SAHARA PRESS SERVICE

Algiers, 10/08/2004 (SPS) The President of the Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz, denounced in Algiers Tuesday "Moroccan rejection of all Security Council's resolutions", affirming that Rabat's conflict "is a very serious rebellion against the international legality".

«Moroccan position is a very serious rebellion against the international legality, because it implies q rejection of all UN Security Council and General Assembly's resolutions and all the accords to which we reached", he declared during a press conference he animated on the occasion of the week of brotherhood and solidarity with the Saharawi people, which is taking place from the 3rd to the 10th August in Algiers Centre.

This position "also hinders the edification of the Maghreb Arab Union and hinders the consent of its peoples", he underlined.

"During the last ten years, said the Head of the State, we waited for the organisation of a referendum so as the Saharawi people can choose their destiny through votes, but here is Morocco now clearly saying, without any reserve and in complete violation of all concluded accords, that he does not accept the referendum", he deplored.    

"Consequently, we call all the countries of the world, which still did not do it, to recognise the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) because it is the real representative of the will of the Saharawi people", he said.

Mr. Abdelaziz also declared that his Government will be active to promote the adherence of the SADR to the UN's General Assembly. He recalled that more than 70 countries already recognise the SADR, which is also a founding member of the African Union.

Answering a question on the position of the Spanish Government on the conflict of Western Sahara, Mr. Abdelaziz put forward the two visits in less than two months Spanish secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Bernardino Leon Gross, paid to the refugees’ camps and Saharawi liberated territories.

Mr. Leon "assured that the Spanish Government have no established plan and that it will defend no solution that is not adopted by the United Nations", he asserted.
 
On another hand, the President of the Republic called France to "stop supporting the intransigent position of Morocco and to adopt an attitude that comply with the international legality, which guarantee Saharawi people's right to self-determination".      

In this context, he recalled the "just, respectable and constructive position" recently declared by the United States "in favour of the implementation of James Baker's plan, unanimously adopted by UN's Security Council in July 2003".    

Moreover, SADR's President declared that Mr. Alvaro De Soto, the Special Representative of the UN's Secretary General, Kofi Annan, is going to deal with the Saharawi file again. "Maybe since next September", he concluded. (SPS)

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SPS
SADR/SPAIN/CULTURE
Saharawi youth strongly present to the III International Festival of Youth in Barcelona

Barcelona, 10/08/2004 (SPS) An important delegation of the Saharawi youth, chaired by the Secretary General of UJSARIO, Mohamed Mouloud Mohamed Fadel, participated Sunday to the opening of the III International Festival of Youth 2004, which is taking place in the Catalonian Capital from the 9th to the 14th August in margin of Barcelona Forum 2004.
 
The participation of this delegation, composed of more than 60 young Saharawi, was especially noticed by its wide contribution to the different cultural activities.

A big traditional tent (khaima), was built in a free space reserved to the Saharawis in which they exposed pictures illustrating the struggle of the Saharawi people, in particular the activities of human rights NGOs which are active in the search for Saharawi disappeared.

"We are present here to draw attention to the conflict, which apposes Western Sahara to Morocco for the independence of our people since decades", indicated Mr. Fadel, adding that the event is for him "another opportunity to get in touch with other cultures and to coexist with young people from all around the world".

It should be noted that a conference of solidarity with the Saharawi youth will take place from the 11th to the 12 August, with the collaboration of the youth of Spain and the National Council of Catalonian Youth, indicated the delegation.
 
The closure of the event, which is attended by 7000 delegate form the five continents, is expected for the coming 14th August, it was indicated. (SPS)

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Algiers, 10/08/2004 (SPS) The President of the Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz, called Monday evening in Algiers "all the countries concerned with the stability and peace in the African North-Western region to actively participate to the solution" of the conflict in Western Sahara within the respect of the international legality.

In a speech he gave during a dinner offered on his honour at the El-Mithak Residence (Algiers) by the Head of the Algerian Government, the President of the Republic added that this solution must comes "within the respect of the international legality, of the principles of the international law, of the UN's Charter and the pertinent conventions".

"We call all States, good intentioned parties and the partners to act in favour of a solution based of Law and legality and directed towards the future of all peoples and countries without distinction", he declared.
 
"On this basis, he asserted, we consider as vain any effort or initiative aiming at getting the Saharawi question out of the framework of the United Nations or omitting its decolonisation character, which should be submitted to the principle of self-determination, or deny that the conflict is between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Saharawi people represented by the Polisario Front".

The President of the Republic estimated that such efforts aim to "gain time by disrespecting the international legality and by supporting the oppressors to the detriment of the oppressed".
 
Moreover, Mr. Abdelaziz reiterated the attachment of his Government and of the Polisario Front's leadership to "peaceful solution". He asserted, however, that "the Saharawi people will continue, as long as needed, its legitimate struggle to take his inalienable rights back".

Recalling the different negotiations Polisario Front and Morocco had done for 12 years and the unanimous adoption by Security Council of the Plan elaborated by Mr. James Baker, Mr. Abdelaziz regretted the "sudden reversal" of Rabat. What risks to have, he warned, "serious consequences and results to the detriment of peace and stability in the region". Morocco has serious historical responsibilities by missing the opportunity to establish peace", he added.

On another hand, he underlined that the edification of the Maghreb Arab union can only be realised with the "respect of sovereignty, rights, territorial integrity and equality" of all the peoples of the region.

"The Saharawi people is ready to contribute to the edification of the Maghreb Union as it is a civilisational, political economic and cultural project (…) based on principles of justice, democracy and respect of peoples rights and human rights", he affirmed.
 
The Head of the State insisted in paying tribute to Algeria for its "sincere and honest" support to the Saharawi cause. He also saluted the Algerian President, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, whom he qualified as "the man of peace, harmony and reconciliation".

It should be recalled that the Saharawi President is in Algiers since Monday to attend the week of solidarity of Algerian people with the Saharawi people, which is taking place from the 3rd to the 10th August. (SPS)

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SPS
SADR/ALGERIA
Mr. Ouyahia: Algerian support to the Saharawi cause is the "expression of a sacred principle"

Algiers, 09/08/2004 (SPS) The Head of the Algerian Government, Ahmed Ouyahia, affirmed Monday evening in Algiers that the support of Algeria to the Saharawi cause "is a duty towards our own history as well as an expression of a sacred principle", adding that "Algeria has got the honour of sharing this position with many countries conforming to the international legality".

During a speech he gave on the occasion of a dinner offered on the honour of the President of the Republic, Mohamed  Abdelaziz, at El-Mithak Residence (Algiers), Mr. Ouyahia underlined that "through this commitment, Algeria really works for the establishment of peace, stability and final security in our sub-region for the sake of relationships of brotherhood, good neighbourhood and cooperation, including between my country and the brotherly Kingdom of Morocco".

To Mr. Uyahya, "this final establishment of peace, stability and security in our sub-region will also constitute a solid and lasting pedestal to the Maghreb's Union, which is a strategic choice that the peoples of the region had collectively agreed upon while they were struggling for their freedom".

"That is to say, underlined Mr. Ouyahia, that any attempt to set confusion about the Algerian position concerning the conflict of Western Sahara, by trying to distort its genuine will and commitment to consolidate the agreement and consent in our sub-region, will be a vain dilatory manoeuvre".

The solidarity of Algeria with the Saharawi people "is first nourished with the links that the Algerian people developed all along its history with the brotherly and friendly peoples of the region, and the Saharawi people can legitimately cultivate with pride the memories of its millinery contribution to the emancipation of the civilisation in the Maghreb Arab", underlined Mr. Ouyahia.         

It "is also reinforced within the framework of its (Algerian people) natural support to your struggle for the exercise of all peoples of their inalienable right to self-determination and support to the achievement of the decolonisation on African land", affirmed the Head of the Government addressing the Saharawi President.        

 "Notwithstanding, how could it have been otherwise from the Algerian people who struggled for this same right and who backed it later all through the continents", he said.
 
"In reality, the brotherly support of Algeria to your just cause is a duty to our own past as well as the expression of a sacred principle for my country.”Algeria has got the honour of sharing this position with many countries conforming to the international legality", he stressed.
 
"The support f Algeria, he added, to the responsibilities and commitments of the United Nations aimed at achieving the decolonisation in Western Sahara and the exercise by the Saharawi people of its right to self-determination is, and will remain, an immutable position of principle".

The recent message sent by Mr. Abdelaziz Bouteflika, President of the Republic, to the UN's Secretary General "clearly reiterated this position", he recalled.
         
"For all this, and it is here a lesson from history, it is to fear that the hope Algeria shares to see the Morocco-Algerian relationships reaching their utmost and to see the edification of the Maghreb taking the due development it deserves, remain an illusion, as long as the problem of Western Sahara is not dealt with the concerned or interested parties in conformity with the traced principles of United Nations' Charter, and as long as this conflict of decolonisation does not find its solution through the enforcement of the resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council of the same organisation", he put.

"This is why Algeria calls again international community to work for the respect and enforcement of its own decisions related to the achievement of the decolonisation of Western Sahara", reaffirmed the Head of the Government.
 
"This is why, again, Algeria invites particularly the superpowers and the countries concerned with the settlement of this conflict to follow the only real path that can bring forward the achievement of this so awaited for objective. It is no more than exhorting the two parties, Morocco and Polisario Front, to advance towards the exercise by the Saharawi people of its inalienable right to self-determination, conforming to the peace plan unanimously adopted by the Security Council", conclude Mr. Ouyahia.

The meeting took place with the presence of Mr. Mohamed Salem Ould Salek, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mohamed Khadad, Coordinator with the MINURSO, Bukhari Ahmed, Representative to the UN, Mohamed Yeslem Beissat, Saharawi Ambassador to Algiers and Brahim Ghali, Polisario Front's representative to Spain.

On the Algerian side, were present: the Minister of State, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Abdelaziz  Belkhadem, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in charge for African and Maghreb's affairs, Abdelkader Messahel and Abdallah Baali, Algerian Permanent Ambassador to the UN.
 
It should be noted that the dinner offered on the honour of the President of the Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz, comes within the framework of the "week of friendship and solidarity with the Saharawi people", which is held in Algiers from the 3rd to the 10th August. (SPS)

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