SAHARA PRESSE SERVICE

Paris, 20/10/2006 (SPS) The Saharawi human rights activist and ex-political prisoner, Mrs. Aminetou Haidar, declared, on Friday, she was "very satisfied" about her turn in France where she informed many political personalities and members of the civil society, as well as Medias, about the « worrying » situation of her country under the Moroccan colonial occupation.

Coming back from a visit to Paris, The Saharawi human rights defender has undertaken a turn to France, where she met with deputies, local officials, and associations, and also animated press conferences, as in the Havre and Limoges, the last stages of a turn she started since 4 October pursuant an invitation of Amnesty International.

In these two cities, where he was received by the Mayors as well as by the French Parliamentarian, Daniel Paul du Havre, she animated debates and pres cones in which she denounced "the repression that martyrizes the Saharawi people currently in resistance against the Moroccan occupation" to fight for its rights, which are internationally considered as legitimate.

She recalled that the Saharawi people actually count more than 500 victims of forced disappearance since 1975, the date of the Moroccan invasion of the Western Sahara.

She added that the Moroccan authorities "maintain in custody some 37 political prisoners, including 4 human rights defenders".

Before these two French cities, Mrs. Haidar visited the city of the Mans, following an invitation of the « La Sarthe Association of the Friends of the Saharawi Republic » on the occasion of the celebration of the Day of the Book of the city, The 25^th hour”. The city of Le Mans is twined with the Saharawi Daira of “Haouza” since 1982.

In Paris, where she was also received by Senator Robert Bret, Deputy-President of the Communist group in the French Senate, the Saharawi human rights activist also evoked the "Moroccan wall of shame", a 2.700 kilometres long military wall, filled with more than 3 millions antipersonnel landmines, and which "separates the Saharawi families, who are living because of this a psychological tragedy".

Mrs. Haidar called on the international community, because of the deterioration of the situation, «to create a mechanism of protection for the Saharawi people".

This visit to France comes within the framework of an international turn the Saharawi human rights activist has started to raise awareness of the political movements and the civil societies about the cause of her people. In this respect, she visited the USA, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Belgium and South Africa. (SPS)

010/090/700/TRD 201956 oct 06 SPS

SPS
SADR/EU

Polisario asks the EU to intervene so as to end oppression in Western Sahara

Brussels, 20/10/2006 (SPS) Polisario Front asked the European Union to « urgently· intervene so as to put an end to the human rights violations and «all forms of oppression» in the occupied territories of the Western Sahara.

In a letter to the Heads of the European bodies, the Saharawi Minister Councillor at the Presidency in charge for Europe, Mr. Mohammed Sidati, affirmed that the persistence of the human rights violations in the occupied territories of the Western Sahara, has actually reached «unequalled extent, saving no social group», and thus the situation requires «an urgent intervention of the European Union».

One of the bases of the European Union’s treaties, the Saharawi diplomat argued, is the respect of human rights, which is «a primordial condition for any country that signs accords with Europe, such as Morocco». Thus, he asked the EU to consider this base in its relation with Morocco.

The Saharawi Minister affirmed that it is with «complaisance if not the manipulation» of some Member States in the E that Morocco « hinders» the peace process n the Western Sahara in proposing, lately, «a so-called solution that goes apart from the Saharawi people’s right to govern themselves and goes against their right to self-determination, the only unavoidable framework r a just and lasting solution to the conflict of the Western Sahara».

The «propaganda» spread by Morocco, Mr. Sidati adds, «can no more hide the reality that was unveiled by the report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Right», which has clearly described «the worrying situation» of the human rights in the occupied territories of the Western Sahara under the Moroccan occupation.

On another hand, Mr. Sidati expressed his joy about the attitude of the majority of the EU Member States, including the Finland, the current President, for their vote in favour of a resolution on Western Sahara in the UN General Assembly’s Fourth Commission on decolonisation.

In fact, he recalled, although France, Spain and Portugal abstained from voting (but did not vote against), other important countries such as Germany, United Kingdom, Italy and the Nordic countries had voted in favour of the resolution which reaffirmed the necessity of the decolonisation of the Western Sahara. (SPS)

010/090/700 202003 oct 06 SPS

SPS
UK-SADR/REFERNDUM

Great Britain reiterates its support to Saharawi people’s right to self-determination

London, 20/10/2006 (SPS) The British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Kim Howells, affirmed that the United Kingdom of Britain will take, during the debates within the UN Security Council on the question of the Western Sahara, a decisive role conforming to its position that supports the just settlement of the dispute within the framework of the UN and guarantee the Saharawi people’s right to self-determination.

The British House of Commons will organise on Tuesday, for the first time in its life, a debate in its plenary on the question of the Western Sahara with the presence of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Margaret Beckett, has announced Mr. Howells, the Minister in charge for the Middle East, North Africa and Intentional Security, in his answer to a question by the Parliamentarian, David Drew, who asked about the British position on the situation.

The United Kingdom, underlines its "support to the efforts deployed by the UN Secretary General and his Special Envoy Peter Van Walsum, aimed to convince e parties to the conflict to accept a permanent political solution that provides for the Saharawi people’s right to self-determination".

In his annual report on human rights, publicised last week, the British Minister for Foreign Affairs, stressed the need to find "a political solution accepted by the two parties" to the conflict of the Western Sahara, which includes Saharawi people’s right to self-determination. (SPS)

010/090/700/TRD 201517 oct 06 SPS

SPS
SADR/ALGERIA/SOLIDARITY

The Algerian CNASPS calls on the UN to finish the referendum process in the Western Sahara

Algiers, 20/10/2006 (SPS) The Algerian National Committee of Solidarity with the Saharawi People (CNASPS- in French abbreviation) called on the UN Security Council, on Friday, to "assume its responsibility in the decolonisation" and to finish the self-determination referendum process in the Western Sahara.

The CNASPS "calls on the Un Security Council to engage with determination to provide for self-determination and independence of the Saharawi people", the Committee indicated in a press release.

It further expressed its "satisfaction" after the adoption, last 13 October, by the Un General Assembly’s Fourth Commission on decolonisation, of a resolution that supports the Saharawi people’s right to self-determination.

It underlined that this resolution was adopted "with a large majority despite the attempts to block it by Morocco and its allies, Spain and France".

The Security Council will meet on October the 31 to decide on the dossier of the Western Sahara. It should, in this occasion, prorogue the mandate of the UN Mission in the Non-Self-Governing territory anther 6 months. (SPS)

010/090/700/ 201521 oct 06 SPS