SAHARA PRESSE SERVICE

SPS
SADR/MOROCCO/UN/MEDIA
The President of the Republic calls to the nomination of an American at the place of Baker, Algerian newspaper wrote

Algiers, 24/02/2005 (SPS) The President of the Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz, called the UN's Secretary General to fill the empty space caused by the demission of Mr. Annan's former Personal Envoy, Mr. James Baker, by nominating another American figure of the same profile. Mr. Abdelaziz also called the leaders of the Maghreb Arab Union (MAU) to "convince the Government of Morocco withdraw from the territories of Western Sahara and give Saharawi people an opportunity to exercise their right to self-determination so as we can start forward to the building of the Maghreb concretely and effectively".

In an interview to the Algerian newspaper, "La nouvelle république", publicised on Tuesday, the Head of the State has also answered questions related to the Minurso, referendum, human rights in occupied territories, Laanigri and Ait Ahmed.

Here is the English translation of the interview realised by Algerian journalist, Karima Bennour:
"
- La Nouvelle République: Moroccan General Laanigri declared having contacted you a year ago, is this true and how do you read his words?

- Mr. Mohamed Abdelaziz: I am sorry for what the Moroccan General Laanigri said. He talked about contacts between him and me a year ago. These are mere lies I completely deny. Therefore, there were absolutely no contacts between Polisario Front and the Moroccan Government or between SADR's institutions and Morocco's since 1997, the year when James Baker got in charge of the file, except for the meetings which took place within the direct and official framework of the UN or under the aegis of Secretary General's Personal Envoy, James Baker. I do not know what the intentions of Laanigri are uttering these lies nor the reasons behind this false statement.

- The role of the Minurso seems ambiguous these last years, what's your opinion?

- The Minurso is currently in charge of the control of the respect of the cease-fire between the two armies, Moroccan and Saharawi. But this is not an end in itself. The real goal from the presence of the Minurso on the territory of Western Sahara is, instead, to arbitrate between the Saharawi and Moroccan forces. After all, the reason behind its presence relies in its designation as a UN mission for the organisation of a referendum in Western Sahara. Accordingly, we deplore the fact that the role of the Minurso, which main objective is to hold a referendum, was reduced by Morocco to a simple technical role of controlling the respect of the cease-fire. This is why we demand that the Minurso achieves its political role and mission, which is to put an end to this conflict through the holding of a referendum. And if the Minurso persists only in assuring its technical mission, we fear it thus to become a defender of Moroccan occupation and a protector of the Moroccan army in the territories of Western Sahara. This would satisfy the Moroccan ambitions and goals and we can as a consequence say that Morocco has succeeded so far achieving its purposes, though for a certain period, making of the Minurso a sentry of an occupying Moroccan army.

- What about the dossier of Western Sahara and the holding of the referendum?

- We consider that the resignation of James Baker was a serious blow to the UN's efforts for the holding of a referendum on self-determination and consequently to peace in Western Sahara. It is up to the Moroccan Government to assume this responsibility and to assume the responsibility for the resignation of James Baker, given that it rejected his plan. Further, it rejected the holding of a referendum on self-determination. Mr. Baker's resignation is thus an act of protest against the position of Morocco. We estimate, on another hand, that this resignation has left an empty space so far unfilled. We call UN's Secretary General to fill this emptiness. How? We think that it is necessary and vital to designate someone to the place previously occupied by Baker, that is to say to designate a new Personal Envoy of the Secretary General for Western Sahara. A person who would be in charge of a political mission, that is to say to reanimate the file, aiming at enforcing the resolutions of the UN's Security Council. And since Baker is a famous and international figure, we think that, and we demand that the person to be nominated by the UN's Secretary General to this post be an American. And why not designating one of the former presidents of the USA, such as Carter, Bush father, Clinton or one of the imminent American personalities such as former Foreign Affairs Ministers, to be in charge of the file in replacement to Baker.
I am saying this for the following reasons: Peace in the Maghreb and in Western Sahara is a considerable and vital element to the region first, as well as to Europe and to peace in the whole world too. So, the achievements, so far attained, should not be lost. On my part, I consider the greatest parts of these achievements were reached thanks to the personality of James Baker, as well as to the good will of the international community and the cooperation between the two parties. I would, however, add that the credibility of the UN and the role the latter plays should not be affected. The UN should not fail in its mission of settling the conflict of Western Sahara to which it was linked these last 14 years, and this to talk about a referendum on self-determination organised and supervised by the United Nations via the Minurso. It is the duty of the UN's Secretary General and the Security Council to designate an American personality to succeed to James Baker aiming at reanimating the file politically and implementing the Security Council's resolution n°1495 of July 2003. And this is not a questioning of the mission or the personality of Mr. De Soto. I would instead say that Mr. De Soto is a Special Representative in charge of the Minurso on the ground, called to implement a political plan that should be elaborated by the UN's Secretary General and his Personal Envoy and adopted by the Security Council. We call for this and we will wait until April, the date when the Security Council will discuss again the file of Western Sahara. We are waiting and we hope that the UN's Secretary General will try to convince the Government of Morocco to review its obstinacy and its refusal to implement the resolutions of the Security Council, in particular the resolutions relating to the Peace Plan for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. Especially that everybody knows that the Moroccan stubbornness and intransigence had had the resignation of Baker as a response and as a protest against the position of Rabat. And anyhow, he declared this himself. "The attitude of Morocco is not instructive and it is up to the Security Council to assume its responsibilities now", he said. He also protested, criticising the lack of support from the Security Council to his mission. Other reactions against the position of Morocco followed, in particular South Africa's recognition of SADR.

- Saharawi human rights organisations in occupied territories has got difficulties in expressing their political opinions compared to similar Moroccan organisations that claims for the "Moroccaness" of the Sahara what is the reason behind this in your point of view?

- The active Saharawi organisations in occupied territories suffer from repression, harassment, banning from expression and marginalisation. The Moroccan Government suppresses these organisations, mainly ex-Saharawi detainees'; the Families of Saharawi persons reported-missing, Saharawi victims of mines, and Saharawi detainees currently in prison as well as their families. All means are mobilised and employed to strike these organisations. The latters had clearly expressed their positions, should it be in relation to claims linked to human rights questions or to other political questions. These Saharawi organisations expressed their support of the most fundamental right, the right to self-determination. In this respect, the memorandum elaborated by these Saharawi organisations includes the right to self-determination, to the land, to the free and independent Saharawi identity, as well as to the respect of the UN's resolutions. This memorandum, in fact, was transmitted to Moroccan human rights organisations and to the Body of Fairness and Reconciliation (IER). And according to the answers to the latter body would give to these questions of the memorandum, the Saharawi organisations would decide about the strategy to adopt in their future activities. I would like to seize this occasion to express my indignation of the use of political attitude by some Moroccan organisations to pressure Saharawis aiming at legitimatising the Moroccan occupation of our territories, and this by hiding behind humanitarian slogans to transmit the discourse of the Moroccan Government vision and will to continue in its policy of coloniser.

- Aït Ahmed declared that the problem of Western Sahara is "pointless", what would be your answer?

- Mr. Aït Ahmed, whom I extremely respect for his age and for his historical record as a militant, is a figure of the struggle and resistance for the self-determination and independence of the Algerian people and of Algeria. To me, I want, I hope and I dream of the day and the time when I will see Mr. Aït Ahmed take the place of a father between us and Moroccans, a loyal and fair father. Or the place of a judge who would not submit to the Moroccan side against us nor to our side against Moroccan's, but who will judge fairly, taking into consideration the international legality and Law. This should be the natural and adequate place of Mr. Aït Ahmed. I do not think that his statements honour a person of his historical calibre. Statements that denied the existence of Saharawi people, their rights and underestimated them, and this was to answer or to satisfy the ambitions and wishes of Morocco.

- The Summit of the MAU will take place in the coming weeks, what is your position and vision concerning the edification of the Maghreb Arab?

- In a single word, and with regret, I will say that the time has come for this great dream of the whole Maghreb's peoples, including the Saharawi people, to launch the edification of the Maghreb Arab. It is vital that the starting point be real and built on firm basis. On our side, we consider that what hinders its edification is no more than the invasion by Morocco of Western Sahara. That is why we hope and wait that all efforts meet to convince the Government of Morocco to withdraw from the territories of Western Sahara and give Saharawi people an opportunity to exercise their right to self-determination so as we can start forward to the building of the Maghreb concretely and effectively. We estimate that as long as Western Sahara is occupied by Morocco, completely against international law, there can not be any edification of a respectable Maghreb on good basis". (SPS)

010/090/666/TRD 241239 FEV 05 SPS

SPS
SADR/SPAIN/CULTURE
The second edition of the Festival of the Cinema of the Sahara announced for this Thursday in the Saharawi refugees' camps

Chahid El Hafed, 24/02/2005, (SPS) The second edition of the Festival of the Cinema of the Sahara will open from the 3 to the 6 of March in the Wilaya of Aousserd, (Saharawi refugees' camps), indicated a close source to the Ministry of Culture and Sports.

This festival, which will count with the participation of Spanish stars of the Cinema such as Iciar Bollaín, Mercedes Sampietro, Angel de la Cruz, José Coronado, Lola Dueñas, Javier Freser and Chuz Gutiérrez, will be an occasion to "introduce Saharawi population of the refugees' camps to cinema as a mean of attraction and culture", the same source added.

Documentary films such as, "El milagro de Candeal", by Fernando Trueba, or Spanish movies discussing Saharawi themes such as "Mar Adentro" (Sea sickness), or "La rosa del desierto" and "Flores de otro mundo" (respectively, Rose of the Desert, and , Flowers of another world), which speaks of the problems of immigration, in addition to Indian and Danish films, will be showed on a great screen out in the open, followed by discussions and other activities in specialised workshops.

The organisers also planed that the famous Director Angel de la Cruz (winner of the Rose of the Desert 2003, the symbolic price of the festival) will produce a cartoon with the paintings of Saharawi children of the refugees' camps.

In the programme there will also be other movies such as, "En el mundo a cada rato" (In the world in each moment), a collective project realised in 2004, "Salvador Allende", by Patricio Guzmán, or "Crimen Perfecto" (perfect crime) by Alex de la Iglesia.

"Heremakono", by Abderrahmane Sissako (Mauritania) and "Madame Brouett", by Mousa Sene Absa (Senegal) will form with "Devdas" the section of the cinema of the world, while the Saharawi children will have the occasion to see children movies such as "Vampiros en La Habana" (Vampires in Havana), a film by Juan Padrón (Cuba), "La gran aventura de Mortadelo y Filemón" (The Great adventure of Mortadelo and Filemon), by Javier Fresser and "Zafir" (Denmark). (SPS)

060/090/000 241306 FEV 05 SPS

SPS
SADR/SPAIN/BALEARES/SOLIDARITY
The President of the Republic invited by the President of the Balearic autonomous Government

Chahid El Hafed, 24/02/2005 (SPS) The Director of Cooperation in the autonomous Government of the Balearic Islands, Mrs. Maria Magdalena Contesti, will hand over an official invitation from the President of her Government, Jaume Matas I Palou, to the Saharawi President of the Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz, to visit these Mediterranean Spanish islands, declared Mrs. Magdalena Contesti.

"I am also a carrier of a message of support to the cause of the Saharawi people and their legitimate right to self-determination on the occasion of the 19th anniversary of the proclamation of SADR", Mrs. Magdalena Contesti said.

"All the civil society of the archipelago is sensitive to the Saharawi cause, which our Government also backs", she put, stressing on "the enlargement of cooperation" between the two parties.

Arrived on Thursday and heading an important delegation of her country, Mrs. Magdalena Contesti will be received Sunday by the President of the Republic, it was indicated. (SPS)
010/090/000/TRD 241621 FEV 05 SPS

SPS
SADR/MARATHON
The 5th edition of the "Sahara Marathon" announced for this February the 28

Chahid El Hafed, 24/02/2005 (SPS) An important political delegation from the Balearic islands, composed of parliament members, mayors and counsellors, arrived Thursday for a four days visit to SADR so as to bring its political, moral and humanitarian support to Saharawi people and its struggle for freedom and independence.

Chaired by Mrs. Maria Magdalena Contesti, Director of Cooperation in the autonomous Government of Balearic islands, the delegation was received Thursday by the President of the Parliament, Mahfoud Ali Beiba, in the Wilaya of Aousserd, where the Saharawi Parliament closed its winter session.

Addressing the Saharawi members of the Parliament, the members of the Parliament of Balearics, Andreu Bosh Mesquita, Antonia Allens Pons and Maria Ana Lopez Aleo expressed their indefectible support to the struggle of the Saharawi people for its self-determination and independence.

At the institution of "12 October", where the cooperation of Balearics supervise some educational projects, the members of the delegation noted with satisfaction the progress of work on the college of general education and in the National School of Administration, financed by the Funding of Majorca of solidarity and by the Government of Balearics.

In the afternoon the delegation participated to the inauguration of a room of emergency in the National hospital. A project financed by the "Pitius" funding (of villages) with the presence of local authorities.

The delegation will be received by members of the Government and will visit many socio-economic institutions of SADR, as well as the museum of war and the Wilayas, it was indicated. (SPS)

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