SAHARA PRESSE SERVICE

SPS
RASD/ESPAGNE/VISITE
Meeting in Madrid between President Abdelaziz and the President of the Spanish Socialist Government

Madrid, 26/11/2004 (SPS) The President of the Republic, Mr. Mohamed Abdelaziz, had had a meeting for an hour and a half with the President of the Spanish Government, José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Friday morning at the seat of the PSOE in Madrid, reported a close source to the presidential delegation.

Qualified as "constructive" and "warm", this "contact", which took place with the presence of the Saharawi Representative in the Spanish Capital, Brahim Ghali, and the Secretary for International Relations of the Socialist Party, Trinidad Jiménez, is the first between the two Heads of States since the access of the Socialist to power in Spain.

"I insisted near Mr. Zapatero so as the Spanish Government be implicated more effectively in the search of a lasting peace in Western Sahara based on the right to self-determination" of the Saharawi people, declared Mr. Abdelaziz to the Media after the meeting.

Accompanied by an important Saharawi delegation that included many Ministers, the Head of the State will visit many regions of Spain (Alicante, Castilla y Leon, Malaga and Murcia) where demonstration of support to the Saharawi cause will be organised by the initiative of local officials and associations of solidarity with the Saharawi people, underlined the same source.

Meetings with the President of the Popular Party (PP), Mariano Rajoy, and the Coordinator of the Izquierda Unida (Unified Left), Gaspar Llamazares, are also planed for in the programme of the President, asserted the same source.

Arrived Thursday to Madrid for a visit of a couple of days, the President of the Republic would leave this afternoon to Saragossa to attend the opening session of the works of the 30th European Conference of Support to Saharawi People (EUCOCO), it was added. (SPS)

060/090/100 261519 NOV 04 SPS

SPS
SADRSPAIN/VISIT
President Abdelaziz invites Spain to a "more active role" for the settlement of the conflict in Western Sahara

Madrid, 26/11/2004 (SPS) The President of the Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz, hoped That Spain would play a "more active role" in the settlement of Western Sahara conflict on the basis of "the respect of Saharawi people right to self-determination", underlining the gratitude of his people to the Spanish peoples for their "comprehension, solidarity and support", reported Algerian Press Service, APS.

"We hope that Spain, which is qualified on all points of view, would assume a more active role and exert a greater influence in the settlement of the problem of Western Sahara, on the basis of the respect of Saharawi people right to self-determination", declared Mr. Abdelaziz after his meeting Friday morning in Madrid with the President of the Spanish Government, José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.

The Head of the State indicated in addition that he reiterated to the Head of the Spanish executive the "will" of Polisario Front, Saharawi people and Government to develop "privileged relations" with Spain, "the former colonial power in Western Sahara, whose responsibility towards the Saharawi people would remain pending until they exert their right to self-determination", he asserted.

He underlined that the meeting, which took place in an atmosphere of "sincerity", was an occasion for Polisario Front and Saharawi Government to "clearly" inform the Spanish Government of their point of view on the current situation and the last developments of the conflict of Western Sahara.

Mr. Abdelaziz emphasised that the two parties agreed to continue dialogues and discussions, noting that SADR has recorded that during the six last months many meetings between Saharawi and Spanish officials had took place.

He added that he transmitted the expressions of thanks and gratitude on behalf of the Saharawi people to the Spanish peoples for their "comprehension, solidarity and support to Saharawis' struggle for their right to self-determination".

On her side, the Secretary for International Relations of the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE), Trinidad Jiménez, who attended the encounter between the two Heads of States, underlined the "very warm and sincere" character of the meeting between Mr. Zapatero and Mr. Abdelaziz. She brought out the "very constructive" attitude of the Saharawi leadership aimed at promoting peace in the whole region.

On another hand, Jiménez emphasised that the Spanish Government and Polisario Front agreed to maintain "contacts and permanent dialogue", underlining the "deep affection" Spanish peoples has for Saharawi people and the "traditional ties" that binds them. She expressed "the hope that soon a solution could be found" to the conflict of Western Sahara. (SPS)

060/090/700 261822 NOV 04 SPS

SPS
SADR/ALGERIA/SPAIN/MEDIA
"Spain remains responsible for the achievement of the decolonisation" of Western Sahara, affirms Mr. Abdelaziz

Algiers, 26/11/04 (SPS) The President of the Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz, asserted in an interview he accorded to Algerian newspaper El "Watan" Thursdays that Spain "remains, as far as the Status of the UN are concerned, responsible for the achievement of the decolonisation" of Western Sahara. He also tackled other questions related to the conflict in Western Sahara.

Here is bellow the complete text of the interview, SPS translated from French.

"
Mohamed Abdeaziz. President of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic
"Spain remains liable..."

Two important appointments await for the officials of Polisario Front in the Iberian land starting from Today, November the 25th, 2004. The first is related to the International Conference of solidarity that is starting from this Thursday. It will gather for three days the friends and sympathisers with the Saharawi cause. The second is related to the encounter between José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, the Head of the Spanish Government, and Mohamed Abdelaziz, President of SADR.

- How do you explain the absence of any reaction from the UN in front of the rejection of Morocco to subscribe to the Baker's solution?

- Morocco exploits the lack of firmness of the Security Council to reject the UN's resolutions. It is regrettable that this Council is still unable to impose the respect of its decisions whenever it is a question of Morocco. The UN has missed an opportunity to resolve this conflict while Former American Secretary of State, James Baker, was in charge of the dossier. A personality with this stature, with such ability and perseverance and who devoted himself for seven years to resolve this conflict, has unfortunately stumble against the intransigence of Morocco, which is backed by a permanent member of the Security Council. When we note that cases similar to Western Sahara were resolved by persuasion, pressure or intervention of the Security Council, like in Kuwait or East Timor to name but these two cases, we could but rightly wonder why this selective policy from the highest UN's body, which does not contribute however to settlement of this conflict, and which is nourished with the expansionist goals of Rabat.

- Some warriors of Polisario and some Saharawi citizens are still in Moroccan cells since years and years. What is it all about exactly?

- In fact, we count more than 500 Saharawi persons reported missing so far, whose families remains without news since 1975. The prisoners of war, numbered to 150 by the Ministry for Defence, are also reported missing. Moroccan authorities still refuse to give any information on their fates. It is the same tragedy of other disappeared. Political prisoners on their side had also paid with their lives or bodies this systematic repression. Tens of them were dead in the notorious Galat Meguna, Agdez and FCCMI in El Aaiun. The survivors subsist with the consequences and diseases they got in prisons and would live with them for their whole lives. The most recent imprisoned, for invented charges, are now in prisons in lamentable conditions in the Carcel Negra (Black Prison) in El Aaiun or in other jails of the Kingdom of Morocco.

- While in power, Driss Basri, former Minister for Interior of Hassan II, was inflexible with the "Moroccanness" of Western Sahara to the point of starting the Green March himself. Now, he underlines Saharawi people's right to self-determination. What is your interpretation of this change of mind?

- The last statements of the former Moroccan Minister for Interior, Driss Basri, related to the organisation of a referendum on self-determination for the Saharawi people, organised and supervised by the UN, is a proof of a wise, constructive, realist and responsible vision. It is logical and normal because it is conform to the international legality. Meetings between Moroccan and Saharawi high officials, the late Hassan II and the current King of Morocco included were engaged on this direction. What is surprising, or even offensive, is the irresponsibility with which the current Moroccan Government denies its commitments towards the doctrine of the UN relating to the decolonisation and towards the plans and accords it officially subscribed. Such irresponsibility is a generator of destabilisation and opens the perspectives for the unexpected.

- You will be received, this Friday, by José Luis Zapatero, the Head of the Spanish Government. What can you expect from such a meeting?

- I would like to recall here that Spain is the former colonial power of Western Sahara. It remains, as far as the Status of the UN is concerned, responsible for the achievement of the decolonisation of the territory. Spain is liable to Saharawi people of this historical debt. The Saharawi cause has a great support within the Spanish social society and within the peoples of Spain. We lead a permanent dialogue with the Spanish Government.

During the last months, we received some members of the Spanish Government, and some Saharawi ministers had had meetings with high Spanish officials in New York and Madrid. So to culminate all this, we have a rendezvous in the morning of this Friday November the 26th in the Moncloa with the President of the Spanish Government, José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.

Interviewd by Djabali A". (SPS)

060/090/700 261946 NOV 04 SPS

SPS
SADR/SPAIN/EUCOCO
Opening of the 30th Conference of the EUCOCO in Saragossa

Saragossa, 26/11/2004 (SPS) The works of the 30th European Conference of support to Saharawi People (EUCOCO) opened Friday evening in the Palace of Congress of Saragossa with the participation of some 600 European delegates as well as parliament members and personalities from the different regions of the world.

Under the theme: "Right to self-determination of the Saharawi people, for a more active European role within the framework of the United Nations", this conference, which will be held during the 26, 27 and 28 November, was marked by the special presence of the President of the Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz, who had had a meeting before that in the morning with the Head of the Spanish Government, José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, in Madrid.

In his speech, the President of the Republic underlined that it was time for the international community to clearly designate "the party that hinders the peaceful settlement" of the conflict in Western Sahara by implementing the Baker Plan which has an international consensus.

He called Spain and all the countries that support Saharawi people right to self-determination to pressure Morocco so as it accept the peaceful settlement of the conflict, for the good of all the peoples of the region.

On his side, the President of the European Coordination of Solidarity with the Saharawi people (Task Force) and President of the Conference, Mr. Pierre Galand, affirmed in his intervention that the European associations and organisations of solidarity with the Saharawi people will pursue their action until the right to self-determination and to independence of this people be recognised and implemented.

It should be noted that representatives of all the institutions of the Autonomous Community of Aragon, of which Saragossa is the Capital, as well as representatives of other Spanish autonomous regions and all the Spanish political parties had attended the ceremony, besides Parliament members from different countries, of whom American Republican Senator, Joseph Pitts.

An important delegation of the Algerian Council of the Nation, the Algerian Ambassador to Madrid, Mr. Abdelmadjid Fasla, and representatives of the Algerian National Committee of solidarity with the Saharawi People (CNASPS), chaired by its President, Mr. Mahrez Lamari, were also present to the opening ceremony of the conference. (SPS)

060/090/700 262329 NOV 04 SPS