|
|
|
SPS The Parliament of Galicia is ready to promote a declaration in favour of the self-determination referendum in Western Sahara 28.01.06
|
|
Vigo (Galicia), 28/01/2006 (SPS) The President of the Galician Parliament, Dolores Villarino, the members of the deputies and the three main political parties presented in the Galician Parliament affirmed on Friday their tendency to promote the adoption of a declaration in favour of the self-determination referendum in Western Sahara, indicated a source close to the Saharawi presidential delegation.
"In my position as President, I support what the groups Hill decide an Hill facilitate any initiative", in favour of the self-determination in Western Sahara, Mrs. Dolores Villarino said, reaffirming that she is "completely backing the Saharawi people" at a personal level, the same source added.
On his part, the Saharawi Minister for Cooperation, Salek Baba Hassena, estimated after his meeting with the Galician Counsellor for Education (Minister in the Galician Government), Laura Sánchez Piñón, that the discussion was "friendly and sincere", adding that his interlocutor has showed "her full availability and willingness" to collaborate and support the Saharawi people, who "live in very difficult conditions" in exile.
the Head of the State was received by the President of the Government of the region of Galicia, the socialist Emilio Perez Tourinio, the vice-President, Anxo Quintana, from the Galician Nationalist bloc in addition to the President of the Parliament, Dolores Villarino, with whom he had meetings discussing the last developments of the political and humanitarian situation in Western Sahara, it should be recalled.
In this respect, the President of the Republic recalled that Morocco, which occupies the Western Sahara, illegally, since 1975, "violate the international opposing thus the holding of a self-determination referendum, planed in all UN’s resolutions", what constitutes a real danger for the whole region of the great Maghreb.
On another hand, he denounced the "brutal repression that prevails in the occupied territories, the blockage imposed by Morocco on the territories, into which the access is denied to international press and observers", calling on the Galician civil society to contribute by all means in its disposition to break this blockage.
President Abdelaziz will continue his visit on Saturday and Sunday in Galicia by meetings with the local leaders of the local Popular Party and the Unified Left (Isquierda Unida), as well as representatives of trade unions and of the University of Compostella, indicated an official Saharawi source. (SPS)
020/090/100/TRD 281415 Jan 06 SPS
|
SPS Polisario Front asks for the protection of the Saharawi civil population in the occupied territories of Western Sahara
|
|
Caracas (Venezuela), 28/01/2006 (SPS) Polisario Front’s Ambassador to Venezuela, El Haj Ahmed, recently asked, before of the 6th World Social Forum that opened on Tuesday in Caracas, for the "intervention of the international community in the protection of the Saharawi civilians against the violations and savage repression practices by the Moroccan authorities in the occupied territories and south of Morocco", reported SPS’s correspondent.
The Saharawi Ambassador presented, during his intervention, a report on the current situation of the conflict and the point of view of the Saharawi authorities regarding the UN’s peace plan.
He also underlined the "dangerous situation that prevails in the occupied territories of Western Sahara and south of Morocco since the starting last May of peaceful demonstrations calling for the immediate withdrawal of the Moroccan occupation and the holding of a self-determination referendum in accordance with the international norms".
A conference was hold in Caracas, under the theme: "Western Sahara, an uncompleted decolonisation", chaired by different NGOs of South America and Spain, mainly the organisation of solidarity with Africa, Asia and Latino America (OSPAAAL) and the Spanish Federation of institutions backing the Sahara (Fedissa).
In their intervention before the conference, the President of the OSPAAAL, Jaime Ballesteros, and its Coordinator, Remedios Garcias, as well as the deputy, Gustavo Hernandez, in addition to Carlos Ortega, President of the Venezuelan Parliamentarian group of solidarity with the Saharawi people, "reaffirmed their solidarity with the Saharawi people in their struggle for liberation, condemning the Moroccan human rights violations in the occupied territories of Western Sahara", the same source added.
It should be underlined that more that 150 thousands delegates took part to this event, coming from the different countries of the world.
Composed of 26 activists of the Saharawi civil society in the refugee camps, an important Saharawi delegation, chaired by Mr. Mohamed Sidati, Member of the Polisario Front National Secretariat and Minister Councillor to the Presidency, took part to the 6th World Social Festival, it should be recalled.
The 6th WSF 2006 is took place this year in two sessions, of which Bamako (in Mali-Africa) received the first from the 19th to January the 23rd, followed by a second session, which started last Tuesday the 24th of January in the Venezuelan Capital, Caracas, to be continued for a week.
The idea of organisation the Forum in two sessions in two different continents is undertaken for the first time this year, since the starting of the Forum in 2001. This initiative aims at touching and giving an opportunity to the biggest number of persons in the world, according to the organisers. (SPS)
020/090/000/TRD 281600 Jan 06 SPS
|
SPS Scandinavian countries protest against Morocco after it denied entry to Western Sahara to a Nordic delegation
|
|
Oslo, 28/01/2006 (SPS) Norway, Sweden and Finland protested against Moroccan colonial authority after it prohibited a Nordic diplomatic delegation the entry to the occupied territories of Western Sahara, reported Spanish Press Agency, EFE, quoting a Norwegian source.
In this respect, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, summoned the Moroccan chargé d’affaires, Abdelhakim El Amrani, asking for explanations on the reasons behind this new act of disrespect to this Nordic delegation, which was trying to investigate on the human rights situation in the non-self-governing territory.
Rabat had, in fact, prohibited the entry to El Aaiun to a delegation composed of diplomats from the three Nordic Embassies, of Finland, Sweden and Norway, in Morocco, indicated EFE, quoting the President of the Norwegian Committee of support to Western Sahara, Ronny Hansen.
The delegation, EFE added, "had a green light from Rabat but on Monday evening they called [the embassies] to prohibit the visit", knowing that the Scandinavian diplomats were planning to meet with a group of Saharawi human rights activists, the UN’s Mission MINURSO and Moroccan colonial authorities, to investigate on the last Moroccan human rights violations in the occupied cities of Western Sahara.
On his part, the Finnish Foreign Affairs Ministry summoned, on Friday, the Moroccan Ambassador to Helsinki so as "to listen to his version of facts and ask him hand over a strong protest", of the Finnish Government about the lack of responsibility of Morocco, it was indicated the same source.
Swedish minister of foreign affairs, Laila Freivalds, qualified this Moroccan act as "unfortunate", affirming that her Government will demand that the European Union examine the Human Rights situation in Morocco and in Western Sahara.
Rabat, which is imposing a state of military and medias siege on the occupied territories of Western Sahara, already denied access to Western Sahara to a dozen international delegations since the start last May 2005 of the uprising of independence. (SPS)
060/090/000 281606 Jan 06 SPS
|
|
SAHARA
PRESS SERVICE