WEEKLY NEWS
original french
WEEK 38
17.-23.09.2000

13.09.00
USA
The Subcommittee on Africa of the Committee on International Relations of
the US House of Representatives organised a hearing on the UN Referendum on
Western Sahara.
In his opening statement Chairmen Ed Royce recalled that «a vote to
determine whether resource-rich Western Sahara is to be incorporated into
Morocco or become an independent state was originally set for January of
1992. That's more than eight years ago. Eight years and some $440 miilion
later, MINURSO, unfortunately, is far from its goal.» Adding : «Its clear
to me that the US and other countries have been unwilling to pressure
Morocco enough to achieve the implementation of a fair referendum».
Congressman George Radanovich criticised the American government:«This
administration has refused to take a strong stand against the Moroccan
occupation of Western Sahara and the Moroccan government's ongoing
reluctance to cooperate with the UN mandated referendum, and I think this
establishes a dangerous precedent and sends a wrong signal to potential
agressors elsewhere».
Congressman Joseph Pitts, for his part, stated :«Unfortunately, there have
been officials from the current US Administration and the French goverments
who appear to be proactively abandoning the negociated, signed settlement
plans under the pretext that there allegedly is no mechanism to enforce the
result of the referendum.» Adding «Our nation was birthed and established
on the right to self-determination. It is utterly bewildering that
Americans would actually believe that another group of people does have the
right to vote for their future - it is arrogant and unjust...» To conclude
: "It is time for the United Nations to hold the referendum and uphold the
results».

13-15.09.00 European Parliamentary Intergroup
A delegation of members of the European Parliamentary Intergroup "Peace for
the Saharawi People" including French, Spanish and British MEPs stayed from
13-15 September in the Saharawi Refugee camps. On its return the delegation
appealed to the Council and to the French presidency of the EU asking them
to play a more active role to guarantee the implementation of the UN peace
plan.
In a press release the delegation makes known the anxiety and
disappointment observed among the Saharawi population, confronted with
constant postponements of the referendum. It stressed the need for the EU
to support the efforts of the United Nations to implement the signed
agreements and asks for a reinforcement of humanitarian aid to the
refugees. It concludes that only a solution which respects the right of the
Saharawi people to self-determination would allow all the peoples of the
region, including the Moroccan people, to build a future in peace and
stability. (SPS)

UN - Referendum
«The settlement plan (...) remains the practical and realistic option which
would assure a just and durable solution to this conflict», the Algerian
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdelaziz Belkhadem, said from the rostrum of
the General Assembly. (14.09.00, aps)
«My country wishes to reiterate its willingness to do whatever it can to
facilitate the implementation of the UN settlement plan aimed at resolving
the conflict in Western Sahara», the Mauritanian Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Mr Ahmed Ould Sid'Ahmed added. (16.09.00 ami)

18-21.09.00
Visit of Mohamed VI to Spain
During a gala dinner in honour of the king of Morocco on the first day of
his visit, the Spanish sovereign, Juan Carlos, renewed his appeal «to spare
no efforts to resolve the outstanding contentious issues, and notably the
differences about Western Sahara.» Spain is convinced, he added, that «only
a real will for cooperation between the parties involved would enable the
difficulties which still prevent the implementation of the peace plan to be
overcome and to bring about the process of building the Maghreb.»

The representative of the Polisario Front in Spain welcomed with
satisfaction the request of the King of Spain, hoping that it had been well
attended to by Mohamed VI. «It is time to correct the tri-partite Madrid
accords (signed in 1975 by Spain, Morocco and Mauritania)», he added.
Questioned about the forthcoming Moroccan-Saharawi negotiations in Berlin
at the end of the month, Ghali appeared pessimistic about a result. (El
Mundo)
This visit gave occasion to various protest demonstrations organised by the
solidarity movement with the Saharawi people.
Many associations, institutions, trades unions etc, as well as 114
municipalities making up the Catalan Coordination of town councils
supporting the Saharawi people, signed an open letter to the king of
Morocco, asking for the organisation of the referendum.
A peaceful gathering in front of the Madrid Town Hall, where the King of
Morocco was to be received by the municipality, was dispersed on Tuesday 19
September by the police, 15 participants were arrested. The demonstrators
were protesting against human rights abuses in Western Sahara and against
the obstacles which Morocco is putting in the way of the referendum.
Despite the vigilance of the police, six demonstrators were nevertheless
able to brandish placards inside the hall, within sight of the Moroccan
guests.
During the official sitting of the parliament, cries of «Morocco out of the
Sahara» rang out from the public gallery.
The Spanish League for Human Rights strongly protested against the attitude
of the police force. The representatives of the United Left boycotted the
reception offered by the city of Madrid to the Moroccan sovereign by way of
protest.
In the evening several thousand demonstrators (between 3000 and 5000
according to different sources) took part in a protest march in the centre
of Madrid. The demonstrators demanded the respect of human rights in the
territories occupied by Morocco and the rapid implementation of the
referendum of self-determination.
A march also took place in Barcelona. (Spanish press, SPS)


The Spanish branch of Amnesty International sent a letter to King Juan
Carlos and to the Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs, for the King of
Morocco Mohamed VI. AI is concerned that the improvement in human rights in
Morocco does not extend to the inhabitants of Western Sahara and denounces
the very limited freedom of association, movement and expression given to
Saharawis. The human rights association points out that many of them suffer
because the authorities refuse to acknowledge the abuses they have been
subjected to in the past, it points out also that a good number of the 450
disappeared Saharawis have not been recognised as such. It is also
concerned that the persecutors and torturers remain unpunished.

18.-21.09.00
South Africa
Mr Mohamed Cheikh, General Secretary of the UGTSARIO, the General Union of
Saharawi Workers, took part in the 7th national congress of South African
Trade Unions COSATU. The 3000 South African delegates gave him a warm
welcome and reaffirmed the support and solidarity of their movement for the
Saharawi cause. They decided in a resolution to undertake a campaign of
solidarity with UGTSARIO and the Saharawi people.(corr., SPS)

Support for the UN-OAU settlement plan
Various Saharawi emissaries are on missions as part of a diplomatic
campaign currently being carried out by the Polisario Front and the SADR
government to raise international awareness about the question of
decolonisation of Western Sahara and to alert people to the dangers
represented by Morocco's blocking of the implementation of the peace plan
and the attempt to abandon the referendum in favour of another way.

Venezuela : The president of the Saharawi National Council (parliament),
Salem Sidi Brahim was received by the president of the National Assembly,
Dr William Lara. (SPS 16.09.00)

Kenya: The SADR Ambassador in Ethiopia and permanent representative with
the OAU started a tour of several African countries. Bringing a message
from President Mohamed Abdelaziz, Mr Fadel Ismail went first to Kenya. (SPS
18.09.00)
South Africa: When receiving the emissary of the SADR President, Mr M'Hamed
Khaddad, the South African Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs expressed the
commitment of his country to the respect of the right of self-determination
of the Saharawi people. (SPS 19.09.00)


Mexico: The government of Mexico has reaffirmed its support for the
referendum during talks with the minister and director general for Africa,
Mr Federico Urruchua Durand, with the Saharawi diplomat, Mr Khatri Addouh.
(SPS 19.09.00)

Madagascar: The Madagascan Minister for Communications and Vice-Minister of
Foreign Affairs reiterated the support of his country for the UN-OAU peace
plan during talks with the SADR emissary, Mr Mohamed Bouzeid, Minister of
Justice and Religious Affairs.(SPS 20.09.00)

Lesotho: Mr M'hamed Khaddad, member of the national secretariat of the
Polisario Front and coordinator with MINURSO, was received by the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs of Lesotho. Officials expressed their support for the
right to self-determination and their complete backing for the Saharawi
cause. (SPS 20.09.00)

Botswana: Meeting the SADR emissary Mr M'hamed Khaddad, the President of
Botswana repeated the strong support of his country to the right for
self-determination of the Saharawi people. (SPS 23.09.00)

20.09.00
Italy
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lamberto Dini, replying to a letter sent
to him by over 100 Italian parliamentarians inviting the government to back
the UN peace plan, has written that Italy continues to support firmly the
referendum process both in the United Nations and in the context of the
European Union. He added that the Italian government follows closely the
efforts of the personal envoy of the UN Secretary General and is aware of
the difficulties encountered, adding that it is evident that an explicit
abandonment of the road to the referendum for a 'third way' would risk
increasing tension in the difficult relationship between Algeria and
Morocco, which is a fundamental landmark for any prospect of regional
integration in the Maghreb and even for the stability of the Western
Mediterranean.(corr.)

COMING UP
March on Tazmamart
The Forum for Truth and Justice (Morocco) is organising on 6 October a
march on Tazmamart, the secret prison of Hassan II.

NEW PUBLICATIONS
[External links to newspapers may not be valid after some days because the
servers are restarted]

English
- Euro MP's War Warning, Wrexham Evening Leader, Wales, 20.09.00.
- Metu battles for her double dream, David Greewood, Daily Post, Wales,
30.08.00.
- I can't imagine they have ever been in a pool before, Kate Lye, South
Manchester Reporter,24.08.00, p. 1.
- Desert refugee kids love ice-cream, the sea-side and rain, Neil Adams,
Area News Today, Manchester, 25.08.-07.09.00, p. 8-9.
- Testigo, Mohamed Meni talks about living in Spain as a refugee from
Western Sahara, The Guardian, 19.09.00.
http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4065062,00.html

Français
- Première visite en Espagne de Mohamed VI, Marie-Claude Decamps, Le Monde,
22.09.00. http://www.lemonde.fr/article/0,2320,97945,00.html

Castillano
-El Ejecutivo condecora con la Orden de Isabel la Católica al Rey y a la
Princesa de Marruecos, M. V., La Razon, Madrid, 16.09.00.
http://www.estrelladigital.es/000916/articulos/espana/mohamed.htm
- El Gobierno se vuelca con la primera visita oficial del Rey de Marruecos,
Mohamed VI llegará el lunes para impulsar las relaciones bilaterales, Leyre
Herrero, Hoy, 16.09.00. http://www.hoy.es/diario/suscr/nacion08.htm
- El rey de Marruecos inicia el lunes su primera visita oficial a España
para impulsar las relaciones, Estrella Digital, 16.09.00.
http://www.estrelladigital.es/000916/articulos/espana/mohamed.htm
- Marruecos y España, Gema Matin Muñoz, El Pais, Madrid, 16.09.00.
http://www.elpais.es/p/d/20000916/opinion/munoz.htm
- Por una nueva Monarquía en Marruecos, Beyuki Abdelhamid, id.
http://www.elpais.es/p/d/20000916/opinion/marrueco.htm
- Amnistía Internacional expresa su preocupación por los derechos humanos
en el Sáhara Occidental, (Europa Press), The Ecotimes, 17.09.00.
http://ar.the-ecotimes.com/hoy/todas/cul/2000-09-16_17:11_12873.php3
- Mohamed VI declina el realce que el Gobierno quiso dar a su visita, I.
Cembrero / P. Canales, El Pais, Madrid, 18.09.00.
http://www.elpais.es/p/d/20000918/espana/moha.htm
-El Rey anima a Marruecos a cooperar con el Polisario en el Sahara, Luis
Ayllón, ABC, Madrid, 19.09.00.
http://www.abc.es/abc/fijas/nacional/009pa00.asp
- 114 ajuntaments catalans demanen en una carta oberta al monarca alauita
que accepti el referèndum, Avui, Barcelona, 19.09.00.
http://www.avui.es/avui/00/set/19/frm/170119.html
-l Rey pide a Mohamed VI que coopere en la resolución final del conflicto
del Sahara, Carmen Del Riego, La Vanguardia, Barcelona, 19.09.00.
http://www.vanguardia.es/cgi-bin/noticia.pl?dia=19_09&link=vb1916a&sec=pol
- Mohamed VI reprueba los sucesos sufridos por inmigrantes marroquíes en
España, Ignacio Cembrero / Peru Egurbide, El Pais, Madrid, 19.09.00.
http://www.elpais.es/p/d/20000919/espana/moha.htm
- El Rey pide a Mohamed VI «voluntad de cooperación» en el contencioso del
Sáhara, Marisa Cruz, El Mundo, Madrid, 19.09.00.
http://www.el-mundo.es/diario/internacional/19N0088.html
- EL REY MOHAMED VI VISITA ESPAÑA,España y Marruecos se echan en cara el
Sahara, Ceuta y Melilla Diario 16, 20.09.00.
http://www.diario16.es/espana/noticia.jsp?TEXTO=204099
- Ayuntamientos vascos aprovechan la visita de Mohamed VI para recordar el
tema del Sahara, Deia, 20.09.00. http://www.deia.com/20-9-2000/20PO31B.htm
- El Frente Polisario espera que los gobiernos de Madrid y Rabat cumplan la
petición del monarca español, Rosa Meneses Aaranda, El Mundo, 20.09.00.
http://www.el-mundo.es/diario/espana/20N0066.html
- La TV y la prensa marroquí 'olvidan' recoger las alusiones del Rey al
Sáhara,
El Pais, Madrid, 21.09.00. http://www.elpais.es/p/d/20000921/espana/tv.htm
- Miembros de la asociación Amigos del Pueblo Saharaui se manifestaron por
el referéndum, F. Simón, La Verdad, Albacete, 21.09.00.
http://www.la-verdad.com/pg000921/suscr/albac31.htm

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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
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