SAHARA PRESSE SERVICE

Madrid, 29/11/2006 (SPS) "The causes behind the exodus towards the Canaries Islands is the increasingly explosive situation in the ex-Spanish colony actually occupied by Morocco", the Spanish newspaper, El Pais, stressed in its Tuesday’s edition, which reported the shipwreck that resulted in the death of more than 31 Saharawi youth in Bojador, while they were trying to flee the reprisals in their country.

El Pais noted that since the beginning of the year and despite of the accords signed by the President of the Spanish Government, José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, and the Moroccan King, Mohamed VI, aimed to put an end to contraband of persons, the arrival to illegal ships to the Canaries Islands has increased "under the effect of the hard repression exercised by the (Moroccan) police and gendarmerie in the ex-Spanish colony, actually occupied by Morocco".

"Since May 2005, successive demonstrations are organised in the main cities of the Western Sahara to advocate the independence of the territory, which is still waiting for the organisation of a self-determination referendum", El Pais wrote.

"The Moroccan forces maintain a permanent siege that seals the Saharawi neighbourhoods. Detentions, denunciations, torture and search of houses are regular", the newspaper added.

The newspaper recalled that this repression was "denounced, including by the United Nations last October" (the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights’ report).

According to the same source, which quotes the President of the Saharawi Victims of the Gross Human Rights Violations Committed by the Moroccan State, Brahim Dahan, there was a human rights activist among the victims of the shipwreck, mainly Mr. Naji Boukhatem, 30 years old university graduate and member of the mentioned association, in addition to many other children who died.

Brahim Dahan, explained that the increase of the numbers of the Saharawi youth who migrate to the Canaries Islands and the consequences of the repression and "threats of death they are subjected to by the Moroccan police".

On its part, the Spanish newspaper "El Mundo", which quoted a Saharawi source, indicated that one of the persons implicated in the contraband of persons was arrested on Monday in a Moroccan Gendarmerie point of control while he was transporting a zodiac motor in his car.

The same source said that he was immediately released after he gave to the agents 3000 Moroccan Dirhams.

Another Spanish newspaper, ABC, in its part, considered that the Moroccan repression is the reason behind the Saharawi youth illegal migration to the Canaries Islands, stressing that those among them who succeed to reach the Spanish coasts raise the Saharawi Republic’s flags and carry Spanish documents that prove they are sons of ex-Spanish citizens ‘’before the occupation of their territory by Morocco’’.

La Vanguardia, on its part, stressed on the repression that is striking the occupied territories of the Western Sahara since May 2005.

More than 500 Saharawis were forced to exile in one single year because of the Moroccan repression and because of the practice of torture they were subjected to, according to the Saharawi Ministry of Occupied Territories, which regretted the "absence of international observers" in these territories. (SPS)

010/090C700/TRD NOV 06 SPS

SPS
OCCUPIED TERRITORIES/SPAIN/REPRESSION

The Spanish League for Human Rights asks for the protection of the lives of the Saharawi youngsters

Madrid, 29/11/2006 (SPS) The Spanish League for Human Rights called on the Spanish Government on Tuesday to intervene for the protection of the lives of the Saharawi youngsters who are trying to escape "the brutal repression" exercised in the territories of the Western Sahara "militarily occupied by Morocco", stressing that 14 Saharawis died last Sunday in the coasts of the occupied city of Bojdor while 26 others are reported missing.

The Spanish League underlined, in a press release signed by its President, Francisco José Alonso Rodriguez, that it is necessary to put an end, "by all means", to this tragedy of these two last months.

The League denounced the fact that the illegal migration of the Saharawi youth is "encouraged" by Morocco with an aim to "destroy the (Saharawi) internal resistance".

He also denounced the fact that the claims for independence and freedom are faced by "brutal repression from the Moroccan military and police forces".

"The Saharawi population lives under a real atmosphere of terror, with hundreds detentions, and arrest of minors" and other gross human rights violations, he stated in his press release.

The Spanish Committee for the Aid to the Refugees has before that considered Morocco as "the direct responsible" for the death of 14 Saharawi youngsters and 26 others reported missing. (SPS)

010/090/700 291015 NOV 06 SPS

SPS
OCCUPIED TERRITORIES/MOROCCO/SHIPWRECK

At least fourteen persons dead in two pateras in the coasts of the occupied Bojador (official)

Madrid, 29/11/2006 (SPS) 14 young Saharawis, who were trying to flee the Moroccan repression, died in a shipwreck on Sunday early morning in two small ships at the coasts of the occupied city of Bojador (150 km south El Aaiun, the occupied capital of the Western Sahara), while another 26 youngsters are still reported missing, according to information declared on Tuesday by Polisario Front’s representation in Spain, quoted by the Algerian Press Service, APS.

Ten bodies were found in Awzioualet Beach (18 km south Bojdor) and 4 others in Agti El Ghazi Beach (50 km north the same city), the same sources stressed.

The first group of victims were buried on Monday evening in the occupied city of El Aaiun by the Saharawi population, sealed by an important deployment of Moroccan forces of occupation.

The Moroccan boss of one of the ships, the so-called Brahim Sergheni, famous in the occupied territories of the Western Sahara as "one of the main bosses of the illegal web of migrants’ contraband towards Spain", has survived the shipwreck, it was indicated.

He was briefly arrested on Monday in a Moroccan Gendarmerie point of control while he was transporting a zodiac motor in his car.

The same source said that he was immediately released after he gave to the agents 3000 Moroccan Dirham.

The Saharawi Representative in Spain, Brahim Ghali, denounced the "impunity" these kind of persons enjoy and the "complicity" of the different corpses of Moroccan security, especially that the beaches from where the migrants ships start their dangerous trips are well known, mainly Rmila, Tbila, Haimar Mah and Awzioualet.

"It is a Moroccan plan that aims to empty the Western Sahara from the youth who are struggling against the occupation and who claim for the respect of the human rights and the right to self-determination", Mr. Ghali declared.

The Saharawi diplomat considered that the UN, which is present in the Western Sahara through the MINURSO, must assume "its responsibilities in the protection of the Saharawi population against the Moroccan repression and forced exile". (SPS)

010/090/700/TRD 290938 nov 06 SPS

SPS
SADR/MAURITANIA/ANNIVERSAIRY

President Abdelaziz’s message to Ely Ould Fal on the occasion of Mauritanian Independence Day

Bir Lehlu (liberated territories), 29/11/2006 (SPS) The President of the Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz, addressed on Tuesday a message of congratulations to the Mauritanian President of the Military Council for Justice and Democracy, Colonel Ely Ould Mohamed Vall, the Head of the Mauritanian State, on the occasion of the 46^th anniversary of the independence of his country in November the 28, 1960.

"This anniversary that coincides this year with the success of the legislative and municipal elections, which were characterised by a transparency that expressed the will of the brotherly Mauritania people, gave me a great pleasure and desire to express you my best wishes of health and happiness for yourself, and of progress and prosperity to the Mauritanian brotherly people", Mr. Abdelaziz wrote in a letter he addressed to the President of the Military Council for Justice and Democracy, Colonel Ely Ould Mohamed Vall.

"We reaffirm you our will to consolidate the relations of brotherhood and neighbourhood that exist between the two brother peoples, Mauritanian and Saharawi, through out history", he added in his letter, of which SPS received a copy.

"At a moment when the Saharawi question witnesses very important developments, we express you our readiness to seriously cooperate with the UN on the way of the implementation of the international legality, so as to enable the Saharawi people to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination through a free and transparent referendum for the good, security and progress of the region", the President of the Republic concluded in his letter. (SPS)

020/090/100/TRD 291510 Mars 06 SPS