SAHARA PRESSE SERVICE

SPS
SADR/INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

The decolonisation of Western Sahara, theme of an international conference in the Saharawi refugees camps this Saturday

21.02.06

Chahid El Hafed, 21/02/2005 (SPS) The decolonisation of Western Sahara through a self-determination referendum for the Saharawi people and the respect of human rights in the occupied territories, will be one of the main subjects to be discussed during an international conference planed for this Saturday in the Saharawi refugees camps, the organisers of the event indicated.

More than 500 persons are invited, including Parliamentarians, political parties representatives, personalities from the world of culture, NGOs and Medias, to take part to this event that will be organised in the Wilaya of El Aaiun, it was indicated.

This initiative comes within the framework of a set of political activities that are planed for during the last meeting of the European Conference of Coordination of support to the Saharawi people (EUCOCO), which was held last November 2005 in Madrid, the organisers further stressed.

"We are expecting a large qualitative participation of the friends of the Saharawi people, who had never stopped supporting Saharawi just struggle for national freedom and independence", declared to SPS Mr. Khattri Addouh, Polisario Front’s Member in charge of political orientation.

"We will have here an international platform on which the different speakers will ask for the enforcement of the international law and of the UN’s resolution for the decolonisation of the Western Sahara, as well as the respect of the human rights, which are widely violated by the Moroccan colonial authorities in the occupied territories", he added.

This international conference will take place in margin of the festivities that mark the 30th anniversary of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic, which started since February the 18th in Dakhla and will continue in the other Wilayas and in the liberated territories of Western Sahara. (SPS)

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SPS
SADR/MARATHON

More that 200 foreign athletes will participate to the 6th edition of the Sahara Marathon (organisers)

Chahid El Hafed, 21/02/2006 (SPS) More than 200 athletes from Spain, Italy, Germany and Algeria are awaited for in the Wilaya of El Aaiun (Saharawi refugees camps) to take part to the 6th edition of the international sports event Sahara Marathon planed for this February the 28th, declared Mr. khatri Adouh, Member of the Polisario Front in charge of the political orientation, and member of the preparing Committee of this sports competition of solidarity with the Saharawi people.

In his statement to SPS, Mr. Adouh emphasised that the athletes are expected for starting from February the 26th in the Wilaya of Smara. More than 400 athletes, Saharawis and foreigners, are expected to register to this sports competition, which is organised each year since 2001.

The participants will ran the regular Marathon distance in a desert stony landscape, the same source indicated.

According to the same source, these foreign athletes will visit the Wilaya of Aousserd in March the 1st, to attend the inauguration of the Sahara Marathon’s sports centre, in addition of undertaking visits to the Saharawi families.

The first edition of the Sahara Marathon 2001, organised by the American, Jeb Carney, in collaboration with the US Western Sahara Foundation, was won by the Algerian, Aouil Rabeh. The start of that competition was given y American Congressman, Joseph Pitts.

The second edition, was won by the Italian, Castelleno Villenzo (42 years old), while Rosa Maria Manari won the women first place.

The 3rd edition, organised in 2003, was won by the Spanish, Jorge Obeso Matinez, while the Italian, Rosa Maria Manari, won the women race for the second time.

The American, Hugh Jones, Secretary General of the International Association of Marathon (AIMS) won the 4th edition of the Sahara Marathon, organised in the refugee caps in the 23 and 24 of February 2004 by an Italian Committee in collaboration with the Saharawi Ministry of Culture.

The Italian, Castelleno Villenzo (45 years), who won the 2nd edition, was the winner of the 5th edition organised in 2005, it should be recalled. (SPS)

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