SAHARA PRESSE SERVICE

Chahid El Hafed, 14/10/2004 (SPS) the President of the Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz, received Wednesday a message of congratulation from the Arab committee of support to the Saharawi people, at the occasion of the 29th anniversary of the National unity, celebrated Tuesday in El Aaiun, has indicated an official source.

In a letter addressed to the President of the Republic, of which SPS received a copy, the Arab committee of support to the Saharawi people congratulated the President on the Republic "on the occasion of the festivities of the national Unity of the Saharawi people, which we all commemorate".

The Arab intellectuals expressed "their firm support and solidarity with the Saharawi cause, until it is peacefully resolved", affirming their firm engagement beside the Saharawi people in their legitimate struggle "for self-determination"

Moreover, they expressed their belief in the need "for making pressure on Morocco", to put an end "to the sufferings of the Saharawi Arab people, who have endured for three decades the tragedies of exile", and so as "the question of the Western Sahara finds a just, peaceful and durable solution once and for all".

The Arab committee, which is composed of Arab intellectuals, professors of universities, lawyers, doctors, journalists and writers, was constituted last September in Beirut (Lebanon), to support the Saharawi people to get back their legitimate right to self-determination and to independence, "in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the UN's Security Council", declared an official statement of the committee publicised in September.

"We, a group of Arab citizens representing no Arab official authority", announce the constitution of an "Arab committee of support to Saharawi people", stressed the text.

"Our committee will have to rise the awareness of the Arab countries about the sufferings the People of the Western Sahara is living during three decades", emphasised the Committee, which plans to use all ways and means to participate to "overcome" some obstacles erected in font of the exercise by the Saharawi people of their legitimate rights to self-determination and independence, "conforming to UN's decisions", stressed the text. (SPS)

020/090/100/TRD 141045 OCT 04 SPS

SPS
RASD/DECOLONISATION/MEDIAS
The Saharawi question "must be settled on the basis of the principle of self-determination", affirms the President

Algiers, 14/10/2004 (SPS) the President of the Republic, Mr. Mohamed Abdelaziz, declared Wednesday that the international community is unanimous that the decolonization of the Sahara Occidental "must be settled on the basis of the principle of the self-determination for the Saharawi people", denouncing "the attempts" of Morocco, who tries to avoid its international commitments, reported Algerian Press Service, APS.

In an interview with the Algerian Radio's 1st Channel, Mr. Abdelaziz considered that the decolonisation of Western Sahara “must be settled on the basis of the principle of the self-determination for the Saharawi people, through the organisation of a free referendum under the aegis of the United Nations". He reiterated the attachment of his country to the implementation of the Baker Plan within the framework of the international legality and without amendment, since the Plan is initially "a balanced compromise that took into account both the claims of the Saharawis and the Moroccans".

"This plan is supported, without objection any, by the Security Council, being the most suitable political solution", he underlined, affirming that the Saharawi people adopted "this plan, as final and non reviewable for the sake of the materialisation of peace".

The UNO is accountable for having failed "to impose the respect of its resolutions on Morocco", what has generated "multiple frustrations that we lived" because of the obstacles, "as usual caused" by Morocco, he regretted.

Denouncing "the Moroccan attempts of questioning this plan", the President of the Republic considered that the international community has but two options, namely "the complete implementation of the mentioned plan (Baker Plan II), or the return to the initial peace plan (AUO/UNO Settlement Plan of 1991) and the Houston Accords, approved by Western Sahara and by the Kingdom of Morocco", the two parties to the conflict, "and unanimously adopted by the Security Council".

In addition, the Saharawi President affirmed that the recognition by South Africa and many other States of the right of the Saharawi people to self-determination constitutes "a normal fact actually, the Saharawi case being a question of decolonisation", as it was clearly proven by all the interventions and petitions recently expressed before the 4th Commission of the General Assembly.

President Mohamed Abdelaziz, also, expressed his satisfaction "with respect to the Spanish position", adding that "since the creation of the Polisario Front in 1973, the Saharawi cause was never as popular as it is today within the Spanish public opinion".

Mr. Abdelaziz estimated, nevertheless, that the position of the Spanish Government "remains weakened because of its ambiguity and hesitation", specifying that his country required of Spain to clarify its position, though he believes that "the Spanish society will support us whatsoever happens". (SPS)

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SPS
SADR/UN
Mohamed Abdelaziz firmly condemns "the illegal visit Moroccan Prime Minister is carrying out in El Aaiun"

Bir Lehlou, 14/10/04 (SPS) The President of the Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz, firmly condemns “the illegal visit Moroccan Prime Minister is carrying out in El Aaiun", in a letter he addressed Today to the President of the Security Council, Sir. Emry Jones Parry, calling the Security Council to " immediately intervene to put an end to the policy of the fait accomplit Moroccan authorities are carrying out ", in order to set right the decolonisation process in Western Sahara.

In this letter, of which SPS received a copy in French, the President of the Republic "firmly" condemned " the illegal visit Moroccan Prime Minister is carrying out in El Aaiun, Capital of our country, illegally occupied by Morocco ", qualifying this new Moroccan manoeuvre as "a provocative and irresponsible act that unveils the policy of aggression and oppression still perpetrated by the Kingdom of Morocco in Western Sahara".

He further expressed his " great anxiety about the policy of provocation and escalation carried out these days by the Moroccan authorities, a policy that represents serious threats for peace and security in the area of North Africa”, calling the Security Council to "immediately intervene to put an end to the policy of the fait accomplit Moroccan authorities are carrying out, so as to set right the process of decolonisation in Western Sahara, to make it possible for the Saharawi people to fully exert their legitimate rights to self-determination and independence".

The letter intervenes as a response to "the illegal visit" Moroccan Prime Minister, Driss Jetu, is carrying out Today in El Aaiun, the occupied capital of SADR, it should be recalled.

Read the full translation to English of the letter originally written in French:

"His Excellency
Sir Emry Jones Parry
President of the Security Council
United Nations,

Bir Lehlu, October the 14th, 2004

Mister President,

By the present letter, I would like to inform you of our extreme preoccupation and to express you our great anxiety about the policy of provocation and escalation carried out these days by the Moroccan authorities, a policy that represents serious threats for peace and security in the area of North Africa.
.
The last act illustrating this policy, that we condemn firmly, is currently incarnated in the illegal visit Moroccan Prime Minister is carrying out in El Aaiun, Capital of our country, illegally occupied by Morocco. We have here, then, a provocative and irresponsible act that unveils the policy of aggression and oppression still perpetrated by the Kingdom of Morocco in Western Sahara.

After having undermined the efforts of the international community, deserting the Settlement Plan and the Houston Accords aiming at the decolonisation of the Western Sahara, Morocco, increased the acts and takeovers by force, within the framework of its persistence in a dangerous colonial policy that despises the international legality,

Further, Morocco achieves this illegal act, while in the meantime the fourth Commission of the UN's General Assembly is about to culminate its debates on Western Sahara within the framework of decolonization.

Thus, the mentioned visit of the Moroccan Prime Minister intervenes while Security Council is on the course of studying the question of Western Sahara within the framework of the mission in progress since 1991, aimed at granting Saharawi people the exercise of their inalienable right to self-determination and independence, in accordance with the objectives of the Settlement Plan, accepted by the two parties and approved by Security Council's resolutions 658 (1990) and 690 (1991).

Moroccan Government did not find a better moment to raise the tension and openly exhibit acts and behaviours, what indicates the arrogance, rushing ahead and the contempt with which it deals with the decisions of the international community.

This policy unveils, once more, the true intentions of Morocco to co-operate to the efforts of the international community only if the latter is ready to recognise its infamies and fait acomplis in the Western Sahara. Morocco, in fact, is not willing to cooperate in a constructive way to the enforcement of the relevant UN's resolutions on Western Sahara, and everything indicates that it will continue to despise the decisions of this organisation, therefore putting peace and stability of all the area in serious danger.

We urge you to immediately intervene to put an end to the policy of the fait accomplit Moroccan authorities are carrying out, so as to set right the process of decolonisation in Western Sahara, to make it possible for the Saharawi people to fully exert their legitimate rights to self-determination and independence.

To this end, the Security Council, by its resolution 1495 (2003), asked the two parties, the Polisario Front and the Kingdom of Morocco, to accept and apply the Peace Plan. We accepted this request. Now we have the right to ask the Council to adopt all suitable procedures to compel Morocco cooperate with the efforts of the international Community, and this, by accepting and implementing the mentioned Plan.

Peace and law as well as the credibility of the Security Council are at stake.

Best regards
Mohamed Abdelaziz
Secretaries General of POLISARIO Front". (SPS)

060/090/100 141700 OCT 04 SPS