SAHARA PRESS SERVICE

Madrid, 18/02/04 (SPS) '' The Moroccan forces of occupation had never stopped their policies of oppression, intimidation, illegal imprisoning, abusive detentions and condemnations to imprisoning'', declared Ali Salem Tamek, in an interview to the Spanish newspaper, El Periodico, published Tuesday.
 
Questioned on the detention conditions of a sahrawi in the Moroccan prisons, the Sahrawi human rights' activist, liberated last January the 7th, by Moroccan authorities described his experience as '' terrible''.

'' I had to lead 17 hunger strikes to have the statute of a political prisoner.  The Moroccan administration does not hide its will to destroy our dignity as sahrawis'', noted Mr. Tamek.

To the question of how do Sahrawis, under Moroccan occupation, feel towards Polisario Front, Mr. Tamek underlined that the youth '' firmly believe in its cause'' and that sympathisers in occupied territories '' are increasing, showing thus the failure of the policies of Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara'', what pushed the Moroccan Government to '' multiply the flow of Moroccan settlers to occupied territories".

As an example, Mr. Tamek claimed that, in El Aaiun (the occupied capital of Western Sahara) '' Sahrawis are estimated to only 25% of the total population''.
 
'' We are decided to struggle and to campaign to exercise our right to self-determination'', he indicated, underlining that Sahrawis ''have no dream but the establishment of a young State that will have good relationships with its neighbours, Morocco included ''.

 '' We had put our confidence in the leadership of Polisario Front to decide if the future passes through the continuation with the peace process or if it will be necessary to fight'', he stressed.

Questioned if the oppression changed, Mr. Tamek indicated that the Moroccan Government has '' moved Saharawi activists who work in Moroccan administrations towards cities out of the Sahara, punishing them for having challenged the Moroccan state by struggling for the release of the political prisoners''.
 
''Freedom of expression is a priority'', he said, accusing Rabat of wanting to ''impose silence on all those who reject the pretended Moroccan claims on Sahara'' and ''to forbid the creation of associations''.

Concerning the Baker's Plan, Mr. Tamek indicated that ''Sahrawis can but support any path that will really leads to the self-determination and to independence''. (SPS)

010/090/720/TRD 181855 Feb 04 SPS

SPS
SADR/SPAIN/MOROCCO
Polisario Front: '' mixed patrols (Hispano-Moroccan) will commit a violation to international legality''

Las Palmas (Canary Islands- Spain), 18/02/2004 (SPS) Polisario Front's representative to the Un, Boukhari Ahmed, asserted that if the Hispano-Moroccan joint patrols will begin working next weeks in the sahrawi coasts, against illegal immigration, both states will commit '' a violation to international legality'', adding that this act may cause damage to the role of Spain as a privileged interlocutor in the conflict.

Mr. Boukhari, addressing a press conference in Canary Islands, wished the failure of this action, because if it succeeds it will change the Spanish ''role'' within the framework of the United Nations' peace process between Morocco and Western Sahara.

Mr. Boukhari considered that the creation of mixed patrols is a Moroccan '' trap'', in which Spain fell, since it would recognize, '' in tangible terms'' that the Sahrawi shore is a Moroccan territory.

An act which is actually worrying Polisario Front, because, according to MR. Boukhari, it '' pushes'' Spain to recognize the Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara and in such case, the Spanish executive will stop being a privileged interlocutor in the conflict.

Mr. Bukhari confirmed to have proofs of ''the direct implication of high Moroccan officers in dealings in the illegal immigrations''

In this respect, he considered that the Moroccan Government '' does not play properly'' in the research of a solution to a problem that is '' strictly Moroccan in its origins'', and that can never be resolved as long as the conflict between Polisario Front and Morocco is unsettled.

The Sahrawi diplomat thinks that the current difficulties the Spanish executive is facing, should push it to play a role that is '' in harmony with the solidarity of the Canaries Islands and other zones of the country'' with the Sahrawi people, adding that Spain has a debt, for which '' its political power has and can play a more important role'. (SPS)

030/040/710/TRD 181639 Feb 04 SPS