SPS IRLAND/SADR/VISIT Irish Secretary of State for
Foreign Affairs confirms his country's support "to Saharawi people
right to self-determination"
10.12.04
Dublin, 10/12/04 (SPS) Irish
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, M. Conor Lenihan, confirmed
Wednesday in Dublin his country's support "to Saharawi people right to
self-determination", during an official reception he accorded to the
Member of the Polisario Front's National Secretariat and Coordinator
with the Minurso, M. Mohamed Khaddad, indicated an official source from
Saharawi ministry for Foreign Affairs to SPS.
During the meeting he had with Mr. Khaddad and which tackled the last
developments and perspectives of peace in Western Sahara, the Irish
Secretary of State reiterated "the his country's position which remains
unchangeable and which consists in the support to Saharawi people right
to self-determination conforming to the UN's Charter", added the same
source.
Speaking about the last vote on the Saharawi question that took place
after the debates on the subject within the 4th Committee on
Decolonisation last October, Mr. Conor Lenihan stressed that the
abstention of his country during that vote "do absolutely not mean that
Ireland has abandoned its traditional position of support to Saharawi
people right to self-determination, within the framework of the
resolutions of the General Assembly and Security Council".
Mr. Khaddad, on his side, informed the Irish Secretary of State on the
situation of deadlock of the peace process in Western Sahara because of
"Moroccan rejection to cooperate with the Security Council for the
enforcement of the resolution 1495 relative to the Peace Plan for the
self-determination of the Saharawi people, which was accepted by the
Polisario Front", emphasised Khaddad.
"The intransigence of Morocco, stressed the Saharawi diplomat, puts the
region in a serious situation with unpredictable consequences", what
requires from "the international community to assume its
responsibilities to save the process of peace which is seriously
challenged by the arrogance and the policy of fait accompli adopted by
Morocco", who no more hide his will to violate the international
legality.
Mr. Mohamed Khaddad recalled that this Moroccan attitude "was the
reason for the resignation, last June 2004, of Mr. James Baker of his
post as the UN Secretary General's Personal Envoy for Western Sahara",
what was another proof for "the irresponsibility" of the Moroccan
Government, which never stopped boycotting all the attempts for a
peaceful settlement of the conflict, concluded Mr. Khaddad.
The Republic of Ireland had recently given a donation of 200.000
dollars to the HCR for the programme of family visits exchange between
Saharawi families in the refugees camps and in occupied territories of
SADR, a programme organised within the framework of the
confidence-building measures initiated by the UN. It should be recalled.
The meeting between the two officials, Saharawi and Irish, is the
second of its kind after the visit undertaken by Mr. Conor's
predecessor, M. Tom Kitt, who had visited the SADR and the refugees
camps last June 2004 on the occasion of the release by Polisario Front
of a group of Moroccan prisoners of war as a result to a mediation of
the European Union, Ireland was chairing at that period. (SPS)
SPS SADR/INSTITUTIONS The President of the Republic
sent the first letter to be sent through the National Mail Service
Chahid El Hafed, 10/12/04 (SPS) The
President of the Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz, sent Friday to the
Saharawi people a letter that would be sent through the Saharawi
National Mail Service, officially constituted Today, and which is "an
expression of the national sovereignty and a proof on the progress in
the building of the Saharawi State", indicated this letter, of which
SPS received a copy.
Addressing the Saharawi people in a letter that will be the first
letter to be sent via the new National Mail and Communication Service
in the refugees camps, Mr. Abdelaziz congratulated the Saharawi people
"for this acquisition", which is "another expression of the National
sovereignty on the whole parts of the homeland and a proof on the
progress in the construction and strengthening of the institutions of
the Saharawi State".
"The national liberation and the continuance of the edification of the
State are two indissociable needs", for the development and
modernisation of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic and to realise
the national goals to freedom and independence, emphasised the Head of
the State.
Recalling the sacrifices by Saharawi men and women, who died for the
liberation of Western Sahara, the President of the Republic launched
"an appeal to the international community and all its live forces, on
the occasion of the International Day of Human Rights, so as to
pressure the Government of Morocco to allow our people exercise their
right to self-determination and enjoy all their human rights as
consecrated by the pertinent international conventions".
The Head of the State had also condemned "the systematic human rights
abuses, committed by the Moroccan authorities against our citizens in
occupied territories and in the South of Morocco", expressing to the
Saharawi population living under the Moroccan colonial yoke "our full
support" to their courageous struggle for freedom and independence,
underlined the text.
On another hand, Mr. Abdelaziz expressed his "gratitude to the friendly
organisations that participated to the realisation of this social
benefit, the National Institution of Mail and Communication Services,
which will allow the members of the Saharawi people to communicate
between each other and with other peoples", concluded the President.
Mr. Mohamed Abdelaziz has attended this evening the ceremony of
inauguration and launching of the Saharawi mail service at the seat of
the Ministry of Interior in Chahid El Hafed, with the presence of the
members of the National Secretariat, Parliament, Government and other
national officials and personalities.
In his intervention, the Minister of Interior confirmed the
determination of his Government to "develop the national institutions
to serve the Saharawi citizen and to provide him with all necessary
cervices", declaring thus the launching of this national service in the
refugees' camps and in liberated territories starting from Today. (SPS)
SPS OCCUPIED
TERRITORIES/INTERNATIONAL DAY OF HUMAN RIGHTS Saharawi occupied cities
demonstrate against occupation on the occasion of the International Day
of human rights
El Aaiun (occupied Capital),
10/12/04 (SPS) Saharawi social society in occupied territories
organised Friday manifestations and sit-ins in the main Saharawi
occupied cities, indicated matching sources from the Saharawi ministry
for occupied territories and communities.
In the occupied Capital of SADR, El Aaiun, the Local Committee of
Support to the International Campaign for the protection of Human
rights defenders in Western Sahara (CSCIPDH), organised a demonstration
and a march heading towards the headquarters of the Minurso despite of
"the obstacles erected by the Moroccan forces", who surrounded the
demonstrators in an attempt to intimidate and disperse them, it was
emphasised.
The Committee also denounced "the negative attitude of the Moroccan
Trade Unions and political parties, which refused to receive
conferences and a hunger strike, already decided in the programme of
action of the Committee, in their seats", hailing on another hand the
support and activism of the Saharawi citizens "who had fully adopted
the plan of action of the Committee", for the defence of human rights
in occupied territories of Western Sahara, underlined a
communiqué publicised Today by the Committee.
Committee declared, in December the 1st, its decision to launch a
campaign of support to Saharawi human rights activists starting from
December the 4th, 2004, calling international organisations and
associations for support, it should be recalled.
the CSCIPDH declared then its decision to "launch a set of
demonstrations, sit-ins, hunger strikes, calls and conferences,
starting from December the 4th 2004, within the framework of a campaign
of solidarity and support to the international campaign for the
protection of Saharawi human rights defenders", in occupied territories.
The Committee had also expressed its "preoccupation about human rights
flagrant violations in Western Sahara, reaffirming our willingness to
provide Saharawi human rights activists with the needed solidarity and
support", in the same communiqué publicised in the beginnings of
December.
On their side the workers and retired of the company "Fusboucraa"
(former Spanish phosphate company exploited by Morocco since 1977) had
organised another demonstration in which they raised placards "claiming
for their social, economic and human rights, which are systematically
violated since the Moroccan military invasion in 1975", indicated the
same sources.
Smara, the spiritual capital of Western Sahara, on its part, was the
theatre to a demonstration of the families of political prisoners and
reported missing, who demonstrated to "demand that the truth be
revealed on the fate of their sons, imprisoned or reported missing, and
that the bodies of the dead of them be delivered back" to their
families, it was added.
Not far from this demonstration, the Saharawi graduates forced to
unemployment of the same city organised another demonstration in front
of the seat of the Governor of Smara, "to protest against the
continuous violations of human rights to which Saharawi citizens are
daily subjected", declared one of the demonstrators, indicated a source
from the Saharawi ministry of occupied territories and communities.
The graduates has, nonetheless, been deprived from joining the
demonstration of the families of prisoners by the Moroccan forces that
surrounded both groups, it was indicated. (SPS)
SAHARA
PRESS SERVICE