Minorca (Balearic Islands- Spain), 22/10/2005 (SPS) The President of the Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz, arrived Friday to Minorca, within the framework of a three days official visit to the Balearic Islands on an invitation from the President of this autonomous Spanish region.

Upon his arrival, Mr. Abdelaziz was received by the President of the Council of Minorca, Mrs. Joana Barceló, who welcomed the visit of the Saharawi delegation in the presence of all the members of her Council besides the Island’s local and regional authorities.

In her intervention Mrs. Barceló said: "Through this reception, we want to reiterate our solidarity with the Saharawi people in its struggle against occupation and aggression that caused, in 1975, a massive exodus of men and women. We reaffirm our support to the necessity of finishing the process of decolonisation of Western Sahara, the respect of Saharawi people’s right to self-determination and we condemn the repression, detention, ‘disappearance’ and deportation Saharawis in the occupied territories are victim to".

"We hail your efforts on all plans you deploy so as your cause be not forgotten, and we especially admire your ability, in such difficult conditions in the camps, to organise yourselves politically and administratively and to preserve your unity ad dignity", she said.

After this reception, the President of the Republic and the delegation accompanying him moved to the cities of Mahon, Ciuadadella and Esmercadal, where they were warmly received by their Mayors and their Municipal Councils.

In their different interventions, the Mayors of Mahon, Ciuadadella and Esmercadal expressed their will to continue and reinforce their solidarity and aid to the Saharawi people, calling for a solution to the Western Sahara conflict that respects Saharawi people’s right to self-determination.

President Abdelaziz animated a press conference in Mahon in which he thanked the authorities and people of the city for their friendship and solidarity with the Saharawi people and gave a briefing on the situation in the region and on the perspectives of peace.

On another hand, the local authorities of the cities of the Balearic Islands, Parliamentarians and Senators of Minorca all political tendencies included signed a communiqué of support to the Saharawi people on this occasion.

An unanimity that has only been realised once in the past, observers on the ground noted.

The communiqué affirms that "in the occasion of the visit of SADR’s President to Minorca, all the signatories would like to welcome his presence in Minorca a land that has always showed stressed support to the Saharawi people who are living, since 1975, the ordeals of occupation while their majority is living in exile".

"It is clear that the question of Western Sahara is a question of uncompleted decolonisation process. All UN’s resolutions call for a referendum on self-determination under the auspices of the UN, since 1975, the years of the starting of the conflict between Saharawi people and Moroccan occupier", the communiqué added.

"This is why, it is necessary to call for a firmer position of the Spanish State’s Representatives, for a clear commitment in favour of the exercise by the Saharawi people of its right to self-determination so as to put an end, once and for all, to the intolerable situation lived by Saharawi people, who used to be, it should be recalled, an integral part of the Spanish State until 1975, when it was abandoned to the Moroccan military occupation that is still ongoing", the text recalled.

"We appreciate Polisrio Front’s efforts in releasing all Moroccan prisoners of war it used to detain and call the Moroccan Government to immediately release Saharawi political detainees as a proof on its good will and so as to create a favourable atmosphere that helps to the denouement of the conflict", the communiqué said.

Finally the communiqué recalled that Menorca, which receives every year within the framework of the programme "Vacations in Peace" for the Saharawi children, would like to express to the Saharawi President its will to "maintain and reinforce the support of the inhabitants of Minorca to the Saharawi people, whom we consider as brothers".

The Spanish National newspapers, El Mundo, Abc and El Pais and regional newspapers, Ultima Hora and the Diaro de Mallorca, largely covered this presidential visit and many of them reproduced quotations from the President’s press conference in Mallorca.

On its part, the newspaper Ultima Hora de Menorca publicised in two pages an editorial entitled "Minorca is always Saharawi", with a letter of a reader entitled "the situation of injustice imposed in Western Sahara", the communiqué signed by all Minorca and the programme of the President’s visit.

Arrived Thursday heading an important Saharawi delegation to Palma de Mallorca on an official visit of three days on an invitation from the Government of he Balearic Islands, the President of the Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz, was received at the presidential seat in Palma, by Mr. Jaume Matas, President of the Balearic Government, who expressed his " preoccupation vis-à-vis the current situation in the territory and deplored the lack of engagement and pressures from the European countries who have a responsibility in the conflict, to make the dossier advance in the way of a just, definitive solution which is conform to the international legality", it should be recalled. (SPS)

010/090/100/TRD 221532 oct 05 SPS

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