SAHARA PRESS SERVICE

Caracas, 31/08/2004 (SPS) The President of the Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz, arrived Monday to the Venezuelan Capital chairing an important delegation of SADR, within the framework of a work visit in Latin America, reported a close source to the delegation.

Composed of Mr. Mahfoudh Ali Beiba, member of the National Secretariat and President of the National Council (Parliament), Mr. Ahmedou Soueilem, Minister Councillor to the Presidency, Mr. Ahmed Moulaye Ali, SADR's representative to Mexico and Mr. El Haj Ahmed, Saharawi Ambassador to Venezuela, the Delegation was received at the airport by Mr. Arvelo Mendz, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Venezuela, accompanied by other officials.

It was then received at the seat of the Government by the Venezuelan vice-president, José Vecente Rangel, who reiterated the support of his people and Government to the Peace Plan for the self-determination of the Saharawi people. He underlined the determination of his country to support the efforts of the United Nations for a peaceful, fair and lasting settlement of the conflict of Western Sahara.

During the meeting, which tackled the bilateral relationships of cooperation between the two countries, the Head of the State congratulated his Venezuelan counterpart, Hugo Chavez, for the confidence expressed by his people during the recent popular consultation on the legitimacy of his presidential mandate.

It should be noted that the Saharawi presidential delegation is expected tomorrow in Panama to take part to the ceremony of the handing over of power to the new President, Martin Torrijos, to which many other Head of States and Government will take part. (SPS)

020/090/100/TRD 311450 August 04 SPS

SPS
OCCUPIED TERRITORIES/HUMAN RIGHTS
Two Saharawi NGOs calls to the release of all Saharawi political detainees in Moroccan prisons

Chahid El Hafed, 31/08/2004 (SPS) The Union of Saharawi Jurists (UJS) and the Association of the Families of Saharawi Prisoners and Disappeared (AFAPREDESA) called Monday to the release of all Saharawi political detainees in Moroccan prisons, in a communiqué of which SPS received a copy.

Celebrating the International Day of solidarity with the reported missed, the UJS and AFAPREDESA reaffirmed "their attachment to the human sense of this day of international solidarity and to the principles of freedom, dignity, peace and justice as mentioned in the Universal Declaration for Human Rights".

The two NGOs asked "all human rights' organisation to mobilise in order to exert pressures on Morocco so as to shed light on the fate of the disappeareds by the release of the still alive among them and by delivering the bodies" of the Saharawi victims who were killed under torture in Moroccan secret cells.

They called "to the judgement of the responsible parties of these violations of human rights perpetrated" by Moroccan authorities of occupation, asking for the protection of the Saharawi population against anti-persons mines and claiming for the "ending of the military, security and medias siege imposed on the occupied territories of Western Sahara".

It should be recalled that the two NGOS had recently called all governmental and nongovernmental organisations to intervene near Morocco to push it respect human rights in Western Sahara and start a judicial investigation against the responsible of the torture of the Saharawi young man. (SPS)

020/090/000/TRD 311428 August 04 SPS