SAHARA PRESSE SERVICE

Roma, 10/06/2005 (SPS) "Italian Communist Party (PDCI) reaffirms its support and solidarity with the struggle and aspirations for peace and freedom of Saharawi people, who are subjected these last weeks to new violence and repressions exerted by the army that occupied the territory", indicated a press release by the Party, publicised on Thursday.

PDCI calls on Moroccan Government to "respect human rights in Western Sahara", noting that "Moroccan violent repression against peaceful demonstrations organized by Saharawi people these last weeks are of an extreme seriousness".

The Italian Party also asked Italian Government to "recognise SADR as quickly as possible" and called on the international community to "undertake all needed measures to compel Morocco respect the clauses contained in the Peace Plan and in UN’s resolutions", underlined the text, of which SPS received a copy. (SPS)

010/090/666 101117 June 05 SPS

SPS
FRANCE/ OCCUPIED TERITORIES/INTIFADA
French associations calls on Paris to protect the civil population in Western Sahara

Paris, 10/06/2005 (SPS) The French Platform of solidarity with the Saharawi people (PSPS) called on French authorities to "assume their responsibilities, as a member State to the UN’s Security Council and as a close country to Morocco, so as to guarantee Saharawi civil population the respect of their most fundamental rights", reported a resolution the Platform adopted last Wednesday in Paris.

The Platform, which is composed of youth associations, committees of support and twinning, Representatives of cities supporting Saharawi people, held its meeting in the French National Assembly.

"The participants denounce the repression that stroke demonstrators who expressed in peaceful ways what the international community has recommended 35 years ago, self-determination and independence", the text underlined.

On another hand, the Platform denounced "the expulsion" by Moroccan colonial authorities of Spanish delegation who came to investigate on the situation. It expresses its "astonishment about the absence of any reaction of the UN".

The participants, further, expressed their "full solidarity with Saharawi youth in occupied territories, who are in the front lines of the rejection of the colonial occupation of their country", noting with satisfaction that Moroccan youth "is not insensitive to the revolt and courage of their Saharawi brothers, living with them side by side in the cities and universities of occupied territories and in Morocco". (SPS)

010/090/666/TRD 101157 June 05 SPS

SPS
SADR/USA/PARLIAMENT
More than 25 US Congressmen and Senators calls on the Bush’s Administration to organise a referendum for self-determination in Western Sahara

Washington (DC), 10/06/2005 (SPS) More than 25 Congressmen and Senators, from both Republican and Democrat Parties, expressed their preoccupation about the continuity of the conflict in Western Sahara calling on Bush’s Administration to "provide the leadership needed" to organise a referendum for self-determination in the territory.

They estimated that the continued delay of this popular vote brought "disunity among the countries of North Africa" and can potentially "disrupt the peace and stability in this region" (…) and "thus threatening the interests of the United States".

In a letter they addressed last May the 25th to the American Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Condoleeza Rice, the American Congressmen and Senators stressed that these delays, "caused terrible suffering for the Saharawi refugees who have lived in refugee camps since 1975, continuing to hope for the actualisatization of the 1991 promise of a referendum for self-determination held by the United Nations".

"We are deeply concerned about the continued lack of settlement of this issue and we urge the Administration (of the USA-Ed) to provide the leadership needed to resolve this conflict through the holding of a free, fair and transparent referendum for self-determination", they underlined.

In this respect, they considered that the USA should make use of its influence in North Africa so as "to press the Moroccan Government and the Polisario Front to agree to the Baker Plan and to implement it under the supervision f the United Nations". An initiative that will "reinforce the credibility of the historical speech by President Bush at his inauguration regarding freedom and democracy in that part of the world", they wrote.

The letter, finally, recalled the "long history of support for this referendum in the US Congress," particularly reflected in the legislation (H.Res.245) unanimously passed during the 105th Congress, which was expressed "support for a free, free and transparent referendum in which genuine Saharawi people vote". (SPS)

010/090/100/TRD 101418 June 05 SPS

SPS
OCCUPIED TERRITORIES/INTIFADA
The Intifada again in El Aaiun

El Aaiun (occupied territories) 10/06/2005 (SPS) The Intifada against Moroccan repressive practices took back this afternoon in El Aaiun, the occupied Saharawi Capital, around 18.00 GMT to claim for the release of the Saharawi detainees and reported missing, who were arrested in the beginning of the Intifada last May, reported the correspondent of SPS on the ground.

The demonstrations took place this time in the Smara Street, in the middle of the city, where demonstrators raised placards calling for the release of the detainees.

Hundreds demonstrators, composed essentially of families of the victims of the Intifada, the demonstrators also raised pictures of the detainees and lists of their names (lists are available on SPS in: http://www.spsrasd.info/sps-Listesdesvictimes.html).

According to the last available lists, SPS received, the confrontations during "the Intifada of independence" resulted in more than 100 persons injured, 25 detainees in Moroccan prisons, more than 90 victims of torture kidnapped then released without judgement and some 20 houses broken since the last events of May.

Moroccan police, forces of intervention, Group of Urban Security (GUS) and auxiliary forces were massively deployed to block the main streets of the city that can lead to the demonstration, to prevent other Saharawis from joining the demonstrators. (SPS)

010/090/000/TRD 101846 June 05 SPS

SPS
OCCUPIED TERRITORIES/INTIFADA
Demonstrators in El Aaiun calls to the independence of Western Sahara

El Aaiun (occupied territories) 10/06/2005 (SPS) Hundreds demonstrators, composed essentially of families of the victims of the Intifada, chanted slogans, this afternoon in El Aaiun, calling for the independence of Western Sahara and for the release of their children, arrested by Moroccan colonial authorities since the barbarous repression against the "Intifada of independence" that took place during the last weeks of May 2005, indicated the correspondent of SPS on the ground.

Estimated to more than 150 persons, the demonstrators, who chose this time the middle of the city, in the Smara Street, organised their demonstration around 16.00 to 18.00 GMT. They asked for the independence of their country, chanting slogans such as "no alternative other than independence", "there is no way to submit to the occupation", "Viva la lucha del Pueblo sahraui" and "Viva Polisario", among other slogans "purely political calling for independence of Western Sahara", he added.

Joined by Saharawi citizens and also a big number of Saharawi human rights activists, who normally attend demonstrations to testify on the behaviour of the Moroccan authorities against the Saharawi population, the families were immediately surrounded by the different corpses of the Moroccan repression.

"Moroccan authorities intensively deployed their forces of intervention, Group of Urban Security (GUS) and auxiliary forces". They blocked the main streets of the city that can lead to the demonstration, "but all the neighbouring streets were full of Saharawis who closely followed the demonstration refusing to obey the shy attempts of the Moroccan authorities to disperse" the same source added.

It should be noted that "two journalists, photographers, of Reuters and the Spanish ABC, were present to the event", he indicated.

According to the last available lists, SPS received, the confrontations during "the Intifada of independence" resulted in more than 100 persons injured, 25 detainees in Moroccan prisons, more than 90 victims of torture kidnapped then released without judgement and some 20 houses broken since the last events of May. (Lists are available on SPS in: http://www.spsrasd.info/sps-Listesdesvictimes.html).
(SPS)

060/090/000 101946 June 05 SPS