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SPS 11.06.05
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El Aaiun (occupied territories),
10/06/2005 (SPS) "Maatalah neighbourhood, in El Aaiun under police and
military siege", France Press Agency, AFP, entitled its dispatch,
reported by its correspondent on the ground. He asserted that this
neighbourhood is "a target to violent repression", committed by
Moroccan colonial forces.
"Closed shops, empty streets with in its corner a police or military
notable presence, the neighbourhood was completely controlled by the
Moroccan forces of order", underlined the photographer of AFP in his
dispatch.
"Put under siege by the Moroccan police and Army", Saharawi citizens
confirmed to the journalist that they "are living in fear" because of
the repression they continue to undergo under the colonial occupation.
The neighbourhood AFP’s journalist visited was completely sacked and
was still baring the traces of reprisals Moroccan authorities took
against Saharawi helpless population during the peaceful demonstrations
the two last week of May.
"Doors, windows, beds, televisions, all furniture were broken by
Moroccan forces of order who also stole jewelleries and household
electrical appliances" (…) "some twenty houses were thus sacked in this
neighbourhood", he testified.
The inhabitants of this neighbourhood, who "did not want a journalist
seen in their houses, out of their fear of Moroccan forces", were
nonetheless able to show him their homes and even some victims.
"Women, he said, having ecchymosis and wounds asserting having been
beaten during the repression in May".
Occupied territories of Western Sahara are submitted to a military
siege but also a Medias siege since the first days of the Moroccan
invasion of the territory. Many delegations composed of Parliament’s
members, representatives of Spanish civil society and journalists were
expulsed from the non-self-governing territory by the forces of
occupation.
In June the 8, 2005, the colonial authorities expulsed second
delegation composed of Spanish local officials, most of whom
representing Catalonia but also a Spanish National Parliament’s member,
and representatives of the Catalonian civil society.
Three days before, in June the 5th 2005, a first delegation composed of
Spanish local officials, representatives of social organizations and
Spanish journalists, was expelled towards the Canary Islands from the
airport of the Saharawi Capital, El Aaiun, by Moroccan authorities of
occupation. They were thus forbidden from investigating on the human
rights situation in the Saharawi territory, where demonstrations were
violently repressed during the last two weeks of May, according to
Spanish agencies and newspapers. (SPS)
060/090/000 110120 June 05 SPS
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Dajla (occupied territories),
11/06/2005 (SPS) Moroccan forces of
intervention intervened brutally to disperse a peaceful demonstration
organised Saharawi population in Dajla, Friday evening. Dozens persons
were injured and many arrested. The demonstration was organised in
solidarity with the Intifada of May, reported SPS correspondent in
Dajla.
The demonstration that started in 20.00 GMT also claimed for the
release of a 70 years old Saharawi woman, Ehel Najem Fatma, nicknamed
"Laribiya", who was kidnapped by Moroccan police in the early morning
because she is suspected of giving medical care to injured
demonstrators in her house.
Like all Saharawi citizens in other occupied cities of Western Sahara
and in the southern cities of Morocco, the citizens of Dajla also
chanted slogans calling for the independence of their country, which
colonised since 1975 by Morocco. The occupying force maintains a
military presence of more than 200.000 soldiers beside paramilitary
forces, forces of intervention and GUS (among other corpses).
The city was submitted to a state of siege and neighbourhoods such as
Lebrarik, Lebeichat, Kseikssat, Oum Tounsi and Al Ghoufran, mostly
inhabited by Saharawis, are under complete siege by the forces of
occupation.
On another hand, in Boujador (a city some 170 Km south of El Aaiun), a
Saharawi citizen, Maaras Abderaahman, was kidnapped from the street by
Moroccan police disguised in civilians. The man was subjected to many
intimidations in the local police station, where he was tortured twice
before, it was indicated.
"The Intifada of Independence", as Saharawis in occupied territories
baptised it, took back last Friday in EL Aaiun, the occupied Saharawi
Capital, with a demonstration organised by the families of the last
confrontations, who claimed for the release of their children and for
the independence of their territory, it should be recalled. (SPS)
010/090/110 111042 June 05 SPS
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Berlin, 11/06/2005 (SPS) the
Socio-Democrat Parliamentary group (SPD)
in the Bundestag (German Parliament) warned that the last "violent
confrontations" between Saharawi demonstrators and Moroccan police in
Western Sahara are generators of "danger of destabilisation in the
entire Maghreb", reported a pres release by the group publicise Friday.
SPD’s Spokesperson, Mr. Rudolf Bindig, underlined before his
counterparts in a meeting they held in the Bundstag that after the
resignation of the UN Secretary General’s Personal Envoy, Mr. James
Baker, last year and the failure of his plan, which plans for the
organisation of a referendum on the independence of Western Sahara.
"The politic situation is blocked", the press release underlined.
Mr. Bindig regretted that concerning Morocco "there is no sign that
shows that the Government of that country can accept the independence
of Western Sahara it annexed".
"This situation mad the population, the youth in particular, feel to
bee victims of increasing pressures. Unemployment, discrimination, a
precarious humanitarian situation and a future with no perspectives,
are the characteristics of their lives. The fact that the international
legality and peoples’ rights is on their side does not help them much
in this situation", he added.
"Saharawi human rights activists and the people who declare their
position in favour of independence are victims to intimidation and
repression. Freedom does not exist, not when the theme of Western
Sahara is mentioned", he put.
He gave an example, the recent "ban against the Moroccan journalist,
Ali Lemrabet, from exercising his job for ten years and the expulsion
of a Spanish delegation (from Western Sahara by Moroccan authorities of
occupation-Ed) composed of politicians and journalists who wanted to
investigate about human rights’ situation on the ground".
To the PSD, "UN is called, more than ever, to double efforts so as to
find a peaceful solution to the conflict", which resolution will
constitute "a solid basis for the evolution of the Maghreb States’
union". (SPS)
010/090100/TRD 111730 June 05 SPS
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Algiers, 11/06/2005 (SPS) The
Saharawi President, Mohamed Abdelaziz,
called Saturday, in Algiers, as “explosive” the situation in the
occupied territories of Western Sahara and stressed that the “peaceful
resistance” will continue in a bid to reach the holding of the
self-determination referendum.
“We want to express our deep concern about the explosive situation in
the occupied territories of Western Sahara which is threatened,”
Abdelaziz declared to the forum of Al-Bilad paper organised at the
International Press Centre (CIP).
Saharawi people "organised peaceful protest, in the form of
demonstrations, strikes and sit-in, for a legitimate goal, to obtain
that the UN organise and supervise a referendum on self-determination",
the Head of the State underlined.
"Unfortunately, these peaceful demonstrations" started last May the 23
in El Aaiun, were "repressed by Moroccan authorities of occupation, who
proceeded to arrest, kidnapping and torture, causing dozens injured
persons", he deplored. "We fear that Moroccan authorities of occupation
commit genocide against the Saharawi population", he added.
Asked by a journalist about the possibilities of resuming to armed
struggle by Polisario Front, Mr. Abdelaziz confirmed that "the current
stage of the Saharawi people’s struggle is peaceful". "We are currently
in a situation of a peaceful non-violent struggle, and we hope that
Moroccan Government do not push us to resume to war", he said.
Polisario Front "faithfully respected the cease-fire that was enforced
in September the 6th of 1991", affirmed Mr. Abdelaziz. "Weapons are
silent now but Saharawi voices will continue claiming for
self-determination", he added.
The cease-fire that was "supervised by the UN was decided after the
promise UN and Morocco give to hold a referendum for self-determination
in no more than 8 months", the Head of the State recalled. "The last
demonstrations by Saharawis are a message to Morocco and to the
international community saying that they do not accept Moroccan
colonial fait accompli", he said.
Saharawis "are living a big deception, not only vis-à-vis
Morocco which
denied its engagements by defaming their national claims, but also
vis-à-vis of the international community and the UN, which did
not
succeed in adopting the necessary firmness in the organisation of a
referendum for self-determination", he said.
"UN and Security Council must assume their responsibilities in Western
Sahara as they did in other places of the world", Mr. Abdelaziz added.
The President of SADR asked UN’s Secretary General to nominate a new
Personal Envoy to Western Sahara, in replacement of Mr. James Baker,
who resigned in 2004 "because of the Moroccan intransigence concerning
the referendum", he asserted.
Mr. Also asked Mr. Annan to think about the post of the Special
Representative for Western Sahara, which is vacant since Mr. Alvaro De
Soto was nominated by Annan to other duty.
"We would like that the Personal and Special representatives be
designated as soon as possible so as to keep with the efforts on the
path of the implementation of what was agreed upon between the parties
to the conflict, Polisario and Morocco. That is to say to organised a
referendum on self-determination", President Abdelaziz said.
Asked about the recent visit to the Saharawi refugee camps and Morocco
of Spanish Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Bernardino Leon,
Mr. President indicated that "the concern Spanish Government shows for
Western Sahara is in itself positive". "The key to the solution of the
conflict in Western Sahara is a referendum on self-determination", he
asserted. (SPS)
010/090/700/TRD 111815 June 05 SPS
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Madrid, 11/06/2005 (SPS) the
Coordination of the Associations of solidarity with the Saharawi people
(CEAS-SAHARA), demanded, Saturday, to be included to the delegation of
Spanish Congress’ and Senate’s members who will have to undertake a
visit to the occupied territories of Western Sahara in the near future.
He estimated that such a delegation should not be exclusively
Parliamentary because other organisations also have ''their word to
say" in the Saharawi question.
CEAS-Sahara, and organisation that unify hundreds associations,
wondered in a press release, ''how can it be that Spain accepts to
dispatch a (Spanish) committee, which is imposed by Morocco, to a
territory on which Spain still assumes historical responsibilities?''.
The visit of a Spanish delegation, to investigate on human rights’
situation in Western Sahara after the last demonstrations of protest,
was agreed upon during the meeting held last June the 6th in Madrid
between Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Miguel Angel Moratinos,
and his Moroccan counterpart, Mohamed Benaissa.
Spanish Popular Parry (PP- opposition) and Izquierda Unida (one of the
political allies of the current Socialist Government in Parliament)
announced that they will not participate to this delegation because
there are conditions Morocco put on it to restrict its mission, they
considered.
To the CEAS-Sahara, if the Spanish delegation that wants to go to
Western Sahara wants to be ''credible'', it has to include human
rights’ organisations and other NGOs.
CEAS-Sahara, whose President, M. José Taboada, was a member to a
Spanish delegation that was expulsed last June the 5th from El Aaiun
airport by Moroccan authorities, also rejected the advanced argument
saying that his organisation is "anti-Moroccan''.
''We are not anti-Moroccan, our only objective is to make Saharawi
people’s right to self-determination a reality. The International Court
of Justice and UN in more than 50 resolution recognise this right'',
the Coordination asserted. (SPS)
010/090/700/TRD 111826 June 05 SPS
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SAHARA
PRESS SERVICE