SAHARA PRESSE SERVICE

Dar Essalam (Tanzania), 09/09/2005 (SPS) The Chairperson of the Pan African Parliament Committee on Education, Culture, Tourism, and Human Resources, Dr. Willam F. Shija, called the UN, international community and NGOs, to intensify pressures on Morocco to compel it stop its violations of human rights in the occupied territories and end its colonisation of Western Sahara, in a written statement he sent last Tuesday to his country’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Saharawi Embassy in Dar Essalam and to the medias.

"I, similar to other Tanzanians and Africans, hereby strongly urge the United Nations, the US, European Community, the Asians, several individuals and civic organisations, as well as the media, to intensify the campaign against the Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara so as to end this last colonial conflict in Africa", Dr. Shija wrote in his statement of which SPS received a copy.

Dr. Shija considered that the UN’s Secretary General is now called more than ever to "speed the efforts in order to allow the implementation of the Peace Plan for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara", especially that the occupied zones of the non-self-governing territory are the theatre to daily repression and permanent military and media siege.

"We have been told, for example, that the authorities of Morocco have caused 500 Saharawis to disappear uncounted for; 37 political prisoners are at present on hunger strike for at least 24 days now; more than 150 Saharawis are still held as war prisoners; and several other human rights violations by Moroccan occupiers are still being committed", he affirmed.

"I strongly feel that under the current Moroccan regime and occupation, the children, women, youth and heads of families in the Saharawi Republic are suffering and being dehumanized for nothing other than Moroccan greed for power and domination", Dr. Shija indignantly deplored.

"It cannot be acceptable that in the 21^st century, while Africa is facing crucial challenges of development and stability, the colonial situation in Western Sahara could remain", said Dr. Shija.

On another hand, he hailed the recent "release of more than 400 prisoners of war by POLISARIO", which is an act that indicates "clearly that Saharawis are peace-loving people who want to be left free to run their own affairs", wondering "for how long will the Morocco Regime deny them this fundamental right proclaimed under the UN Charter and international law?".

Dr. William F. Shija, it should be recalled, was a Member of Tanzanian Parliament for 15 years, Minister to many Ministries in his country, Member and vice-Chairperson of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Tanzanian Chapter, Member of the Executive Committee of the CPA Africa Region, Chairperson of the Tanzanian Parliamentary Committee for Foreign Affairs and Presently Member of the Pan African Parliament and Chairperson of the Pan African Parliament Committee on Education, Culture, Tourism, and Human Resources. (SPS)

SPS
OCCUPIED TERRITORIES/FRANCE/POLITICAL PRISONERS

The FCP calls the French Government to intervene so as to save the lives of Saharawi political prisoners

Paris, 09/09/2005 (SPS) The French Communist Party (FCP) called on his Government to intervene vis-à-vis Morocco so as the latter starts negotiations with the 37 Saharawi political prisoners, who are undertaking a hunger strike since ,last August the 8 in Moroccan jails, in order to save their lives.

In a letter addressed to the French Minister for Foreign Affairs, Philippe Douste-Blazy, the FCP estimated that the situation of the political prisoners "is actually very serious, their lives are in peril". It deplored that the Moroccan authorities did not show "a single signal of good will so far and refuse any discussion with the hunger strikers".

"It will be unacceptable, politically and morally, to let these prisoners of opinion die, knowing that their claims come within the framework of a conflict of non completed decolonisation and which is a subject to many UN’s reports and resolutions", added the letter, which is signed by the person in charge of the Party’s Foreign Relations, Daniel Cirera.

"I believe France will be just doing her duty if it acts to avoid the worst and so as the political exchange, negotiations and law overcome suppression and the policy of the will of the stronger. It is in the common interest of the Saharawi and Moroccan peoples", concluded the letter. (SPS)

010/090/666/ALG/TRD 091230 sept 05 SPS

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OCCUPIED TERRITORIES/ARAB COUNTRIES/POLITICAL PRISONERS

The Arab Committee of solidarity with the Saharawi people calls on Rabat to release Saharawi political prisoners

Beirut, 09/09/2005 (SPS) The Arab Committee of solidarity with the Saharawi People (ACSP) vividly denounced the indifference shown by Rabat vis-à-vis the of the death that threats Saharawi political prisoners who are undertaking a hunger strike for more than a month in the different Moroccan prisons, calling on the Moroccan Government to release them immediately.

In a press release it publicised Friday in Beirut, the ACSP denounced "the repressive practices committed against Saharawi human rights activists", as well as "the iniquitous trials, the heavy sentences and arrests that pushed Saharawi political prisoners to start this hunger strike".

"The ACSP, who was among the first parties to express its happiness with the release by Polisario of the last Moroccan prisoners of war in its possession" (…) "calls on the Moroccan Government to reciprocate by releasing Saharawi political prisoners who are undertaking a hunger strike" (…) "as well as the 151 Saharawi prisoners of war and the 500 ‘disappeareds’".

The state of health of the majority of the 37 hunger striker reached an alarming stage, the families of the prisoners said. The families launched an appeal for help to the persons concerned with justice asking for everybody’s intervention to help their sons who "dying slowly under Moroccan authorities of occupation’s complete indifference".

"What is the crime our sons committed that pushed the UN, the European Union, the USA, and all the countries of the world to keep silent vis-à-vis this crime that occurs in front of their eyes", wondered the families in a press release publicised Sunday.

The International Organisation Against Torture (IOAT) expressed its "preoccupation" about the " physical and psychological security and integrity of Saharawi political prisoners in hunger strike since last August the 9th 2005" in Moroccan prisons and called to an "urgent intervention" to save their lives, indicated the organisation in a press release it publicised last Friday in Geneva, it should be recalled.

The first Arab committee, which was thus constituted in Bayreuth last September the 27th, 2004, gathers Arab intellectuals, Universities' professors, doctors, lawyers, journalists and writers to help Saharawi people recover its legitimate right to self-determination and independence, conforming to the pertinent UN’s Security Council’s resolutions.(SPS)

010/090/666/ALG/TRD 091539 sept 05 SPS