SAHARA PRESS SERVICE

Chahid El Hafed, 16/04/04 (SPS) An international demonstration will be organised from the 22nd to the 25th April, to denounce and call for the dismantling of the military wall, called «The Wall of Shame», erected since the 80s by the Moroccan forces of occupation to divide Western Sahara and its people
(technical file of the wall), we learned from the Spanish organisers of this peaceful initiative.

Under the theme «for the peace and self-determination of Saharawi people», some Spanish NGOs, such as the Provincial Federation of Supporting Institutions to Saharawi People, the provincial Coordination of the Associations of the Friends of the Saharawi People, Parliamentary Groups "Peace for Saharawi People" and the International Association of Jurists for Western Sahara, expect to take part to this march of solidarity heading towards this military building

These organisations, «committed to peace and to the solidarity with the Saharawi people» want through this initiative to sensitise the public opinion on the necessity of «putting an end to the tragedy of the Saharawi people», they emphasised in a manifest publicised on the occasion (read more).

Unanimously, they expressed their support to the Saharawi people and reminded that «after 28 years of Moroccan occupation, we believe that it is time to give Saharawi people the real opportunity to decide over their future through a referendum of self-determination».

The last demonstration, in front of the wall, was organised by Australians in April the 9th (read more), while Italians were the first to start this international march in the past 26th January (read more).

The demonstration, intervene within the framework of a wide international campaign, against this gruesome military work, in which «representatives of European civil society will peacefully march towards this sinister place to claim for the dismantling of this crime against humanity», it was indicated.

The President of the Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz, had inaugurated on the 3rd March, in the school of the 27th of February, a painting exposition (see fotos of the exhibition) exhibited by the painter,
Fadili Yeslem, in which the latter denounces the pains generated by this Moroccan wall, (read more).(SPS).

Protected by 160.000 soldiers, fully armed, 240 heavy artillery batteries, more than one thousand armoured engine, 10 billions anti-persons mines, international conventions forbid, 20.000 km of barbed wire, 2400 km of deep trenches, sand banks and walls of stones 2.00 m high and 1.80 m wide, tens of long and medium reach radars backed by one of the strongest African air forces, "this wall of disgrace must absolutely fall for the sake of the establishment of a lasting peace based on the decolonisation of the territory conforming to UN's resolutions", it should be recalled. (SPS)

010/090/000/TRD 161749 Apr 04 SPS

SPS
SADR/MOROCCO/UN
Mr. Sidati: United Nations has got the means to resolve the Saharawi conflict if there is a real will to

Geneva, 16/04/2004 (SPS) The United Nations «has got the means to bring Morocco back to legality, and thus resolve the conflict (of Western Sahara - Ed) if it has the real will to», asserted, on Thursday, the Minister, Counsellor to the Presidency, Mohamed Sidati, during a press conference held at the Palace of the UN in Geneva.

«Why are we continuously reminded of the necessity of respecting the international legality to resolve the Middle East conflict, Iraq's or other conflicts while this same legality is ignored when it comes to Western Sahara's conflict», wondered Mr. Sidati.

Moreover, he expressed his fears of seeing Morocco « persisting in the path of obstruction to the peace plan», informing, however, that no matter how frustrated have his people been during the long past years of colonisation, they «remain self-confident and keep the hope, knowing that to defend their ideals of freedom and independence, they have to rely on their own powers».

To Mr. Sidati, the Peace Plan is the subject «of international consensus and notable progresses were achieved towards its implementation», but, he added, «Morocco, as in all other peace initiatives undertaken previously by the international community, goes back on his obligations to go further in its rebellion and its intransigence against the same international community».

Answering a journalist's question about the confidence-building measures implemented by the UN, Mr. Sidati indicated that Morocco tried to lead the world to believe that «Saharawis were imprisoned in Tindouf», for many years.

A propaganda which «is now denied during these visits that unveil the Moroccan strategy of lies», he underlined. The mandate of the Minurso expires this 30th April and the Secretary General of the UN, Kofi Annan, have to present, to the Security Council, a detailed report about the responses of the parties
to the last Baker's Plan before the 20th of April, it was indicated. (SPS)

 010/090/561/TRD 161432 Apr 04 SPS