SAHARA PRESSE SERVICE

Bagnolet (France), 20/06/2005 (SPS) "Moroccan authorities put together the needed ingredients for a genocide by inciting Moroccan civilians, a majority in the territory, to participate to the exactions committed against Saharawi civilians", warned the French Association of Solidarity with the Peoples of Africa (AFASPPA) in a letter addressed to the UN’s Secretary General, Kofi Annan.

"It is dangerous, because this Moroccan population were installed since the 90ies, when more settlers were brought to the territory, yet the oppressed (Saharawi) population were not incited to attack Moroccan civilians, who grabbed hold of the available houses and jobs", underlined the text.

The ONG wondered about the UN’s silence in the face of this denial of right and in the face of the flagrant human rights violations. "What is the goal you aim from remaining silent in the face of this situation letting a colonisation languish to the detriment of the population who are heavily paying its taxes", the organisations said.

It also regretted the fact that the press "can not freely do its job in Western Sahara, from where many journalists were expulsed" and that "Spanish Parliamentary delegations be denied access" to the territory.

AFASPA also denounced "the ferocity of repression" that strikes Saharawis since last May the 20 in the Saharawi cities Morocco occupies.

"Arrests, disappearance for days, beating up victims, torture, detention, destruction of houses, so many atrocities under complete news black out what may set fire again in the region, in which the cease-fire enforced so far for 14 years did not resulted in the organisation of a referendum initially planned for in 1992", added the text.

The letter named 15 Saharawi activists "particularly targeted in this nonsense attempt to stifle the voice of Law", of whom many are seriously wounded as a result to demonstrations of the last June the 17th in El Aaiun. It estimated that Minurso "has got the duty of protecting these defenders of freedom".

"You should urgently ask for the release of Mrs. Haidar who must benefit from the needed medical care her state of health requires", said the letter, which was signed by the President of AFASPA, Mr. Jean Paul ESCOFFIER.

To M. Escoffier, "the patience of a people and its confidence in the integrity of the international organisation has got limits. The disrespect of the indefectible and inalienable right of Saharawi people according to the UN’s Charter has languished for too much".

"Only the quick organisation of a free referendum without constraints can allow a successful exit from this situation which is getting serious day after day in Western Sahara", concluded the letter. (SPS)

010/090/666/TRD 201304 June 05 SPS

El Aaiun (occupied territory), 20/06/2005 (SPS) 171 political prisoners started a limited hunger strike Monday to claim for "the immediate and unconditioned release" of the Saharawi human rights activist, Mrs. Aminetou Haidar, who is seriously injured and detained in a police station in El Aaiun for having participated to demonstrations last June the 17th.

The prisoners in the Carcel negra (black jail) in El Aaiun and in 5 other Moroccan prisons in Tiznit, Ait Melloul (Agadir), Sale (Rabat), Kinetra, Boulemharez (Marrakech) protested thus against "the repression adopted as a system by the Moroccan colonialism in Western Sahara". They claimed for "the assurance of the fundamental freedoms", according to a press release the strikers publicised.

This limited hunger strike of 24 hours may be prolonged in the future if the Moroccan colonial authorities do not conform to the international legality "by organising a referendum on self-determination for the Saharawi people to put an end to the tragedy this martyr people are living", the press release added.

Mrs. Aminetou Haidar, ex-political prisoner, was savagely beaten by Moroccan Group of Urban Security, under the orders of officer, Ichi Abouhassan, before been tortured in the police station. She had 14 stitches in her head besides other injuries.

Her kids and her mother were expulsed Sunday from their family house, while she was presented this Monday before Moroccan colonial authorities court in El Aaiun under a very high surveillance, so as to judge her iniquitously and put her in jail for a period of time, it was indicated. (SPS)

010/090/100/TRD 201711 June 05 SPS

SPS
OCCUPIED TERRITORIES/DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS
Saharawi activists call Doctors without Borders to intervene and give assistance to the victims of the Moroccan repression

El Aaiun (occupied territories), 20/06/2005 (SPS) Saharawi human rights’ activists launched a desperate appeal to the international organisation, Doctors Without Borders (DWB), so as to give medical assistance to the victims of the Moroccan repression, "suffered by the Saharawi population in Western Sahara, south Morocco and in Moroccan universities", indicated a press release issued by the activists Monday.

"We call DWB to intervene in emergency so as to give the needed medical assistance to Saharawi citizens" (…) "who are exposed to arrest, kidnapping, torture an inhuman treatment", and are counted to hundreds injured persons, who "never had had medical care" since the starting of "the Intifada of independence" last May, the text wrote.

Moroccan authorities deprive the wounded persons, via many ways, from going to hospitals. "Worst, the services of security use ambulances to kidnap Saharawi citizens", and arrest the wounded victims who take the risk of visiting the hospital, the activists added.

Among the wounded, "there are some Saharawi human rights activists, as well as the political prisoners in the Carcel Negra (black jail), arrested during peaceful popular demonstrations, organised in the region since last May the 21st". These activists are specially targeted and deprived of the needed medical cares, what can damage their health in the future.

"Moroccan authorities even proceeded to the intimidation of Saharawi Doctors and nurses, working in private clinics, banning them from giving preliminary cares for the victims of the repression", added the text.

Since the 21st of May, violent confrontations between Moroccan forces of repression and Saharawi people, who were claiming for the respect of human rights and their rights to self-determination and independence.

The confrontations resulted in dozens injured people, prisoners and disappeared in El Aaiun, Smara, Boujador, Dajla (Western Sahara) or in Rabat, Marrakech, Agadir, Casablanca (Morocco), it should be recalled. (SPS)

060/090/000 202152 June 05 SPS