Polisario Front threatens war against Morocco over Paris-Dakar rally
January 4, 2001

ALGIERS, Algeria (Reuters) -- The Polisario Front independence movement on
Thursday threatened to end a cease-fire and resume all-out war against
Morocco if the Paris-Dakar rally is allowed to enter the disputed territory
of Western Sahara.

The organization also warned that race competitors would be at risk if they
entered the territory as scheduled on Sunday.

"We have said, without ambiguity, that we do not accept that the rally
crosses our territory and that we will prevent it from doing so," Polisario
Front leader Mohamed Abdelaziz said.

"The theatre of military operations would be one of an all-out war and it
will be difficult under these circumstances to make a distinction between
what is a rally and what is not," Abdelaziz told the Algerian El Watan
newspaper.

The independence movement, which is backed by Algeria, blamed the Moroccan
government and rally organizers for threatening the break-up of a United
Nations-brokered cease-fire, in effect since 1991.

"We deem that the (rally) organizers took a serious responsibility in
ignoring the U.N. resolutions and are at the origin of the cease-fire
break-up," Abdelaziz said.

The 276 rally competitors set off from the French capital on Monday for the
race's 23rd edition. They face a 10,000-kilometer (6,200-mile) trek across
southern Europe and North Africa to Senegal.

The Polisario Front, seeking independence for Western Sahara, fought a
bloody guerrilla war with Morocco over control of the territory following
its independence from Spain in 1975.

The U.N. has called for a referendum to decide whether Western Sahara
should become an independent state or remain part of Morocco. But the
referendum, originally planned for 1992, has been postponed several times
as both sides failed to agree on who is eligible to vote.

Abdelaziz said the Polisario Front had informed the U.N. about its
determination to disrupt the Paris-Dakar rally.

"I stress that nobody on a war field deserted by civilians is able to make
accurate distinction. The organizers ... must know once and for all that we
cannot distinguish between who is Moroccan and who is not," he said.

"Three days before the rally violates our border, that is to say crosses
from Morocco into the Western Sahara, we call on international public
opinion to witness the serious situation imposed upon us," he said.

Diplomats say Polisario leaders do not usually make such statements without
prior consultation with their backers in Algiers.

Copyright 2001 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be
published, broadcast,    rewritten, or redistributed.

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                         A R S O
    Association de soutien a un referendum libre et regulier
                  au Sahara Occidental
    Address:      cp 2229                CH-2800 DELEMONT 2
    E-mail: mailto:arso@...    URL: http://www.arso.org
    Tel.:+41 32 422 87 17           Fax: +41 32 422 87 01
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ONU News

UN envoy for Western Sahara concerned by Polisario Front warnings over
planned sporting event
5 January - Secretary-General Kofi Annan's Special Representative for
Western Sahara today reacted with concern to recent statements by the
Polisario Front concerning an upcoming sporting event planned for the
disputed Territory.
"During recent days, the planned passage of the Paris-Dakar rally through
the territory of Western Sahara has taken on unintended political
connotations," said William Eagleton in a statement released in both
Laayoune and New York.
Mr. Eagleton said he was "seriously concerned" about warnings by officials
of the Polisario Front that the ceasefire would be considered broken if
rally participants enter Western Sahara on 7 January, and that force would
be employed to prevent passage of the rally through the Territory.
The Special Representative emphasized that "there is no reason to infer
that the crossing of Western Sahara as part of a sporting event in any way
constitutes recognition of the sovereignty of either side over the
Territory, whose final status, as is well known, remains to be determined."
Appealing to all concerned to exercise the utmost restraint, Mr. Eagleton
pointed out that any hostile action by either party would constitute a
gross violation of the ceasefire, "and would only serve to undermine the
ongoing efforts towards achieving an early, durable and agreed resolution
of the dispute over Western Sahara."
The United Nations currently has a peacekeeping operation in Western Sahara
which is designed to allow the people of the Territory to decide between
independence or integration with Morocco.


   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         A R S O
    Association de soutien a un referendum libre et regulier
                  au Sahara Occidental
    Address:      cp 2229                CH-2800 DELEMONT 2
    E-mail: mailto:arso@...    URL: http://www.arso.org
    Tel.:+41 32 422 87 17           Fax: +41 32 422 87 01
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

WESTERN SAHARA CAMPAIGN UK
Oxford Chambers
Oxford Place
Leeds LS1 3AX
tel/fax: 0113 245 4786 / 250 8353
e-mail: 100427.3223@...


PRESS RELEASE
04/01/2001
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ATTN:

PARIS DAKAR RALLY LEADS TO WAR PLANS OVER WESTERN SAHARA


The Polisario Front, the liberation movement of Western Sahara, today
renewed  their threat  resume hostilities against Morocco if the 23rd
Paris-Dakar Rally enters Western Sahara on 7 January.

Morocco invaded Western Sahara in 1975, forcing the majority of the
Saharawi population to flee to refugee camps in Algeria.  A planned UN
referendum to determine the sovereignty of Western Sahara has been
repeatedly postponed since January 1992.
The Polisario Front stated that "it would be an insult to the Saharawi
people, a challenge to the UN and therefore a violation of the cease-fire
in effect since September 1991".  The Saharawi Ministry of Information
pledged that they will resume hostilities the day the race crosses into
Western Sahara.    For the Polisario, the race is an attempt by the
Moroccan authorities to legitimise their occupation of Western Sahara.

A spokesperson for the Rally today reaffirmed their confidence in the
Moroccan security however outlined that the organisers had not discounted
the possibility of re-routing the event.

Around 50 Spanish demonstrators disrupted the start of the third stage,
yesterday, while trying to distribute warnings to rally participants about
the dangers of travelling through Western Sahara.

During the 1997 Rally, a participant was killed after driving over a
land-mine in Western Sahara, one of up to a million remaining from the
previous conflict.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
See http://www.arso.org   or Tel: 0113 245 4786


   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         A R S O
    Association de soutien a un referendum libre et regulier
                  au Sahara Occidental
    Address:      cp 2229                CH-2800 DELEMONT 2
    E-mail: mailto:arso@...    URL: http://www.arso.org
    Tel.:+41 32 422 87 17           Fax: +41 32 422 87 01
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Australia Western Sahara Association
(AWSA)
POBox 846 Rozelle NSW 2039 Australia Inc:349639


29 December 2000
Urgent media release


WAR LOOMS IN WESTERN SAHARA:
Paris-Dakar car Rally provokes deepening crisis

The Australia Western Sahara Association (AWSA) was alarmed to learn of
plans by the Paris-Dakar Rally to cross the disputed territory of the
Western Sahara on January 7. The move, which has been encouraged by
Morocco, has provoked a strong response from the Polisario Front
independence movement. Polisario represents the people of the Western
Sahara who have been in conflict with Morocco since 1975, when Morocco
invaded their country.
Polisario announced that it would 'resumeŠ.military activities the very day
the rally would cross the Morocco-Saharawi border'. It considers the rally
a violation of the UN brokered Peace Plan that's been in operation since
1991 between the two sides. The terms of the UN Peace Plan include a
referendum on self-determination for the Saharawi people which has been
obstructed for nine years by the delaying tactics of Morocco.
The Secretary of the Australia-Western Sahara Association, Paul Reid, said
that he was 'appalled at this latest provocation from Morocco' whose
encouragement of the Paris-Dakar Rally he declared 'shows contempt for the
United Nations and international peace efforts'.
Mr. Reid also pointed out that 170,000 Saharawi people continue to live in
refugee camps, where they fled 25 years ago to escape Moroccan bombs and
napalm. A similar number are trapped in occupied Western Sahara, where
Morocco undertakes a policy of ethnic cleansing and human rights abuses.
AWSA urges the Foreign Minister, Mr. Alexander Downer, to communicate to
Morocco Australia's deep concern in relation to this most recent
provocation. It also called on the Foreign Minister to clearly show the
Federal Government's support for the speedy implementation of a United
Nations organised referendum on self-determination in the Western Sahara as
the only means to ensure peace in the region.
Mr. Reid further stated that whilst AWSA believes that the best solution to
this conflict is through the implementation of the UN Peace Plan, the
people of the Western Sahara have the right to defend their homeland and
their struggle for independence and self-determination must be supported.

MEDIA INQUIRIES: to Stephanie Brennan 0411 239934 or 02 9569 7760 an AWSA
member who has just visited the refugee camps of Western Sahara, or to Paul
Reid, Secretary, 0407 242 092

-------
On ARSO website see special page <
http://www.arso.org/Paris-Dakar/parisdakar.htm >
-------
sent by

   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         A R S O
    Association de soutien a un referendum libre et regulier
                  au Sahara Occidental
    Address:      cp 2229                CH-2800 DELEMONT 2
    E-mail: mailto:arso@...    URL: http://www.arso.org
    Tel.:+41 32 422 87 17           Fax: +41 32 422 87 01
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Australia Western Sahara Association
(AWSA)
POBox 846 Rozelle NSW 2039 Australia Inc:349639


28 December 2000
Mr. Kofi Annan
Secretary General of the United Nations
The United Nations
New York
NY 10017

Dear Mr. Annan,
Re: Paris-Dakar Rally
On behalf of the Australia Western Sahara Association (AWSA), I would like
to draw your attention to the deepening crisis that is currently occurring
in the Western Sahara.
We note with concern the encouragement by Morocco of the Paris - Dakar
Rally to cross the occupied area of the Western Sahara on January 7. We
further note the Polisario Front's press release of 22 December 2000 which
states that it sees such a passage through the Western Sahara as a
violation of the cease-fire which has been in force since September 1991.
The Polisario Front has declared that it will resume its military
activities in self-defence on the day that the rally crosses the
Morocco-Saharawi border.
No one wants to see a resumption of military activities in this region but
the actions of Morocco are provocative in the extreme and, it is suggested,
show little acknowledgement of the political sensitivities of the
situation, or the attempts by the United Nations to implement the Peace
Plan and Houston Agreements which were negotiated in good faith.
It would appear that Morocco has abandoned any vestige of commitment to the
implementation of a UN brokered referendum on self-determination for the
Saharawi people. It would also appear that Morocco is bent on showing its
disdain for the Saharawi people who it continues to oppress in the occupied
territory through violent means. Morocco has stepped up its campaign of
illegal detainment and violent suppression of peaceful protests undertaken
by Saharawi human rights activists over the last year.
Cont..
The Australia Western Sahara Association deplores such Moroccan actions and
calls for an investigation by the United Nations into such breaches of the
peace agreement. We reiterate that it is unacceptable that the UN remains
silent while these abuses are happening in front of the eyes of its mission.
We urge you to immediately act to censure the actions of Morocco in
encouraging the Paris-Dakar Rally's progress through the disputed territory
and to stop the ongoing violations of human rights that are being practiced
by Morocco. We also call on you to continue your efforts to allow the
Saharawi people to exercise their legitimate and inalienable rights to
self-determination.

Yours faithfully,

Jill Vidler
Chair
Cc Special Representative
United Nations

-------
On ARSO website see special page <
http://www.arso.org/Paris-Dakar/parisdakar.htm >
-------
sent by

   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         A R S O
    Association de soutien a un referendum libre et regulier
                  au Sahara Occidental
    Address:      cp 2229                CH-2800 DELEMONT 2
    E-mail: mailto:arso@...    URL: http://www.arso.org
    Tel.:+41 32 422 87 17           Fax: +41 32 422 87 01
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For immediate release: December 28, 2000

     US-Western Sahara Foundation Officers Call on France and Morocco to
     Change Paris-Dakar Road Rally to Avoid War;
     Call Current Route a 'Provocation'

Suzanne Scholte, Chairman, and Carlos Wilson, Executive Director of the
U.S.-Western Sahara Foundation, called on French and Moroccan authorities to
change the route of the Paris-Dakar Road rally in order to avoid war in the
region.   Current plans call for the road rally to transverse through the
disputed territory of Western Sahara, the last colony of Africa, at
Goulimiine-Smara on Sunday, January 7.

"This is an outright provocation against the Sahrawi people to cross into
their territory during this most delicate time in the negotiations over the
Western Sahara," Scholte and Wilson pointed out.

The Sahrawi Minister of Information pledged that the Sahrawis will resume
military activities on the day the rally will cross the border. Currently, a
cease fire is in effect between the Polisario Front and Morocco, but the
border crossing will violate the cease fire.

The cease fire is being overseen by MINURSO, the United Nations peacekeeping
operation in the region, which is also responsible for overseeing the
referendum over the territory.

"How much more does the international community expect the Sahrawi people to
bear? They were driven from their homeland in a brutal invasion with napalm
bombs dropped on their children and their elderly population; they have seen
their young people tortured, shot, and killed for peacefully demonstrating
for independence; and hundreds of Sahrawi women and men have disappeared
under Morocco's occupation.  Most of their population live in refugee camps
in the 'desert of deserts' in Western Algeria," Scholte and Wilson said.

For nine years the Sahrawis have awaited the UN promised-referendum on their
self-determination and while the voter list was published in January, no vote
has yet occurred.  "And now, the integrity of their borders is being ignored
in this latest provocation," Scholte and Wilson explained.

"If Morocco continues with this latest provocation," the two said, "war will
resume in the region causing death and destruction and instability in north
Africa.  It would be a terrible tragedy to see hostilities resumed especially
since all that is necessary is either a re-routing of the Paris-Dakar Rally
or a phone call to President Mohamed Abdelaziz of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic
Republic requesting permission to travel through his country."

"It is a further tragedy that after spending over $500 million on the
peacekeeping operation and the referendum, the UN has become a mere observer
to this provocation instigated by Morocco," they said.
(end of statement)




WESTERN SAHARA: A BRIEF HISTORY AND CURRENT STATUS OF REFERENDUM

A Brief History:

     The  conflict over the Western Sahara is a struggle between the
democratic, pro-West, Muslim society, the Sahrawis, vs. the Kingdom of
Morocco.  The conflict began in 1974, when Spain first promised the Sahrawis,
the indigenous people of Western Sahara, then a colony of Spain, the right to
vote on self-determination.  However, Spain withdrew from the colony before
the vote was held.  Meanwhile, Morocco had already objected to a vote on
self-determination, claiming the northern portion of Western Sahara as part
of Morocco, while Mauritania claimed the southern portion.  The International
Court of Justice ruled that neither country could claim the territory of
Western Sahara and that the Sahrawis had the right to vote on
self-determination.  On the day of the ruling, October 16, 1975, King Hassan
announced a "peaceful" Green March of 350,000 Moroccans into the Western
Sahara.    The POLISARIO, the political movement formed by the Sahrawis
originally to seek independence from Spain, went to war against Morocco and
Mauritania when the country was invaded by Moroccan and Mauritanian soldiers.
  Most of the Sahrawi women, children, and elderly fled across the Sahara
desert for refuge in Algeria.  The Morocco Air Force dropped napalm on these
unarmed, civilian refugees as they fled.

     The POLISARIO defeated Mauritania (Mauritania now supports the POLISARIO)
in 1979, but the war against Morocco continued for many years until a cease
fire orchestrated by the United Nations occurred in 1991. The U.N.
established MINURSO to oversee the cease fire and a referendum allowing the
Sahrawis to vote on independence or incorporation into Morocco.  However, the
U.N. became a tool of the aggressor and MINURSO was clearly being manipulated
by Morocco to fix the vote so that Morocco would win.  Several Americans blew
the whistle on this corruption including Ambassador Frank Ruddy (Vice Deputy
of MINURSO) who testified to Congress about Morocco's obstruction in 1994.

     As a result of former Secretary of State James Baker's involvement (he
was named as Special Envoy for Kofi Annan in 1997), the referendum process
was finally again moving forward this year.  Furthermore, UN Secretary
General Kofi Annan appeared to be the first Secretary General committed to a
free, fair, and transparent referendum.  Up until recently he was also
pushing for a referendum to be held.  The Moroccans are continuing to
obstruct this process -- as documented each month by Annan's reports to the
UN Security Council.

     The Sahrawis have long believed that only if America and Americans pay
attention to this conflict
will they ever see justice and a free, fair, and transparent referendum and
the establishment of a pro-West,
Muslim, democracy in the Northwest corner of Africa that can be a beacon of
hope to that region.

     Currently, 170,000 Sahrawis are living in refugee camps in Western
Algeria outside Tindouf, while another 50,000 live in the Western Sahara
under Moroccan occupation.

                         (MORE)

Current Status:

     The United Nations (MINURSO) finalized the identification process of the
uncontested and contested tribes this year.  The eligible voters certified by
the United Nations for voting on the referendum on Western Sahara was
released earlier this year and totaled approximately 86,000 (living in the
refugee camps and the occupied territory).  The UN rejected approximately
100,000 applicants who were Moroccan who tried, but could not prove, they
were Sahrawi.

     This number means that if the referendum were held today the result would
undoubtedly be independence for the Sahrawi people.   Never before in history
has the holding of the referendum been so close.

     Tragically, the Sahrawis have sensed a shift in the Clinton
administration's support for the referendum towards the French position which
is to seek another alternative rather than a referendum which the Moroccans
will most assuredly lose.

     For over twenty-five years, the Sahrawi people have had this one simple
request: the right to vote on self-determination --  first promised by the
Spanish in 1974 and then promised by the United Nation in 1991.

     For the referendum to be delayed further is a terrible injustice to the
Sahrawi people -- the majority of which live in refugee camps in one of the
most inhospitable places on earth.  Adding to their hardship is also the
human tragedy of families who have been separated for 25 years since the
Moroccan invasion of their country in 1975.

     Furthermore, failing to hold a referendum would call into question both
the integrity and effectiveness of the United Nations which has spent $500
million on MINURSO and provided $30 million in humanitarian aid over the past
decade.  While the United Nations is spending $4.3 million a month on
MINURSO, the entire spending for refugee relief by the United Nations for the
Sahrawi people is only $3 million a year.   It should not be difficult to
conduct a "yes" or "no" vote for a population of under 100,000 people.

     It would be a monstrous tragedy if the United States and other
democracies fail to push for the referendum because the only alternative left
would be a return to war.  It would be a betrayal of the principles of
freedom and democracy and our historical support for all peoples right to
self-determination.

     A free, fair and transparent referendum would lead to the establishment
of a democracy in northwest Africa, thereby enhancing regional stability and
the conditions for economic prosperity.

     For more information, contact Suzanne Scholte or Carlos Wilson,
U.S.-Western Sahara Foundation, a project of the Defense Forum Foundation,
3014 Castle Road, Falls Church, VA 22044; phone: 703-534-4313; fax:
703-538-6149 or email: skswm@...

     ###

   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         A R S O
    Association de soutien a un referendum libre et regulier
                  au Sahara Occidental
    Address:      cp 2229                CH-2800 DELEMONT 2
    E-mail: mailto:arso@...    URL: http://www.arso.org
    Tel.:+41 32 422 87 17           Fax: +41 32 422 87 01
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Polisario Front threatens Paris-Dakar rally

December 23, 2000
Web posted at: 7:51 AM EST (1251 GMT)

ALGIERS, Algeria (Reuters) -- The Polisario Front independence movement
threatened on Saturday to break a U.N.-brokered ceasefire and disrupt the
Paris-Dakar rally when it crosses from Morocco into the disputed Western
Sahara.

The movement, backed by Algeria, said that to have the rally go through
Western Sahara was "an insult to the Sahrawi people, a challenge to the
United Nations, and therefore a violation of the ceasefire in effect since
September 1991."

The 23rd Paris-Dakar rally starts from the French capital on New Year's Day
before a 10,000-km (6,200-mile) trek across southern Europe and North
Africa to Senegal.

The Polisario, in a communique carried by Algeria's official APS news
agency monitored in Rabat, said it would "take up arms again on the day the
rally crosses the Moroccan-Sahrawi border."

This "resumption of military activities will be in self-defense," it added.

The race reaches Morocco on January 4 and crosses into Western Sahara on
January 7.

Organizers in Paris were not immediately available for comment on the
Polisario statement.

Last year, competitors required an airlift from Niger to Libya following
threats from Algerian Islamic fundamentalist groups.

The Polisario, which has proclaimed a Sahrawi Republic in the area it
controls, fought a bloody guerrilla war with Morocco over control of the
territory following its independence from Spain in 1975.

Morocco claims Western Sahara and controls most of it. A U.N. plan calls
for a referendum to decide whether it should be incorporated into Morocco
or become independent.

The ballot was originally set for January 1992, but has been repeatedly
delayed by differences between the two sides over who is eligible to vote.

Copyright 2000 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be
published, broadcast,
                                                     rewritten, or
redistributed.

   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         A R S O
    Association de soutien a un referendum libre et regulier
                  au Sahara Occidental
    Address:      cp 2229                CH-2800 DELEMONT 2
    E-mail: mailto:arso@...    URL: http://www.arso.org
    Tel.:+41 32 422 87 17           Fax: +41 32 422 87 01
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

	Green Moroccans marching in, 25 years ago

Spain withdrew from Western Sahara, then called Spanish Sahara, in December 1975. Morocco had already staked its claim with the “Green March”, which eventually moved some 350,000 Moroccans into the territory: on November 6th, Morocco will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of the first crossing of the border. Meanwhile over 100,000 Saharawis sought sanctuary in the shadow of Tindouf, an Algerian garrison town (see article). Led by a group called Polisario, they fought a guerrilla war against the Moroccans until 1991, when a ceasefire was agreed, and a UN peacekeeping force was brought in to monitor the stand-off until a referendum on independence could be held.

But disputes over who was eligible to vote in this referendum have stalled the electoral process from its inception. Polisario claims that Morocco is trying to load the ballot box by adding its settlers to the indigenous population. The Moroccans accuse Polisario of allowing its camps to become home to assorted desert dwellers taking refuge from the severe droughts of the 1980s, and claims that the true figure of genuine Saharawi refugees in the camps falls far short of the 140,000 quoted by Polisario.

James Baker, the UN’s special envoy, and a former American secretary of state, has been trying for many years to get the Moroccan government and the Polisario leaders to agree on the arrangements, and the head-counting. But he too, it now seems, has conceded that a referendum is not the solution.

Instead, the UN is mooting the idea of limited autonomy for Western Sahara. This, supposedly, would be achieved through direct talks between Morocco and Polisario. But, at least in the past, Polisario has always insisted that a referendum was the only acceptable solution. Nor is it known what degree of self-determination would be on offer.

The lighter touch of Mohammed, Morocco’s new king, and his replacement of Driss Basri, the feared and hated minister of the interior, may go some way to reassuring Polisario that life under a Moroccan administration could, conceivably, be tolerable. Observers acknowledge that Morocco’s record on human rights has shown signs of improvement over the past year. People are still cautious in Laayoune, the region’s capital, partly because of Morocco’s heavy military presence, and the antics of its “secret” police. But hard evidence of brutality is now rare, and the heavy-handed treatment of protesters less common than it was.

If negotiations on autonomy do get going, it will be a triumph for the Moroccans, and their tactics of stubborn procrastination. They were always determined to prevent, by one means or another, the holding of a referendum that might have led to Western Sahara detaching itself from their rule.

http://www.icrc.org/icrceng.nsf/5cacfdf48ca698b641256242003b3295/c076f9c947a7549
0c12569b50058ddb5?OpenDocument

International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

Morocco/Western Sahara: 201 Moroccan prisoners released and repatriated


Geneva (ICRC) - On 14 December the International Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC) repatriated 201 Moroccan prisoners released by the Polisario Front.
Escorted by an ICRC team, the prisoners left Tindouf, Algeria, aboard an
aircraft chartered by the organization and were handed over to the Moroccan
authorities at the Inezgane military base, near Agadir. Before the
operation, ICRC delegates had interviewed the prisoners individually to
make sure that they were being repatriated of their own free will. All the
prisoners were allowed to take their personal effects with them.

ICRC President Jakob Kellenberger travelled to Tindouf the very same day
with Werner Kaspar, head of operations for the region. The release and
repatriation took place three weeks after private talks that Mr
Kellenberger had near Tindouf with Mr Mohamed Abdelaziz, Secretary-General
of the Polisario Front, while on an official visit to Algeria. Among other
things, his discussions with the Algerian authorities, in particular
President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who supported the ICRC's efforts, focused
on the plight of the Moroccan prisoners.

The ICRC welcomes the release of the 201 prisoners, most of whom are sick
and elderly. However, it remains concerned about the plight of the 1,481
Moroccans still held captive and views the repatriation as a step towards
the release of all prisoners.

ICRC delegates visit the prisoners twice a year. During its visits, the
last of which took place in November, they provide the prisoners with aid,
mainly medical, and enable them to exchange news with their families by
means of Red Cross messages. In February 2000 the ICRC had repatriated 186
prisoners released by the Polisario Front.

While he was in Tindouf, Mr Kellenberger expressed his hope that a way
would be found to settle all the issues relating to the Sahrawi refugees
who have been living in exile for many years and to families without news
of their relatives missing in action.

transmitted by

   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         A R S O
    Association de soutien a un referendum libre et regulier
                  au Sahara Occidental
    Address:      cp 2229                CH-2800 DELEMONT 2
    E-mail: mailto:arso@...    URL: http://www.arso.org
    Tel.:+41 32 422 87 17           Fax: +41 32 422 87 01
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wednesday, 13 December, 2000, 15:45 GMT
Polisario frees Moroccan prisoners

The Polisario independence movement in Western Sahara says it's
releasing two-hundred Moroccan prisoners for humanitarian reasons.

A similar move was announced for Ramadan last year.

Polisario also called on Morocco to release a-hundred-and-fifty Sahrawi
prisoners, though Morocco says it's not holding them.

Polisario recalled that it had released around eight-hundred prisoners
since a cease-fire in 1991.

But it's still holding more than fifteen-hundred Moroccans, most of
whom have been held for more than twenty years. The United Nations
has been trying for years to organise a referendum on the territory's
future, but it's been repeatedly delayed because of disagreements
over who is eligible to vote.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service

   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         A R S O
    Association de soutien a un referendum libre et regulier
                  au Sahara Occidental
    Address:      cp 2229                CH-2800 DELEMONT 2
    E-mail: mailto:arso@...    URL: http://www.arso.org
    Tel.:+41 32 422 87 17           Fax: +41 32 422 87 01
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Monday, 11 December, 2000, 17:28 GMT
Moroccan rights protesters charged

The arrests came hours after the king pledged to bolster human rights
Hundreds of Moroccans arrested over the weekend have appeared in courts
across the country charged with defying a police ban on demonstrations.

Lawyers say over 800 people were arrested when human rights groups and
Islamists held rallies to mark the United Nations Human Rights Day on
Sunday.

The arrests were broken up in the worst violence by the security forces
since King Mohammed VI came to the throne last year.

Many of the protesters were arrested hours after the king had given a
televised address in which he called for international norms of human
rights to be applied in his kindom.

King's promises

Thirty-five human rights activists have been charged with disturbing public
order after they held a sit-in on Saturday which riot police in the
capital, Rabat, broke up violently.

The activists, who include the head of the Moroccan Association for Human
Rights, are demanding an investigation into past abuses.

Meanwhile nine relatives of the head of the outlawed Islamist group,
Justice and Charity, have appeared in court.

They were among more than 700 supporters of the group arrested on Sunday
during protests demanding its legalisation.

Most of them have now been released without charge.

But nine relatives of the group's founder, Sheikh Abdesslam Yassine,
including his activist daughter
Nadia, were freed pending trial.

The BBC correspondent in Rabat said scores of protesters there were beaten
during the demonstration, before being herded onto buses and beaten again.

Climate of fear

Observers in Rabat say that following a brief respite, a climate of fear is
now returning to the kingdom.

In recent weeks, foreign journalists have been expelled and newspapers
banned, and once again in Morocco it seems that the security forces are
increasingly dictating policy.

Our correspondent says that concern is growing at the widening gap between
the talk of the politicians and the violent reality on the kingdom's
streets.

Sent by

   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         A R S O
    Association de soutien a un referendum libre et regulier
                  au Sahara Occidental
    Address:      cp 2229                CH-2800 DELEMONT 2
    E-mail: mailto:arso@...    URL: http://www.arso.org
    Tel.:+41 32 422 87 17           Fax: +41 32 422 87 01
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

http://usinfo.state.gov/cgi-bin/washfile/display.pl?p=/products/washfile/latest&
f=00121104.nlt&t=/products/washfile/newsitem.shtml



11 December 2000

Text: State Dept Statement on U.S.-Morocco Ties

(Two countries establish senior consultative body) (250)

During a visit to Rabat December 10-11 by U.S. Assistant Secretary of State
for Near Eastern Affairs Edward Walker, the United States and Morocco
announced the formation of the Senior Consultative Group to
oversee "the increasingly close ties" between the two countries.
Following is the text of a statement December 11 by acting State Department
spokesman Charles Hunter on the formation of the U.S.-Moroccan consultative
group:

(begin text)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
December 11, 2000

STATEMENT BY CHARLES F. HUNTER, ACTING SPOKESMAN

U.S-Morocco Agreement to Establish the Senior Consultative Group

Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Edward S. Walker, Jr.
visited Morocco December 10-11, 2000. During the visit he had an audience
with His Majesty King Mohammed VI. He also met with Prime Minister
Abderrahmane Youssoufi, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Mohamed
Benaissa and Minister of Interior Ahmed Midaoui.

On this occasion, the United States and Morocco have decided to establish
the U.S. -- Moroccan Senior Consultative Group (SCG). The Senior
Consultative Group is a mechanism which formalizes, at senior levels, the
increasingly close ties between the United States and Morocco. Meeting
annually in Rabat or Washington, it will underscore the importance of our
bilateral relationship. It will be headed at the Ministerial level.

(end text)

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

Sent by



   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         A R S O
    Association de soutien a un referendum libre et regulier
                  au Sahara Occidental
    Address:      cp 2229                CH-2800 DELEMONT 2
    E-mail: mailto:arso@...    URL: http://www.arso.org
    Tel.:+41 32 422 87 17           Fax: +41 32 422 87 01
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

http://allafrica.com/stories/200012110014.html

Morocco's Human Rights Activists Released On Bail

Panafrican News Agency
December 11, 2000

Rabat, Morocco

Thirty-six members of the Moroccan Human Rights Association (AMDH),
arrested Saturday evening in Rabat during an unauthorised protest, were
released on bail Sunday evening, legal sources said in Rabat Monday.

Six other demonstrators were freed for lack of evidence, the sources said.

The activists are accused of "unlawful assembly, unauthorised demonstration
and attempted breach of public order." Among the accused is AMDH chairman
Abderrahmane Benameur.

On Saturday evening, Moroccan police broke up 300 AMDH members who gathered
to commemorate the 52nd anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights.

The interior ministry said in a statement that "the law must prevail and
anyone who breaches the ban shall incur the sanctions provided by the
legislation in force."


   Copyright © 2000 Panafrican News Agency. Distributed by allAfrica.com.
For information about the content or
            for permission to redistribute, publish or use for broadcast,
contact the publisher.


sent by

   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         A R S O
    Association de soutien a un referendum libre et regulier
                  au Sahara Occidental
    Address:      cp 2229                CH-2800 DELEMONT 2
    E-mail: mailto:arso@...    URL: http://www.arso.org
    Tel.:+41 32 422 87 17           Fax: +41 32 422 87 01
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/africa/newsid_1064000/1064707.stm

Monday, 11 December, 2000, 04:01 GMT
Moroccan police clamp down on protestors

For the second day running riot police in the Moroccan capital, Rabat, have
violently broken up a human rights demonstration.

They used their batons to disperse hundreds of protestors from a banned
Islamist group who had gathered outside parliament to mark United Nations
Human Rights Day.

The BBC correspondent in Rabat says scores of protestors were beaten before
being herded into buses where they were beaten again.

Similar violence was used against hundreds of human rights activists on
Saturday.

Our correspondent says a climate of fear is returning to Morocco after a
brief respite when King Mohammed came to the throne last year.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service

---------------------

Western Saharan radio reports arrest of Saharans by Moroccan police
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Dec 11, 2000

Text of report by Polisario radio on 11th December

A new wave of arbitrary arrests affects a number of Saharan citizens in the
occupied territories. According to news from the occupied territories,
repressive police apparatus yesterday arrested six Saharan citizens
following a protest staged by the Moroccan Association for Human Rights
[AMDH].

Those who were arrested are now before the investigating judge in Morocco.
They include: Moncef Lahcene, who is a university lecturer, and a member of
the group of 26; Sebbar Brahim, Bellahi Seddik and Bouchkine Omar El
Mustapha.

Source: National Radio of the Saharan Arab Democratic Republic in Arabic
0700 gmt 11 Dec
00
/BBC Monitoring/ © BBC.
World Reporter All Material Subject to Copyright
-----------------------
sent by

   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         A R S O
    Association de soutien a un referendum libre et regulier
                  au Sahara Occidental
    Address:      cp 2229                CH-2800 DELEMONT 2
    E-mail: mailto:arso@...    URL: http://www.arso.org
    Tel.:+41 32 422 87 17           Fax: +41 32 422 87 01
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Moroccan Association of Human Rights (MAHR)
  Central Committee
  Tel : 037730961
  Fax : 037738851

                                   December 10th, 2000/12/10

Statement

  Moroccan Authorities celebrated, in their own way, the 52nd anniversary of
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

    On the very commemoration day of the Universal declaration of Human
Rights, 37 detainees, comprising National MAHR officials and Human Rights
activists, among which 7 women, were brought before tribunal of Première
Instance located at Madagascar street, Diour Jamaâ, Rabat.
  This trial follows a savage repression led by various intervention forces
yesterday, December 9th   against the pacific protest set-in before the
parliament called upon by MAHR under the slogan “We claim unveiling the
truth and pursuing disappearance, arbitrary detention and torture
responsible  before court“

   The vicinity of the Première Instance tribunal is under siege of various
intervention forces using violence and intimidation to prevent detainees
families and human rights officials and activists as well as citizens from
reaching the trial site.
 						 Central Committee


sent by

   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         A R S O
    Association de soutien a un referendum libre et regulier
                  au Sahara Occidental
    Address:      cp 2229                CH-2800 DELEMONT 2
    E-mail: mailto:arso@...    URL: http://www.arso.org
    Tel.:+41 32 422 87 17           Fax: +41 32 422 87 01
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hello,
Exceptionnally we send to the list background informations in french about
the events from Saturday in Rabat.
Please sent letters to the Moroccan embassies in your own country (you can
use the ARSO press relaese !).
Best regards
E. Martinoli
--------------------------------------

  Association Marocaine des Droits Humains
Bureau Central

  Depuis de nombreuses heures avant l'heure de la manifestation (20H) :
  Dispositif comprenant des dizaines de policiers en civil
  barrages sur le boulevard pour empêcher la circulation de piétons
  déploiement de camionnettes de police, de voitures et de fourgons de CMI
avec casques et matraque,
  la soirée s'annonçait mouvementée...

  à 20Heures, heure de la manifestation :
  Charges de CMI et pluie de coups de matraque
  arrestation de 37 personnes, dont :
  BENAMEUR Abderrahmane
  BENABDESLAM Abelilah
  AMINE Abdelhamid
  KHETTAR Lahcen (trésorier AMDH)
  OUMALEK Abdeslam
  ROUISSI Khadija (FMVJ)
  MOTIQ Lahcen
  Halim AIT OUAGHRAM (Amnesty International)
  ....
  avec eux des avocats et des journalistes
  Parmi les personnes emmenés au commissariat, 2 manifestants ont été
transférés en urgence à l'hôpital.

Sur le Boulevard devant le Parlement après cette première charge, des
attroupements, parmi lesquels des personnes arrivées en retard de
diffférentes villes (Casa, Meknès Fès)
  Nouvelles charges de CMI, nouvelles arrestations qui semblaient
parfaitement ciblées (en particulier, A2 militants AMDH de Meknès et un de
Fès...) ceux qui avaient répondu à l'appel ne pouvant pas participer à une
quelconque manifestation, se sont repliés vers le local de l'AMDH.
  De petits groupes restaient sur le trottoir, à attendre des nouvelles et à
commenter l'évènement.

  A 22 heures, arrive une partie du dispositif : "circulez !"
  Nouvelle charge de CMI
  Pluie de coups de matraque, arrestations :
  Fatiha AAROUR journaliste au journal ASSABAH
  Omar ZEIDI, de l'AMDH et HARAFI Mohammed
  font partie des personnes arrêtées.
  Les voies d'accès à l'AMDH sont bloquées.

  Dans la rue, les passants ont des mines défaites :
  la culture de la terreur, ça s'entretient.


  L'information provenant du commissariat est que des PV sont en cours
d'établissement
  ("flagrant délit de manifestation interdite") afin de présenter au moins
une partie des personnes arrêtées au Parquet.

  FIN DE LA RECREATION.
-------------------------------------------

Association Marocaine des Droits Humains
Bureau Central
  Samedi 09 décembre 2000 à partir de 20 heures.

Arrestation de 4 membres du Bureau Central de l’AMDH, dont le Président A.
Benameur et le Vice- Président A. Amine et deux membres du Bureau Exécutif
du Forum pour la Vérité et l’Equité : Mme Kh. Rouissi et L. Moutiq et aussi
un très grand nombre de membres et responsables des sections Régionales.

Dans le cadre du suivi du dossier d’enlèvement , des arrestations illégales
et  de la torture, l’AMDH a décidé de commémorer la Journée Mondiale de la
Déclaration Universelle des Droits de l’Homme par un sit-in de protestation
devant le parlement et ce le Samedi 9 décembre 2000 à partir de 20h.
  Cette manifestation s’est déroulée sous le slogan « Nous demandons de
dévoiler la vérité et de poursuivre les responsables  des enlèvements et
arrestations illégales et des actes de torture ».  Très tôt dans l’ après
–midi les différentes forces (civiles et paramilitaires) ont quadrillé tout
le centre de Rabat, et tout au début de la manifestation, les différentes
forces de l’ordre sont intervenues par la force et la matraque  et ont
procédé aux arrestations des responsables de l’AMDH et de plusieurs de ses
responsables régionaux, d’autres membres d’organisations de droits humains,
ainsi que des citoyens se trouvant sur place.
  Jusqu’à la rédaction de ce communiqué, le nombre de personnes arrêtées
s’élève à environ  40.

Voici une première liste de noms de personnes arrêtées :
A. BENAMEUR A. AMINE, L. KHATTAR, A. BENABDESSLAM, L. MOUTIQ, Kh.  ROUISSI,
A. SALHI , S. BELLAHI, O. BOUTEKNICH , H. TIJI, A.OUMALEK, A. KASMI, A.
SABER, YOUSSFI, MASSOUDI, KADI, M. DIOURI, M. SERGHINI, A. KACHANI , Y.
FEKKAK, NARIDAH, AIT OUAGRINE, O. BENZEKRI, M. KAMSI, S. OUCHAHID, M.
OUTAYEB, NASIK, F. BELOUAD, BAHSSINE, H. BOUGRINE, M. MSYEH, M. SOLBI, A.
JEDDAOUI, A. KAGHATIT, A. SHAER(journaliste), J. AYYADI (Hémorragie) , A.
DCHICH, S. CHAHID, A. SAFINE, T. ADDAHBI, N. HAZZAZ,

-----------------------------------------
  Association Marocaine des Droits Humains
Bureau Central

  communique a 22h

Non satisfait d' avoir arrêté des dizaines de responsables militants de
l'AMDH et de citoyens, les forces de l'ordre ont poursuivi les autres
participants aux sit in jusquau siège de l'AMDH et ont matraqé sauvagement
plusieurs personnes dont beaucoup de femmes. Ainsi que dautres membres du
bureau central de l'AMDH.
  Actuellement les forces de l'ordre essayent de forcer la porte du local de
l'AMDH et encerclent tous les accès y conduisant.

Les dernières informations que nous avons reçues sont l'arrestation de:
  Deux journalistes Mlle F. AAROUR  et Mlle HARHRAR
  O. Zaidi membre du bureau central de l'AMDH
  Alors que dautres citoyens et militants ont été ferocement battus jusqu 'à
l'evanouissement avant d'être emmenés au commissariat.

                                                              Bureau central
AMDH
-----------------------

Liste realisée par le Bureau Central de l’AMDH à 00h 15 mn, le Dimanche 10
– 12 - 2000
Liste provisoire des membres de l’AMDH et des organisations des droits
humains et de citoyens  arrêtés à Rabat entre 20h et  22h lors du sit-in à
Rabat appelé par l’AMDH
TOUS EN GARDE A VUE ET SERONT PROBABLEMENT PRESENTES AU PROCUREUR DU ROI LE
DIMANCHE 10 DECEMBRE 2000


A. BENAMEUR  Président de l’AMDH
A. AMINE       Vice Président de l’AMDH
O. ZAIDI         Vice Président de l’AMDH
L. KHATTAR        Trésorier de l’AMDH
A. BENABDESSLAM  Membre du Bureau Central
L. MOUTIQ Bureau executif du FVJ( Forum Vérité et Justice)
Kh. ROUISSI Bureau executif du FVJ( Forum Vérité et Justice) et membre du
comité administratif de l'AMDH
A. ESSALH
S. SEBBAR
S. BELLAHI
E. BENABIDA
Y.FEKKAK
O. BOUTEKNICH
H. TIJJI
A. OUMALEK
D. MEHJOUB
R. AHRI
T. DEHBI
M. MRIBEH
A. MAHASSINE
J. FAICAL
M. EL KENNOUNI
A. KETTANI
B. A. MESSOUID
A. KASMI
A. RCHICH
M. NATAIQ
A. BELOUAD
B. KADI
M. SERGHINI
H.AIT OUAGRAM(Amnesty international- Maroc)
O. BENZEKRI
A. SAAOUDI
E. H. HARFI
  M. OUTAYEB
  NASIK
A. CHAAR (journaliste)
F. AARROUR(journaliste)
D. BAHASSANE
H. BOUGRINE
  M. MSYEH
M. SOLBI
  A.JILALI
A. KARTIT
C.  J. AYYADI (Hémorragie)
N. EL HAZZAZI
D.  A. DCHICH
  CHAHID ( 3 membres de la famille, dont une fille à l’âge de 15 ans)
  A. SAFINE
T. ADDAHBI
N. HAZZAZ


Bureau central de l’AMDH






   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         A R S O
    Association de soutien a un referendum libre et regulier
                  au Sahara Occidental
    Address:      cp 2229                CH-2800 DELEMONT 2
    E-mail: mailto:arso@...    URL: http://www.arso.org
    Tel.:+41 32 422 87 17           Fax: +41 32 422 87 01
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ARSO
Association pour un référendum libre et régulier au Sahara Occidental
arso@...

COMMUNIQUE
Une manifestation pacifique, organisée par l'Association marocaine des
droits humains AMDH devant le parlement à Rabat, a été brutalement
dispersée par la police samedi soir. Les manifestants demandaient la
justice et la vérité sur les crimes commis par l'état et le respect de la
Déclaration universelle des droits de l'homme. Des Sahraouis, membres d'une
organisation d'anciens disparus, s'étaient joints à la manifestation pour
exiger la vérité sur le sort des disparus sahraouis. De nombreuses
personnes ont été arrêtées, dont les Sahraouis Boulahi Sadik, Brahim
Sabbar, Omar Bouteknich, Abderrahman Serghini et Moutik Lahcen.
L'ARSO exige la libération immédiate et sans condition de toutes les
personnes arrêtées, la poursuite des investigations sur le sort des
disparus et une juste indemnisation des anciens disparus et de leurs
familles.

PRESS RELEASE
A pacific demonstration, organized by the Moroccan association of Human
Rights AMDH in front of the parliament in Rabat, has been brutally
dispersed by the police on Saturday evening. The demonstrators asked for
justice and truth on the crimes committed by the state and the respect of
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Sahrawis, members of an
organization of former disappeared, had joined the demonstration to require
the truth on the fate of the disappeared Sahrawis. Numerous people have
been arrested, among them the Sahrawis Boulahi Sadik, Brahim Sabbar, Omar
Bouteknich, Abderrahman Serghini and Moutik Lahcen.
ARSO requires the immediate and unconditional liberation of all arrested
people, the continuation of the investigations on the fate of the
disappeared and an acceptable indemnification of the former disappeared and
of their families.

Delémont, 12.12.2000


   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         A R S O
    Association de soutien a un referendum libre et regulier
                  au Sahara Occidental
    Address:      cp 2229                CH-2800 DELEMONT 2
    E-mail: mailto:arso@...    URL: http://www.arso.org
    Tel.:+41 32 422 87 17           Fax: +41 32 422 87 01
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sunday, 10 December, 2000, 04:28 GMT
                   Moroccan human rights protesters beaten

Moroccan police have arrested more than forty human rights activists during
a protest in the capital, Rabat.

  Scores of protesters, many from the Moroccan Human Rights Association the
AMDH, gathered in front of the parliament building before anti-riot squads
moved in to disperse them.
  A Reuter correspondent at the scene said a number of the protestors were
beaten by the police before being forced into police vans and driven away.
  A spokesman for the AMDH said several of its leading officials including
the vice-president Abderrahmane Benameur and were among those arrested.
  The demonstration, to mark international human rights day, was  banned on
Saturday afternoon by Moroccan authorities.
  From the newsroom of the BBC World Service

-----------

(Corr) Saharans protest over Morocco's failure on jobs - radio
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom, Dec 9, 2000

Western Saharan graduates angry over the Moroccan authorities' perceived
failure to provide jobs have staged protests in Laayoune, the main town in
Western Sahara.
"Reports from the occupied territories in Western Sahara say that groups of
unemployed Saharan electricity students in the occupied town of Laayoune
have held an open sit-in in front of the National Electricity Board
building at Smara Street," Polisario radio reported on Saturday. "The
sit-in came after the Moroccan authorities reneged on their false pledges
to provide jobs for the unemployed and pay arrears to workers." Polisari
radio said unemployed graduates held another open-air sit-in in front of
the People's Democratic Action Organization headquarters in Laayoune to
protest at the decline in their livelihoods and to demand jobs.
Source: National Radio of the Saharan Arab Democratic Republic in Arabic 9
Dec 00 /BBC Monitoring/ © BBC.
World Reporter All Material Subject to Copyright


Sent by:

   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         A R S O
    Association de soutien a un referendum libre et regulier
                  au Sahara Occidental
    Address:      cp 2229                CH-2800 DELEMONT 2
    E-mail: mailto:arso@...    URL: http://www.arso.org
    Tel.:+41 32 422 87 17           Fax: +41 32 422 87 01
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

See attachment:

WESTERN SAHARA: MOVING THE PEACE PROCESS FORWARD, Focus International,
Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 05/12/00.
http://www.fco.gov.uk/news/briefs.asp
                                   The United Nations continues its efforts
to find a solution in Western Sahara that
                                   would allow the people of the territory
to exercise their right of self-determination.
                                   But fundamental differences remain
between the parties to the conflict -
                                   Morocco, which occupies most of the
territory, and the Polisario Front, which
                                   claims independence for it. Progress is
slow.

Sent by:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         A R S O
    Association de soutien a un referendum libre et regulier
                  au Sahara Occidental
    Address:      cp 2229                CH-2800 DELEMONT 2
    E-mail: mailto:arso@...    URL: http://www.arso.org
    Tel.:+41 32 422 87 17           Fax: +41 32 422 87 01
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Saharan president sends letter to UN chief on
Moroccan "violation" of
                            cease-fire
                            BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom, Dec 7, 2000

                            Following the blatant violations of the
cease-fire by the Moroccan government,
                            [Saharan] President Mohamed Abdelaziz,
secretary-general of the Polisario, has
                            sent the following letter of protest to the UN
secretary-general:

                            Mr Secretary-General: I am writing to you to
express my strong protest at the
                            dangerous acts carried out by the Moroccan
government and which constitute a
                            blatant violation of the cease-fire. These acts
are part of the Moroccan policy
                            aimed at strengthening the Moroccan military and
colonialist presence in Western
                            Sahara.

                            In the last few weeks, all Moroccan defensive
units deployed in Western Sahara
                            have laid a significant number of anti-personal
mines around their positions. In
                            various other positions, the Moroccan forces
have laid thousands of dangerous
                            and internationally-banned explosives along the
belt, despite the effective
                            implementation of the cease-fire since 6th
September 1991.

                            These new violations of the cease-fire come at a
time when Minurso [United
                            Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western
Sahara] is monitoring all the
                            positions through continuous mobile units. We
are convinced that Morocco
                            refuses to cooperate with Minurso in this issue
of anti-personal mines or with
                            other humanitarian organizations which have
offered their mediation to destroy the
                            mines on the territory of the [Western] Sahara.
But Morocco's determination to
                            carry out its anti-personal mine policy
constitutes a new danger for peace,
                            Morocco, our people and for Minurso elements
themselves.

                            At a time when the international community's
concern is to rid the planet of the
                            anti-personal mines, it is unacceptable that the
Moroccan authorities come up
                            with this new challenge...

                            The new Moroccan leadership's strategy consists
only of obstructing the [UN]
                            peace plan, as well as ending the cease-fire,
preparing for a new phase of
                            escalation, reinforcing its position and getting
ready for an expected military
                            confrontation.

                            I call on you personally to condemn the Moroccan
violations and urge this country
                            to respect strictly the articles of the
cease-fire in order to prevent an escalation
                            which is likely to lead to devastating results
in the region...

                            Source: National Radio of the Saharan Arab
Democratic Republic in Arabic 2200
                            gmt 6 Dec 00 /BBC Monitoring/ © BBC.

                            World Reporter All Material Subject to Copyright


Sent by:

   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         A R S O
    Association de soutien a un referendum libre et regulier
                  au Sahara Occidental
    Address:      cp 2229                CH-2800 DELEMONT 2
    E-mail: mailto:arso@...    URL: http://www.arso.org
    Tel.:+41 32 422 87 17           Fax: +41 32 422 87 01
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Western Sahara: UN envoy, Saharan officials
discuss latest developments
                            BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom, Dec 4, 2000

                            Text of report by Polisario radio on 3rd December

                            The Saharan coordinator with Minurso [UN Mission
for the Referendum in
                            Western Sahara] and member of the National
Secretariat [of the Polisario Front],
                            Mr M'hamed Khadad, has met the UN
secretary-general's special envoy, Mr
                            William Eagleton, who was accompanied by Mr
Slobodan Kotevski, the Minurso
                            official to the Saharan side.

                            The talks dealt with the latest developments in
the national cause in the light of
                            the UN secretary-general's recent report.

                            In addition to Mr M'hamed Khadad, these talks
were attended by Mr Mohebbini
                            [phonetic] Yahia, member of the National Saharan
Committee on the
                            Referendum. On this occasion, the Saharan
official reaffirmed the Saharan side's
                            rejection of any settlement which was outside
the UN-African peace plan and
                            which did not respect the right of the Saharan
people to self-determination and
                            independence.

                            Source: National Radio of the Saharan Arab
Democratic Republic in Arabic 2200
                            gmt 3 Dec 00 /BBC Monitoring/ © BBC.

                            World Reporter All Material Subject to Copyright





   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         A R S O
    Association de soutien a un referendum libre et regulier
                  au Sahara Occidental
    Address:      cp 2229                CH-2800 DELEMONT 2
    E-mail: mailto:arso@...    URL: http://www.arso.org
    Tel.:+41 32 422 87 17           Fax: +41 32 422 87 01
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hello,

This email message is a notification to let you know that
a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the Sahara-update
group.

   File        : /MINURSO Background paper Nov. 2000.pdf
   Uploaded by : ronh@...
   Description : 5- page overview of the United Nations Mission for a Referendum
in Western Sahara (MINURSO)

You can access this file at the URL

http://www.egroups.com/files/Sahara-update/MINURSO+Background+paper+Nov%2E+2000%\
2Epdf

To learn more about eGroups file sharing, please visit

http://www.egroups.com/help/files.html


Regards,

ronh@...

Tindouf, Algeria

26.2 miles from L’Ayoune Camp to Smara Camp

Organized by U.S.-Western Sahara Foundation & Shelter for Life International

You are invited to participate in this race to help the refugee children who depend upon the care and generosity of others. The National Union of Sahrawi Women is supporting this marathon between the refugee camps to bring attention to this challenge until the conflict over the Western Sahara is resolved. Proceeds from the Sahara Marathon will provide humanitarian and medical aid to the Sahrawi children.

This first Sahara Marathon will be run in conjunction with the 25th anniversary celebration of National Day. The course covers open desert with variable loose sandy & rocky terrain. It is difficult with no hard surfaces, emblematic of the desert harshness facing the refugees. The measured course will have first aid/nourishment every four miles with water every two miles. Runners will depart & return to Madrid through Tindouf on a charter flight where the Sahrawi government will provide ground transportation and special host accommodations in a Bedouin tent village. Festivities and entertainment will be provided. Runners should bring pre-race food if they are on a special diet, but packaged food and water will be provided during the three-day race period . The program will also include a 5K Celebration run/walk, a 10K race and a 1/2 marathon.

For information, travel and logistics, photos of the camps and registration, please visit www.saharamarathon.org, or send e-mails to saharamarathon@.... For the Sahrawi people, this is an important opportunity for refugees and visitors to run side-by-side for a common purpose. For visiting runners, it will offer a difficult but memorable and rewarding challenge. Runners who cannot travel to the Sahara are invited to become Companion Runners, and run 26.2 miles in another marathon, in training or compete in any other race wearing the Sahara Marathon t-shirt.

(For the registration form to the Sahara Marathon, please see the attachment or write to saharamarathon@....)

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Western Sahara: Pro-Saharan body calls for implementation of UN settlement plan
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom, Nov 27, 2000

Text of report by Polisario radio on 26th November

The 26th European conference coordinating the committees supporting the
Saharan people today ended its proceedings in Belgium. The conference
ratified the final statement in which the committees reiterated their full
support for the struggle of the Saharan people and for the Polisario Front
as the only body qualified to deal with the self-determination of the
Saharan people.

Meanwhile, the conference denounced the Moroccan king's strategy which
rejects the strict implementation of the Houston Accords signed by the two
sides [Polisario and Morocco] and which aimed to define a clear agenda in
order to hold a referendum for self-determination of the Saharan people.

In its statement, the conference called on the United Nations not to give
in to any other solution which some Moroccan supporters want to impose.

In this context, the conference underlined that Europe, and particularly
Spain and France, must abandon their pro-Moroccan bias. The conference
called on Europe to put pressure on Spain to back off on the agreements
which it had signed with Morocco and which represented a blatant violation
of the Saharan unity and resources.

The conference also called for cooperation with the UN and the Organization
of African Unity [OAU] in order to contribute to the building of a unified
Arab Maghreb and for a partnership in favour of a peace based on
recognition of all the region's states, including the Saharan Arab
Democratic Republic.

The conference expressed deep concern over the current no-war no-peace
situation in the Western Sahara, noting the absence of any progress in the
actions of the UN Mission for a Referendum in the Western Sahara's
[Minurso] and the denial of human rights, including economic and social
rights for the Saharan people in their occupied territories.

In a message sent to Sweden, the participants in the conference urged this
country to act - during its forthcoming presidency of the European Union -
in order to motivate the EU to contribute in implementing the UN/OAU
settlement plan.

The five groups today presented their reports on political action and
mobilization of public opinion, material and humanitarian assistance, women
and human rights and observers. All of them were unanimous on the need to
continue effort on various legal aspects and to mobilize international
public opinion in order to reinforce solidarity with the Saharan People.

Finally, it is worth noting that the 27th conference will be held next year
in the Spanish capital, Madrid.

Source: National Radio of the Saharan Arab Democratic Republic in Arabic
2200 gmt 26 Nov 00 /BBC Monitoring/ © BBC.

World Reporter All Material Subject to Copyright


   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         A R S O
    Association de soutien a un referendum libre et regulier
                  au Sahara Occidental
    Address:      cp 2229                CH-2800 DELEMONT 2
    E-mail: mailto:arso@...    URL: http://www.arso.org
    Tel.:+41 32 422 87 17           Fax: +41 32 422 87 01
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Western Sahara: British delegation reportedly tours "liberated territories"
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom, Dec 1, 2000

Text of report by Polisario radio on 30th November

A top-level British delegation recently visited the liberated territories,
especially the region of Tifariti. The delegation was made up of the
assistant to the [British] ambassador in Rabat; the British military
attache; and a senior member of the embassy staff in Rabat.

The British delegation was received by the commander of the Second Military
Region, Ibrahim Mohamed Mahmoud, member of the National Secretariat, who
was accompanied by the region's military staff.

The British delegation, which was welcomed by a military unit when it
entered the town, toured the region's installations, including the school,
the hospital and the farm. Then the British delegation visited the regional
museum.

After the tour, the British delegation held a private meeting with the
commander of the Second [Military] Region which was attended by Bechir
Seghier [phonetic], adviser to the Presidency of the Republic, and a
representative of the National Commission on the Referendum. The talks
dealt with the latest developments in the national cause.

After having lunch, the [British] delegation left the liberated region of
Tifariti and was seen off by the region's military staff and a military
guard of honour.

Source: National Radio of the Saharan Arab Democratic Republic in Arabic
2200 gmt 30 Nov 00 /BBC Monitoring/ © BBC.

World Reporter All Material Subject to Copyright


   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         A R S O
    Association de soutien a un referendum libre et regulier
                  au Sahara Occidental
    Address:      cp 2229                CH-2800 DELEMONT 2
    E-mail: mailto:arso@...    URL: http://www.arso.org
    Tel.:+41 32 422 87 17           Fax: +41 32 422 87 01
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The final resolution of the 26th EUCOCO conference is now awailable under :

http://www.arso.org/eucoconfresfine.htm

or ask  mailto:arso@arso to send it by mail

Regards
MCM

   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         A R S O
    Association de soutien a un referendum libre et regulier
                  au Sahara Occidental
    Address:      cp 2229                CH-2800 DELEMONT 2
    E-mail: mailto:arso@...    URL: http://www.arso.org
    Tel.:+41 32 422 87 17           Fax: +41 32 422 87 01
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~