SAHARA PRESSE SERVICE

SPS
OCCUPIED TERRITORIES/REPRESION
Moroccan forces of occupation oppress a Saharawi demonstration in Dajla

Dajla (occupied territories) 27/05/2005 (SPS) Moroccan forces of occupation intervened violently Thursday to disperse a demonstration organised by the citizens of Dajla in solidarity with their compatriots of the Intifada of El Aaiun. The forces confiscated the placards raised by the demonstrators, reported the correspondent of the Saharawi national Radio.

The same source indicated that the Saharawi of Dajla organised this demonstration of solidarity with the demonstrators of the Saharawi Capital, chanting slogans such as "complete independence over all the territory is the solution"; "we are supporters of the Intifada of El Aaiun and its victims", "Western Sahara does not need identification", "there is no other alternative but self-determination ".…

Dajla city (south of the country) also known as "Villa Cisneros" during the Spanish colonial era, is the capital of the region of Rio de Oro.

Its was occupied by Mauritania as a result to the Madrid’s Tripartite Accords (November 1975). In 1979 after Mauritania signed an accord of peace with Polisario after years war, the city was invaded and occupied by Morocco it should be recalled. (SPS).
060/ABT/100/TRD 271529271529 Mayo 05 SPS

SPS
MOROCCO/DEMONSTRATION/SOLIDARITY
Demonstrations in Assa in solidarity with the Intifada of El Aaiun

Assa (South Morocco), 27/05/2005 (SPS) Saharawi citizens in the city of Assa (South Morocco) organised a demonstration of solidarity to denounce the repression perpetrated by Moroccan authorities of occupation against Saharawi population last Monday and Tuesday in El Aaiun, reported Saharawi National Radio on the ground.

Hundreds of demonstrators called to the respect of Saharawi people’s right to self-determination and independence, denouncing the violent repression of Saharawi citizens who were only demonstrating peaceful in El Aaiun.

They also called to the release of Saharawi political prisoners held by Morocco, to draw light on the fate of disappeareds and put an end to the campaign led by the Moroccan Government against Saharawi human right activists, such as the one led against Ali Salem Tamek, ex-political prisoner.

Assa is situated in the south of Morocco close to the Saharawi borders. The city is mostly inhabited by Saharawis and is accustomed to demonstrations calling for the independence of Western Sahara, it should be noted. (SPS)

060/ABT/100 271544 May 05 SPS

SPS
SPAIN/OCUPIED TERRITORIES/SOLIDARITY
Andalusia calls Zapatero’s Government to intervene to impose human rights’ respect in Western Sahara

Seville (Spain), 27/05/2005 (SPS) Andalusia Federation of the Associations of Solidarity with Western Sahara (FAND Sahara) called Spain, which is still the administrative power in Western Sahara, to intervene near Morocco so as to impose the respect of human rights in the Saharawi territory. Human rights are seriously abused after the confrontations between Saharawi peaceful demonstrators and Moroccan colonial forces on Monday and Tuesday that caused tens injured persons, arrests and disappeareds, reported a press release publicised by the association.

"It is necessary and urgent that the Spanish Government, due to its historical responsibility towards the Sahara people, to intervene near Moroccan authorities to release the detainees of these demonstrations, as well as to release the Saharawi political prisoners held in very bad conditions in many Moroccan prisons", indicated the press release SPS received.

The association also asked for the help of its Government to "release the (Saharawi) prisoners of war secretly held for more than 29 years for the greatest part of them".

FAND calls to "the enforcement of the UN’s resolutions, especially the Baker Plan for the self-determination of the Saharawi people, unanimously approved by the UN’s Security Council". It estimated that "only a strong message to the international community and concretely by the Spanish Government", (….) "can have the wished impact to realise this right".

"Preoccupied with the position of the Spanish Socialist Government which is too far from the interests of the Saharawi people", the Federation estimated that Mr. Zapatero must adopt an "honourable position, at least similar to Portugal’s regarding to its ex-colony, East Timor".

The FANDA, which is composed of political parties, associations, trade unions, institutions, parliaments' members and local officials declared to be mobilised to exhort the King of Morocco to "immediately stop the repression" (…) "release all detainees and collaborate with the UN to organise a referendum on self-determination for the Saharawi people".

The confrontations Monday and Tuesday in El Aaiun between Saharawi peaceful demonstrators, who were claiming for the respect of human rights in Western Sahara and the organisation of a referendum on self-determination, and Moroccan colonial forces resulted in hundreds injured persons, more than 30 detainees, more than 20 disappeareds according to the preliminary lists. Many Saharawi famlies’ houses were destroyed, by Moroccan authorities and their militias composed of criminals, it should be recalled. (SPS)

010/090/666 271752 MAI 05 SPS

SPS
SADR/ITALY
Mr. Tamek denounces Moroccan repression before Italian Senate Human Rights' Committee

Roma, 27/05/2005 (SPS) Systematic human rights violations in occupied territories of Western Sahara were once again reported to Italian Parliament members, who listened Thursday to a report by Mr. Ali Salem Tamek, Saharawi human right activist and ex-political prisoner.

'' Violations, persecutions and arbitrary arrests are the daily routine for Saharawis living in occupied territories'', declared the Saharawi activist who also described ''the blind repression'' that strikes human rights activists who participated Monday in El Aaiun to a gathering in protest against "Moroccan authorities’ human rights violations in Western Sahara" and claiming for the independence of the territory.

Mr. Tamek, who was before received by Foreign Affairs Committee of the Italian Parliament, called Italian Parliament members to ''do their utmost to put an end to this abuses and help Saharawis recover their sovereignty through the holding of a referendum on self-determination''. (SPS)

010/090/700/TRD 271537 MAI 05 SPS

SPS
SPAIN/INITIFADA/SOLIDARITY
Catalonia joins the movement of denunciation of the Moroccan repression against Saharawis in occupied zones

Barcelona (Catalonia), 27/05/2005 (SPS) The Catalonian Association of the friends of the Saharawi people (ACAPS), urgently organised on Wednesday a demonstration in front of Moroccan Consulate in Barcelona. The demonstration was attended by an important number of the Spanish movement of solidarity, representatives of political and trade unionist organisations, and tens of Saharawis living in the region, to condemn "the serious incidents" that happened Monday and Tuesday in El Aaiun, occupied capital of Western Sahara.

In a press release by the association, the demonstrators raised placards on which one could read "let’s stop the Moroccan repression in occupied zones". They burned the Moroccan flag in a symbolic act of rejection of the Moroccan occupation of the territory.

The participants also expressed their preoccupation in front of "the brutal repression exercised by Moroccan police against the Saharawi population, the passivity of the international community, the absence of the means of communications and the absolute silence of the Spanish Government", indicated the press release.

Andalusia Federation of the Associations of Solidarity with Western Sahara (FAND Sahara) called Spain, which is still the administrative power in Western Sahara, to intervene near Morocco so as to impose the respect of human rights in the Saharawi territory. Human rights are seriously abused after the confrontations between Saharawi peaceful demonstrators and Moroccan colonial forces on Monday and Tuesday that caused tens injured persons, arrests and disappeared, reported a press release publicised by the association, it should be recalled. (SPS)

010/090/666/TRD 271931 MAI 05 SPS

SPS
OCCUPIED TERRITORIES/DEMONSTRATION/MEDIAS
Moroccan authorities of occupation mislead the Medias

El Aaiun (occupied territories), 27/05/2005 (SPS) Moroccan authorities of occupation organised Wednesday in the early morning a false temporary withdrawal of their forces, which are putting the city of El Aaiun under complete siege since last Monday after the confrontations that opposed Saharawi demonstrators. The demonstrators, who are claiming for the independence of their country, were oppressed by the Moroccan forces of intervention backed by militias composed of criminals.

"To mislead journalists chosen on purpose, and expressly sent in helicopters so as to testify that "the calm is back to the city", according to the terms of AFP. Wile Moroccan forces re-deployed again with 400 new gendarmes dispatched from the base of Ben Grir near Marrakech", indicated to SPS a Saharawi human right activist who required secrecy.

After a brief withdrawal of the Moroccan forces, three helicopters; two military and a civil one, flied over the city at a low distance, that the inhabitants thought they were observers from the Minurso, which has not yet reacted after these bloody events.

The forces of the police, gendarmes and the Urban Security Group (GUS), armed with submachine guns are now taking positions on the house ready to shoot. Tens houses in the different neighbourhoods were evacuated to be occupied by the troops, who are patrolling the streets according to eye witnesses.

Demonstrations started Monday in El Aaiun followed by Dajla, Assa and the Universities’ campuses Souisi I and Souissi II in Rabat. The confrontations between the police and demonstrators caused more than 150 injured persons, tens of arrests and disappearances according to primary lists provided by Saharawi activists in El Aaiun. (SPS)

010/090/100/TRD 272105 may 05 SPS
S

SPS
MOROCCO/DEMONSTRATIONS/SOLIDARITY
Tens injured and more than 15 disappeared in confrontations between Moroccan police and Saharawi students in Rabat

Rabat, 27/05/2005 (SPS) Tens injured and more than 15 disappeared, is the current available sum up of the confrontations Friday between Saharawi students in universities’ campuses Souissi I and Souissi II of Rabat with Moroccan forces. Saharawi students had organised a sit-in in solidarity with their compatriots repressed in El Aaiun, Monday and Tuesday, concordant sources reported.

The students provide a list of 10 of their friends injured during the confrontations, which also caused disappearance of more than 30 students, actually under torture in the headquarters of the DST (Territorial Security Direction), the same sources say.

On another hand, the colonial authorities sacked the houses of two other families hurting two victims; Mrs. Natou Hamdi Saleh and Mrs. Koria Sidi Daf and kidnapping two brothers Mohamed Salem Hamdi Saleh and Nafii Hamdi Saleh, it was indicated. (SPS)

010/090/100 272140 may 05 SPS

Primary list of students hurt
-    Saaid Mustafa
-    Chemad Echaikh
-    Boussoula Mohamed Yahia
-    Hassana Esaaidi
-    Oumar Etbal
-    Yahdih Baba
-    Sid Ahmed Errahmouni
-    Mohamed Lamine Muftah
-    Haybetna Haydar
-    Kamal Ammadi
-    Abderrahman Zawan
-    Khadija Bechraoui

SPS
OCCUPIED TERRITORY/HUMAN RIGHTS
Saharawi human rights activist arrested and another intimidated

El Aaiun (occupied territory), 27/05/2005 (SPS) The Urban Security Group (GUS), a new corps of the Moroccan repression arrested on Friday Saharawi human rights activist, Hamoudi Iguilid, in his house in El Aaiun, at about 4 o’clock in the morning to take him top the centre of interrogations of the group, reported SPS correspondent.

The man, famous by his integrity and father to a new born, was arrested because he elaborated a report on human rights in Western Sahara, which was confiscated, as well as because he participated in the demonstrations that claimed for independence of the Saharawi territory, Monday and Tuesday, it was indicated.

On another hand, Saharawi activist, El Gaoudi Mohamed Fadel (47 years), father to 3 kids and ex-political prisoner, was intimidated by the famous group Friday. The agents who harassed him threatened him of rape and arrest.

"Moroccan authorities want to revenge against Saharawi human rights activists after the events of El Aaiun, because of the deserved role they play to unveil the violations of human rights in the territory occupied by Morocco", declared Mr. Gaoudi to SPS.

"Before, the jailer could take his victim without witness to torture him to the point of killing him with total impunity. Now the criminal has got to think twice before torturing the victim to death and this is a great step in the Medias siege imposed on the territory since its colonial occupation by Morocco in 1975", he added.

On another hand, he expressed his deception of the UN, which is present on the ground through its mission Minurso for more than a decade, and which "keeps an accomplice silence unworthy of an international organisation which is supposed to defend the universal values in its Charter, such as human rights and the peoples’ rights to govern themselves", he regretted.

Mr. Gaoudi was a member of a group of 26 Saharawis, most known as the group of Mekness, sentenced in a martial court in November 1977 and condemned to 5 years imprisonment, it should be recalled. (SPS)

010/090/000/TRD 272234 may 05 SPS