SPS
SADR/SPAIN/MEDIAS
The President of the Republic claims for a « energetic »
Spanish position against the repression in Western Sahara.
15.07.05
Madrid, 15/07/2005 (SPS) The
Spanish Government must denounce in an "energetic, open and clear" way
the repression exerted by Moroccan forces against Saharawi peaceful
demonstrators for human rights and self-determination in Western
Sahara, affirmed the President of the Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz, in
an interview to Spanish newspaper, "El Mundo".
''It is time for Spain to abandon ambiguity and opt for the
international legality, the self-determination referendum And the Baker
Plan. We can not accept this continuous silence of the Government (...)
in the face of daily torture and persecution of the Saharawi
population'', declared Mr. Abdelaziz, in this interview, publicised on
Thursday.
''The only place in the world that remains closed to observer is
Western Sahara. It is time for Spain to exert pressures on Morocco", he
added.
He also indicated having taken into consideration the concern of the
Spanish Government and some of its initiatives, but this is ''not
enough', he said'. ''There should be more clarity, an energetic and
formal condemnation to the persistent violations Morocco perpetrates.
Why isn’t it proposed to put Morocco under embargo to pressure it? '',
he wondered.
Answering a question about the attitude of the successive Spanish
Governments regarding the Saharawi conflict, the President of the
Republic expressed his ''full satisfaction'' about the Spanish society
position. He underlined that Saharawis’ hope is that the Spanish
Governments, regardless their political tendencies, be ''at the level
of this popular commitment''.
''I do not want to set comparisons, he said, but I would like to
underline that the former Spanish Government, chaired by (José
Maria) Aznar, did support us more firmly and supported the Baker Plan''.
Asked if the Polisario Front is ready, if need be, to militarily defend
itself, Mr. Abdelaziz indicated that Saharawis ''do not hope'' to
resume to war and will ''save no effort so as the sounds of weapons do
not get loud again''. ''But if this should happen, he said, we will
know how to answer''. (SPS)
SPS SADR/MOROCCO/MEDIAS
Président Abdelaziz : "The Intifada of independence" will
continue
Paris, 15/07/2005 (SPS) "The
Intifada of independence" in the occupied territories of Western
Sahara, "will continue peacefully until the organisation of a
self-determination referendum" for the Saharawi people, said the
President of the Republic, Mohammed Abdelaziz, in an interview to a
French newspaper, "Le Monde", publicised Friday.
"Saharawis living in the occupied territories talks about an Intifada
of independence. The protest moment will thus continue peacefully until
the organisation of a self-determination referendum, until independence
and the release of the Saharawi prisoners", he indicated.
President Abdelaziz added that "if the Moroccan authorities continue
suppressing the movement, then they will have to gt bigger prisons to
receive all the Saharawis in them".
Asked about information, recently spread by Moroccan press, talking
about problems in the Saharawi refugee camps, the President of the
Republic described these allegations as "pure propaganda".
"Go there an see by yourselves. Go and ask Saharawis, representatives
of the UN, HCR, NGOs.. What it (Morocco) is spreading is unfounded", he
affirmed.
On another hand, and few time before the negotiations on fishing
between Morocco and the European Union, President Abdelaziz warned
European countries against a possible inclusion of the coasts of
Western Sahara in these accords.
Referring to France, the President of the Republic said: "I know that
some countries are ready to support Morocco in this respect. If any
accord on fishing give free space for interpretation, we would consider
that as a declaration of war" (…) "Saharawis would not hesitate in
iterpellating the international public opinion and international
bodies", he added.
"Europeans must remember that the USA excludes Western Sahara from its
Free Trade Accords with Morocco. This is a wise position", he
concluded.(SPS)
SAHARA
PRESS SERVICE