|
|
|
SPS The Saharawi political prisoners address a letter of congratulations to Aminatou Haidar 21.01.06
|
|
El Aaiun (occupied territories), 21/01/2006 (SPS) Saharawi political prisoners, imprisoned in Moroccan prisons i the occupied territories of Western Sahara and in Morocco, addressed a letter of congratulation to the Saharawi human rights activist and political prisoner, Mrs. Aminatou Haidar, after she was released by Moroccan colonial authorities, on Tuesday, having spent 7 months under custody in very bad conditions in the 'Carcel negra' (black prison) in El Aaiun.
"We will never forget your heroic struggle outside and inside the prison, especially the hunger strike you undertook for 51 days despite your bad state of health", Saharawi prisoners wrote in their letter, of which SPS received a copy.
"We are also proud about your courageous position and statements, which were the direct reason for your arrest and torture by the Moroccan forces after they failed in forcing you to stop your activism in the defence of human rights", the text added.
Saharawi political prisoners, finally, renewed their "engagement to pursue the uprising of independence until the realisation of our national rights in the construction of an independent Saharawi State", the text concluded.
Mother to two children, Mohamed and Hayat, the Saharawi human rights’ activist was first arrested in 1987 and maintained under secret detention for 4 years in the secret detention camp PC-CMI in El Aaiun, where she underwent all kinds of torture according to many testimonies she gave since her release in 1991 like some 300 other Saharawi political detainee at that time.
Mrs. Haidar redoubled efforts and energy, since that date, to defend human rights in Western Sahara and to denounce the human rights violations committed by the Moroccan occupying forces against the Saharawi civil populations in the occupied territories.
Many Parliaments, international personalities and organisations adopted the cause of this young woman, who became a symbol of Saharawi political prisoners, especially human rights activists who are still under detention. She was even nominated by the European Parliament to its human Rights Sajarov Price, it should be recalled. (SPS)
020/090/100/TRD 211220 Jan 06 SPS
|
SPS Bolivia reiterates its support to the Saharawi people’s struggle for independence
|
|
La Paz (Bolivia), 21/01/2006 (SPS) The Bolivian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Armando Loaisa, reiterated "the support of his country to Saharawi people’s struggle for independence", in a Statement to the Bolivian newspaper, ‘La opinion’, in its Thursday’s edition, reported a source close to the Saharawi presidential delegation.
Mr. Armando, also reaffirmed the position of Bolivia, which "supports the Saharawi people’s struggle for the independence" of Western Sahara, the same source affirmed, knowing that the two States, Bolivian and Saharawi, maintain very close relations of cooperation and friendship since the recognition by Bolivia of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic in December the 14th 1982.
Bolivia "recognises Saharawi people’s right to self-determination and independence, as well as its legitimate struggle against the Moroccan occupation", he added, underlining that the Saharawi President, Mohamed Abdelaziz, will take part, in addition to other Heads of States, to the ceremony of inauguration of the new Bolivian President, Evo Morales, on Sunday.
The President of the Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz, will have many meetings with the Heads of the States of many South American countries during his sojourn in the Bolivian capital, the same source indicated.
The Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (RASD) participation to the ceremony of investiture of the new Bolivian President, Evo Morales, "reaffirms the excellent diplomatic relations that link the Saharawi Republic with the Latino American countries", the same source estimated.
In this respect, it should be recalled, the Oriental Republic of Paraguay officially recognised the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic last December 2005, strengthening the diplomatic acquisition of the Saharawi diplomacy in South America.
The Saharawi presidential delegation is composed of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mohamed Salem Ould Salek, Saharawi Ambassador to Venezuela, Haj Ahmed Barek Allah, and the Councillor to the President, Mr. Aabdati Breika.
According to sources close to the Bolivian department of Protocol, more than 50 governmental and organisational delegations will be received in the Bolivian capital starting from tomorrow, Friday, to Sunday.
The first group of visitors, which reached the Bolivian capital, was composed of the Presidents of the Paraguay, Nicanos Duarte; of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz, and of Slovinia, Janez Drnovsek.
Today, the international airport of the Bolivian capital will receive the Heads of the States of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez; Colombia, Alvaro Uribe, and Ecuador, Alfredo Palacio; in addition to the under-Secretary of American State for America Latina, Thomas Shannon, and other delegations.
On Sunday, the Bolivian protocol department expects the arrival of the Presidents of Argentina, Néstor Kirchner; Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva; Chile, Ricardo Lagos; Panama Martín Torrijos, and Peru, Alejandro Toledo, in addition to the Secretary General of The Organisation of the American States, José Miguel Insulza.. (SPS)
020/090/100/TRD 211350 Jan 06 SPS
|
SPS The Saharawi delegation calls on the WSF to adopt a firm position from the Moroccan colonialism in Western Sahara
|
|
Bamako (Mali), 21/01/2006, (SPS) The Saharawi delegation, which is participating to the activities of the 6th World Social Forum held from Thursday the 19th to Monday the 23rd of January, called on the participants, on Friday, to adopt a firm and clear position from the Moroccan colonialism in stern Sahara, SPS’s correspondent on the ground reported.
Intervening before of the participants to the workshop discussing the theme "war and militarization, security and peace", Mr. Abdesslam Omar and Mr. Mohamed Slama Badi, respectively President of the Association of the Families of Saharawi prisoners and Disappeareds (AFAPREDESA) for the first and a Saharawi human rights activist for the second, called on the participants to the Forum "to adopt a firm and clear position from the Moroccan colonialism in stern Sahara", the same source indicated.
"The Forum must adopt a firm position from Morocco, which is advancing a double speech; on the one hand Rabat pretend sit is democratic and that it defend the just causes while in reality it illegally occupies a non-self-governing territory, hindering thus the finishing f a decolonisation process in the last African colony, Western Sahara, conforming to the international legality", declared Mr. Abdeslam Omar to the correspondent of SPS, after the discussions.
The works of the Forum started on Friday with the constitution of workshops of discussions on themes such as "war militarization, security and peace", "globalised liberalism: Apartheid at an international level and impoverishment" and "the international order: United Nations in the face of the powers’ supremacy".
Other workshops are also in the programme tackling subjects such as "the protection of the cultural rights of minorities", "communication and standardisation of the spirits and visions of the world", "biological diversity and control of resources", as well as the problematic of "the debt and economical policies".
These workshops will be animated by intellectuals and members of non governmental organisations from all over the world, it was indicated.
Composed of 26 activists of the Saharawi civil society in the refugee camps, an important Saharawi delegation, chaired by Mr. Mohamed Sidati, Member of the Polisario Front National Secretariat and Minister Councillor to the Presidency, arrived on Tuesday the 17th of January in Bamako, capital of Mali, to participate to the 6th World Social Festival, it should be recalled.
WSF 2006 is taking place in two sessions, of which Bamako receives the first until January the 23rd, followed by a second session, which will start on Tuesday the 24th of January in the Venezuelan Capital, Caracas, which will take over for a week.
The idea of organisation the Forum in two sessions in two different continents is undertaken for the first time this year, since the starting of the Forum in 2001. This initiative aims at touching and giving an opportunity to the biggest number of persons in the world, according to the organisers. (SPS)
060/090/000 211542 Jan 06 SPS
|
SPS The African Committee affirms: the Situation in the Western Sahara "deserves a special intention from the international community"
|
|
Khartoum (Sudan), 21/01/2006 (SPS) The African Union’s Committee (AU) affirmed, on Saturday in Khartoum, that the situation in Western Sahara "deserves a special intention from the international community", reported Algerian Press Agency, APS.
The AU also expressed its "concern" about the "permanent blockage of the peace process in addition to the increasing frustration of the people of Western Sahara".
According to its report on the period going between July and December 2005, adopted by the 8th session of the AU’s Executive Council, which continue its closed works, the Committee affirmed that the situation in the Western Sahara is a real subject of concern, the same source stressed. (SPS)
020/090/700/TRD 211900 Jan 06 SPS
|
SPS Saharawi people "will never give up until they recover their legitimate rights", declares Mohamed Sidati in Bamako
|
|
Bamako (Mali), 21/01/2005 (SPS) Saharawi people, who are struggling for more than three decades for the liberation of their territory from the Moroccan colonial yoke, "will never give up until they recover their legitimate rights", affirmed Mr. Mohamed Sidati, Member of Polisario Front’s National Secretariat and Minister Councillor to the President, on Saturday in Bamako, reported the correspondent of SPS on the ground.
During a workshop, organised by the Spanish Coordination of the Associations of solidarity with the Saharawi people d’, within the framework of the World Social Form that is held from Thursday to Monday the 23rd of January in the Malian capital, the Minister and Saharawi poet, Mohamed Sidati, affirmed that "Saharawi people’s cry of suffering and freedom (...) can not be damped, and these people will never give up until they cover their legitimate rights".
"Despite all Moroccan attempts, the reality of Western Sahara can not be hiden, because the Saharawi people exist and their right to self-determination is recognised by the United Nations", he underlined.
On another hand, Mr. Sidati gave, to an audience composed of representatives of NGOs and civil society from different countries, the historical account of the conflict in Western Sahara, recalling the unanimous adoption, last July 2003, by the UN’s Security Council of the Baker Plan, which plans for the holding of a self-determination referendum in this territory after a transitional period of no more than 5 years.
"This plan was accepted by Polisario Front, the Representative of the Saharawi people, but was rejected by Morocco", he recalled, regretting the lack of political will among Rabat, which persists in erecting obstacles in the face of the peaceful finishing of the decolonisation process of Western Sahara, started by the UN since the sixties.
It should be noted that in spite of an attempt, organised by members of Moroccan NGOs, to disturb the well development of this discussion, the works of the workshop were achieved after the intervention of Malian agents to the request of the organisers of the World Social Forum, it was indicated.
Composed of 26 activists of the Saharawi civil society in the refugee camps, an important Saharawi delegation, chaired by Mr. Mohamed Sidati, Member of the Polisario Front National Secretariat and Minister Councillor to the Presidency, arrived on Tuesday the 17th of January in Bamako, capital of Mali, to participate to the 6th World Social Festival, it should be recalled.
WSF 2006 is taking place in two sessions, of which Bamako receives the first until January the 23rd, followed by a second session, which will start on Tuesday the 24th of January in the Venezuelan Capital, Caracas, which will take over for a week.
The idea of organisation the Forum in two sessions in two different continents is undertaken for the first time this year, since the starting of the Forum in 2001. This initiative aims at touching and giving an opportunity to the biggest number of persons in the world, according to the organisers.(SPS)
060/090/000 212152 Jan 06 SPS
|
SPS "It is a shame that Western Sahara remains colonise in the 21st century", declares Mr. Jésus Garay in Bamako
|
|
Bamako (Mali), 21/01/2006 (SPS) The President of the Association of the Friends of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic in Vitoria, Jésus Garay, declared that "it is a shame that Western Sahara remains colonise in the 21st century", in his intervention on Saturday at the opening of a debate organised during the third day of the World Social Forum (WSF) in Bamako, reported the Algerian press agency, APS.
Organised by the Spanish Coordination of the Association of solidarity with the Saharawi people in the National School of Administration, one of the eleven sites dedicated for the thematic activities of the WSF in the Malian Capital, Mr. Garay estimated that it was shameful that "Western Sahara remains colonise in the 21st century".
"A new world can not be possible as long as a repression is still undertaken against a population by another State", and as long as "the last problem of decolonisation in Africa" is not resolved conforming to the international legality, Mr. Garay added.
On another hand, the President of the African Trade Unions, the Nigerian Hassan Sonmono, underlined that Saharawi people "have got the right to decide over their fate via a referendum, a stipulated in the UN’s General Assembly’s and Security Council’s resolutions".
"We can not accept that an African country be colonised by another African country", Mr. Sonmono affirmed, regretting the attitude of "two weight to measures" of the UN, referring to the non enforcement of the UN’s resolutions on Western Sahara.
The African Trade unionist expressed his support to Saharawi people’s struggle, comparing it to the victorious struggle led against the racist regime of Apartheid in South Africa.
On her part, Mrs. Fatma El-Mehdi, President of the Union of the Saharawi Women, denounced the "repression underwent by Saharawis in occupied territories, exercised on them by the Moroccan occupation".
Saharawi people "ask for a single thing: the exercise of their right to self-determination", she stressed.
The President of Saharawi Jurists, M. Abba El Heissan, also denounced the "siege imposed by the Moroccan forces on the occupied Saharawi cities", calling for an urgent international intervention for the protection of the Saharawi population under Moroccan occupation. (SPS)
060/090/700 212230 Jan 06 SPS
|
|
SAHARA
PRESS SERVICE