SAHARA PRESS SERVICE

SPS
SADR/MOROCCO/SPQIN/MEDIAS
Lmrabet asserts that Rabat fears to allow Saharawi people decide over their future
27.04.05



Almery (Spain), 27/04/2005(SPS) Moroccan journalist, Ali Lmrabet, recently declared that Rabat rejects the Baker Plan because it fears allowing Saharawi people to decide over their future. He reaffirms that Saharawis in exile "are refugees according to the UN not "sequestrated” as Moroccan official propaganda describes them".

In an interview he recently had with the newspaper "Courrier international", the Moroccan journalist indicated that Rabat rejects the peace plan "while this accord is favourable to Morocco according to specialists", because this regime fears from the vote and fears from the fact that Saharawis would chose freedom than accepting the attachment of their country to Morocco, the power that illegally occupied Western Sahara since 1975.

The Alaouit regime fears that during the "secret vote, even Saharawis who are "favourable" to Morocco be tempted to vote in another way than expected" by Rabat, he said.

"Saharawis in the refugees camps in Tindouf, south Algeria, are “refugees” according to the UN not “sequestrated” as Moroccan official propaganda describes them", he reaffirmed tackling the excuse that served Moroccan authorities to condemn him to a big fine and 10 years banning from writing or exercising his job in the kingdom for “defamation”.

Asked if he was a victim to his position in favour of Saharawi people right to self-determination, Mr. Lmrabet said he was never "a victim to the conflict in Western Sahara". He was instead a victim to a Moroccan form of "governance that still adopts “traditions” and “specificities" that go back to another age" and that does not accept the freedom of press.

The President of the Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz, condemned last April the 20th, "the repressive practices" against the Moroccan journalist, Ali Lmrabet, who is forbidden from exercising his job because of a verdict pronounced last April the 12th by the first hearing Court in Rabat, it should be recalled.

On his part Saharawi civil society clearly expressed its support to the Moroccan journalist right to free expression.
 
IN this respect press releases of solidarity were published from Saharawi refugees’ camps, especially of the Saharawi Jurists Union (UJS), The Association of the Families of Saharawi Prisoners and disappeared (AFAPREDESA), The Union of Saharawi Journalists and Writers (UPES). Other solidarity press releases were published by Saharawi human rights activists and groups after the trial against the journalist (SPS)

060/090/000 271507 AVR 05 SPS
SPS
OCCUPIED TERRITORIES/MOROCCO/RESISTANCE
Saharawi activists calls Annan to break the state of siege imposed on Western Sahara




El Aaiun (occupied territories), 27/04/2005 (SPS) Saharawi human rights activists called UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, to oeuvre for the breaking of the military and medias state of siege imposed on the occupied territories of Western Sahara. They exhorted the UN Mission, Minurso, to fulfil its mandate through the "organisation of a referendum on self-determination for the Saharawi people".

Here is the complete text of the open letter originally written in Arabic, the Saharawi activists addressed on Tuesday to the Un Secretary General.

"Saharawi human rights activists
El Aaiun- Western Sahara

Open letter to Mr. Kofi Annan
New York, USA

Mr. Secretary General of the United Nations,

In view of the capital role of the United Nations in the establishment of peace, stability and security in the world as well as in the protection of the populations in war zones.
 
Conforming to the decision of the UN's General Assembly resolution 690 and other resolution on the question of Western Sahara.

We would like to inform you that the territory of Western Sahara is still living under complete military and Medias siege despite the presence on the ground of the UN mission, Minurso, since September the 6th 1991. Saharawi citizens are in fact, targets to flagrant violations of their rights under the sight and hearing of the members of the mission:

-    Detention and torture in cases of some Saharawis who tried to have refuge in the seats of the UN mission, which handed them over to Moroccan authorities without caring for providing them with protection.

-    Detention, intimidation and pursuits against Saharawi human rights activists, perpetrated by Moroccan authorities, aimed at stopping them from organising or participating in the numerous peaceful demonstrations often held in the region (knowing that the Minurso is always informed of the actions or violations via fax and still no investigation was ever undertaken by the mission in any case.).

-    Arrest and expulsion of foreign journalists who visit the region to report on the ground their observations on the practices of the Moroccan State in the territory. In this respect we recall the case of two Norwegian journalists, Mr. Radmund Steinsvag and Miss. Anne Torhild Nilsen, of the company of production "Berserek Productions", who were arrested in the 17 and 18 of April in front of the headquarters of the Minurso in El Aaiun.

Taking into account all these considerations and parting from your responsibility as the UN Secretary General we call you to:

-    Deploy additional efforts so as the UN Mission for the referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) organise a referendum on self-determination for the Saharawi people, as decided in its mandate and conforming to the resolutions of the UN Security Council and General Assembly.
 
-    Add to the functions of the Minurso to include the protection of the Saharawi population in occupied territories, especially the Saharawi human rights activists, against human rights violations perpetrated by the different Moroccan services.

-    Urgently work on putting an end to the military and Media State of siege imposed on the territories of Western Sahara under Moroccan occupation.

-    Take into consideration the observations and demands contained in the present letter in your future reports on the situation in Western Sahara.

Finally, accept Mr. Secretary General, our most distinguished sentiments.

Saharawi Human rights activists
El Aaiun, Western Sahara
26/04/2005. " (SPS)

060/090/000 271847 AVR 05 SPS
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SPS
OCCUPIED TERRITORIES/MOROCCO/RESISTANCE
Constitution in the occupied territories of the Committee for self-determination in Western Sahara






El Aaiun (occupied territories), 27/04/2005 (SPS) Saharawi human rights activists in occupied territories declared on Monday the constitution of the Saharawi Committee for self-determination in Western Sahara, in a press release publicised by the activists on Tuesday.

Here is the complete text of the press release originally written in Arabic.

"Saharawi Committee for self-determination in Western Sahara
El Aaiun, Western Sahara
25/04/2005

Press release

Taking into consideration the decisions, recommendations and resolutions of the Un General Assembly, the judicial verdict of the International Court of Justice as well as the efforts deployed  by the UN and of the African Union so as Saharawis can enjoy their legitimate right  to self-determination.

Taking into consideration the persistence of the Moroccan State in its policy of obstruction aimed at pushing to failure the up-mentioned efforts by rejecting the Settlement Plan (1991) after having accepted it and after having signed other accords as a result to direct and indirect negotiations under the auspices of the UN with the principal party to the conflict, the "Front for the Liberation of Sagia El Hamra and Rio de Oro", the legitimate representative of the Saharawi people. Morocco rejected the peace plan elaborated by the Un Secretary General's former Personal Envoy, Mr. James Baker, unanimously adopted by Security Council.

Morocco keeps with its manoeuvres denying Saharawi people their rights to self-determination. Sometimes it considers that the referendum is beyond the stage other times it declares that Saharawis are not the other party to the conflict attempting to implicate Algeria in it as a main party.

Worst, Rabat tramples on the international legality and causes the sufferings of the Saharawi people to continue for more than three decades because of the flagrant human rights violations perpetrated by the Moroccan authorities that tends to intimidate any voice that calls for the right     to  self-determination.

Taking into consideration the legitimacy of this inalienable right, granted by all international Charters and Conventions and basing on our attachment to this right and on our determination to defend it in front of any possible deviation aimed at blocking the last peace plan endorsed by the Un and accepted by the Polisario Front, the legitimate representative of the Saharawi people,

I declare to the national and international public opinion, in my quality of human rights activists, the constitution of the " Saharawi Committee for self-determination in Western Sahara" (CSRSO), a body aimed at developing the level of the struggle inside the Saharawi territory to break the actual freezing in the enforcement of the UN peace plan that expects the organisation of a referendum on self-determination.

Meantime, I launch an appeal to all persons in love with peace, and to all the noble activists and international organisations around the world to support this legitimate right and to launch concrete initiatives for the protection of the Saharawi citizens and put an end to the daily sufferings in the refugees’ camps and in the territories under Moroccan occupation.

On another hand, I call the Un Secretary general and the Security Council to take a firm and decisive decision to put an end to this human tragedy by exercising pressures on Morocco who persists in its policy of volt face and trample on the UN resolutions, so as it assumes its responsibility in the possible consequences that may result from the instability of the region.

I reaffirm to all the interested parties that the holding of a fair and transparent referendum on self-determination remains the optimum democratic option that would put an end to the conflict.
 
Finally I declare to all the Saharawi militants, male and female inside or outside the territory, the constitution of this committee starting from the up mentioned date.

I invite all militants to join the committee.

Sidi Mohamed Deddach
Ex political prisoner
Human Right Rafto Price 2002." (SPS)

020/090/000 271951 AVR 05 SPS

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