SAHARA PRESS SERVICE

Bir Lehlu (liberated territories), 18/07/2004 (SPS) The Council of Ministers affirmed that "self-determination of Saharawi people remains the unique immediate and viable political solution towards the final settlement of the conflict" in Western Sahara, estimating that any other alternative that aims at avoiding international legality will have negative consequences of destabilisation of the Maghreb region, reported a communiqué of the Prime ministry.

In a meeting held at the presidency Sunday, chaired by the Head of the State, Mohamed Abdelaziz, the Council of Ministers encouraged all efforts aiming at a peaceful settlement of the conflict, warning however that "any initiative that does not consider the sacred right of Saharawi people to self-determination will be vain and will expose the region to destabilisation".

It considered that "self-determination of Saharawi people remains the unique immediate and viable political solution towards the final settlement of the conflict, initially generated by stripping Saharawi people of their rights and occupaying their territory by Moroccan colonial armed forces, supported by its French supervisors".

The Government condemned "the new Franco-Moroccan plot, aiming at substituting international legality and pertinent UN's resolutions by vain attempts to legalise the colonial Fait accompli in Western Sahara, which is the generator of instability in the region".

"It is particularly unfortunate that France - cradle of Human Rights and democracy, and which is trying to support the Law in Iraq - works hard adopting the policy of two measures to weights whenever the resolution of the conflict in Western Sahara is concerned, to the detriment of Saharawi people", underlined the communiqué of which SPS received a copy.

Moreover, the Council highly "hails Algeria's rejection of the attempts aiming at denying Saharawi people's legitimate rights to self-determination and independence", considering that this is a position of principle which is conform to international legality and to UN's relevant resolutions, on which Algeria "has never bargained".

On another hand, it saluted the level African Union (AU) has reached to face the challenges of poverty, health, democracy and development, a sit was noted in the last Union's Summit in Addis Ababa, during which SADR, the founding member, was elected among the pan African organisation's vice-presidents.

Studying the many aspects of Saharawi population socio-economic interests in exile, the Government focused on the measures to adopt so as to face the negative effects of the summer season (water and food).

The Government hailed the heroic sacrifices of Saharawi citizens in occupied territories, calling Saharawi people to increase efforts to strengthen its national union and to more abnegation to defend its legitimate rights to freedom and independence.

Finally, it paid tribute "to our friends supporting Saharawi people's legitimate rights in the five continents, for their indefectible backing to the cause". (SPS)

010/090/100/TRD 182021 July 04 SPS