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SPS Eight persons at least arrested and seventeen injured in demonstrations in the occupied city of Smara 14.10.06
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Smara (occupied territories), 14/10/2006 (SPS) Eight persons (8) at least were arrested and seventeen (17) others injured during demonstrations that took place on Friday in the occupied city of Smara, on the occasion of the celebration by the Saharawi people of the 31st anniversary of the National Union (October 12), concordant sources indicated.
Demonstrators lifted the Saharawi Republic’s flags and chanted slogans advocating "the immediate withdrawal" of the Moroccan occupation of the Western Sahara, before they were "brutally" dispersed by the Moroccan different security and military corpses.
The Moroccan security corpses arrested 8 Saharawi citizens, namely Ahmedou Alwat, Hmeida Berkouh, Mohamed Amaidan, Said Saka, Hamadi Amayer, Tarek El Kherchi, salek and Abahasem, according to a primary list, the same sources indicated.
On another hand, the Moroccan forces injured another 17 Saharawi citizens: Ameyer Mohamed Jedou, Zainabou Omar Amayer, Hamma Joumani, Embarka Said Abeiri, Brahim Mohamed Elabd, Salek Bal-lal Hadda ElBatal, Enata Ahl Jed Ahlu Essid, Khalihenna Cheikh Ali, Najat Mohamed Berkouh, Ahmedou Mokhtar Alwat, Bachri Abdi Mneisir, Lazaar Labeidi Lalha, Salha Lazaar, Salek Engaiguiz, Ould Ahl Bahassem, Bachir Mohamed Lamin Sidelarbi and Said Mohamed Lamin Elbal-lal, the same sources added.
During these confrontations, the Moroccan forces of repression ransacked many Saharawi houses and destroyed the properties of its owners.
On another hand, four (4) Saharawi youngsters were arrested during similar demonstrations organised for the same occasion in the occupied capital of the Saharawi Republic, El Aaiun. The arrestees are Ben Taleb Bachri Ould Mohamed Brahim, Abdelghani, Mohamed Ali Heddi and Aris Lehbib.
Meanwhile, in the same capital, the Moroccan colonial authorities interpellated the fathers of the following families: Jenhaoui Lekhlifa, Abdelghani and Mohamed Ould Brahim, blaming them for the participation of their sons in peaceful demonstrations asking for the self-determination of the Saharawi people. (SPS)
020/090/110/TRD 141030 Oct 06 SPS
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SPS The Consultative Council interpellate Juan Carlos on Spain’s responsibility in the decolonisation of the Western Sahara
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Ausserd (Saharawi refugee camps), 14/10/2006 (SPS) The Saharawi Consultative Council interpellated the King of Spain, Juan Carlos de Bourbon, on Thursday in a letter, about the responsibility of Spin in the decolonisation of the Western Sahara and the protection of the Saharawi population from the Moroccan repression.
"The responsibility of the Spanish State, as the administrating power of the territory, remains as long as the Saharawi people do not exercise their right to self-determination", the letter adopted by the Council during its ordinary session, held on Friday in Ausserd, under the presidency of the Head of the State, Mohamed Abdelaziz.
"Your personal responsibility was engaged when you raised, at the first place, the legitimate rights of the Saharawi people while you were still a prince, during a short visit to the territory in November the 2nd 1975 in El Aaiun in your address to the civil and military authorities on the ground then. You affirmed then, that Spain will respect its engagements and protect the Saharawi people’s legitimate rights", the text of the letter recalled.
The letter further stressed that the Moroccan authorities "continues to close the territory in the face of independent observers" and that many "Spanish delegations, including representatives of the Spanish Parliament (Cortes) and of regional parliaments, as well as officials from many Spanish institutions were not allowed in the El Aaiun to collect information on what is really happening in the territory".
To the Saharawi Consultative Council, the situation in the region, "does not bare more escalation and its peoples aspire to a life full of cooperation and to coexistence in peace and stability".
The Consultative Council was created in 2001, to gather all the Chiefs of tribes who participated in the UN operation of the identification of the Saharawi eligible voters who should participate to the promised self-determination referendum, which was first planed to take place in 1992. (SPS)
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SPS The Consultative Council calls on the EP to put the respect of human right as a condition to its cooperation with Rabat
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Ausserd (Saharawi refugee camps), 14/10/2006 (SPS) The Saharawi Consultative Council called on the European Parliament, on Thursday in a letter, to put the respect of human right in the Western Sahara as a condition to its cooperation with Rabat, and to intervene so as to put an end to the plundering of the Saharawi natural resources by the European Union, referring to the recently signed fishing agreement between Morocco and the European body.
"We exhort you to do all your best so as to stop the repression imposed on our citizens in the occupied territories, to release the Saharawi political prisoners and human rights activists, and to oeuvre for the creation of protection measures for the Saharawi population under Moroccan occupation, who are undergoing very serious human rights violations", underlined the letter addressed by the Saharawi Council to the President of the European Parliament, Joseph Borel.
"We call on you to intervene vis-ŕ-vis all the European bodies so as to put an end to the EU-Morocco fishing agreements and all other forms of cooperation with Morocco until the latter respects the international legality", added the letter.
"It is time for Europe to adopt an impartial policy that will enable it to have an essential role in the settlement of the conflict", concluded the letter, which was adopted in the closing of an ordinary session, held on Friday in the Saharawi refugee camp of Ausserd under the presidency of the Head of the State, Mohamed Abdelaziz.
The Consultative Council was created in 2001, to gather all the Chiefs of tribes who participated in the UN operation of the identification of the Saharawi eligible voters who should participate to the promised self-determination referendum, which was first planed to take place in 1992. (SPS)
010/090/100/TRD 141026 oct 06 SPS
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SPS "Norway supports Saharawi people’s right to self-determination", declares, Mr. Johansen
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Oslo, 14/10/2006 (SPS) The Norwegian Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Raymond Johansen, declared on Friday that his country "supports Saharawi people’s right to self-determination", after a meeting at the seat of his Ministry with the Saharawi Coordinator with the Minurso, Mhamed khadad, according to a source close to the Saharawi representation in the Nordic Countries.
The discussions between the two parties tackled the Saharawi question, the perspectives of peace and the humanitarian aid Norway can offer to the Saharawi refugees, the same sources added.
Mr. Johansen reiterated the support of his country to the UN’s efforts in the Western Sahara to reach a solution that respects the Saharawi people’s right to self-determination.
He also stressed that Norway follows with concern the human rights situation in the Western Sahara, and will continue its aid to the Saharawi refugees while pursuing its policy of discouraging any kind of investments of Norwegian companies in the occupied territories of the Non-Self-Governing territory as long as the conflict is not resolved on a just basis.
During his sojourn in Oslo, Mr. Khadad, who is accompanied by Polisario Front’s Representative to the Nordic Countries, Mr. Lamine Yahiaoui, had had many contacts with Norwegian Parliamentarian, representatives of political parties, NGOS as well as the Norwegian Committee of Solidarity with the Saharawi people. (SPS)
020/090/000/TRD 141320 Oct 06 SPS
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SPS Saharawis in the south of Morocco support the Intifada of independence
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Tan Tan (South o Morocco), 14/10/2006 (SPS) The Saharawi citizens in the cities of Tan Tan organised peaceful demonstrations, on Friday, on the occasion of the celebration by the Saharawi people of the 31st anniversary of the National Union (12 October), and to express their support to the Intifada of independence that started last May 2005 to advocate the Saharawi people’s right to self-determination and independence.
Demonstrators lifted th flags of the Saharawi Republic and chanted slogans demanding the "immediate withdrawal of the Moroccan occupation from the Western Sahara" and the "Saharawi people’s right to self-determination".
Meanwhile, other demonstrations were organised in Tata, another Moroccan city in the South of Morocco, advocating the Saharawi people’s right to self-determination as well as the end of the human rights violations perpetrated by the Moroccan State against the Saharawi helpless civilians.
Similar demonstrations were also organised in the localities of Tarfaya and Zak (South of Morocco) demanding the immediate withdrawal of the Moroccan occupation from the Western Sahara and the immediate release of all the Saharawi political prisoners in Moroccan custody. (SPS)
020/090/110/TRD 141335 Oct 06 SPS
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SPS Resolution in favour of the Western Sahara: Algeria calls on the UN and the Security Council to assume their responsibilities
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Algiers, 14/10/2006 (SPS) Following the adoption, on Friday, by the UN General Assembly’s Fourth Commission o a resolution reaffirming the Saharawi people’s right to self-determination, the Algerian Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson called on the UN and the Security Council to fully assume their responsibilities in the decolonisation of the Western Sahara, the Algerian Press Service reported.
Here are extracts of the Algerian Foreign Affairs’ Ministry statement on the subject:
"Algeria received with deep satisfaction the adoption by the UN’s General Assembly’s Commission on Decolonisation, of a new resolution on the question of the Western Sahara.
This resolution is a new testimony on the correctness of the international community’s position regarding the finishing of the decolonisation of the Western Sahara.
Adopted on the title and in implementation of the resolution n° 1514 (XV) on the declaration of the granting of independence to colonised countries and peoples, this resolution, which benefited from a politically significant majority, has got the triple merit to have reaffirmed the natural right of the people of the Western Sahara to self-determination, reiterated the validity of the plan accepted since 1991 by Morocco and Polisario Front and approved by the UN Security Council, and underlined the support of the international community to the Baker Plan, unanimously ratified by the Security Council as the optimum political solution to the conflict of the Western Sahara.
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Deliberations within the Commission and the circumstances of the adoption of the resolution had marked a welcomed uprising of the collective consciousness of the UN, in the extension of the striking report established by the UN High Commissioner for the Human Rights on the Moroccan practices in the occupied Saharawi territories.
Algeria hopes for an increasing mobilisation and efforts from all the UN’s competent bodies, specially the Security Council to fully assume their responsibilities conforming to the UN Charter and to their pertinent resolutions and mandate towards the people of the Western Sahara." (SPS)
010/090/700/TRD 141603 oct 06 SPS
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SPS Aminetou Haidar: "Saharawi people’s self-determination is the only alternative"
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Paris, 14/10/2006(SPS) Saharawi human rights activist and ex-political prisoner, Mrs. Aminetou Haidar, pursues on Tuesday in the cities of "Bagnolet" and "Le Mans", its turn in France where she animated any debates on the self-determination of the Saharawi people as "the only alternative" to put an end to the human rights violations in the Western Saharawi.
"It is clear that the Saharawi question is a decolonisation question, an I remain convinced that only the self-determination can put an end to the human rights violations in the Western Sahara and to the sufferings of the Saharawi people", the Saharawi human rights activist concluded in a conference-debate animated until late in the afternoon, on Friday in the Mayoralty of Paris’ second district.
"The Moroccan colonisation" of the Western Sahara, under all its forms: military, administrative, economic and demographic were under the focus of the debate with the participation of many associations of support to the Saharawi people (CORESLSO, AARASD, AFASPA, Algerian Committee of support), in addition to NGOs such as Amnesty International and the French League for Human Rights (LDH), as well as jurists who, according to their affirmation, "attended show trials condemning the Saharawi political detainees and prisoners of opinion, in El Aaiun, for fictional accusations".
In this respect, lawyer France Weyl, charged by the NGO "Droits-Solidarité" (DS) and the International Association of Democrat Jurists (AIJD) to attend trials of Saharawi activists, she indicated to have noted "many violations of penal procedures ".
The layer also evoked accusations "completely falsified", deploring the prompt procedures "of political trials transformed to criminal trials".
After the trials ended, the French lawyer was travelling to her country, and she said she "was closely shadowed and controlled a dozen time at least, at every city entry", on her way from the occupied capital of Western Sahara, El Aaiun, to the Moroccan city of Tan Tan (only 300 km north Western Sahara).
Mrs. Haidar widely described the methods of the Moroccan repression against "the Saharawi people’s peaceful resistance", especially since the Intifada of independence, which started since a year and a half and which "took the struggle to many cities inside the Moroccan territory".
Many speakers during the debate underlined how the Moroccan occupation of the Saharawi territory was followed by "a settlers colonisation", especially in El Aaiun "where new infrastructures suddenly appeared".
"This is the reality in the Western Sahara, where the human rights situation is very worrying, especially that this repression is getting more and more intense in a territory that is put by the Moroccan authorities under complete siege, forbidding representatives of the international community and international press from penetrating it to investigate on what is really happening", Mrs. Haidar said.
She regretted that the "French society is not informed about this situation".
In this respect, the Mayor of Paris’ Second District, Mr. Jacques Boutault, declared to the Algerian Press Service in margin of the conference-debate, that "the public opinion in France is poorly informed on the Saharawi question, n its political and humanitarian dimensions".
On its part, Mrs. Annie Delay, Amnesty International’s Representative, who is participating to this conference-debate, indicated that she has asked the French Government to receive the Saharawi human rights activist.
"In response to our request, we had absolutely no explication on the refusal", Mrs. Delay, indicating that she has sent a letter of protest to the French Foreign Affairs Ministry.
We do not understand why they refuse to receive a human rights defender, who came to France following our invitation, after she has achieved a very brilliant international turn", she added.
Mrs. Aminetou will pursue her turn on Saturday to the French Mayoralty of Bagnolet, in Paris region. She will go after that to Le Mans, where she will be received by the Mayor of this municipality, which was twined in 1982 with a Saharawi city. (SPS)
010/090/700/TRD 141624 oct 06 SPS
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