SAHARA PRESS SERVICE

SPS
SADR/MOROCCO/INTIFADA
Mr. Ould Salek calls the UN to intervene so as to protect Saharawi civilians in occupied territories
29.05.05



Chahid El Hafed, 29/05/2005 (SPS) Saharawi Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr. Mohamed Salem Ould Salek, called the UN and its Security Council to intervene "urgently" so as to protect Saharawi civilians in the occupied territories and South Morocco against "the fierce repression" by Moroccan colonial forces. He estimated that Spain should have address Rabat to put an end to the tragedy generated by its illegal occupation of Western Sahara.

IN a written statement SPS received, Mr. Ould Salek, who put forward "the critical nature" of the situation in the occupied territories of Western Sahara and in the Saharawi Diaspora in Moroccan universities, launched and "urgent" appeal to the UN and its Security Council for "a quick intervention" to put an end to the "repressive practices by the Moroccan authorities against Saharawi citizens without defence", on the light of the last developments on the ground and of "the disastrous consequences that may result of the situation".

The Minister underlined on another hand that the Spanish Government should have instead address the Moroccan Government to "persuade it respect Saharawi citizens fundamental freedoms" (...) "release all political detainees, stop the fierce and inhuman repression against them and subscribe to the international legality by organising a referendum on self-determination", conforming to the UN Security Council’s resolution 1495.

From Brussels where he will take part Monday to the EU’s meeting with the countries neighbouring the Mediterranean, Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Miguel Angle Moratinos, only called Morocco, Polisario Front and Algeria to "serenity", estimating that it is necessary to "mobilise the parties" – without definition – to "reengage dialogue within the UN" (...) "so as to find a definitive solution" to the conflict, it should be recalled.

Mr. Ould Salek recalled that the "the bloodlust of the repression" was such to cause, so far, "tens injured, arrested and disappeared in El Aaiun, Dajla, Smara, Assa and in Moroccan universities in Rabat, Agadir, Marrakech and Casablanca". He regretted that Moroccan Government still denies foreign Medias and observers free access to the territory, which is subjected to siege since its military occupation in 1975. (SPS)

010/090/100/TRD 290101 May 05 SPS
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SPS
OCCUPIED TERITORIES/DEMONSTRATIONS/SOLIDARITY
The Arab Committee of solidarity with Saharawi people denounces Moroccan repression in Western Sahara




Damask, 29/05/2005 (SPS) The Arab Committee of solidarity with the Saharawi people denounced Moroccan repression against Saharawi civilians in Western Sahara calling for international solidarity with the victims of the abuses.

In a press release publicised on Saturday SPS received, the Committee estimated that the arrest of Saharawis during the last demonstrations constitutes "a flagrant violation of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and all other international conventions".

It launched an appeal to international human rights NGOs, Arabs and world wide, to "show solidarity with Saharawi detainees in Moroccan prisons until their release". (SPS)

010/090/666/TRD 291113 may 05 SPS
SPS
OCCUPIED TERRITORIES/FRANCE/ASSOCIATION/SOLIDARITY
A French association denounces Moroccan repression against Saharawis in occupied territories



Paris, 29/05/2005 (SPS) The Association of the Friends of SADR (AARASD) denounced "strongly, the repression launched by Moroccan power against (Saharawi-Ed) demonstrators who only expressed in peaceful way what the international community promised them 30 years ago, self-determination and independence", reported a press release by the association publicised Saturday.

It calls the French Government to "quickly assume its responsibilities of defining the role of the Minurso, parting from the fact that France is a permanent member to the UN Security Council and a country very close to Morocco".

It also called French press, human rights associations and political organisations to "pay more attention to what is happening in occupied Western Sahara and take into account Saharawi people rejection of the colonisation of its country".

It expressed its surprise of having not found a "single echo" on the Saharawi Intifada in the "French or European Medias". (SPS)

010/090/666/TRD 29131 may 05 SPS
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SPS
OCCUPIED TERRITORIES/MEDIAS/DEMONSTRATIONS
Saharawi population in El Aaiun receives the international press with demonstrations



El Aaiun (occupied capital), 29/05/2005 (SPS) Saharawi population in El Aaiun, oppressed at many times since last Monday by Moroccan forces of occupation, received with demonstrations this Sunday afternoon a groups of international press, which came with a Moroccan ministerial delegation that moved to El Aaiun thinking its forces of suppression in control of the situation.

The demonstrators chanted national slogans claiming for independence and condemning Moroccan colonial occupation in front of the international press, it was indicated.

Moroccan ministerial delegation led by the Minister of Interior organised this visit for medias to El Aaiun so as to minimise the horrors of the bloody confrontations that opposed last week Saharawi demonstrators to Moroccan repressive forces, it should be noted.

In reinforcement to the Auxiliary Forces and GUS already on the ground, unities of the Moroccan army was massively deployed so as to surround and control the city and prevent any possible uprising, has indicated SPS correspondent on the ground. (SPS)

060/090/000 291550 MAI 05 SPS
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SPS
SADR/GOVERNMENT/UN
Saharawi Government calls to the widening of Minurso’s mandate to include the protection of Saharawi civilians in occupied territories



Bir Lehlu (liberated territories), 29/05/2005 (SPS) Saharawi Government called to the " widening of Minurso’s mandate to include the protection of Saharawi civilians in occupied territories", and to the opening of the Saharawi territory to foreign Medias and observers in the occupied zones, which is submitted to permanent state of siege since the military occupation of Western Sahara in 1975.

IN a press release concluding its meting held Saturday in Bir Lehlu, under the chairmanship of the Head of the State, Mohamed Abdelaziz, the Council of Ministers strongly denounced "violations committed by Moroccan Government against Saharawi peoples human rights and the disrespect of Saharawi citizens individual rights", as well as the "the Medias siege imposed on Western Sahara by the Moroccan colonialism".

Minurso (UN Mission for a referendum in Western Sahara) on the ground from 1991 after the Settlement Plan signed by Polisario Front and Morocco which was supposed to be followed by the holding of a referendum in 6 months, had never been able to organised this popular consultation because of the multiple obstacles Morocco erects. Its only duty for these 14 last years is only to note that the two parties to the conflict still respect the cease-fire.

Recalling that the question of Western Sahara is a "decolonisation" process, the Council of Ministers called the UN "to effectively assume its responsibilities in the protection of the Saharawi human lives against Moroccan colonial aggressions" (…) "until the success of the referendum process". It also asked the international organisation to "enforce Security Council’s resolutions before the situation worsen".

The Government estimated that because of the lack of an effective role of the UN, and parting from Moroccan rejection to subscribe to the international legality, the situation may "get worst and remains open to all probabilities". It considers that the organisation of the referendum is the only way to calm down the crisis and "bring peace back to the region".

The Council also called to the release of all political prisoners and Saharawi disappeared, renewing its support and solidarity with Saharawi citizens in occupied territories and south Morocco in their struggle for the freedom and independence of their country, calling all Saharawis to join this wide movement of solidarity.
 
On another hand, the Government denounced "Moroccan policy of rushing ahead trying to implicate Algeria, which position has always been conform to international legality and conform to Security Council’s Security Council regarding Western Sahara question", estimating that "this Moroccan policy is still blocking the construction of the Maghreb Arab and threaten the security and stability of the region".

The Government finally launched an appeal to the international Medias and observers to "break the Medias siege" imposed on the Saharawi territory by "visiting Western Sahara to investigate by themselves on the flagrant human rights violations committed by Moroccan colonialism on the ground". (SPS)

01090/100/TRD 291737 may 05 SPS

SPS
OCCUPIED TERRITORIES/DEMONSTRATION
New demonstrations in front of foreign Medias in El Aaiun



El Aaiun (occupied territories), 29/05/2005 (SPS) New demonstrations broke again in the afternoon in El Aaiun in front of reporters of Spanish Medias (TV1, TV2, La Provincia) and of AFP. The demonstrators renewed their claims for the independence of their territory Morocco colonises since 1975, indicated SPS’s correspondent on the ground.

"The mains streets were blocked by the army and gendarmes, who stopped the demonstrators from gathering in the mains streets, so only a hundred people were able to demonstrate in front of the Medias", one of the organisers declared to SPS. He then underlined that "the message passed for the first time without the authorities interfering to falsify it as they normally do in their newspaper", he indicated.

"Fuera Marruecos" (Morocco out), "Viva Polisario" (long life to Polisario) are two of the slogans the population was chanting in front of the camera’s televisions.

"Spain, former administrating power of the territory must honour its historical debt towards us assuming its responsibility of decolonisation as it should. It has also to protect us against Moroccan colonial authorities’ repressive practices", declared to SPS a Saharawi human rights activist, beaten last Tuesday during demonstrations.

On another hand, in Boujdour (Saharawi city south of El Aaiun) two Saharawi citizens, Salah Al Keinane and Ahmed Dafa Sidi Allal, were arrested at 1o’clock a.mGMT to be tortured all night long in the headquarters of the DST (Moroccan Direction of Territorial Security). They were released the next day without legal pursuit in very bad state. The same night three houses were sacked by the Police of Boujdour and their inhabitants beaten.

IN Dajla (capital of Rio de Oro region- southern part of Western Sahara) writings on wall claiming for independence and rejecting the occupation were seen in many neighbourhoods of the city. The authorities quickly worked to erasing them while schools awaked with the Saharawi national flag on them for hours.
 
For the first time international Medias succeeded in piercing the security and Medias siege since 1975, the date of the Moroccan invasion of the territory. (SPS)

010/090/110/TRD 292203 may 05 SPS
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SPS
OCCUPIED TERRITORIES/DEMONSTRATIONS/SOLIDARITY
Goulimine city witnesses solidarity with the Intifada of El Aaiun



Goulimine (south Morocco), 29/05/2005 (SPS) Saharawi citizens in the city of Goulimine organised on Sunday a demonstration through the streets of he city expressing their "solidarity with the Intifada of El Aaiun", indicated the organisers.

The demonstrators chanted slogans against Moroccan colonisation of the Saharawi territory and called for the immediate release of Saharawi political disappeared and political prisoners, it was indicated.

Goulimine, inhabited by a Saharawi majority, joins other Saharawi cities and the cities of the southern part of Morocco to denounce the flagrant human rights violations Moroccan authorities commit against Saharawi citizens in Western Sahara and against Saharawi students in Moroccan universities campus Souissi I and II. (SPS)

010/090/110/TRD 292307 may 05 SPS

 
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SPS
OCCUPIED TERRITORIES/DEMONSTRATION/FALSIFICATION
Moroccan colonial authorities organised false demonstrations in front of the foreign press in El Aaiun



El Aaiun (occupied territories), 29/05/2005 (SPS) Moroccan colonial authorities organised a false demonstration on Sunday raising Moroccan flags in front of Negjir hotel, where there was some journalists of the foreign press, and where the members of the Minurso live, reported SPS’s correspondent.

The would be "demonstrators" chanted slogans in favour of Moroccan colonial occupation of Western Sahara and denounced the demonstrations organised in the beginning of the week by Saharawis to claim for the release of political prisoners, respect of human rights and to claim for the independence of the territory.

"A complete machination organised by Moroccan secret services", indicated Saharawi human rights activists to SPS. The demonstrators, they affirmed, "are only members of security forces disguised in civilians. The majority of the demonstrators are known to Saharawis", estimating that this is "a new attempt to mislead the press and to stand for an arbiter who interferes to calm the situation down".

A Saharawi official source warned about "these colonial practices" aimed at "inciting tension between Saharawi citizens and Moroccan’s and to invent a motive to the fierce suppression against Saharawis". It called Moroccan citizens to "avoid this colonial trap". (SPS)

010/090/100/TRD 292356 may 05 SPS 
 
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