SAHARA PRESSE SERVICE

SPS
SADR/BOLIVIA

The President of the Republic received by the former Bolivian President, Edouardo Rodriguez Belice

22.01.06

La Paz (Bolivia), 22/01/2006 (SPS) The President of the Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz, was received on Saturday by the former Bolivian President, Edouardo Rodriguez Belice, at the Bolivian Government’s Palace, after a reception organised on the honour of the Heads of States, Governments and Delegations participating in the ceremony of investiture of the new Bolivian President, Evo Morales, reported a source close to the Saharawi Presidential delegation.

During this reception, the President of the Republic had had meetings with many Heads of States and Governments as well as foreign delegations, the same source indicated.

The meetings tackled the last developments in Western Sahara and the policies of repression adopted by the Moroccan Government against the Saharawi helpless citizens, who are waging a peaceful resistance in the occupied territories of Western Sahara, south of Morocco and within the Saharawi students in Moroccan universities, it was indicated.

Mr. Abdelaziz, was received last Friday in the Bolivian capital, La Paz, by the Bolivian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Armando Loaisa, accompanied by many high officials, the same source added.

The Head of the State was also received by the Mayor of Plato, who handed him over the keys of the city where the Bolivian international airport is.

Thye visit of the Saharawi delegation is expected to attend this Sunday the ceremony of the investiture of the new President of Bolivia, Evo Morales, in addition to many other activities.

The President of the Republic Hill have meetings and contacts with different Heads of Status, Governments and delegations, it was further stressed.

The Saharawi presidential delegation is composed of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mohamed Salem Ould Salek, Saharawi Ambassador to Venezuela, Haj Ahmed Barek Allah, and the Councillor to the President, Mr. Aabdati Breika, it should be recalled. (SPS)

020/090/100/TRD 221155 Jan 06 SPS

SPS
SADR/AFRICAN UNION

The African Union "concerned" about "the continued blockage of the peace process in the Western Sahara"

Khartoum (Sudan), 22/01/2006 (SPS) The African Union’s Executive Council (Council of Ministers) expressed "concern" about the "permanent blockage of the peace process in addition to the increasing frustration of the people of Western Sahara", Saturday in Khartoum, affirming that the situation in Western Sahara "deserves a special intention from the international community", reported SPS’s Envoy to Khartoum.

This situation "deserves a special intention from the international community, which must urgently and decisively act to enable the people of Western Sahara exercise their right to self-determination, conforming to the international legality and to the UN’s Security Council’s pertinent resolutions", the same source stressed.

In its adopted report, presented by the President of the AU’s Committee, Professor Alpha Omar Konaré, the AU underlined he lack of progress in the efforts deployed with a view to attain a peaceful settlement of the Western Sahara’s conflict.

The Council of Ministers also recalled that the UN’s Security Council has unanimously adopted the resolution 1495, last July 2003, in which it expressed its support to the Peace Plan for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara that was presented by Mr. James Baker, then Personal Envoy of the UN’s SG, to the Parties to the conflict, mainly Morocco and Polisario Front.

The blockage of the peace process, during the last months, aroused frustrations within the Saharawi people, what was translated in demonstrations organised by the inhabitants of the Western Sahara following which a big number of demonstrators and human rights activists were arrested and detained, the same source indicated.

For this reason, the UN)s Secretary General designated Francesco Bastagli as Special Representative to chair the MINURSO and designated a new Personal Envoy, in the person of Ambassador Peter Van Walsum, to succeed to James Baker; aiming at intensifying efforts to realise some progress in the peace process.

On its part, the UN(‘s Security Council, having studied the report presented by the UN’s Secretary General last October, adopted the resolution 1634 (2005) in which it decided the prorogation of the mandate of the MINURSO for a new sic months period and invited the two parties to cooperate with the UN so as to help putting an end to the impasse, which is actually jeopardizing the peace process.

In addition to Mr. Mhamed Khaddad, member of Polisario Front’s National Secretariat and Coordinator with the Minurso, the Saharawi delegation that participated to the works of the Council of the African Ministers is composed of the Saharawi Ambassadors in Addis ababa, Algiers and Tripoli, respectively Mr. Lehbib Breica, Mr. Mohamed yeslem Beissat and Mr. Malainine Tgana.

Mr. Khadad had had meetings with many Africa Ministers as well as with delegates of the observing countries, it was indicated. (SPS)

020/090/000/TRD 221810 Jan 06 SPS

SPS
SADR/ALGERIA/SOLIDARITY

CNASPS denounces Moroccan violations of the international legality in Western Sahara

Algiers, 22/01/2006 (SPS) The Algerian National Committee of solidarity with the Saharawi people (CNASPS) denounced, on Sunday, "the colonial policy adopted by Morocco in Western Sahara", condemning Moroccan violation of the international legality in the territory and calling for the finishing of the decolonisation of the same conforming to the UN’s pertinent resolutions, reported Algerian Press Agency, APS.

The Committee denounced, in a press release APS quoted, "Morocco for the violation of the international legality by rejecting the UN’s peace plan and its systematic violations of human rights in the occupied territories" of Western Sahara.

It also regretted that "Morocco, which proved to be insensitive to the international community’s petitions", is keeping with its "harsh and violent campaigns of repression against the popular resistance for freedom and independence in the occupied Saharawi territories".

Further, the CNASPS asked, anew, the UN’s Secretary General, the UN’s Security Council’s Members, the Presidents of the European Committee, the European Union, the European Council, The European Parliament and to the President and Secretary General of the African Union as well as the UN’s S.G’s Personal Envoy "to act in favour of the strict respect of the UN’s General Assembly’s resolutions that decided the organisation of a free and regular self-determination referendum without constraints in Western Sahara".

On another hand, the Committee called for the "enforcement of the UN’s Security Council’s resolution 1495, which has once and for all consecrated Saharawi people’s right to self-determination and which reaffirmed the attachment and accountability of the Security Council in the process that should lead to the finishing of the decolonisation of the territory of Western Sahara". (SPS)

060/090/700 222141 Jan 06 SPSup