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SPS The Moroccan AMDH asks for the release of Saharawi political prisoners 18.01.06
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Rabat, 18/01/2006 (SPS) A Moroccan human rights organisation asked on Tuesday for the release of 14 Saharawi political prisoners, currently detained in the Carcel Negra in the occupied city of El Aaiun. It expressed "concern" about the situation of human rights in Western Sahara, reported Algerian Press Service, APS.
In a press release concluding the works of the meeting of its Central Bureau on Monday, the Moroccan Human Rights Association (AMDH) asked for the immediate release of all Saharawi human rights activists and the stopping of all lawsuits engaged by the Moroccan justice against Saharawi political prisoners.
AMDH underlined that it is following with "concern" the situation of 14 Saharawi political prisoners, whose trials will take place this January the 24th after many postponements and a first heavy sentences pronounced by Moroccan colonial court last December against the prisoners.
The press release of the Moroccan NGO’s Central Bureau also denounced "all human rights violations they (Saharawi activists) underwent since their arrest to their condemnation by an illegal justice".
The 14 Saharawi human rights activists, the majority of whom were arrested after the peaceful demonstrations started by the Saharawi population in the occupied El Aaiun and in other Saharawi cities and communities since last May 2005 to ask for the independence of Western Sahara, were condemned last December the 13 and 14 to sentences going between 6 months to 3 years, it should be recalled.
The defence of the Saharawi activists appealed against these sentences and the trials will be undertaken this Tuesday the 24th of January.
Many international organisations, including Amnesty International and Human Right Watch estimated that the Saharawi activists were condemned after doubtful and unfair trials. (SPS)
060/090/700 181203 Jan 06 SPS
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SPS Saharawi Republic announces an official onshore licensing offer on oil exploration in the Saharawi territories
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London, 18/01/2006 (SPS) The Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) announced the official commencement of concurrence for the obtaining of onshore licensing for oil exploration in the Saharawi territories, "in accordance with UN legal opinion regarding commercial activities in Western Sahara ", indicated a press release publicised by SADR on Tuesday, of which SPS received a copy.
SADR officially announced that "participation in onshore licensing is open to all competent and qualified companies, and has been arranged in accordance with UN legal opinion regarding commercial activities in Western Sahara", the text wrote.
"The SADR Government is delighted by the response to the offshore license offering and to the strong support it has received from international companies. The Government recognises the vital role energy supply will have in development of the country following independence, and accordingly the need to balance offshore programmes with more immediate onshore projects", the press release stressed quoting Mr. Mhamed Khadad, the Member of Polisario Front’s National Secretariat in charge of the dossier.
On another hand, ongoing negotiations are taking place between six British oil companies and Polisario Front for offshore licensing, within the framework of an offer publicise by Polisario Front last May 2005, revealed the Assistant of Polisario Front’s Representative to the UK, Mr. Mohamed Limam, quoted by Algerian Press Service, APS.
The formula Polisario Front proposes expects that the companies with exploration licensing will start their activities after the recovery by the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic of its sovereignty over all its territories.
Polisario Front proposed to the concerned companies two kinds of contracts. The first proposing an accord on the basis of the sharing of the production once the Saharawi Republic got its sovereignty over all its richness. The second type arranges for the granting of licenses on the basis of an accord on guarantees covering the period separating the dates of the signing of the contracts. The latter been the preferred formula the concerned companies seem to have opted for.
Referring to the UN legal opinion of January 2002 denying to Morocco any kind of sovereignty over Western Sahara, and thus making null any contract signed by Rabat on the exploration of the Saharawi resources, the Saharawi leadership warned that any accord concluded with the forces of occupation (Morocco) will be obsolete and contradictory to the international law. (SPS)
060/090/000 181501 Jan 06 SPS
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SPS The President of the Republic addresses a message of congratulation to Aminetou Haidar after her release
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Bir Lehlu (liberated territories), 18/01/2006 (SPS) The President of the Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz, addressed on Wednesday a message of congratulation to the Saharawi political prisoner, Mrs. Aminatou Haidar, who was released by the Moroccan colonial authorities after having served 7 months imprisonment in very bad conditions of detention in the 'Carcel Negra' (black jail) of El Aaiun.
"I is with great pleasure that I send you, in this historical moment, on behalf of the Saharawi people, the Government of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic and the leadership of Polisario Front, our sincere congratulations, full of pride, respect and considerations that are filling the hearts of all Saharawis", the President of the Republic wrote addressing the emblematic Saharawi human rights activist, Aminatou Haidar.
"You are offering Saharawi people another victory in its peaceful resistance waged in the occupied territories of Western Sahara, south of Morocco and within Saharawi students in Moroccan universities". This resistance, the Head of the State added, whose first dead victim, killed last October 2005 by Moroccan authorities under torture, the late Lembarki Hamdi El Mahjoub, was recently buried in El Aaiun.
Mr. Abdelaziz, also indicated that the warm reception reserved to the human rights activist, Aminatou Haidar, in the occupied El Aaiun, "reflects Saharawi people’s determination to pursue their peaceful resistance until the realisation of their national goals of freedom and independence despite all the sacrifices", she "embodied in addition to other Saharawi political prisoners", the text added.
"Your release reaffirms anew the close victory and a proof on the failure of the Moroccan Government in its oppressive and colonial policy" adopted against the Saharawi populations in the occupied territories of Western Sahara and south Morocco.
The Head of the State finally "hailed all Saharawi political prisoners, who are stagnating in the Moroccan prisons, reaffirming the engagement of the Saharawi people to pursue the struggle until the liberation".
The Saharawi political prisoners and human rights activist, Aminatou Haidar, was released Tuesday by the Moroccan colonial authorities, after having spent 7 months detention in the worst conditions in the 'Carcel Negra' (black prison) in El Aaiun, it should be recalled. (SPS)
020/090/100/TRD 181250 Jan 06 SPS
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SPS Aminatou Haidar: My struggle will continue until the recognition of Saharawi people’s rights
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Madrid, 18/01/2006 (SPS) Saharawi human rights activist, Aminatou Haidar, reiterated her determination to continue her struggle for the realisation of the Saharawi people’s inalienable rights, on Tuesday after her release from the Carcel Negra in El Aaiun (the occupied capital of Western Sahara), reported Spanish newspaper ABC, Algerian pres agency, APS, quoted.
"My struggle will continue until the recognition of our inalienable right to self-determination. I will militate to martyrdom if need be", Mrs. Haidar said, in a phone call with ABC correspondent in Rabat, Luis de Vega.
"I will also continue to struggle for the release of the other Saharawi activists who are still under custody", she added.
Mr. Haidar, one of the main symbols of the Saharawi people’s struggle in the occupied territories for the exercise of the right to self-determination and independence, was granted the 5th Price, Juan Maria Brandes, of defence of the right to exile and solidarity with the refugees, by the Spanish Committee of Aid to Refugees (CEAR).
CEAR underlined that this price is an homage to Aminatou HAidar’s "exemplary trajectory" in her "peaceful struggle for the Saharawi people’s rights and the enforcement of the international legality in the Western Sahara, which is militarily occupied by Morocco since November 1975".
"I do not think that Morocco will allow me travel to receive this Price, but I infinitely thank the Spanish civil society for its support to the Saharawi cause", she declared to the newspaper.
According De Vega, the Moroccan authorities redoubled their efforts to stop the Saharawi population of El Aaiun from celebrating the release of Haidar from prison.
"The authorities of Rabat forbade all kinds of celebration in the familial residence. Haidar and her relatives were forced to build 5 tents some 30 km east the capital of the former Spanish colony, in the way to Smara. An important police deployment, according to many sources consulted by ABC, stopped many Saharawis from reaching the place where it was planned to celebrate the release of that woman who is considered as a "heroin of the Saharawi people".
Despite the massive police deployment and though many youngsters were aggressed by agents of the Moroccan Groups Urban of Security (GUS), about a thousand Saharawi citizens succeeded to join the place of rendezvous, it was indicated.
The celebrations were interrupted, however, because of the intervention of the Moroccan gendarmerie, who forced the Saharawis to dismantle the tents.
On another hand, the Spanish newspaper "El Pais" reported that the Moroccan forces have blocked all the exits of the occupied city to stop the local population from joining the site where the celebration will take place.
According to the same source, flags of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) were raised and slogans in favour of the independence of Western Sahara were chanted during the ceremony.
Arrested in June 2005 in a hospital in El Aaiun, where she was about to receive medical care after she was wounded by Moroccan forces of occupation during a demonstration. She was sentenced to 7 months imprisonment last December the 14th. Arrested a first time in 1987, she was detained for 4 years in a secret detention camp in El Aaiun. (SPS)
060/090/700 181809 Jan 06 SPS
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SPS A Saharawi delegation participate to the 6th World Social Forum in Bamako
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Bamako (Mali), 18/01/2005 (SPS) An important Saharawi delegation, chaired by Mr. Mohamed Sidati, Member of the Polisario Front National Secretariat and Minister Councillor to the Presidency, arrived on Tuesday the 17th of January in Bamako, capital of Mali, to participate to the 6th World Social Festival, reported SPS’s special envoy in Bamako.
Composed of 26 activists of the Saharawi civil society in the refugee camps, the Saharawi delegation participated to the different activities of the 6th World Social Forum, which will be inaugurated Thursday 19th of January 2006 in Bamako, and who will "constitute a democratic space that is open to the discussion of all opinions and ideas on globalisation and its political, social, economical and cultural repercussions on the peoples, especially of the third world", the same source indicated.
This forum, will also be marked by the participation of more than 30 thousands persons, according to the organisers, and will be especially be rehearsed by the participation "of the anti-globalisation movements from the different continents".
"The Saharawi delegation will participate to the different programmed activities, and will animate a workshop on the Saharawi people’s struggle as well as an exposition, which reflects the peaceful resistance of the Saharawi populations in the occupied territories of Western Sahara and south Morocco and the fierce repression they are victim to in addition to a participation to a big march that will be organised on the occasion of this forum", it was indicated.
On another hand, the famous Saharawi folkloric group, Tiris, will also animate many musical shows, "representing the Saharawi popular music and dance".
"The participation of associations of solidarity with the Saharawi people is also expected, especially the European Coordination of support of the Saharawi people, the Basque Association of support to the Saharawi people, the FEDESA as well as the French Association of support to the African people and other Associations from South America and Africa", the same source concluded.
In addition to members of the different Saharawi civil society, this delegation is also composed of the General Secretaries of the Saharawi Women National Union, Workers National Union, Students National Union, Saharawi Jurists Union, the Association of the Families of Saharawi Prisoners and Disappeareds (AFAPREDESA), the Association of the Victims of war and mines and the Saharawi Campaign for the Banning of Mines. (SPS)
060/090/TAM 182318 Jan 06 SPS
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SAHARA
PRESS SERVICE