SAHARA PRESS SERVICE

SPS
SADR/SPAIN/MEDIA
"No autority can give Morocco sauvereinty" on Western Sahara alerted Boukhari

17.06.04


Tenerife, 17/06/04 (SPS) Polisario Front's permanent representative to United Nations, Ahmed El Bukhari, alerted on Tuesday in Tenerife, that "No autority can give Morocco sauvereinty" on Western Sahara, reported 'Canarias Ahora', Canary Islands digital newspaper.

In an interview to the Spanish digital newspaper, Mr. Bukhari estimated that the Moroccan offers of previliged relationships with the Canary Islands, aiming at rallying the autonomous Government to Moroccan expansioniste thesis, are no more than "a strategy to push the Canary Islands to collaborate to the illegal occupation of another people".

The Saharawi representative, in a visit to the islands, indicated that the successor of Baker should absolutely be American, because he said "only another American can manage to force Morocco espect him".

The Saharawi diplomat insisted on Spain's responsibility in contributing to the fair solution of the probleme, underlining that having abondened its former colony, Spain had contributed to "the tragedy of the Saharawi people", adding that Saharawi people is ready to consolidate the security and stability in the region and to maintain reliable and peaceful relationships with its neighbours.

Mr. Boukhari recalled that "European Union is diplomatically absent in the Saharawi conflict because of the French Veto", stressing that "French support to Morocco remains an obstacle to peace" in the region. (SPS)

040/090/997 170558 juin 04 SPS



up

SPS
MOROCCO/MEDIA/EXPULSSION
Reporters Without Borders condemn the deportation of two Norwegian journalists from Morocco

Rabat, 17/06/04 (SPS) Reporters Without Borders (RWB) denounced on Wednesday Moroccan authorities throwing out of two Norwegian journalists, Tor Dagfinn Dommersnes and Fredrik Refvem, who were planning, according to corresponding information, to contact Ali Salem Tamek, former Saharawi political prisoner and human rights activist, in Rabat.

In a communiqué, publicised Wednesday, the RWB said to be "deeply concerned by the arrests", the same day, of two journalists who were planning to report, to Norwegian newspaper 'Stavanger Aftenbladet', on the political situation in the Kingdom, on Western Sahara's conflict and on illegal immigration to Europe.

"The Moroccan authorities keep a close watch on the activities and movements of journalists and try to stop any independent reporting on Western Sahara," underlined the communique.

Getting to Morocco on the 13 June, the two journalists had called Ali Salem Tamek on Wednesday according to AFP. They were planning to fix a rendew-vous with the Saharawi human right activist to discuss about Western Sahara's last developments and about the situation of Saharawi human rights activists in occupied territories of Western Sahara.

"The security services were very probably aware of the phone call and that led to our arrest", declared Mr. Dagfinn Dommersnes to RWB in a telephone call before Moroccan authorities deported him from Rabat to France, while the two journalists have "complied with all the necessary formalities, to be allowed to travel freely", according to the organisation.

It should be recalled that it is not the first time that foreign journalists are expelled from Morocco, in particular when the authorities find out that they are trying to meet with Saharawi activists, or report on Western Sahara's conflict.

On the 5th April 2004, Norwegian journalist Erik Hagen was deported from El Aaiun (occupied capital of the SADR) to Mauritania. Police arrested the journalist who was heading towards El Aaiun to meet Saharawi human rights activists and former political prisoners.

On another hand, French freelance journalist Catherine Graciet and her compatriot photographer Nadia Ferroukhi, were deported to Agadir While they were planning to visit El Aaiun for the same up mentioned reasons, and were questioned at length by Moroccan authorities then deported to France. (SPS)

060/090/000 171109 June 04 SPS

up


SPS
SADR/UN/REPRESENTATIVE
The solution to the conflict must allow self-determination to the Saharawi people, affirmed Annan

Washington, 17/06/04 (SPS) UN Secretary General , Kofi Annan, affirmed on Monday that "the solution to Western Sahara's conflict should consider the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara within the context of the propositions and the principles of UN's charter", indicated Spanish newspaper 'La Vanguardia' in its Tuesday's edition.

As a result to his Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, James Baker, resignation, Annan announced in a letter addressed to Security Council that he "decided that, been able as Special Representative to Western Sahara, Alvaro de Soto, will pursue his work the parties to the conflict and the neighbouring countries in the search of just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution".

Then he stressed that this solution " should consider the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara within the context of the propositions and the principles of UN's charter".

It should be recalled that former U.S. Secretary of State James A. Baker, has resigned last week his post as Secretary General Personal Envoy, after seven years "deliberately sabotaged" efforts because of "Moroccan intransigent attitude", according to Bukhari Ahmed, Polisario Front's representative to the UN.

In its reaction to this event, Polisario Front estimated last Friday that Baker has left to the international community "an invaluable legacy, a Peace plan which enjoys the support of the Security Council" and endorses "Saharawi people's right to self-determination ", conforming to legality and to international law. This plan must be taken into account in any possible search for a solution to the conflict, concluded the text. (SPS)

040/090/110/TRD 171046 June 04 SPS

up
subscribe to the mailing list SPS-News:
if you want to receive the news by mail>> click here

>> Latest news <<
HOME
                                      ©Sahara Press Service: sps@spsrasd.info