March 2017

New York, 17 March 2017 (SPS) -  President of Republic, Secretary-General of the Polisario Front, Brahim Ghali, arrived Wednesday in New York, on a visit for several days, during which he meets with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, according to a source close to the presidential delegation.
The President of the Republic is expected to meet with United Nations officials during this visit, especially at the level of the UN Security Council.

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, March 17, 2017 (SPS) - The Canarian Association of Solidarity with the Saharawi People organizes today  a series of activities to protest against the Canarian companies that continue to participate in the looting of Saharawi natural resources since the beginning of the Moroccan occupation.
According to the association, all these activities, following the European Court of Justice ruling in December 2016, are criminal and immoral and "Morocco cannot continue to export Saharawi products as its own".

Copenhagen (Denmark) 16 March 2017 (SPS) – The member of Danish Parliament, Mr. Christian Juhl from the Red-Green Alliance Party through the Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee has raised Tuesday various questions to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Anders Samuelsen related to the Swiss-registered organisation, the Crans Montana Forum, based in the Principality of Monaco,  plan to hold for the third time its annual session in the city of Dakhla in the Moroccan-occupied territories of Western Sahara on 16-21 March 2017.

Copenhagen (Denmark) 16 March 2017(SPS) – In Press release issued Tuesday by the Danish Organisation Afrika Kontakt has urged the Moroccan Government to release the Saharawi Gdeim Izik group.

Afrika Kontakt stated in its Statement: “Right now a new lawsuit has started against the 25 Saharawi activists of Gdeim Izik who for several years have been jailed under severe circumstances for their involvement in a protest camp. First they were presented to Military Court trial and now to Civilian Court in Morocco.

Brussels, March 16, 2017 (SPS) - Sahrawi deputy minister for Europe Mohamed Sidati urged Wednesday the European Union (EU) to intervene to  contribute to the “immediate and unconditional” release of the Sahrawi political prisoners of Gdeim Izik group.

Valencia, March 15, 2017 - (SPS) - Minister of Cooperation, Mr. Bulahi Mohamed Fadel Sid was received on Tuesday by the mayor of the city of Valencia, Joan Ribo accompanied by the Minister of Participation and Cooperation, Manuel Alcaraz . The meeting also included representatives of the Federation of associations of aid to the Saharawi people.
 

Paris (France), March 15, 2017 - Mayor of Saint-Denis (Paris suburb) Laurent Russier on Tuesday expressed "consternation with the lack of fairness in the trial of 24 Saharawi political prisoners of the Gdeim Izik group, which opened Monday in Rabat, Morocco.
"I express my dismay over the lack of fairness in the trial and reiterate my commitment to human rights issues and the right to peoples' self-determination," the French mayor said.
Since Dec 26, Russier said, irregularities have been noticed "casting a serious doubt on the fairness of the trial."

Copenhagen (Denmark) 15 March 2017 – The member of Danish Parliament, Mr. Christian Juhl from the Red-Green Alliance Party through the Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee has raised Tuesday various questions to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Anders Samuelsen related to the trial of the 24 Saharawi human rights activists of Gdeim Izik Group in Sale in Morocco.
Mr. Juhl interpellations to the Foreign Affairs Minister read “The retrial of 24 activists from Gdeim Izik, was launched on March 13th, in Sale near Rabat in Morocco.

Algiers, March 14, 2017 (SPS) - Minister of Maghreb Affairs, African Union and Arab League Abdelkader Messahel expressed the hope that the new Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres will give a new impetus to the decolonization process in Western Sahara.
“The UN process for the peaceful settlement of the Sahrawi cause is currently at a deadlock,” said Messahel, the guest of the National Television programme “Hiwar Essaa.”

Copenhagen, (Denmark) March 14th, 2017 (SPS) - In Press release issued Tuesday by the Danish Member of Parliament from the Red-Green Alliance Party (Enhedslisten) development Spokesman, Mr. Christian Juhl has urged the Moroccan Government to release the innocent Saharawi human rights activists of Gdeim Izik group.

Brussels (Belgium), March 14 2017 (SPS) - The minister of State, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ramtane Lamamra called Monday, in Brussels (Belgium), for the European Union to act  concerning the western Sahara issue “in conformity with international law and the ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).”

Algeria, March 14,  2017  (SPS) - Foreign Minister and member of the National Secretariat, Mohamed Salem Uld Salek, said Monday at a press conference in Algiers that Morocco should collaborate with Christopher's successor Ross and to respect its international commitments which had accepted and signed.
 
Mohamed Salem Uld Salek said that the problem raised is not what will happen to the special envoy of the UN SG in Western Sahara, but how Morocco will react to the future team of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara.

Rabat, March 13, 2017 (SPS) The trial of the Saharawi political prisoners of the Gdeim Izik group resumed on Monday in Rabat against calls for their "immediate and unconditional" release.
The resumption of the trial of the Saharawi militants comes at a time when a campaign of support and international solidarity is being conducted in favor of the prisoners unjustly condemned by a military tribunal.
Appeals were also launched to try Moroccan officials for "arbitrary detentions".

Bir-Lehlu, 13 March 2017 (SPS) - The President of the Republic, Secretqry-General of the Polisario Front, Brahim Ghali, has called on the new UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, in order to intervene urgently for the immediate and unconditional release of Saharawi political prisoners, in particular the group of Gdeim Izik, who are due to appear before the Moroccan court in Rabat on Monday.

Copenhagen, (Denmark) March 13th, 2017(SPS) - In Press release issued today by the Danish Free Western Sahara Campaign (Frit Vest Sahara) has urged the Moroccan authorities to free release the Saharawi innocent human rights activists of Gdeim Izik group.
The Danish Free Western Sahara Campaign (Frit Vest Sahara) further said:
“In these hours the Kingdom of Morocco is holding a trial against the 25 human rights activists of Gdeim Izik who have been imprisoned for several years only because of their peaceful demonstration.

Bir-Lehlu, March 12, 2017 (SPS) - Saharawi government has condemned the terrorist bombings on Saturday that targeted innocent people in the Syrian capital, Damascus, and according to initial reports killed 74 people and wounded more than 120.
In a statement of the Ministry of Information on Sunday, the government expressed condolences and solidarity with the Syrian people, the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic, and the families of the victims.

Rabat (Morocco), March 12, 2017 (SPS) – The Moroccan authorities started Sunday morning putting iron barricades around the court where the trial of Gdeim Izik prisoners will take place. 
Many vehicles surrounded the places where the families of Gdeim Izik prisoners and their sympathizer stay. 
The Sahrawi political prisoners of Gdeim Izik group are expected the appearance Monday in front of the Moroccan court in Salé, Rabat, after their trial was postponed for the second time since their file was referred to the civil court. (SPS)

Wilaya of Samara (Refugee Camps), March 12, 2017 (SPS) -  The people and authorities in the Wilaya of Smara, Sahrawi refugee camps, received Saturday an Algerian military delegation led by General Major Saïd Chengriha, Commander of the 3rd Region.

Zaragoza (Spain), March 12, 2017 (SPS) - Spanish Coordination of Solidarity Associations with the Saharawi People (CEAS-SÁHARA) held Saturday the 11th annual conference attended, in addition to the Spanish committees of solidarity and friendship the Sahrawi people, by the representatives of the Polisario Front in the provinces of Madrid, Andalusia and Aragon and all arena Spanish.

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 11 March 2017 (SPS) - The Saharawi delegation in the Canary Islands announced a rally will take place on Monday before the Moroccan consulate in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in solidarity with Sahrawi Political prisoners of Gdeim Izik.
The rally will be attended by the Saharawi community resident in the Canary Islands, the movement of solidarity with the Saharawi cause, and citizens in general, said a press release issued by the delegation.