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SPS Inauguration of the seat of the "Um Dreiga" Association of friends of Saharawi people in Aragon 29.10.05
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Aragon (Spain), 29/10/2005(SPS) The seat of the Association of friends of Saharawi people in Aragon, "Um Dreiga", was inaugurated Friday in Zaragoza, by the vice-President of the Parliament of Aragon, Ana Fernandez Abadia, according to a press release publicised Thursday by the Association.
The ceremony of inauguration took place with the presence of representatives of the political parties represented in Aragon, members of trade unions, as well as different universities’ personalities and doctors, the press release indicated.
The inauguration was also attended by representative of Polisario Front in Spain, Mr. Brahim Ghali, and many members of the associative movement of solidarity with the Saharawi people in Spain, besides a wide participation of the Saharawi community in Aragon. (SPS)
020/090/666/TRD 291015 Oct 05 SPS
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SPS Polisario Front calls to the respect of human rights in Western Sahara
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Geneva, 29/10/2005 (SPS) Polisario Front called, Thursday, on human rights organisations world wide to "help a people and a civil population whose only crime is to have claimed for their right to freedom and to an existence in dignity", according to a press release publicised by Polisario Front’s representation in Switzerland and to the UN.
"Morocco gave the administration of the cities of El Aaiun, Dakhla, Boujdour and Smara to its Moroccan royal armed forces and to special paramilitary corps of the Ministry of interior. They are submitting these cities to an atmosphere of terror that allows all abuses, after having imposed a state of urgency and denied access to the territory to all foreign delegations", the text said.
"This alarming situation of our civil population in the occupied zones of Western Sahara and the deterioration of the conditions of detention of Saharawi human rights activists detained in the Carcel Negra (Black Jail) in El Aaiun –who are undertaking an unlimited hunger strike- are serious motives of concern", the text added.
On another hand, the press release deplored the rejection by the Moroccan Government of the peace plan, defying thus the international community in an "intolerable arrogance", accompanied, as it was underlined many journalists and NGOs’ representatives, with "terrible measures of repression in the occupied zones of Western Sahara under Moroccan occupation". (SPS)
010/090/666/TRD 291100 oct 05 SPS
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SPS Firm trade unionist support in Roma to Saharawi people’ right to the decolonisation of their country
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Roma, 29/10/2005 (SPS) The III Trade Unions’ Conference of solidarity with the Saharawi people, organised in Roma from the 28th to the 29th October 2005, reaffirmed its solidarity with Saharawi workers and people in their "just struggle for self-determination and independence", according to a press release by the Saharawi representation in Italy.
The Conference opened with the participation of more than 80 delegates from Italy, Spain Algeria, South Africa, France, Belgium, Germany and Mauritania as well as delegates of international Trade Unions especially of the African Union.
The III Trade Unionist Conferences of solidarity with the Saharawi people an workers started its works under the presidency of Andrea Amaro, Representing the three main Italian Trade Unions, de Titi Di Salvo, Person in charge of the Italian Confederation of Work’s International Relations, and Mohamed Cheikh, Secretary General of the General Union of the Workers of Sagia El Hamra and Rio De Oro.
In his intervention, Mr. Andrea Amaro reaffirmed the steady support of the European trade unions to the Saharawi workers and people in their struggle for their legitimate right to self-determination.
He hailed the African Union, which assumed its responsibilities by recognising SADR and deplored "the lack of firmness of the European Union, which continues ignoring to a problem of unfinished decolonisation that is in its borders", the same source stressed.
On its part, Secretary General of the General Union of the Workers of Sagia El Hamra and Rio De Oro, Mohamed Cheikh, gave a detailed information on the situation of the Saharawi workers in the occupied territories, in the liberated territories of SADR and abroad.
He denounced "the serious human rights’ violations, perpetrated by the forces of occupation and the tragedy lived by our brothers, sub-Saharan migrants, who were subjected to serious abuses against their dignity for many years by the Moroccan State".
He also stressed the weightiness of "the persistence of the Moroccan colonial yoke in Western Sahara" and called the UN, EU as well as Spain and other European Governments to "quickly act to put an end to the injustice Saharawi people are still victim to".
Many trade union’s representatives gave speeches wishing to see the Western Sahara conflict resolved as soon as possible, mainly representatives of Spanish CC.OO (Comisiones Obreras), Spanish UGT (General Union of Workers), Algerian General Union o Workers (UGTA), French CGT (General Confederation of Workers), South African COSATO, African Union’s USA (African Trade Union), Galician’s Trade Union and many other delegates.
All speakers were unanimous and underlined "the role Trade Unions should assume in the defence of human rights in the occupied territories of Western Sahara and Saharawi people’ right to self-determination, conforming to the international legality".
He first day of the conference was marked by the intervention of many Saharawi delegate, including the testimony of Naama Asfari, A Saharawi civil society activist from the occupied territories, besides Abdesslam Omar Lahcen, President of the Association of the Families of Saharawi Prisoners and Disappeareds (AFAPREDESA) and Abba Salek El Haissen, Secretary General of Saharawi Jurists’ Union (UJS). (SPS)
010/090/666/TRD 291208 oct 05 SPS
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SPS 110 Italian Parliamentarians claim for an investigation on human rights’ violations in Western Sahara
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Roma, 29/10/2005 (SPS) 110 Italian Parliamentarians and Senators, all political tendencies included, addressed, last October the 26th 2005, a letter to the king of Morococo, Mohamed VI and his Government caliming for an investigation on the serious crimes committed against Saharawi human rights’ activists in the occupied territories of Western Sahara, the judgment of the responsibles of these acts as well as the enforcement of the UN’s resolutions that stipulate a self-determination referendum, including the resolution 1495 of July the 31st 2003.
Here is the complete text of this letter, of which SPS received a copy:
"Your Majesty
Excellency,
We, Deputies and Senators of the Italian Republic, are deeply concerned by the arrest and detention since last July the 20th o six human rights defenders in Western Sahara. We are taking about Mohamed El Moutawakil, Larbi Messaoud, Brahim Noumria, Hussein Lidri, Ali Salem Tamek, Aminetou Haidar and Hmad Hammad.
We fear these activits were put under custody as a result to their engagement in favour of human rights and because of their opinions. Hussein Lidri and Brahim Noumria were even tortured by members of Moroccan forces of security in a secret centre of detention in El Aaiun it was reported. And though these two persons have informed the judicial authorities about this acts of torture, no investigation on these allegtions was undertaken.
During the demonstrations that started last May 2005, the forces of security resumed to excessive use of violence during the operations of manitainence of order and were accused of having illtreated and tortured demonstrators in their custody. We fear that these activist are arrested an condemned only because they exerciced their freedom to expression.
We also express our concern about the persistence of the conflictual situation in Western Sahara and about the postponement sine die of the self-determination referdnum of the Saharawi people, backed in the Peace Plan « Baker II » which, according to the UN’s General Assembly and Security Council, is an optimum solution to the conflict (as postulated in the UN’s Security Council’s Resolution 1495 of July the 31st 2003 , inanimously aproved).
For all what preceeded, we ask you to start an immediate investigation on the allegations of torture related to the case of Hussein Lidri and Brahim Noumria and to ensure that they get the appropriate medical care.
We also ask you to guarantee, everybody, the right to a fair trial, ensuring that no declaration obtained under torture is used to get condemnations.
We ask you to identify and bring before justice all the Representaives and officils of the State who ordered, aproved or mad use of torture.
We ask you to ensure the respect of the human rights defenders’ rigt to gather and spread information related human rights with npo constrints or repraisals.
We ask you to guarntee that appropriate care be given to Saharawi detainees in hunger strike until the September the 29th 2005".
The letter was signed by DS-Ulivo (Left Democrats), UDC Union (Christian Democrt), AN (National Allience), SDI (Italian Socialist Démocrats), Verdi (Greens),
PDCI (Italian Communists Prty), PRC (Communist Refoundtion Prty), Margarita (Démocracy and Librties party), LN (the League of the North), FI (Italy Force), Autonomia (Autonomy), Misto (Mixt –Cantiere).
Amnesty International launched a campaign of letters to be sent to the Morocan Ministry of Justice, Mohamed Bouzoubaa, calling for the creation of a commission of investigtion on allegations of torture submmitted by Hussein Lidri, and to guarantee fair trials to Saharawi political prisoners in Morocco, as well as the organisation of a self-detrmination referendum for the Saharawi people that consists, according to the ONG, "a good solution to the conflict", it should be recalled. (SPS)
010/090/666/TRD 291028 oct 05 SPS
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SPS Four Saharawi students arrested in El Aaiun during demonstrations of protest against colonial occupation
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El Aaiun (occupied territories), 29/10/2005 (SPS) 4 Saharawi students were arrested in El Aaiun during demonstrations organised by the students of secondary schools, Friday in El Aaiun, to denounce Moroccan colonial occupation of Western Sahara and claim for the self-determination of the Saharawi people, indicated concordant sources from the occupied Saharawi capital.
The demonstrators lifted the flag of SADR and chanted the Saharawi national hymn, as well as slogans against occupation, in many schools of the occupied city of El Aaiun, the same sources stressed.
On another hand, similar demonstrations took place the same day in Smara, the Saharawi spiritual capital, in a signal of solidarity with the students of El Aaiun. The colonial authorities closed all schools before the beginning of vacations of the end of the month of Ramadan (the Holyday of the breakfast- Aid El Fitr), declaring emergencies, and maintaining regular patrols in the city to intimidate the students, who do not stop organising regular demonstrations in many neighbourhoods of Smara, the same sources added.
Eye witnesses indicated that many houses of Saharawi families were ransacked and plundered by the colonial authorities to intimidate the families and force them "pressure" their sons stop demonstrating.
A Saharawi university student, Isamaili Hamad Salama Boujemaa, who was recently attacked by the car of Smara’s Police Captain, is in serious situation in the hospital of the city. A sit-in calling for his release was forbidden by the forces of occupation, it was indicated. (SPS)
010/090/110/TRD 291609 oct 05 SPS
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SPS Security Council reaffirm its will to help the parties to reach a "definitive" settlement to the conflict
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New York (United Nations), 29/10/2005 (SPS) UN’s Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution, on Friday, reaffirming its will to help the parties (Polisario Front and Morocco) to reach a "definitive, just an lasting" settlement that enables the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara conforming to the international legality.
In this resolution (1634/2005) adopted on Western Sahara, the UN’s Security Council recalled its resolution 1495 (2003) in which it "energetically" supported the Peace Plan of James baker for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara as "the optimum political solution" for the settlement of the Western Sahara question and asked the parties to work with a view to accept the enforcement of the mentioned plan.
It also noted the release last August the 18th by the Polisario Front of the last 404 Moroccan prisoners of war and asked the parties to continue cooperating with the International Committee of the Red Cross (CIRC) so as to draw the light on the ft of the persons reported missing since the beginning of the conflict.
The Council also reaffirmed that the military accords of the cease-fire concluded with the UN’s Mission for a referendum in Western Sahara (Minurso) must be fully respected.
It finally ordered the prorogation of the MINURSO’s mandate for another six month’s period, until next April the 30th 2006. (SPS)
010/090/100/TRD 291651 oct 05 SPS
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SPS Security Council reaffirms Saharawi people’s right to self-determination, Mr. Baali underlines
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New York (United Nations), 28/10/2005 (SPS) The resolution 1634 (2005) unanimously adopted on Friday by the UN’s Security Council reaffirms the fact that the settlement of the Western Sahara’s question passes "imperatively" through the exercise by the Saharawi people of its right to self-determination, declared Algeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Mr. Abdallah Baali.
"The Peace Plan for the self-determination of the Saharawi people, also known as the Baker Plan accepted by the Polisario Front and rejected by Morocco is still relevant and more pertinent than before since the resolution 1495 (2003), which endorsed it, is clearly stressed in the resolution adopted today", indicated Mr. Baali to the Algerian Press Service, APS, after the adoption of the resolution.
Recalling that Polisario Front has released, for humanitarian reasons, the last Moroccan prisoners of war, the Algerian diplomat indicated that "it is Morocco who should now cooperate with the International Committee of the Red Cross so as to account for hundreds Saharawis who disappeared since the beginning of the conflict".
Mr. Baali also recalled the resolution which was adopted by consensus in the beginning of the month by the UN’s General Assembly, which reaffirmed, he said, "without ambiguity Saharawi people’s right to self-determination, conforming to the General Assembly’s resolution 1514 and confirmed the pertinence of the Baker Plan".
"Security Council confirmed this resolution (1514) by reiterating as clearly as possible this double requirements that the settlement of the Western Sahara’s conflict must go through the exercise by the people of this territory of its right to self-determination and that for this end there is a peace plan for the self-determination of the Saharawi people that remains the only recognised framework that is backed by the international legality for the settlement of this question", he concluded. (SPS)
010/090/700/TRD 291655 oct 05 SPS
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SPS Polisario satisfied with the UN’s Security Council recent resolution
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New York, 29/10/2005 (SPS) Polisario Front expressed its "satisfaction" with the resolution 1634 (2005) adopted by the Security Council last Friday, which decided the prorogation to another 6 months the mandate of the UN’s Mission for a Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), in charge of organising and supervising a referendum on self-determination for the Saharawi people, according to a written statement by Polisario Front’s representative to the UN, Mr. Boukhari Ahmed.
"Polisario Front registered with satisfaction this resolution adopted after a week negotiation during which the Security Council rejected a Moroccan attempt to introduce, in the resolution, paragraphs and ideas aiming at modifying the nature and the aim of the UN’s implication in the solution of a decolonisation conflict", underlined the Saharawi diplomat.
He also noted that the Security Council has reaffirmed its "support to Saharawi people right to self-determination", as well as its "recognition for the highly positive gesture of the release by Polisario Front of the last Moroccan prisoners of war".
On another hand, Mr. Boukhari underlined Security Council request to the new UN’s Secretary General’s Personal Envoy, Peter Van Walsum, to present a report within the three next months, "with a view to guide the Security Council on the steps to undertake to re-launch the peace process".
Mr. Walsum, it should be mentioned, had a meeting with MR. Boukhari, Friday in New York, the same source indicated, adding that the meeting discussed "the perspectives of the efforts of the UN’s official taking into consideration his recent visit to the region and the last resolution Security Council adopted on Friday".
010/090/666 291959 oct 05 SPS
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SAHARA
PRESS SERVICE