SAHARA PRESSE SERVICE

Johannesburg (26/11/2006) (SPS) The Secretary General of the South African National Trade Unions, the second biggest trade union in the country, Mahlomola Skhosana, declared that "the savage reprisal that is striking the Saharawi population in the occupied territories proves that Morocco has already lost the battle", indicated a source from the Saharawi Embassy in Pretoria.

Mr. Mahlomola, who was receiving the Saharawi human rights activist, Ali Salem Tamek, said he was "horrified by the unacceptable practices of torture perpetrated by the Moroccan authorities in the Saharawi occupied territories", underlining that his trade union "will save no effort to denounce and unveil these practices to the world" and that it will "act in this respect on a continental and international levels.

On his side, Mr. Ali Salem Tamek explained the "serious situation prevailing in the occupied territories of the Western Sahara", stressing that Morocco has established, in these territories, "a particular military regime based on oppression and systematic exclusion of the Saharawis in all fields of work to an extent that they became strangers in their own country".

He further stressed that Morocco proceeded to "massive deportations of the Saharawi citizens to the Moroccan cities with a view to destroy their identity and send them far from the struggle of their people", who is struggling for the self-determination and independence.

"This regime of oppression, exclusion and marginalisation, which is getting worst and getting systematic day by day follows a colonial policy deliberately practiced by Morocco and reminds in many aspects the regime of the Apartheid which was wiped from South Africa for ever", he added. (SPS)

010/090/110/TRD 281031 Nov 06 SPS

SPS
SADR/SOUTH AFRICA/HUMAN RIGHTS

"What is happening now in Western Sahara is intolerable", Mr. Golden Miles Bhudu declares

Johannesburg, 28/11/2006 (SPS) The Secretary General of the South African Prisoners Organisation for Human Rights (SAPOHR), Golden Miles Bhudu, declared on Monday that "the violations exercised now by an African colonial State against an African people is an intolerable crime", indicated a source close to the Saharawi Embassy in Pretoria.

Mr. Bhudu reaffirmed that the "defence of human rights interpellate all the international organisations to redouble efforts so as to put an end to the human rights violations" in the occupied territories of the Western Sahara, estimating that "these practices should not exist in our new generation after the disappearance of the Apartheid system".

He also indicated that his organisation plans to launch a campaign to attract the attention of the international community on the human rights violations committed by the Moroccan Government against the helpless Saharawi civilians in the occupied territories of the Western Sahara.

On his part, Ali Salem Tamek explained to his interlocutor "the serious situation that prevails in the occupied territories of the Western Sahara", underlining that the occupied territories are submitted to "s state of Medias and military siege since 1975".

"The Intifada of independence started in May 2005 to peacefully advocate the Saharawi people’s right to self-determination, after the failure of the UN in the implementation of the UN’s peace plan and prompt Morocco to respect its engagements, especially the holding of a just and transparent self-determination referendum under the auspices of the UN", he added.

The Saharawi human rights activist, Ali Salem Tamek, undertakes a turn in South Africa to raise the awareness on the human rights violations committed by the Moroccan State against the Saharawi population in the occupied territories of the Western Sahara, it should be recalled. (SPS)

020/090/000/TRD 281430 Nov 06 SPS

SPS
SADR/SOUTH AFRICA

The South African Council of Churches asks for the respect of human rights in the Western Sahara

Johannesburg, 28/11/2006 (SPS) The Secretary General of the South African Council of Churches, Eddie Maku, announced on Monday that his organisation will organise a campaign of mobilisation to draw the attention of the international community on the gross human rights violations committed by the Moroccan Government against the Saharawi civilians in the occupied territories of the Western Sahara, reported a source from the Saharawi Embassy in Pretoria.

The religious leader, who was receiving the Saharawi human rights activist, Ali Salem Tamek, at the seat of the South African Council of Churches in Johannesburg, also calls on the UN on "the establishment of mechanisms that can guarantee the respect of the human rights through the enlargement of the UN Mission for the organisation of a referendum in the Western Sahara (Minurso) as stipulated by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in its last report.

He further reaffirmed the support of his organisation to "the legitimate struggle of the Saharawi people for freedom and independence", estimating that the Intifada of Independence, waged by the Saharawis in the occupied territories, is "a civilised answer to the brutal methods of repression adopted by the Moroccan Government", which, he said, "should be condemned" by the international community for its practices

On his part, Mr. Tamek explained to his interlocutor "the serious situation that prevails in the occupied territories of the Western Sahara", underlining that these territories are submitted to a Medias and military siege since 1975.

Morocco continues, he said, to expulse foreign delegations from the occupied Non-Self-Governing territory, of which the last was the European Parliament’s delegation which was trying to visit the occupied capital of the Western Sahara, El Aaiun, after having accepted the visit.

020/090/000/TRD 281130 Nov 06 SPS

SPS
SADR/SOUTH AFRICA/COMMUNIST PARTY

The South African Communist Party "vigorously condemns the crimes of Morocco in Western Sahara"

Johannesburg (28/11/2006) The Central Committee of the South African Communist Party "vigorously condemns the crimes committed by the Moroccan State in the Western Sahara" and promised to make of the defence of the Saharawi people’s cause "a priority of its action in the International for the year 2007", underlining that the South African Communist Party "will support the Saharawi people until the final victory reported a source from the Saharawi Embassy in Pretoria.

Speaking on behalf of his party, Mr. Chriss Mathalko, person in charge of International Relations, who was receiving the Saharawi human rights activist, Ali Salem Tamek, as a guest of honour to the annual meeting of the Central Committee of the Party, stressed "the juridical and moral responsibility of the UN in the face of the gross human rights violations perpetrated against the Saharawi civilians by the Moroccan regime".

The Secretary General of the Communist Party, Blade Nzimande, declared during the International Communist Congress, held last week in Portugal that the "the colonial darkness is still covering Africa and can only be cleared up when the Western Sahara reaches its freedom. It is thus our moral responsibility to help the Saharawi people get their independence", it should be recalled. (SPS)

010/090/110/TRD 281044 nov 06 SPS