption of "international legality" in the solution of the conflict, reported Algerian press agency, APS, in its Thursday edition.

Bensalah, who received in Algiers representatives of Spanish artists women against violence, added that "Western Sahara question is a decolonisation one", considering that "Spain, having been a former colonising power, and Spanish people have got a duty towards the Saharawi people".

“Unfortunately, he deplored, we noted that there are attempts to impose the fait accomplit and an attempt to avoid international legality". He underlined, however, that this same international legality remains the unique path that can allow a final and lasting settlement of the conflict.

On her side, President of the Spanish women and artistic association (the platform) and UN's Ambassador for Peace, Mrs. Cristina Del Valle, declared that she "will continue asking (her) Government to keep following the path of dialogue so as to reach a solution, through the support of the Baker plan and the Saharawi people right to self-determination".

Composed of famous artists and parliament members, this delegation, which is undertaking a visit to Algeria from the 7th to the 9th September, aims at giving a substantial proof on the support and solidarity of the Spanish civil society and associative movement with the Saharawi people. (SPS)

020/090/000/TRD 091202 SEPT 04 SPS

SPS
SADR/SPAIN/ALGERIA/SOLIDARITY
Spanish artists women asks for the enforcement of the Baker plan

Algiers, 09/09/2004 (SPS) A delegation of Spanish artist women asked for the enforcement of the UN's peace plan for Western Sahara, calling the UN to fulfil its responsibility regarding the decolonisation of the territory, declared Tuesday the singer, Cristina Del Valle, President of the Spanish artist women platform to Spanish press agency, EFE.

Mrs. Del Valle, President of the Spanish women and artistic association (the platform) and UN's Ambassador for Peace, had considered that the respect of international legality remains the only alternative to resolve the Saharawi conflict. This legality, she said, will allow Saharawi people to freely decide over their future through the organisation of a fair and transparent referendum on self-determination.

She further exhorted the UN to "give up the policy of for two weight two measures regarding Western Sahara problem".

Moreover, she estimated that "the UN must play its due role and Spanish civil society must exercise pressures to push Morocco respect the international legality".

Composed of about a hundred artist women, this delegation arrived Tuesday to Algiers to express Spanish Woman support to Saharawi people, she underlined, asserting that "through our presence here, we express without any ambiguity our complete support to the Saharawi people, who are the only qualified to decide over their future without constraint".

This platform, which takes place in Algiers until September the 9th, gathers representatives from the main Spanish political parties. Algerian and Saharawi artist women also joined the Spanish delegation besides an important delegation from the Saharawi Woman National Union (UNFS).

The participants to this event of solidarity, which is organised by the Algerian Committee of solidarity with Saharawi people (CNASPS), are undertaking a struggle aimed at "banning the culture of violence against women and establishing equality between sexes", human rights respect, peace, friendship and solidarity between the peoples, in particular with the Saharawi people.        

The President of this platform, Cristina Del Valle, will give a speech before of UN's Decolonisation Commission during the session of the General Assembly, which will take part this October, in order to expose the position of the Spanish Government and to ask for the enforcement of the Baker plan. (SPS)

020/090/000/TRD 091045 Sept 04 SPS