SAHARA PRESS SERVICE

Roma, 28/07/2004 (SPS) Italian Parliament adopted Tuesday a resolution, presented by the Commission for Foreign Affairs, backing the holding of a referendum on self-determination for Saharawi people and supporting the UN's peace plan for Western Sahara as elaborated by James Baker.

The resolution, presented in the 12th July by many members of the parliament (MP) from the different Italian political tendencies, is entitled "the new document of peace for Western Sahara". It explicitly quotes Security Council's resolution n° 1495, which backs the peace plan for the self-determination of the Saharawi people considering it an optimal political solution based on the agreement of the parties to the conflict.

The resolution exhorts the parties to the conflict to collaborate with the ICRC in order to find the missing persons during the conflict or to give information about them to their families and to immediately release the prisoners detained since the beginning of hostilities.

During the discussion of this resolution, the under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Margherita Boniver, underlined that Italy, as traditionally known, support UN's efforts aiming at finding a political solution to Western Sahara's question, and this by supporting the pertinent UN's resolutions.

She indicated that Italian Government backed a resolution on Western Sahara, unanimously adopted last April in Geneva during the 60th session of the UN's Commission for Human rights.
 
At the bilateral level, the Government, underlined Mrs. Boniver, always invites the parties to work for the realisation of political solution that take into account the interests of the peoples of the region and the influence of the question on the stability of the Maghreb.

On this basis, the Government considered that the text of the resolution is acceptable since it correspond to the action and position of Italy, which is actively engaged in the search of a positive and balanced solution to the situation in Western Sahara.
 
The MP Ramon MANTOVANI (communist re-foundation), one of the main elaborators of the resolution, expressed his satisfaction with his Government adoption of the text, which is according to him, widely approved by all represented Italian political forces in the commission.
 
After having called Polisario Front's representative and Moroccan Ambassador to Italy to the Commission, Mr. Mantovani noted that while Polisario Front accepted the content of the Baker Plan, the Moroccan diplomat reaffirmed the readiness of his country to accept to the solutions proposed by the UN, as expected within the framework of the same Plan.

On her side, Laura Cima (Greens) criticised the lack of political will of the Moroccan Government to find a final solution to the conflict to the question.

She considered that despite of the permanent commitment many parties show towards reaching a positive exit to the problem, the situation had always reached the blockage due to Moroccan Government attitude, which, she recommended, would need political pressure to bring it to an end.

The representative of the left democrats, Valdo SPINI, indicated that it is the appropriate time for Moroccan Government to show its good will in order to reach a positive solution to the question of Western Sahara. While Dario Rivolta, from Forza Italia, stressed on the need to defend the peoples' right to self-determination and the urgency of settling this old conflict.

The representative of Selvio Berlusconi's party estimated that despite of the difficulties of the holding of the referendum because of the identification of the voters, the Baker Plan is now the only way to settle the conflict. (SPS)

010/090/700/TRD 281422 July 04 SPS

SPS
SADR/SPAIN/SUPPORT
Catalonian Socialist Party calls to the implementation of the Baker Plan

Barcelona, 28/07/2004 (SPS) Catalonian Socialist Party (PSC) reaffirmed its "clear, firm and unconditioned position" in favour of the implementation of "the Plan of the UN", and the need for a directly negotiated solution between the parties directly implicated in the conflict, "the Government of Morocco and Polisario Front", indicated a resolution adopted by the 10th congress of the party, which took place from the 23rd to the 25th July in Barcelona.

The resolution, unanimously adopted, stressed on "the right to the self-determination that international legality allows to Saharawi people", which is the only guarantee of a "fair, final and lasting" settlement to the conflict.

The participants launched an appeal to all Spanish, European and International institutions to "to work for a quick settlement to the conflict".

They expressed their solidarity with Saharawi people and their support to its right to "live in peace and freedom", calling the socialists to "increase the humanitarian aid and solidarity with Saharawi people".

Recalling that Spain, the former colonial power, did not achieve the process of decolonisation as recommended by international law and UN, the congress stressed on "the moral and political debt" of Madrid toward the population of its former colony, which will be fulfilled "when Saharawis freely decide on their future". (SPS)

010/090/100/TRD 282345 July 04 SPS

SPS
SADR/USA/MOROCCO/TRADE
Saharawi Government satisfied with American "rejection" of the illegal occupation of Western Sahara

Bir Lehlou, 28/07/04 (SPS) Saharawi Government expressed Wednesday its satisfaction with "the American rejection of the illegal occupation of Western Sahara" and with Bush's Administration support of the Baker Plan for the self-determination of the Saharawi people.

In a communiqué publicised Wednesday the Saharawi Government called other countries to adopt the same position and to comply thus with the international legality.

Here is the integral text of the communiqué SPS translated from Arabic:
 
“The Government of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic noted with satisfaction the position of the American Administration regarding Western Sahara, as recently declared after the visit of King Mohamed VI to Washington. A position that expressed the will of American Administration to work with the Unites Nations and the parties to the conflict along the lines of the peace plan elaborated by James Baker, former Secretary of American State and personal envoy of UN's Secretary General to Western Sahara.

The Saharawi Government also notes with satisfaction the fact that the USA, like other countries, does not recognise Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara it occupies. A position American Administration reaffirmed during its ratification of the US-Morocco Free Trade Agreement (FTA), emphasising that the agreement covers only Moroccan internationally recognised territory and excludes all products from occupied territories of Western Sahara from the accord.

By this act United States of America is in consonance with international legality in general, and particularly expressed its respect of the consultative verdict of La Haye Court regarding the question of sovereignty over Western Sahara issued in October 1975 as well as the verdict of the Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs, issued in January 2002 related to foreign investments in the occupied territories.

The Saharawi Government seize this occasion to call all international investors that cooperate with Morocco to conform with the legal basis defining the aspects and norms of investment in Western Sahara, which still did not exercised its right to self-determination, conforming to international Law. Any exploitation or investment that does not respect this principal will be thus considered as a plundering of the goods of Saharawi people, unique legitimate master of the territory, and will be seen as a flagrant violation of international legality and an irresponsible support of Morocco in its intransigence and rejection to comply with the same legality.

In this respect, the Saharawi Government calls these companies and parties, Morocco tries to implicate in its colonial practices, not to sign any accord of investment or exploitation of natural resources in Saharawi occupied territories". (SPS)

060/090/100 280228 July 04 SPS