WEEK 21
23.-26.05.1999

15-16.05.99
7th National youth meeting of Portugal, Lisbon
The Secretary General of UJSARIO (Sahrawi youth organization) and a
representative of AFAPREDESA greeted participants in a Sahrawi tent erected
at the site of the meeting. The assembly adopted two motions on Western
Sahara. The first stated the Portuguese youth movement's support for the
Sahrawi people and its youth. The second expressed support for the
referendum campaign and, in the immediate term, participation in the
"Vacation of Peace" action in which Sahrawi children will have a vacation
outside of the refugee camps this summer. During a joint meeting of
UJSARIO, the Spanish and Portuguese youth councils and RENETIL (East Timor
student resistance), collaborative projects to participate in observer
missions were discussed (a self-determination referendum in East Timor is
scheduled for August 8, 1999).

23.05.99
AFAPREDESA's year 2000 campaign
The Campaign 2000 to free Sahrawi prisoners was launched following events
held in solidarity with the Sahrawi disappeared, organized by the Baleares
section of Amnesty International, the Baleares association for solidarity
with the Sahrawi people and AFAPREDESA. The campaign will include sending
post cards to Moroccan and Spanish authorities calling on them to respect
international conventions, and interventions at the UN calling on it to
demand prompt application of clauses to the Peace Plan regarding political
and war prisoners. To participate in the campaign, contact AFAPREDESA, C/
Jose Ortega y Gasset Nº77-2ºA Tél.: ++ 34 914023204 - 917980807, Fax:
914028499 E-mail: mailto:afapredesa@...

24.05.99
Referendum
A Moroccan delegation met with the HCR in Geneva to discuss the issue of
Sahrawi refugee repatriation.

29.05.99
Switzerland
A Saharawi delegation participated to the meeting of the Swiss Socialist
Party at Neuchâtel. In his speach Mr Malainine Saddick, minister counsellor
to the presidency, remembered the history of the Saharawi people and the
actual situation . He appealed to Switzerland to continue acting in favour
of the implementation of the peace process. He also encountered briefly the
Swiss Government President Mrs Ruth Dreyfuss and the leader of the Swiss
Socialist Party Mrs Ursula Koch.

29.05.99
Moroccan Diplomacy
Mohamed Guedira, governor of Rabat, will be Ambassador to London. Fassi
Fihri, former Secretary general of Foreign Ministry will be Ambassador to
Washington.

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

- Inauguración del Hospital Navarra de Tifariti, El Mundo del País Vasco,
11.04.99.
- Reportaje sobre el fútbol saharaui, Marca, 29.04.99.
- Sahara News, Newsletter of the SADR Embassy in New Delhi, Vol. 1, No.04,
March - April 1999, 20 p.
- Decolonisation of Western Sahara, Africa-India partnership in the next
millenium, magazine of the - - - - African Diplomatic Missions in New
Delhi, May 1999.
- Langes Warten in der Wueste, Baeschlin Elisabeth und Gass Stefanie,
Unsere Welt, CH-Basel, Nr. 2/3, Juni 1999, p. 6.
(http://www.spectraweb.ch/~comtex/uw2998.htm)


   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         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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WEEK 20
16.-22.05.1999

20-21.04.99
Human Rights
The Spanish Minister of Interior, in a response to questions of several
deputees, explained that the two Saharawi citizen who have been expelled to
Morocco last February ( see week.07 : (http://www.arso.org/ 01-e99-07.htm))
had no identity papers, they told to come from Morocco and did not ask for
political asylum in Spain. (Boletin oficial de las Cortes generales,
Congreso de los Diputados, Num. 231, pp. 12303-4)

10.05.99
Letter of the «Coordination Committee of the Saharawi victims of
disappearance» in Morocco, to the President of the UN High Commissioner for
Human Rights' working group on forced disappearance (french:
http://www.arso.org/ 08-com2-vict99.htm)
The Committee explains the HR situation in Western Sahara and states that,
among the Saharawi prisoners, 57 died in the secret jails, 15 others little
time after beeing liberated in 1991. Many of these 378 liberated persons
are still suffering serious organic or/and psychologic troubles. They have
no civil or political rights, sustain financial difficulties and are bound
by repeated controles, kidnapping attents and sequestration. Despite
several attempts, the Committee could not yet be understood by the
authorities. They apply to the UN to take care of the Saharawi disappeared,
asking that the responsibles be condemned, the victims be indemnised and
can recover their rights.

11-15.05.99
«The Hague Appeal for Peace 1999» (
http://www.hap99.org/news/closing_update.htm)
A Saharawi delegation participated to this manifestation, which brought
together several thousands of people from 100 countries, Nobel Laureates
and other VIPs, in presence of the UN Secretary General. A workshop was
dedicated to Western Sahara. Mr José Ramos Horta, Peace Nobel Laureate
declared: «the Saharawi people is a wonderful people, which merits our
solidarity and consideration of the International community. A
self-determination referendum will take place and the Saharawi people will
be independent».(SPS).

16.05.99
Germany
The German Socialist Youth Organisation, on its congress at Essen,
reaffirmed its support to the independence of the Saharawi people and urged
its members to participate to a observator team for the referendum.

17-18.05.99
35th Meeting of the Follow-up Committee of the Arab Maghreb Union, Algiers
This meeting was the first since a diplomatic spat between key members
Algeria and Morocco in late 1995. Rabat had asked for freezing of the
union's activity after accusing Algiers of actively supporting the
Polisario front. The delegates from Morocco, Algeria, Tunis, Libya and
Mauritania prepared the summit of the Foreign Affairs Ministers to be held
in next October.

19.05.99
Algeria-SADR
New elected Algerian President Bouteflika in his response to SADR President
Mohamed Abdelaziz' congratulation letter : «I am making a point of telling
you the constant position of my country and its indefectible support to the
right cause of the Saharawi brother-people, fighting for its
self-determination, its total independence, in accordance to the UN
resolutions and the Houston agreements, you have signed under the UN
Special Envoy Mr James Baker», (SPS, APS, Reuters)

20.05.99
Commemoration of 20 of May
On ocasion of the26th anniversary of the beginning of he struggle of the
Polisario Front, the SADR President declared in an interview at the
Algerian Radio: «We hope the UN, its Secretary-general and his Special
envoy as well as the Security Council will user this time more severiy in
order to impose the respect of the timetable of the Peace Plan».(SPS, APS)

20-22.05.99
AFAPREDESA
The Association of Families of prisoners and disappeared Saharawis
celebrated its 10th anniversary at La Palma de Majorca, Balearic
Islands,Spain, with different manifestations.

21.05.99
Eagleton appointed
Former U.S. diplomat William Eagleton was named to be the
U.N.Secretary-general's Special representative for Western Sahara.
Eagleton, a Middle East expert who has also held a number of senior U.N.
appointments, is expected to take up his new post by early June. He speaks
Arabic as well as Spanish and French, was the U.N. special coordinator for
the restoration of essential services in Sarajevo, from 1994 to 1996. From
1988 to 1994 he was deputy commissioner-general of the U.N. Relief and
Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). His last appointment in the
U.S. foreign service was as ambassador to Syria from 1984 to 1988. He has
also served in U.S. embassies in Iraq, Libya, Algeria, South Yemen, London
and Mauritania

21.05.99
Repatriation
According to a release of the newswire AFP, the Moroccan Interior Minister
Driss Basri started the construction of a little town at Awsert, 270 km
South-east of Dakhla, which is supposed to receive 40'000 to 15'000
repatriated refugees.

21.05.99
Geneva: Meeting of the Task Force of the European Coordination of the
support to the Saharawi people
The Task Force examined the new challenges and timetable of the Peace Plan.
A delegation met with Mrs L. Buttenheim, Political Councelor at UN, in
order to explain its will to send observators to the identification centers
and to meet with the new Representative of the Secretary General Ambassador
W. Eagleton.

SOLIDARITY
Geneva, Switzerland
During 3 weeks in April and May the municipality of Bernex organised an
information campaign about the Saharawi people with video
projection,conference, photo and handcraft exhibition. The people and
authorities showed a great interest and will work to concretise their
solidarity in favor of the Saharawi refugees.
In the municipality of Plan-les-Ouates The Human Rights office of the
Saharawi support coordination could participate to an official exhibition
of all local projects.

Spain
Granada: 14 to 30 May 1999: Exhibition of contemporary art "for Western
Sahara" organised by the Plateform for a free and transparent referendum in
W.S. and the Friends of the Sahara of Granada. 75 pictures of wellknowm
artists will be sold in favour of the referendum campaign.
Valladolid, Castilla y León, 19 May1999: Several conferences about human
rights and the political situation in W.S. were organised by AFAPREDESA and
the Friends of the Saharawi people of Castilla y León.
Almansa, Albacete, 21-27.05.99: Fourth Saharawi Solidarity Week , "23
years, it's enough", exhibition, conference, sport events.


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

- Die aufgeschobene Unabhängigkeit, Friedl Harald A., Die Furche, Wien, Nr.
18/6,.Mai 1999, p. 12.
- A deserted people demand justice, UNISON News, Issue No. 8, Spring 1999,
pp. 8-9.
- Westsahara - 25 Jahre Hoffnung auf ein Wunder, Gschwind A., Radio DRS 1,
09.05.99, 11.30-12.00 h.
- Annan fija el referéndum de autodeterminación del Sahara para el 31 de
julio del 2000, EFE, Diario de Las Palmas, 19.05.99
(http://www.editorialprensacanaria.es/laprovincia/articulo3385.html)
-  WSC Newsletter, May 1999, publication of Western Sahara Campaign UK,
Leeds. (http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Julie_Thorpe/Mayy99nl.htm)
- Rapport du Secrétaire général sur la situation au Sahara Occidental,
Additif du 13.05.99.
(http://www.arso.org/S-99-483addf.htm)
- Report of the Secretary-General concerning the situation in Western
Sahara, Addendum of 13.05.99. (http://www.arso.org/S-99-483add.htm)
- Informe del Secretario general sobre la situacion en el Sahara
Occidental, Adición del 13.05.99 .
(http://www.un.org/spanish/docs/report99/s483ad1.htm)
- Proyecto para formar en España a juristas procedentes del Sahara, Barrado
Badajoz Mercedes, HOY, 20.05.99
(http://www.hoy.es/pg990520/suscr/region06.htm)
- William Eagleton, nombrado representante especial de la ONU para el
Sahara, EFE, La Provincia, Las Palmas de GC, 22.05.99.
(http://www.editorialprensacanaria.es/laprovincia/articulo3578.html)
- UMA : Les épines marocaines, La nouvelle République, Alger, 22.05.99.

   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         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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Task Force
Coordination européenne des Comités de soutien au peuple sahraoui
European Coordination of support to the Saharawi people
Coordinación europea del apoyo al pueblo saharaui
Secrétariat
rue Mercelis, 14
B-1050 Bruxelles,
Tél. +32 2 511.56.91
e-mail: forum.nord.sud@...

Press release

The Task Force of the Committees of Support to the Saharawi people,
composed of Spanish, Italian, French, British, Belgian and Swiss delegates
met this Friday, 21 May in Geneva.

In the presence of a delegation from the Polisario Front led by the
Minister Counsellor to the Presidency, M. Sidati, and of M. McGowan,
President of the interparliamentary group of the European parliament "Peace
for the Saharawi people", the Task Force reviewed the programmes of
solidarity with the Saharawi people. It concentrated especially on the
proposals of the Secretary-General which set out the new deadlines and the
different stages in the Peace Plan, which should lead to the referendum of
self determination, now due on 31 July 2000.

The Task Force went to the United Nations where it was received by Mrs L.
Buttenheim, Senior Political Counsellor, to whom it expressed its fears of
seeing the United Nations lose credibility from the successive delays in
the implementation of the decisions of the Security Council, which are
contained in the Peace Plan for Western Sahara. The Task Force expressed
its wish to send observers to the Identification Centres for voters, which
will be re-opened in the occupied territory and in Morocco from 15 June. It
would like to be received by the new Special Representative of the
Secretary-General, Ambassador W. Eagleton.

The Task Force was concerned as well about the extent of the European
commitment supporting the United Nations in the implementation of every
stage of the peace process, in particular food aid for the Saharawi
population in the refugee camps in Tindouf in Algeria.

Geneva, 21.05.99

   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         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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NEW DOCUMENT:

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL ON THE SITUATION CONCERNING WESTERN SAHARA
ADDENDUM
Content:
- Protocol on the identification of the remaining individualapplications
from candidates belonging to tribal groupings H41, H61 and J51/52;
- Operational directives for the identification of the remaining individual
applications from candidates belonging to tribal groupings H41, H61 and
J51/52;
- Appeals process for the referendum in Western Sahara;
- Operational directives for the implementation of the appeals process;
- Time-frame for the implementation of the Settlement Plan.

URL:

http://www.arso.org/S-99-483add.htm  (english)
http://www.arso.org/S-99-483addf.htm  (french)
http://www.arso.org/S-99-483adds.htm (spanish

or by e-mail order to : mailto:arso@...


   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         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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WEEK 19
09.-15.05.1999

09.05.99
AFAPREDESA
During a special meeting of its executive board, AFAPREDESA decided to
launch its "Campaign 2000" on May 23, 1999 at Balearic Islands. The
campaign's objective is the liberation of all Sahrawi prisoners before the
year 2000. The Sahrawi NGO is also calling for direct involvement by
Spanish authorities in order to help solve the issue of the disappeared
Sahrawis.

11.05.99
Morocco-France
While on a visit to France, Mohamed Benaïssa, Moroccan minister of foreign
affairs and cooperation, was received by President Jacques Chirac. Among
other things, they discussed the latest developments concerning the Western
Sahara.

12.05.99
Referendum
The Consultative Committee on administrative and budgetary questions
approved the Secretary-General's requests and recommended that the General
Assembly make an appropriation of $49,023,000 to cover the period July 1,
1999 to June 2000, contingent on an extension of the mission's mandate
beyond May 14 by the Security Council.

12.05.99
SADR-France
A delegation of French political figures and parliamentarians conducted a
four-day visit of the refugee camps and SADR liberated zones. Delegates
included Michel Voisin, UDF member of parliament and vice-president of the
foreign affairs and defense commission in the National Assembly, Christian
Martin, UDF member of parliamant, Martine de Froberville, president of the
French committee for the Western Sahara and Sofiane Belguerras,
parliamentary assistant, member of the executive of Mr. Chevènement's
"Mouvement. des citoyens" (SPS)

14.05.99
Resolution of the Security Council S/RES/1238 (1999)
The Security Council decided to extend the mandate of the United Nations
Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) for 4 months until
14 September in order to resume the identification process, start the
appeals process and conclude all outstanding agreements needed to implement
the Settlement Plan.
By its unanimously adopting resolution, the Council reaffirmed the rights
of the applicants, with the expectation that the appeals process will not
be turned into a second round of identification.
The Council supported the proposed increase in staff of the Identification
Commission from 25 to 30 members, as well as the proposed increase in the
necessary support activities. The Secretary-General was requested to report
every 45 days on significant developments in the implementation of the
Settlement Plan, focusing in particular on issues which will form the basis
of the Council's consideration of a further extension of the mandate of
MINURSO.Those include:
full and unequivocal cooperation of the parties during the resumption of
voter identification and during the start of the appeals process;
agreement by the Government of Morocco on the modalities of implementing
paragraph 42 of the Status of Forces Agreement;
agreement of the parties on the protocol relating to refugees;
and confirmation that the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees (UNHCR) is fully operational in the region.
The Council further requested the Secretary-General to submit to it a
revised timetable and financial implications for the holding of the
referendum.

14.05.99
MINURSO
Next week the Security Council is to approve the nomination of the new
special representative to head MINURSO, ambassador William Eagleton. The
experienced American diplomat has occupied a number of foreign postings,
particularly in the Arab world. Eagleton was special UN coordinator for
Sarajevo.
Robert Kinloch, current special interim representative and president of the
identification commission, will become the special assistant
representative. Italian Eduardo Veteri, currently president of the UN
Centre for International Crime Prevention will become president of the
Identification Commission.

14.05.99
Sahrawi statement
M'hamed Khadad, Sahrawi coordinator with MINURSO, stated in Algiers that
the Polisario Front has «agreed to the identification of all applicants as
long as the Identification Commission finalizes the operation in a
transparent and regular manner.» He added that Morocco is «dreading the
referendum results and what the identification operations are going to
reveal, which is why it has been delaying the whole process while the
international community is unanimous in calling for a solution to the
problem by giving a voice to the people.» Khadad also said, «To guarantee
that the identification process is transparent, the media and NGOs will be
able to visit the occupied regions and closely monitor the operations. We
hope that this is a new beginning for Morocco and an end to its policy of
delaying the process, that it will respect international law and allow the
Sahrawi people to freely express themselves» (APS)

SOLIDARITY

28.04.99, Vienna, Austria: Three Sahrawi teachers-in-training were invited
by the Austrian federation of women for peace to talk about their country.

10.05.99, Tarragona, Catalonia: Collection of material for the sixth
Catalonian peace caravan to Western Sahara began in Catalonia, with the
slogan "Catalonia for the Sahara" in collaboration with the "Catalonian
cooperation and development fund."

03-08.05.99, Asturies: Kheira Boulahi, in charge of the National Union of
Saharawi Women's foreign affairs, gave several seminars in Aviles, Corvera,
Castropol, Gijon and Oviedo on the situation faced by Sahrawi women. She
also met with the media and representatives of women's organizations. She
then went on to Barcelona, Madrid and Navarra.

09-11.05.99, Barcelona, The Catalonian association of friends of the
Sahrawi people set up information booths during the diversity celebration
organized by SOS-Racisme.


NEW on INTERNET
Humanitarian Success, Political Failure, Bhatia Michael, Crosslines Global
Report, Issue No. 33, Vol. 6, No. 1,September-October 1998, pp. 51-54.
(http://www.ichr.org/xlines/3351wsh.htm)

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

- Western Sahara: The Portuguese Mission, Figuiredo Martim Avillez, Grande
Reportagem, July 1998, pp. 40-51.
- Référendum pour le Sahara Occidental !, Aoyagi Noriko, Kamanosato,
mensuel japonais, No 167, avril 1999, pp. 56-70 (en japonais/japanese).
- Referendum in Western Sahara ?: No peace no war, Strategic Comments,
International Institute of Strategic Studies (London), Issue 3, Vol. 5,
April 1999.
- La lettre de la SFO, Section française de l'observatoire international du
référendum au Sahara Occidental, avril 1999 (Site Web Sahara Occidental en
direct : http://www.sahara-occidental.com  -
mailto:jean-yves.crenn@...)
- Mémoire sur les propositions de règlement du secrétaire général des
Nations unies, Front Polisario, mai 1999.( http://www.arso.org/FP-99.htm )
- Maghreb. Ce qui va changer, Soudan François, Jeune Afrique, Paris, No
2000-2001, 11.05.99, pp. 30-33.
(http://www.jeuneafrique.com/archives/2000p30.htm)
- Wo eine Orange zur Gaumenfreude wird, Luethi Walter, Der Bund, CH-Berne,
12.05.99, p. 2.
- Kofi Annan nombrará un nuevo representante para el Sáhara , EFE, Diario
de Las Palmas, 14.05.99.(
http://www.editorialprensacanaria.es/laspalmas/articulo3131.html )
- La ONU anuncia el desbloqueo del proceso del Sáhara, Espinosa Javier, El
Mundo, Madrid, 15.05.99 .(
http://www.el-mundo.es/diario/impresora.html?noticia=/diario/internacional/15N00
61.html )

   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         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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WESTERN SAHARA CAMPAIGN
Oxford Chambers
Oxford Place
LEEDS LS1 3AX
tel/fax: 0113245 4786
E-mail: 100427.3223@...

PRESS RELEASE
13 MAY 99

UN ANNOUNCES  AGREEMENT  ON  JULY 2000 REFERENDUM

Bernard Miyet, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General responsible for
Peacekeeping, announced yesterday that Morocco and the Polisario Front have
agreed to proposals for a referendum on the independence of Western Sahara
to be held in July 2000.

The Under-Secretary-General Bernard Miyet expected that the identification
of Saharawi voters by UN officials would resume on the 15 June and that the
appeals process would start the following month. The full plan is tabled in
the UN Secretary-General's report of the 27 April 1999.

The current UN Security Council President Denis Dangue Rewaka of Gabon
stated that members «welcomed the formal acceptance by the two parties of
the package of measures on the identification and appeals process.»

President Mohamed Abdelaziz, Secretary-General of the Polisario, formally
accepted the proposals on the 2 May in a letter to the UN
Secretary-General. In an interview with BBC Worldservice, Brahim Mokhtar,
Polisario UK Representative, said «all we ask is that the United Nations
ensures that Morocco respects the new timeframe proposed by the UN.»

The Moroccan agreement follows a day after French President Jacques Chirac
met with Mohammed Benaissa, Moroccan Minister for Foreign Affairs to
discuss the situation in Western Sahara.

The Brltlsh Government has repeatedly stated its support for the referendum
process. Over 130 Brltlsh MPs urged Morocco to slgn Kofi Annan's proposals
last. December. Keith Lomax, Chair of the Western Sahara Campaign, called
on the British Government to reintroduce its contingent to UN MINURSO
Mlsslon.

The current Unlted Nations mandate expires tomorrow and is likely to be
renewed for six months at the request of Kofi Annan.


   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         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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WEEK 18
02.-08.05.1999

01.05.99
Labour Day in Casablanca
A delegation from the Sahrawi coordinating committee for the victims of
forced disappearances participated, alongside Moroccan human rights
organizations, in the Labour Day march in Casablanca. Former Sahrawi
disappeared carried a banner with the following text: "Sahrawi victims of
forced disappareances in Laayoune, Kelaat M'Gouna and Agdz demand
recognition of their rights. 526 Sahrawis are still disappeared and 57 have
died in prison. No to the impunity of those responsible!" They were also
carrying portraits of some of the disappeared including Jaid Karkoub, El
Mehdi Lahsen, Fatimatou Khandoud, Said Kairaouan. While Moroccan police
tried in vain to prevent them from participating, the organizers of the
march welcomed the group's presence.

02.05.99
Polisario's response to the UN Secretary-General's proposals (french)
In his letter to the UN Secretary-General accepting the latest proposals,
the President of SADR pointed out that "important changes" have been made
to the original texts. These changes involve the appeals process, whereby
oral testimony will now be allowed, while the original plan only allowed
the sheikhs to make oral testimony. This new provision could open the door
to "an infinite number of appeals" Mohamed Abdelaziz wrote, and a large
number of "unjustified and unjustifiable" appeals. (Sahrawi Ministry of
Information)

02.05.99
East Timor
An editorial in Sahara Libre, a monthly Polisario and SADR newsletter
published in French, Spanish and Arabic, points out that Lisbon played an
important role in Indonesia's recognition of the right to
self-determination in East Timor, and asks, "Could Madrid play a similar
role to encourage Morocco to follow Indonesia's example?"

03.05.99
Declaration
"All Polisario asks is that the United Nations ensures that Morocco respect
the new timeframe proposed by the UN," stated Polisario's London
representative Brahim Mokhtar in an interview with BBC. He added that
Morocco's failure to do so should lead to sanctions.

04.05.99
Human Rights
Christine Daure-Serfaty, writer, journalist and wife of Abraham Serfaty,
was intercepted upon her arrival at the Rabat airport by Moroccan policy
and put on a plane to Paris. Daure-Serfaty is prohibited from entering
Morocco, according to the official Moroccan news agency, following her
activities with organizations "that support Polisario separatists" . Mrs
Daure has been invited several time by the Moroccan Prime Minister himself.
The European Union justice commissioner, who received Moroccan Minister of
the Interior Basri on May 5 during his visit to Brussels, was informed by
Abraham Serfaty of the violation of human rights implicit in his banishment
from Morocco and the turning back of his wife at the Rabat airport.

Reactions:
In a press release, the Moroccan human rights association (AMDH) states,
"in light of the attack on Christine Daure's right to visit Morocco, which
constitutes a violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
guaranteeing free internal and external movement, we condemn this conduct
which runs contrary to officials' stated respect for human rights."
The Moroccan human rights organization (OMDH) states that "the turning back
of Christine Seefaty at the Rabat-Salé airport on May 4 cannot be
dissociated from her husband's situation. The OMDH therefore restates its
demand that the government lift its measures imposed on Abraham Serfaty and
allow him to return to his homeland."

06.05.99
Over 30 Sahrawi graduate students in various Moroccan universities occupied
the Ministry of the Interior from April 29 to May 15, 1999, to demand their
bursaries. Authorities asked the students to end their strike and promised
to provide them with their bursaries at their respective universities on
May 12, 1999. Following long negotiations between the two parties, the
students agreed to return to their studies and to await their bursaries on
the agreed-upon date. (correspondence from Morocco)

Europe

European Parliament
The "Peace for the Sahrawi people" intergroup of the European Parliament
has called on all member countries of the UN and the international
community to put pressure on Morocco to conform to the UN's provisions to
organize a democratic and transparent referendum in Western Sahara. On the
occasion of a plenary meeting of the European Parliament in Strasbourg on
07.05.99, the intergroup, chaired by Mr. McGowan, condemned the Moroccan
government's policy of obstruction and its failure to respond positively to
the UN Secretary-General's initiative. The parliamentarians also heard a
report by Swedish member of the European parliament, Veronica Palm, on her
recent trip to the SADR's liberated zones and the Sahrawi refugee camps.
(APS)

ACP-EU* joint meeting in Strasbourg (29.-3.-01.04.99)
Oral question by Ulla Sandbaek, Sweden, I-EDN, to the Commission:
What is the amount of EU development aid to Morocco? Given that Morocco is
illegally occupying the Western Sahara, and that it spent $1 million a day
on this war, how much is it actually spending on the occupation? What
proportion of EU aid is being spent on arms purchases? Which EU members are
selling arms to Morocco? And is this not in contradiction with the EU's
stated policy? Wilfried Telkaemper, Germany, Green group, asked the
Commission and Council a similar line of questions. Contrary to the rules,
both bodies chose not to answer these questions.
* Agreements of African, Caribbean, Pacific countries with European Union

European Parliament (14.04.99)
Question to the European Union Council:
Maj Britt Theorin, Sweden, PSE, asked how the Council justifies EU economic
aid to Morocco while Morocco occupies the Western Sahara. The
parliamentarian also asked how the Council is contributing to the
implementation of the UN Peace Plan.
The acting chairman of the Council, Verheugen, answered verbally that the
EU is closely following the Western Sahara question and pointed out
Morocco's positive decisions with respect to the status of the HCR and
MINURSO's military forces. "There is no reason to question EU economic aid
to Morocco," he stated. The Council will exercise the political pressure
necessary to ensure that the conflict will be resolved soon and will make
decisions as the situation develops.
The Commission stated in a written response that it is closely following
the development of the conflict and fully supports the UN's efforts. It is
also making an important contribution to humanitarian aid to Sahrawi
refugees. It stressed that financial aid to Morocco is an integral part of
Euro-Mediterranean cooperation and is not a substitute to the UN Peace Plan.

Discovered  on INTERNET
- Saharawi music, 3 CD named Saharauis,
(http://www.nubenegra.com/saharuis_en_gira.html) with the list of
international distributors (http://www.nubenegra.com/distribucion.html).

- Campaign of the Spanish associations for the referendum: POR UN
REFERÉNDUM LIBRE EN EL SAHARA, Campaña de Observadores y cooperantes

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

- Sahara-Info, Bulletin des Schweiz. Unterstuetzungskomitees fuer die
Sahraouis, Bern, Nr. 70, Maerz 1999, 8 p
- Saharaui, il popolo che sussurrava al deserto, Stabile Giordano, texto,
Pinzauti  Manfredo, fotografo, Specchio della Stampa, Torino, 01.04.99.
- Western Sahara Progress towards referendum, Sharma Jagdish P., National
Herald, New Delhi , India, 22.04.99. (http://www.arso.org/01-3-26.htm)
- Sahara Libre, périodique national d'information du Front Polisario et de
la RASD, No 2, avril 1999, 4 p.
- BAHARA, revista mensual de la Asociación Barakaldo con el Sahara -Salam-
Barakaldo Sahararekin, Nš 14, abril / mayo 1999.
(http://www.euskalnet.net/gorkafm/N14.htm)
-  Der verhinderte «Auszug aus Aegypten», Luethi Walter, Der Bund, CH-Bern,
27.04.99, p. 2.
- Se unen saharauis y marroquíes para reclamar justicia. Por primera vez
desde 1975, familiares de desaparecidos se manifiestan juntos, Espinosa
Javier, El Mundo,
04.05.99.(http://www.el-mundo.es/diario/1999/05/04/internacional/04N0056.html)
-
Marruecos impide la entrada a la mujer de Serfaty, Espinosa Javier, 06.05.99
(http://www.el-mundo.es/diario/1999/05/06/internacional/06N0060.html)
- Qui est le vrai premier ministre au Maroc ?, Daure-Serfaty Christine, Le
Monde, Paris, 06.05.99,
p.16.(http://archives.lemonde.fr/lemonde/cgi-bin/LMonde.cgi?_Appli=WARCHILM&_Ses
sion=004715926156854X0001&_Action=4_lm_article&_Pag=article.htm&_PagSty=article.
sty&_NoPageLst=1&_NoArt=642944&_NoItem=1&_Rec)
- Zahlenspiel mit Wahlberechtigten eines Referendums, Nowak Nikolaus, Die
Welt, 06.05.99. http://www.welt.de/archiv/1999/05/06/0506au05.htm
- Nations unies, Comité contre la Torture, 22e session, 26.04.-14.05.99,
examen du rapport du Maroc
http://www.unog.ch/news/documents/newsfr/CAT9916F.HTML
-  United Nations, Committee against torture, 22th session,
26.04.-14.05.99, Report of Morocco
http://www.unog.ch/news/documents/newsen/CAT9916E.HTML
- Informe del Secretario general, S/1999/483, 27.04.99.
(http://www.un.org/spanish/docs/report99/s1999483.htm)
- Resolución del Consejo de Seguridad, S/RES/1235 (1999),
30.04.99.(http://www.un.org/spanish/docs/report99/s1999483.htm)

   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         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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WEEK 17
25.04 - 01.05.1999

27.04.99
Secretary-General Report S/1999/483  (http://www.arso.org/S-99-483.htm)
On condition that the parties accept the identification and appeals
protocoles as well as the operational directives harshly discussed in the
last weeks, the S.G. considers that the referendum process can go ahead at
following timetable:
- identification of remining applicants from 1 June 1999 to November 1999,
- appeals from 1 July 1999 to February 2000,
- transition period beginning in February 2000,
- vote in July 2000.
Nevertheless, Kofi Annan underlines that the success of this calendar is
predicated upon many "critical asumptions", under others (see chap. 25) a
rigorous programme of the identification "without the delays and
interruptions experienced in the past; the expectation that the appeals
process will not be turned into a second round of identification for all
applicants found ineligible; the completion by end of 1999 of planning
arrangements for repatriation; etc."
Expecting a positive answer of both parties, the S.G. proposes to the
Security Council to extend the MINURSO mandate for six months. The parties
had to convey their formal positions before 30 April 1999, date of
expiration of the MINURSO mandate.

30.04.99
Security Council Resolution S/1999/1235  (http://www.arso.org/S-1235-99.htm)
Missing the response from Morocco the Security Council adopts a technical
resolution extending the MINURSO mandate until 14 May 1999.
The POLISARIO Front has precised that its agreement implies that "the
appeals and identification process will go on in conditions of exemplary
severity, transparency and fairness and that the Identification Commission
will persue its mission with the same authority, independence and
impartiality as in the past".
In a press release, Western Sahara Campaign, U.K., welcomes the report and
shares the concern of the Secretary General about possible delays or
disagreements in the implementation of the process.

28-29.04.99
Spanish-moroccan negociations
The 5th meeting of the Moroccan-Spanish Joint High Commission took place in
Madrid. The Moroccan Prime minister and 11 members of his government
participated. It was the first official visit of the Moroccan Prime
minister in Spain. The decision of Morocco not to renew the four-year
fishery accord between Morocco and the European Union on 30 November next
was the main discussion matter. Morocco proposes an association agreement
to Spain in order to develop the Moroccan fishery sector. Other important
economical and political subjects were discussed.

In an open letter to the Spanish government European NGOs and solidarity
groups denounce the complicity of Spain, which ignores the Moroccan brakes
of the UN Peace Plan. The organisations ask the Spanish government to make
pressures upon Morocco urging it:
- to apply the Peace Plan,
- to suspend all economical agreements concerning the territory of Western
Sahara so long the decolonization is not concluded
- to froze economical aid to Morocco so long systematic human rights abuses
are perpetrated in Western Sahara,
- to participate actively to MINURSO.
They finally denounced the attitude of the government of Spain which
condemns the genocide in the Balkans and in the same time lets Hassan II
oppress the Saharawi people.

The POLISARIO Front on its side accused the Moroccan government to try to
associate the Spanish government for the exploitation of the fishing
ressources of Western Sahara and asked Spain to connect its help to the
progress made in the implementation of the UN settlement plan.

28.04.99
Prehistoric site
A scientific team including archaeologists and anthropologists of the
University of Girona (Spain) has discovered a prehistoric site in Western
Sahara (SADR). It is one of the largest sites worlwide with thousands of ca
10'000 years old engraved stones, covering an area 100-300 meters width
over 30 kilometers in the region of Sluguilla Lawish, located 120 km west
of Rabouni and 80 km east of Bir Lehlou. The pictures represent different
animals and human figures.The scientific expedition has been supported by
the Saharawi government and the army.

NEWS BRIEFS

28.04.99
Human rights
The first congress of the Arab Human Rights movement was held during 3 days
in Morocco. The final declaration does not mention the human rights
situation in this country, nor Western Sahara.


Suspicious deaths
A Saharawi student, Mohamed Limam ould Sidi Mohamed, died under obscure
conditions in Russia where he lived. This young men, married to a Russian
lady, prepared a PHD on nuclear energy. He had told his family to be
threatened and his life was in danger. (Saharawi Ministry of Information)
The Moroccan official agency MAP informed on 26 March 1999 that another
Saharawi, Bichrine Dah, was found lifeless at his home of Donesk,Ukrania.
He was married with an Ukranian.

Ordinary repression
A Saharawi citizen, Malaïnine ould Bechir, disappeared from Tan-Tan and
reappeared some days later in the jail of Agadir. No charges are known but
his relatives declared he was put on file by special services, arrested in
the past and closely followed by police.

Disappearance
According to AFAPREDESA two young Saharawis, Wadoud Abdeslam ould Sidachmed
and Lahbib ould Legue, have been arrested near the Moroccan-Algerian border
trying to reach the refugee camps on 9 April 1999. Their relatives have no
later news.

First of May
Several members of the Committee of coordination of victims of forced
disappearance in the secret jails of Galaat M'Gouna and El Ayoun
participated to the maifestations of Labor Day in Casablanca. Most of them
are former political prisoners detained for 16 years in secret jails. Since
August 1998 they stay in Rabat to claim for justice and reparation.

Illegal exploitation
Since three years Morocco systematically exploits the sand of the Western
Sahara coasts. Thousands of tons of sand are conveyed by ship to Moroccan
touristic centers (SPS).

Training
Lawyers of the France-Liberté foundation will reach the regfugee camps to
organise voter training courses. They will instruct a team which will be
able to teach others (SPS).

Support
The wilaya (district) of Dakhla, located 150 km south of Rabouni has been
fit out with a TV relay station. At early April Naama Zeinedine, Arseli
Etxeguren and Julian Ozaeta, from the Bask Radioafficionados, installed
together with technicians of the Saharawi National Broadcast a 25W
transmitter operating with solar power and a 20 meters high aerial covering
a radius of 10 kilometers.


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

- The Strategic Importance of Morocco and the Mediterranean Region, Gabriel
Edward M., Ambassador of the United States to the Kingdom of Morocco,
Speech before the 1999 Security Assistance and Defense Cooperation
Conference, United States European Command, Grainau, Germany, 23.03.99.
(http://www.africanews.org/north/morocco/stories/19990426_feat2.html)
-  Why Western Sahara Is A Key Issue In Morocco, The Nation, Nairobi,
13.04.99.
     (http://www.africanews.org/north/westernsahara/stories/19990413_feat1.html)
- Hasan primero, luego Milosevic, Gabriel Albiac, El Mundo, 19.04.99.
(http://www.el-mundo.es/1999/04/19/opinion/19N0060.htm)
- Científicos de la UdG ponen al descubierto un importante yacimiento de
arte rupestre, La Vanguardia, Barcelona, 28.04.99
.(http://www2.vanguardia.es/cgi-bin/hrp_cc1_new?dia=28_04&link=rg2803c&sec=gir&w
t=noticia.pla)
- Arqueòlegs catalans troben al Sàhara trenta quilòmetres d'art rupestre,
Serrat Jordi , Avui, 28.04.99.
(http://www.avui.es/avui/99/abr/28/frm/430128.html)
- Descubren un yacimiento de grabados rupestres en el Sáhara Occidental,
Los arqueólogos calculan que tiene unos 10.000 años de antigüedad, Diario
de Navarra, 28.04.99.
- Encontran no Sáhara 30 quilómetros de gravados rupestres, El Correo
Gallego, 28.04.99
.(http://www.elcorreogallego.es/periodico/19990428/N949.asp)
- Arqueólogos de la UG hallan arte rupestre en el Sahara, El Periódico,
28.04.99.
- Descubren un yacimiento de grabados rupestres en el Sáhara Occidental,
Diario de Navarra, 28.04.99.
(http://www.diariodenavarra.es/diariona/19990428/cultura/B07ART1A.html)
- Arqueologia: Un grup d'arqueòlegs catalans troba un jaciment de gravats
rupestres al Sàhara Diari de Balears, 28.04.99.
- La ONU prevé el referéndum del Sahara Occidental para julio del 2000,
DEIA, 30.04.99. .
- Annan convoca el referendum del Sahara para julio del 2000, El Pais,
Madrid, 30.04.99. (http://www.elpais.es/p/d/19990430/internac/sahara.htm
- Annan anuncia para julio del 2000 la consulta saharaui, GARA, 30.04.99.
- Kofi Annan anuncia que el referéndum del Sahara será en julio del 2000,
La Estrella Digital, 30.04.99.
- Annan recomienda que la Minurso sea prorrogada con vistas al referéndum
del Sahara en el 2000, La Provincia, Las Palmas, 30.04.99.
- Intimidación a ex-desaparecidos saharauis, communiqué de l'AFAPREDESA,
30.04.99.
- Report of the S.G., S/1999/483, 27.04.99.
- Rapport du Secrétaire général, S/1999/483, 27.04.99.
- Resolution of the Security Council, S/RES/1235, 1999, 30.04.99.
- Résolution du Conseil de sécurité, S/RES/1235, 1999, 30.04.99.

   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         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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The last report of the UN Secretary- General concerning Western Sahara,
S/1999/483, of 27.04.99 is on  http://www.arso.org/S-99-483.htm or by
e-mail on demand :   mailto:arso@...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Le dernier rapport du Secréraire général des Nations-unies du 27.04.99 se
trouve (en anglais pour le moment) à l'adresse suivante :
http://www.arso.org/S-99-483.htm    ou sur demande par e-mail:
mailto:arsogarso.org

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
El ultimo informe del Secretario general, S/1999/483, 27.04.99,   en inglés
por el momento:  http://www.arso.org/S-99-483.htm
Preguntar  mailto:arso@... por recibirlo por e-mail.

#############################################################################
W E S T E R N SAHARA CAMPAIGN
Oxford Chambers
Oxford Place
LEEDS LS1 3AX
tel/fax: 0113245 4786
E-mail: 100427.3223@...

PRESS RELEASE
29  APRIL  99

FAST-TRACK TO REFERENDUM

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan yesterday presented fast track
proposals for a UN referendum on the Independence of Western Sahara in July
2000. The Secretary General has asked Morocco and the Polisario Front to
formally agree before the UN mandate in Western Sahara expires tomorrow.

Secretary General proposes to resume identification of Saharawi applicants
next June beginning the final appeals process in July. He hopes that the
appeals and identification process can be concluded in November 1999 and
February 2000 respectively.

Annan recognises that his proposals require a significant increase
resources but believe they provide a "good foundatlon" for completing the
first stage of the UN referendum plan. The transitional period  giving the
UN increased powers, is envisaged to start in February 2000.

However Annan cautions that the referendum will only take place "provided
that the unequivocal co-operation and support of both parties is maintained
throughout."

Previous efforts to hold the referendum by the UN MINURSO mission have been
dogged by disagreements over voter eligibility. While welcoming the report,
Keith Lomax, chair of the Western Campaign shares the concern of the
Secretary General that "the appeals process will not be turned into a
second round of identification for all the applicants found ineligible."

The United Nations has already completed Identification of147,000
"non-contentious applicants." A Recent report by Agence France Press
suggests only 85,000 have qualified to vote. This is close to the
historically significant figure of 74,000 Saharawis enumerated in the 1974
Spanish census, before Moroccan occupation.

As a concession to Morocco, Annan's plan allows a further 65,000 applicants
from disputed tribes many residing in Morocco. However, privately UN
sources suggest few applicants will meet UN voter criteria, establishing
them as true Saharawis.

Ending on a positive note, Annan has requested a six-month extension to the
United Natlons mandate in Western Sahara.

   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         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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WEEK 16
18.-24.04.1999

15-17.04.99
25th General Assembly of Development NGOs of the E.U
This Annual Assembly is attended by elected delegates from the 900
Development and Humanitarian NGOs of the 15 countries of the E.U. In a
resolution on Western Sahara, it called on the EU Council of Ministers to
take positive steps to ensure:
support by the UNHCR for the repatriation of voters;
the support of the United Nations Secretary-General and the parties to the
conflict for guaranteeing the conditions for a free, verifiable and fair
referendum on self-determination;
the protection of voters before, during and after the referendum;
the technical and financial assistance necessary to start demining before
the return of the people;
financial aid for training voters;
financial aid to ensure that preparations for the referendum, the manner in
which it is conducted and the monitoring of results are observed with the
assistance of MEPs and European NGOs.
the necessary humanitarian aid for the Sahrawi population groups in refugee
camps and in Sahrawi territory;
It calls further on the EU Council of Ministers to take steps aimed at
forcing the Moroccan side to abide by its commitments in holding the
referendum, in particular through political pressure, the interruption of
EU aid, economic agreements and financial loans, as well as the halting of
all deliveries of arms and equipment for military purposes.

16.04.99
Algeria
Abdelaziz Bouteflika, president-elect of the republic, stated that the
solution to the question of the Western Sahara must conform to the plan and
decisions of the United Nations and Organization of African Unity as well
as to the Houston Agreements, which aim to bring peace to the region. (APS)

21.04.99
UN - Referendum
Discussions with the two parties involved in the Western Sahara conflict
were chaired by Bernard Miyet, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping
at the UN Headquarters, in New York. The discussions have been going on for
a week, reviewing the texts of the protocols and the operational directives
for the identification and the appeal process. The two parties are expected
to communicate shortly their formal position as a result of these
discussions. Mr. Miyet informed members of the Security Council that in
light of these discussions, it is preferable to postpone the submission of
the Secretary-General's report on Western Sahara for a few days. It was
originally scheduled to be submitted on 23 April. It's now more likely to
be issued before the end of the month. (UN)

21.04.99
Human rights
Press conference at Rabat of the Coordination Committee of the victims of
disappearance in the secret jails of El Ayun and Galaat M'Guna. The
Committee declared that the dossier of the disappearances is not closed, as
the document of the CCDH try to demonstrate. On the other hand two members
of the same Committee, Tangi Hussein and Sukaina bent Jedd Ahlu, were
controlled by the police, which seized documents with lists of victims of
disappearance in Western Sahara, fruit of their inquiries (EFE, AFAPREDESA).

22.04.99
Morocco - Referendum
Morocco has decided to do everything within its power to contribute, as
effectively as possible and in collaboration with the UN, to the holding of
a self-determination referendum in the Sahrawi provinces in March 2000,
stated the Minister of the Interior, Driss Basri. Along with Thami Khyari,
the Minister of Fisheries, Basri chaired several meetings Thursday in
Smara, the spiritual capital of the south, with city representatives,
chiouk, observers, women's organizations and youth representatives. Basri
called for greater solidarity among all the tribes of the region to defeat
the enemies of Morocco's territorial integrity.

22.04.99
Algeria has accepted to host the seventh summit of the five-nation Arab
Maghreb Union (UMA) before the end of this year, as announced in Algiers.
(PANA)

23.04.99
55th session of the UN Human Rights Commission, Geneva: point 5, right of a
people to self-determination
Unanimous adoption of a resolution on the Western Sahara confirming the
Security Council resolutions, restating support for the Secretary-General
in his efforts to organize an impartial and free referendum on
self-determination, in cooperation with the OAU.

NEWS FROM THE CAMPS AND LIBERATED ZONES OF SADR

20.04.99
Following an inspection tour of the 4 wilayas, the Sahrawi government
announced concrete solutions it plans to bring to various problems it
observed. It wants to give greater responsibility to local authorities in
the management of local problems and to promote decentralization. It also
plans to take steps to promote artisanal and agricultural production. In
the critical area of drinking water, the government has decided to
provision all of the communes by means of water tanker trucks. (SPS )

21.04.99
Situation in the Dakhla wilaya: given its isolation, 170 km to the south of
the other wilayas, the Dakhla camps, with their 49 000 residents, face
special problems. The regular supply of basic necessities is never
guaranteed. The total absence of telecommunications and regular
transportation create serious challenges for residents. In addition,
sanitary and medical infrastructures are run down. "Dakhla is a real
refugee camp," stated the Minister of Information during the government
visit. (SPS )

SOLIDARITY
Spain
Vega de San Mateo, Gran Canaria: 17.04.99, Celebration and meal with 300
participants, funds raised will be used to host 21 Sahrawi children next
summer.
Tarragona: meeting of the coordinating committee of the Sahrawi support
organization: An early review of the campaign to host children next summer
has shown that the scope of this campaign is larger than previous ones,
with the participation of 17 municipalities who will host 124 children.
Tarragona: During the "Trobada de Medi Ambien", an event held by
environmental organizations, the Asociació Catalana d'Amics del Poble
Sahrauí collected material for the 6th Catalonian peace caravan that will
leave Barcelona for the camps in the first two weeks of June. The
Association also presented its campaign to recruit observers for the
referendum.
Elche: 23.04.99: Basketball tournament held as part of the cultural week
organized by the Elche Sahrawi support committee.
Pozuelo de Alarco, Madrid: The association Bir Lehlu "Pozuelo por el
Sahara" participated, as in past years, in the campaign to host children
from the camps .

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

- Hopes of homeland bloom in the desert, Daniszewsky John, Sidney Morning
Herald, Australia, 06.03.99, p. 25.
- Sandblasting, Western Mail by Editor, Western Mail, Cardiff, 27.03.99.
- Warriors of the Western Sahara, Abati Reuben, The Guardian Newspapers,
Lagos (Nigeria), 09.04.99. (http://www.kilima.com/abati/sahara.html)
- Comité de coordination des victimes des disparitions forcées dans les
centres secrets d'El Ayoun et Galaat M'Gouna, communiqué du 12.04.99.
(http://www.arso.org/08-com-vict99.htm)
- Comité de Coordinación de las víctimas de desapariciones forzosas en los
centros secretos de El Aaiún y Galaat M'Gouna.Comunicado del 12.04.99.
(http://www.nodo50.org/fpolisario/rabat.htm)
- Slim chances for end to Western Sahara dispute, Editor, Morocco Country
Briefing, Economist Intelligence Unit, London, 14.04.99.
- Between Nigeria and Morocco, Abati Reuben, The Guardian Newspapers, Lagos
(Nigeria), 16.04.99.  http://www.kilima.com/abati/morocco-nigeria.html
http://www.kilima.com/abati/morocco-nigeria.html
- "Un naïf au Sahara" et "Le Sahara de Driss Basri", de Rochebrune Renaud,
Jeune Afrique, Paris, N° 1997, 20.04.99, p. 5 et pp. 50-55.
- 582 "desaparecidos" en Marruecos, El Norte de Castilla, Valladolid, 22.04.99.
- Varios equipos de la provincia se unen para ayudar al Sáhara, La Verdad,
Murcia, 22.04.99.
- Quand un Marocain interpelle son tortionnaire, Tuquoi Jean-Pierre, Le
Monde, Paris, 22.04.99, p. 5.
- Western Sahara: Progress Towards the Referendum, Indian National Herald,
22.04.99.
- Western Sahara - A forgotten Nation (Gorllewin Sahara- Cenedl
Anghofiedig), Jones Richard, Newsletter, Welsh Center for International
Affairs, Cardiff, April 1999, pp. 2-3.
- A Forgotten War, Ryan Nick, Geographical Magazine, London, May 1999, pp.
41-47.
- A deserted people demand justice, Piper Bob, UNISON News West Midlands,
Spring 1999, pp 8-9


   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         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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WEEK 15
11.-17.04.1999

12.04.99
55th session of the United Nations Human Rights Commission, Geneva:
intervention on item11, civil and political rights.
Humanitarian Law Project, USA brought to the attention of the Commission
two cases, among many, in the territories occupied by Morocco. Omar ould
Moulay ould Ahmed and Moulay Ahmad ould Eslaya ould Salek were arrested on
June 9, 1998 and released on June 22, 1998. Both showed clear signs of
torture. Omar has suffered ever since from psychological trouble and Moulay
Ahmad is partially paralyzed. Morocco is preventing MINURSO and the media
from doing their work. Morocco should be condemned and the referendum
should be held according to the United Nations provisions.

12.04.99
The crown prince of Morocco, Sidi Mohammed was in Paris to open, in the
presence of President Jacques Chirac, the Moroccan exhibit "Maroc, trésors
du royaume," a highlight of the "Temps du Maroc" show in France.
In response, the French association of the friends of SADR issued a press
release calling into question the liberalisation of the Moroccan
government. It also raised the issues of Abraham Serfaty, the Oufkir
family, disappeared Sahrawis and recent arrests in the ranks of the king's
entourage, the army and the media, citing the 09.04.99 issue of Libération.
The Association asked "just how far is the Republic going to accommodate
'Our friend the King' and thus be an accomplice to Morocco's refusal to
recognize the Sahrawis' right to self-determination?"

12.04.99
Belgian declaration
"There must be a way to politically resolve the problem of Western Sahara
through negotiation and the use of mediators," stated Belgian Prime
Minister Jean-Luc Dehaene, the day before his official visit to Morocco. In
an interview with Map in Brussels, Mr. Dehaene nevertheless stressed that
"if a referendum is a solution, then it should not be rejected." (MAP)

13.04.99
Revised texts of the identification and appeal protocols, together with a
revised timetable, are being finalized by the United Nations on the subject
of the peace process in Western Sahara. The documents are expected to be
presented to the Moroccan and POLISARIO representatives. On 13.04., Bernard
Miyet, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping, will meet with
POLISARIO representatives and then on 14.04. with Moroccan officials, with
a view to resuming the identification process and initiating the appeals
procedures in June-July of this year.

13.04.99
Clinton-Aznar meeting in Washington
U.S. President Bill Clinton and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar
dined together in Washington and discussed Morocco, Algeria, Western Sahara
and Latin America, according to White House spokesperson Joe Lockhart.

15.04.99
SADR
The scarcity of some essential foodstuffs and the lack of housing are the
main problems encountered by the government at the time of his recent visit
in three of the four wilaya.The examination of the measures taken on this
occasion was the subject of the last meeting of the Saharawi government.
The government noted that the demographic growth since 1976 is the cause of
the situation and that international organizations like the AMP dont take
it into consideration (SPS).

Reactions after the annoucement of the definitive closure of the human
rights dossier in Morocco (see wek 14 - http://www.arso.org/01-e99-14.htm)

AMDH
The independent Moroccan Association of Human Rights appealed on April 12
for a settlement of all cases of HR violations. In a press release it
criticizes that the cases of Abraham Serfaty, Abdeslam Yassine and Mahdi
Ben Barka have not been examined. The HR organisation contests the number
of disappeared people cited in the official report which is much larger
than 112. It denounces the lack of accuracy concerning the place and date
of death of the disappeared recognized as deceaded in jail. The announced
free pardon for political prisoners is not.specifyed, the number and
identity of the persons are not mentioned.

Omar Wassouli
The family of Omar Wassouli, announces that its relative is mentioned on
the official list as "disappeared living abroad", but the CCDH is not able
to give his address, the conditions of his disappearance or any evidence he
is alive outside of Morocco. In its press release of April 14 1999 the
family asks for an independent inquiry committee, an independent court to
judge the responsibles, the delivery of the bodies to the families of the
disappeared and the clarification of all other cases of disappeared
individuals.

The Coordination Committee of the disappeared, an organisation of former
political prisoners and disappeared Saharawis, declares to be aware of 577
cases of disappearance while the official list only mentions 112.
(Communique of April 15 1999)

SOLIDARITY

06.04.99 Catania, Italy: The municipality of Catania has twinned itself
with the wilaya of El Ayoun. To mark the occasion, Catania donated an
all-terrain ambulance.

10.04.99 SADR: The first national conference on the twinning of Sahrawi
communes was held in the refugee camps. Four hundred projects were
reviewed. Their completion will bring to 600 the number of twinnings. A
commission was mandated to organize an international conference of twinned
cities in the liberated zones before the end of the year (SPS).

UPCOMING
Grenada, Spain: The Asociación Granadina de Amigos del Sáhara is organizing
a solidarity week with the Sahrawi people, from April 19 to 25, 1999, in
Baza, with photo exhibit, presentations and poetry
readings.(mailto:saharagr@...)

NEW ON THE INTERNET
Asociación Granadina de Amigos de la RASD: http://www.arrakis.es/~saharagr

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

- "Sahara Occidentale, appunti di viaggio" a cura di Olmi Giulia, Ed.
Associate, 1999.
Norwegian People's Aid in Western Sahara: Mine Awareness in a Refugee
Setting, Brady Justin, The Journal of Mine Action (Mine Action Information
Center, James Madison University, USA), Vol 3, No 1,
1999.(http://www.hdic.jmu.edu/hdic/journal/3.1/africa/w_sahara/wsahara_brady.htm
)
- Maroc: le roi tourne la page des disparus. Il promet d'indemniser les
parents de 65 morts en détention, Smith Stephen, Libération, Paris,
09.04.99. (http://www.liberation.com/quotidien/semaine/990409venl.html)
- Morocco: Hillary Clinton praises "Morocco's tolerance",
AfricanPerspective.com,
10.04.99.(http://www.africanperspective.com/html23/Aweek.html#atw5)
- Baleares enviará 250 observadores al referéndum del Sáhara. Colaborarán
con la ONU en las votaciones que decidirán sobre la autodeterminación ante
Marruecos, Riera Roca Juan, El Dia del Mundo de Baleares, Espagne, 11.04.99.
- El Hospital Navarra, una primera piedra para la esperanza y el futuro del
pueblo saharaui - Calixto Ayesa inauguró este centro sanitario en
Tifariti, en pleno desierto del Sáhara Occidental, Castillejo María Jesús,
Diario de Navarra, Espagne,13.04.99.
(http://www.diariodenavarra.es/diariona/19990413/navarra/B19ART1Ai.htm)
- "Hospital Navarra, en pleno desierto", DEIA, Satur Leoz, 13.04.99.
"Saharako arazoa ikerketzeko batzorde independientea sortzeko eskatu dute",
DEIA, 13.04.99.
- Sáhara, un viaje navarro al corazón del desierto,Castillejo María Jesús,
Diario de Navarra, 14.04.99.
(http://www.diariodenavarra.es/diariona/19990414/navarra/B33ART1A.html)

   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         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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The following paragraph has to be added  to   week 14. Sorry about the
mistake.

08.04.99
Morocco, new  minister of foreign affairs
King Hassan II has appointed Mohamed Benaissa as Morocco's minister of
foreign affairs and cooperation in replacement of  Abdellatif Filali.
Benaissa, 62, who held the portfolio of cultural affairs from 1985 to 1992,
was ambassador to the United States since 1993.

   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         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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WEEKLY NEWS
WEEK 14

07.04.99
The UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva, 55th session, 22.0.3.-30.04.99
Interventions on item 9 (issues of violations of human rights and
fundamental freedoms):
Fernando Marino of the Federación de Asociaciones de Defensa y Promoción de
los Derechos Humanos (Spain) stated concern for the situation in the
Western Sahara.

The USA Humanitarian Law Project in its sixth annual "Armed Conflict in the
World Today: A Country by Country Review" states: "We note yet again that
the UN mandated referendum for Western Sahara is postponed."

07.-08.04.99
Referendum
Moroccan minister of the interior, Driss Basri, began a tour of Southern
Morocco and Western Sahara with the objective of "mobilizing the Sahrawi
tribes for the referendum." In Assa, Goulimine and El Ayoun he met with
various local officials to announce resumption of the identification
process and to call for mobilization in favour of unity with Morocco. A
dispatch from SPS (Sahara Press Service) reported criticisms expressed
during the meeting in Assa. Participants were critical of Moroccan policy,
charging that it accorded special privilege to individuals who do not
originate from the province. They denounced the fact that "ministers only
visit the region when they have objectives other than those of meeting the
redisents' needs."

08.04.99
Morocco and human rights: case closed?
Just before expiry of the 6-month extension granted by the King to the
Moroccan Human Rights Advisory Council (CCDH) to resolve the issue of human
rights, the CCDH has announced that Hassan II has accepted the conclusions
of its report (see Week 42/98 + 51/98
http://www.arso.org/01-e98-42.htm    /  http://www.arso.org/01-e98-51.htm).
The King wants the case closed for once and for all by compensating most of
the victims or their relatives within the next three months. A royal pardon
has been given to the 112 people on the CCDH list as well as their
torturers, designated by the euphemism "concerned authorities and their
assistants" at the service of the "peace of the State." ( full text of the
memorandum, french
http://www.lematin.press.ma/lejournal/1999/04/09/nat2.htm)
The families of the victims, however, have not been informed, no list of
names has been published and the numbers, which were already controversial,
are different than those published six months ago. No mention is made of
Abraham Serfaty or Cheikh Abdessalam Yassine. Compensation to the families
of the other disappeared is not addressed.
Relatives of the victims have expressed their outrage at the way the issue
has been handled.
The president of the Moroccan human rights organization (OMDH) has stated
that the case is still not closed as other lists of disappeared persons
exist.
AFAPREDESA pointed out that at least 526 Sahrawis (
http://www.derechos.org/afapredesa/doc/lista.html) are still disappeared
and that political prisoners are still wallowing in Moroccan jails, for
instance the Sahrawi Mohamed Daddache (http://www.arso.org/daddach-e.htm).
The Sahrawi human rights association is drawing attention to the fate of
some ten former Sahrawi disappeared who have no papers or passports and for
the last 7 months, from a hotel in Rabat, have been demanding recognition
of their rights (see Week 10/99  http://www.arso.org/01-e99-10.htm).

08.04.99
MINURSO-POLISARIO agreement
An agreement on mine clearing was signed on 5.4.99 between MINURSO and the
Polisario Front. The agreement stipulates exchange of information,
identification of the locations of landmines, their destruction by
Polisario where possible and a clean up of the surrounding area. Following
the accord signed Morocco on March 12, 1999, its does not include a buffer
strip along the Moroccan wall.
Regarding the resumption of identification, the UN has announced that
meetings are scheduled next week in New York. The Secretary-General's
report is expected on April 23 and the date of the resumption of voter
identification will be known by the end of April.

09.04.99 The US under-secretary of state responsible for the Maghreb, Mr.
Indyk, is in Rabat for talks concerning the Western Sahara conflict and the
resumption of the peace process.

News from the camps and SADR liberated zones
As usual, the Easter period saw hundreds of visitors from Spain, Italy,
Switzerland and elsewhere to the Sahrawi refugee camps.
A 100-strong delegation from Navarre, lead by the head of the government,
inaugurated a new hospital on April 10 in Tifariti in the liberated zones.
The facility, designed by SODEPAZ and largely financed by the Navarre
government, was built upon the ruins of a hospital destroyed by a Moroccan
air raid just prior to the 1991 cease fire. The 80-bed hospital, including
two operating arenas and various healthcare services, is destined for
repatriated refugees.

Visit
Visit of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to Spain. Sahrawi support
organizations launched a letter-writing campaign calling for a free and
fair referendum in the Western Sahara.

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

- Resolución 1232 (1999) del Consejo de Seguridad, 30.03.99.
(http://www.un.org/spanish/docs/sc99/sres1232.htm)
- Hopes fade for change in Morocco, Khalaf Roula, The Financial Times, 31.03.99
- Una expedición de cien navarros viaja hoy al Sáhara para inaugurar un
hospital, Castillejo Maris Jesus, Diario de Navarra, 07.04.99
(http://www.diariodenavarra.es/diariona/19990407/navarra/B19ART1Ai.html)
- Un centro de 80 camas, Diario de Navarra, 07.04.99.
- Hassan II releva a Filali al frente de la diplomacia de Marruecos,
Canales Pedro, El País, 09.04.99.
(http://www.elpais.es/p/d/19990409/internac/hassan.htm)
-  Convenio para que los niños del Sáhara se desplacen este verano, La
Rioja , 09.04.99. (http://www.larioja.com/pg990409/suscr/logro05.htm)
- El rey Hassan II de  Marruecos está dispuesto a indemnizar a familiares
de los desaparecidos, Fernandez Cristina, La Vanguardia, 09.04.99.
-  Sahara Libre, Périodique national d'information, RASD, Nº 1/99,
22.03.99, 4 p.

   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         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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WEEK 13
28.03. - 03.04.1999

ICRC
Between 6 and 20 March an International Committee of the Red Cross team
visited a large number of the 1,877 Moroccan prisoners held by the
Polisario Front. The main purpose of the visit was to assess the men's
state of health and the availability of medical care for them in the
region. As delays regarding the UN settlement plan have held up the
prisoners' repatriation, the ICRC is trying to find ways of providing these
men, most of whom have been held for close to 20 years, with more
specialized care on the spot. The doctor found that many of the prisoners
needed special tests and treatment that could only be given in a properly
equipped hospital. The ICRC delegates paid particular attention to the 83
men freed in April 1997 and still awaiting repatriation to Morocco. Two of
the men released at the time have since died. (full text
http://www.icrc.org/unicc/icrcnews.nsf/969478cd441a86f2412564db0056652d/42d60218
a65fddaa412567400040cfdb?OpenDocument )

European Union
The European deputy Marianne Eriksson, Left Party Sweden, has put a
question to the Commission about the allowances to Morocco. "Is the
commission planning  to stop or cut down the allowances ?

29.03.99
Diplomacy
During an African tour, the Sahrawi Minister of Foreign Affairs Ould Salek
was received by Malawi's Minister of Foreign Affairs, who restated Malawi's
support "for the just cause of the Sahrawi people and its unwavering
support for the peace plan." Ould Salek also met Namibian President Sam
Nujoma in Windhoek in early February. (Sahrawi Ministry of Information)

29.03.99
Sahrawi press agency
The Sahrawi government, upon the initiative of the Ministry of Information,
decided to create a national press agency, Sahara Press Service. (SPS)

SADR Government activities
The Sahrawi government heard reports from the President of the Sahrawi Red
Crescent and the Director General of Cooperation on their recent missions
to Europe. The government decided to undertake a study tour, beginning
April 3, of all the wilayas to consult residents on how to resolve daily
problems. (SPS)

29-30.03.99
Socialist International
  Malaïnine Sadik, Minister-Counselor to the President, represented the
Polisario Front at a meeting of the Africa Committee of the IS in Bamako,
Mali, upon invitation by the International Headquarters of the IS. The
agenda focussed on globalization, regional conflicts and the advancement
and promotion of democracy in Africa. The meeting was in preparation for
the IS Council meeting in Buenos Aires on June 25 and 26. (Sahrawi Ministry
of Information)

30.03.99
Security Council Resolution S/RES/1232 (1999)
The Security Council unanimously decided to extend MINURSO's mandate until
April 30, 1999 "so that all parties can reach an agreement."

HUMAN RIGHTS
30.03.99
Morocco, forced disappearances
In the face of lack of progress on the issue of forced disappearances,
Morocco's four human rights associations, along with the Moroccan bar
association and the Comité de coordination des familles des disparus, made
up of former political prisoners and family members of the disappeared,
have decided to create a single organization to speed up resolution of this
issue. (Reuters)

22.03.-30.04.99
United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva, 55th session, point 5,
the right of a people to self-determination.
Several delegates brought up the question of the Western Sahara, including
representatives from Algeria, France Libertés and LIDLIP. The Algerian
delegation stated that despite the recent agreements between Morocco and
the   UN, "a lot remains to be done," but "Algeria will spare no efforts to
see the Western Sahara peace process brought to fruition." France Libertés
condemned Morocco's obstruction of the peace process.

SOLIDARITY
Cagnano Amiterno, L'Aquila, Italy: this municipality adopted a resolution
calling on the Italian government to suspend all arms sales to Morocco,
prevent threats to Western Sahara's resources, participate in clearing the
territory of landmines, increase humanitarian aid to the refugees and
recognize the SADR.
31.03.-03.04.99: An Italian delegation made up of representatives of
political parties, communes, provinces and Sahrawi support associations as
well as journalists visited the refugee camps and liberated zones in the
SADR. This visit was organized by the Associazione Nazionale de Solidarietà
col Popolo Sahrawi (ANSPS) in collaboration with the Associazione di
Solidarietà e Amicizia col Popolo Sahrawi "Enzo Mazzarini."

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

- "Les Sahraouis - un peuple oublié en exil", 55 min, documentaire réalisé
par Anita Lackenberger et Andrea Maurer. Production: TI:ME:CO:DE Berlin.
(infos: Andrea Maurer, mailto:khoffelner@...).
-  Résolution du Conseil de sécurité, S/RES/1232 (1999) du 30.03.99
(http://www.arso.org/S-1232f-99.htm)
- Security Council resolution S/RES/1232 (1999), March 30, 1999
(http://www.arso.org/S-1232-99.htm)
-  El Consejo de Seguridad prolonga la misión de la ONU en el Sáhara,
Armada Alfonso, ABC, Madrid, 31.03.99.
(http://www.abc.es/abc/fijas/internac/019pa00.htm)
- OUA. Le Sahara au coeur des débats, Ouazani Cherif, Jeune Afrique, Paris,
No 1994, 30.03.99, pp. 20-21.
- Lueur d'espoir au Sahara occidental, Tuquoi Jean-Pierre, Le Monde, Paris,
01.04.99.
- Rabat nicchia (da 25 anni), Ardesi Luciano, Nigrizia, Italie, marzo 1999.

   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         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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WEEK 12
21.-27.03.1999

21.03.99
Charles Dunbar's farewell tour
The population of the Smara wilaya paid tribute to Dunbar in the presence
of the Sahrawi head of State. Dunbar thanked the Polisario Front and
Sahrawi officials for their friendship and cooperation. He stressed that
the last year of his mandate had been the most important year of his life.
He regretted not being able to complete his mission and end the painful
situation of the Sahrawi refugees. The following day in Rabat, Dunbar bid
farewell to Moroccan authorities during a working meeting with Driss Basri,
Minister of the Interior, and Azmi, coordinator with MINURSO.

20-21.03.99
Visit by U.S. ambassador
The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nancy Soderberg, visited the
Sahrawi refugee camps and Tifariti, in the liberated zones. She was
received by the President and the Sahrawi government. She attended the
farewell ceremony for Charles Dunbar. On March 22, Soderberg met with Driss
Basri in Rabat to discuss the conflict in the Western Sahara. (Sahrawi
Ministry of Information)

22.03.99
Report of the Secretary-General S/1999/307 ( http://www.arso.org/S-99-307.htm )
In October 1998, the Secretary-General proposed a package of measures to
speed up the peace process:
identification of contested tribal groups (65 000) beginning 1.12.98;
simultaneous publication of the provisional voter's list thus beginning the
appeals process;
forrmalization of the UNHCR's presence in the territory;
a new calendar with a referendum scheduled for December 1999.
The Polisario Front accepted all of the measures in November 1998. There
were intense discussions between Morocco and the UN. It was only on March
22, the day Kofi Annan's report was to be published, that Morocco
communicated its agreement "in principle" in a letter, while calling for
amendments to the identification and appeals protocols. Morocco is calling
for the appeals procedures to commence one month after the resumption of
identification. Kofi Annan is proposing to the Security Council that
MINURSO 's mandate be extended to April 30 so that the parties can come to
an agreement on Morocco's proposed amendments, while respecting the major
tenets of his proposals.
Morocco, responsible for the five-month delay in the calendar proposed in
October 1998 by the Secretary-General, is nevertheless calling for "the
referendum to be complete by March 2000 because this has dragged on long
enough," according to Morocco's representative to the UN, A. Snoussi.

22-23.03.99
69th session of the OAU's Council of Ministers
Senegal, seconded by Gabon, raised the issue of Western Sahara's membership
in the Panafrican organization, demanding that the decision taken by the
leaders' summit on June 8, 1998 in Ouagadougou be respected, namely that
the Council of Ministers "study the issue of SADR's membership within the
OAU." Morocco had sent several emissaries to various African capitals and
an entire delegation of Addis Ababa. Once the OAU's legal counsel had
issued its advisory, the majority of countries present renewed their full
support for the Sahrawi Republic and reaffirmed their support for the UN
sponsored self-determination referendum. The Sahrawi Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Ould Salek called on the OAU to assume its responsibility in the
decolonization process. SADR was elected vice-president to the current
ministerial session. (Sahrawi Ministry of Information)

HUMAN RIGHTS

22.03.-30.04.99 UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva
The right of a people to self-determination: The Spanish federation of
human rights associations made an intervention on 23.03.99 on the
implementation of the UN peace plan in the Western Sahara. The Federation
also called for an investigation into the whereabouts of the Sahrawi
dissapeared.

Khadija Moutik mint Abeid, the sister of four Sahrawi political detainees
(the Meknès group), was fired three months ago. A public works technician
in the urban commune of Goulimine in Southern Morocco, she was accused by
commune officials to have revealed illegal administrative practices against
Sahrawi civil servants. A disciplinary council dropped all charges against
her but she has not been permitted to return to work (AFAPREDESA).

NEWS BRIEFS

21.03.99 The first weekly meeting of the Sahrawi government dealt with
customs, transportation and material management. (Sahrawi Ministry of
Information)
21.03.99 Susanne Öberg, member of the National Board, Centerparty Youth in
Sweden, issued a press release calling for an end to the international
community's apathy on the question of Africa's last colony, the Western
Sahara.

25.03.99 The Sahrawi Minister of the Occupied Territories and Emigration
was received by Mauritanian President Ould Taya. Mahfoud Ali Beiba
"applauded the friendship and good neighbourliness that defines relations
between Mauritania and Western Sahara." (Sahrawi Ministry of Information)

European Parliament: Two Swedish parliamentarians, Maj-Brit Tehorin (PSE)
and Hans Lindqvist (ELDR) raised questions regarding the Council's
relations with Morocco and European aid to Morocco, in the context of
Morocco's occupation of the Western Sahara.

Sweden: During its last congress, the Committee for Western Saharan Women
sent three letters, one to Kofi Annan, the Security Council and European
parliamentarians, another to Hillary Clinton and a third to the Polisario
Front, criticizing the absence of women in the new Sahrawi government.

NEW ON INTERNET
- Accessible again: "Il sito dell' Associazione Al Awda, Catania, Italia".
Novità vi è presente un breve dizionario italiano-hassaniya.
(http://www.copin.it/alawda)

- Westsahara - Projekt, "EineWelt Gruppe", Willi Graf Gymnasium München,
Deutschland. (http://www.wgg.musin.de/ewg/projekte.htm)


SOLIDARITY
Murcia, Spain, 20.03.99 : 21 ill Saharawi children arrived from the refugee
camps to be treated in Spain. A projekt of the Saharawi support Committees
of the region of Murcia.


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

- Sahara Occidental, le dernier pays colonisé d'Afrique, Aujourd'hui
l'Afrique, revue éditée par l'AFASPA, BP 12, F-95120 Ermont Cedex, n° 71,
février 1999, 34
p.(http://assoc.wanadoo.fr/aujourdhui/afrique/aa/99/9971.htm)
- Report of the Secretary general concerning the situation in Western
Sahara, S/1999/307, 22.03.99. (http://www.arso.org/S-99-307.htm)
- Rapport du Scrétaire général concernant la situation au Sahara
Occidental, S/1999/307, 22.03.99, (http://www.arso.org/S-99-307f.htm)
- Informe del Secretarion general sobre la situation del Sahara Occidental,
S/1999/307, 22.03.99 (http://www.un.org/spanish/docs/report99/s1999307.htm)
- Annan asegura que Rabat acepta el plan de la ONU sobre el proceso del
Sáhara - El Frente Polisario se queja de que el referéndum haya sufrido un
nuevo retraso, Espinosa Javier, El Mundo, Madrid, 25.03.99.
(http://www.el-mundo.es/diario/1999/03/25/internacional/25N0058.html)
- Annan espera que Marruecos y el Polisario acepten pronto sus propuestas,
Serbeto Enrique, ABC , Madrid, 25.03.99.
(http://www.abc.es/abc/fijas/internac/025pa00.htm)
- Western Sahara - An endless dance in the desert, The Economist, London,
27.03.99, p. 4.


   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         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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Last Report of the UN Secretary General of March 22 1999 is available on URL:

http://www.arso.org/S-99-307.htm

or on demand by mailto:arso@...

   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         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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WEEK 11
14.-20.03.1999

12.03.99
Visit
Following the inauguration of a local radio station at Tindouf, the
Algerian Minister of Communication and Culture visited the Sahrawi refugee
camps. Abdelaziz Rahabi was greeted at the February 27 School by his
Sahrawi counterpart. Fadel Ismaïl paid tribute to Algeria for its
"unwavering, clear and unconditional" support. The Algerian delegation
visited the Sahrawi national radio and held a working meeting with a
Sahrawi delegation. (Sahrawi Ministry of Information, APS)

12.03.99
Abdelaziz in the United States
Mohamed Abdelaziz told Washington that the Sahrawi people still support a
free, fair and transparent referendum. "Contrary to the Moroccan party, we
have made numerous concessions and fully cooperated with the UN," Abdelaziz
pointed out, calling on the United States to exercise its influence to
ensure that the referendum is held in accordance with the schedule set out
by the Houston Agreements.
The Sahrawi President was speaking during a breakfast meeting organized by
the Defence Forum Foundation at the offices of Congress. Donald Payne, a
Democratic representative in the House of Representatives who sits on its
Africa Subcommittee, introduced the Sahrawi President to the large
audience, including Edward Royce, Chair of the Africa Subcommittee, and
Joseph Pitts, member of the House of Representatives. Also in attendance
were former American members of MINURSO and diplomats. Major Scott Tate
proposed that the U.S. government cut all economic aid to Morocco until
Morocco accepts the UN proposals. Donald Payne reaffirmed Congress's
support for the Sahrawi cause, calling Morocco's behaviour unacceptable. He
stated that while Morocco is a U.S. ally, it supports the right to
self-determination. (APS, Sahrawi Ministry of Information)

13.03.99
France
The French association, Friends of SADR, repeated its determination to
promote a "fair and honest" referendum in Western Sahara, which requires
"the mobilization" of European governments. The association president,
Francis Jacob, denounced Morocco's "intransigence" and the "complicity of
certain Western countries, including France and Spain," who are not helping
to speed up the UN peace process. (APS)

14.03.99
Spain
During his trip to Madrid, Sahrawi President Mohamed Abdelaziz stated in an
interview with the Madrid daily El Pais that he "hoped the Spanish
government would adopt a position similar to the Portuguese government's
with respect to East Timor. Lisbon showed great courage which led to
concrete results. Recent developments on this issue demonstrate once again
that self-determination is an inalienable right."

15.03.99
Algiers
The President of the SADR announced during a stopover in Algiers that the
UN is making a massive effort "to successfully conclude the Western Sahara
peace process." He reiterated that "SADR has the legitimate right to take
up arms again to defend its inalienable rights and its national sovereignty
in the Western Sahara." He pointed out, "We are one week away from the
deadline given to Morocco to respond to unresolved issues regarding the
organization of the referendum in Western Sahara."

16.03.99
Morocco's nuclear aspirations
The Spanish government and the autonomous region of the Canaries are
disturbed by a proposed project to build a nuclear station in Tan Tan to
desalinate sea water. Moroccan experts have stated "The nuclear option is a
concrete initiative that poses no danger." (Libération, Moroccan daily)

16.03.99
U.S. First Lady Hillary Clinton will end her 2-week trip to North Africa
with a visit to Morocco from March 27 to April 1. (see urgent action
http://www.arso.org/WCS-99.htm)

17.03.99
Mine clearing
The Moroccan army and MINURSO signed an accord on March 12 to clear
minesfrom non-military zones in the Western Sahara. The accord
excludesminefields along the Moroccan wall. The agreement stipulates
exchange ofinformation on the location of mines and their destruction by
the Moroccanarmy. (Reuters)

17.03.99
Resignation of Charles Dunbar
The special representative of the UN Secretary-General for the Western
Sahara, Charles Dunbar, is resigning after a little more than a year in the
position. He is stepping down for personal reasons. (AFP, Reuters, El Pais,
El Mundo)

19.03.99
Saharawi Parliament
After a three days session, the Saharawi National Council adopted the
government's program for 1999. In his closure speech, the Saharawi head of
State informed the parliament about the recent developments of the peace
process, the resignation of the special representative Mr Charles Dunbar
and the imminent acceptance of the UN proposals by Morocco. On the other
hand, Abdelaziz announced the holding "before next summer" of the tenth
Congress of the Polisario Front. He insisted on the necessity to stay
watchfull and to be prepared to anything and appealed to the youth already
to prepare itself to take responsibilities in the future state (Sahrawi
Ministry of Information).

NEW PUBLICATIONS
- Malika Ufkir, hija del general golpista marroqui, "He odiado a mi padre
adoptivo, Hassan II", Redondo Paloma, El País, Madrid, 07.03.99.
(http://www.elpais.es/cgi-bin/ELPAIS/vdkw_cgi@1121/x805be077-1056/Search/2665440
/1)
- El presidente saharaui amenaza con la guerra si Rabat bloquea el
referéndum, Sanz Juan Carlos, El Pais, Madrid,
15.03.99.(http://www.elpais.es/p/d/19990315/internac/sahara.htm)
- Marruecos construirá una central nuclear frente a las islas, Vacas
Antonio, La Vanguardia, Barcelona, 16.03.99.
- IU denuncia la entrega de ciudadanos saharauis a Marruecos, SUR, 16.03.99.
- Dunbar tira la toalla ante el bloqueo de Rabat, Canales Pedro, El
País.Madrid, 19.03.99 http://www.elpais.es/p/d/19990319/internac/sahara.htm
- Dimite de su cargo el representante de la ONU para el Sáhara, Espinosa
Javier, El Mundo, Madrid, 19.03.99
http://www.el-mundo.es/diario/internacional/19N0070.html

   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         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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WEEK 10
07.-13.03.1999

10.02.99
An ICRC shipment of 1.5 tonnes of essential medical supplies and 1,000
blankets arrived last week in Oran, Algeria, and was delivered to the
Polisario Front near Tindouf by the Algerian Red Crescent. The
beneficiaries will be Moroccan prisoners and local medical facilities.

26.02.99
New Delhi
In commemoration of the Sahrawi national holiday, the Indian Africanist
association organized a symposium on the peace plan. Diplomats,
politicians, academics, media and business representatives attended. The
assembly passed a resolution supporting the organization of a free, fair
and transparent referendum in the Western Sahara by the UN and OAU and
called on the UN to speed up the decolonization of the Western Sahara. It
expressed its support for the Houston Agreements and called on both the
Polisario Front and Morocco to adhere to them. (AIA)

24.02.99
Spanish congress
The United left and the Mixed left have separately requested that the
government supply information on the circumstances and responsibilities
surrounding the expulsion of two Sahrawis from Spain to Morocco in early
February. The parliamentarians are demanding to know if the Spanish
government took steps to guarantee the physical and psychological
well-being of the two Sahrawis, if it plans to continue to expel Sahrawi
residents in Spain and if it considers these expulsions in keeping with
international law and the 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention.

01.03.99
International day against landmines
The Sahrawi government has announced that it is ready to sign the
international treaty banning landmines and has called on Morocco to start
demining the territory. (Saharawi Ministry of Information).

07.03.99
President Abdelaziz visits the U.S.
Mr. Abdelaziz began a three-day working visit to the United States. He
plans to meet with various political groupings, including the U.S.
Congress. U.S. sources in Rabat have indicated that Washington supports a
political solution supervised by the UN while maintaining stability in
North Africa (Sahrawi Ministry of Information, Reuters, AP).

08.03.99
International Women's Day
To mark this day, the Polisario Front and the SADR government "reassured
Sahrawi women of their commitment to support women in their efforts to
occupy their rightful place in a democratic Sahrawi society, where women
and men shall be equal, both in rights and responsibilities." (Saharawi
Ministry of Information)

08.03.99
25th anniversary of the First Martyr
To mark the 25th anniversary of the death of Béchir Lehlaoui on March 8,
1974, the first Sahrawi to fall in battle, the Polisario Front and the SADR
government remembered all of the fighters who have fallen in combat with
festivities at Tifariti, in the liberated zone, some 100 kilometres from
the Moroccan wall.
Attended by Prime Miniser Bouchraya Bayoun and Minister of Defence Mohamed
Lamine Bouhali, various delegations and journalists viewed an exhibition
recounting the history of the liberation struggle, and visited the
construction sites of an elementary school and a 100-bed hospital being
built for refugees who are eligible to vote and will be moving into the
area. The day also included an impressive military parade, a football game
and wrapped up with a large art show.
Large-scale military manoeuvres, named "the teeth of the United Nations"
were called off at the last minute by the Sahrawi President "at the request
of the UN, and friendly countries like Algeria, the United States and
France." These manoeuvres were to include an attack plan against a fictive
enemy involving tanks and batteries of anti-aircraft and surface to surface
missiles. During a press conference, the Prime Minister stated, "faith in
the UN peace plan is dwindling. If the peace plan fails, the only recourse
will a resumption of war." In a speech aired on radio, the Sahrawi
President  called on the Moroccan government to agree to Kofi Annan's
proposals, in order to organize the referendum. For the President, there is
only one possible outcome for the referendum-independence. He added that an
independent Sahrawi Republic would pursue profitable relations with
Morocco. (Sahrawi Ministry of Information, Reuters, APS)

08.03.99
Sahrawi student protests in Morocco (cont'd)
Following a meeting of Sahrawi students to mark the 23rd anniversary of the
SADR, which degenerated into a confrontation with police (see Week 09 /
99), the protests have continued. Monday, March 8: a student sit-in at the
Souissi I campus in Rabat to protest the repression. Sahrawi students from
Casablanca, Marrakech and Agadir universities join in solidarity.
Negotiations with the campus director and the ministry of the interior fail
with the students refusing to be outdistanced by the information published
by the media.
Tuesday, March 9:the sit-in in Rabat continues. A large police presence is
dispatched to surround the Souissi I campus. The students call for help.
It has been confirmed that five Sahrawi demonstrators were seriously
injured last week. Treated at the Avicenne hospital, they have been
transferred to a private clinic in the Hassane district, close to the
ministry of higher education and professional training.
Bak el Hafed has a broken arm, Bak Naama face wounds, Cherif Abdelwahab a
fractured skull, Ch'haima a broken knee. A fifth student suffered a broken
arm.
Wednesday March 10: the sit-in in Rabat runs from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Negotiations with Moroccan authorities fail. The students stick to their
demands. Late in the evening, Brahim Hakim, a Sahrawi defector, viewed as a
"traitor" arrives to talk to the students. They refuse to give him an
audience. The students meet with Mohamed Darif, of the ministry of the
interior, who expresses his regrets for the events of February 26 and
promises to meet all of their demands and pay compensation to the Moroccan
and Sahrawi victims. Following much discussion, the students agree to end
their protests since exam period is approaching. They give up on the false
promises made by the authorities and announce the event another victory for
the Sahrawi people in their struggle against marginalization and for
survival.
According to another source, the protests are continuing, negotiations are
ongoing and the Sahrawi students are asking the UN to ensure their safety.

09.03.99
Hillary Clinton in Morocco: Urgent action (http://www.arso.org/WCS-99.htm)
The U.S. First Lady will visit Morocco in the last week of March for a
4-day private visit (Reuters). The Western Sahara Campaign UK has launched
an urgent action calling on the public to write letters to Hillary Clinton
pointing out the situation in the Western Sahara and the humans rights
violations against the Sahrawi people.

09.03.99
The U.S. Under-Secretary of State, Martin Indyk, met with the King of
Morocco in Marrakech. According to an American diplomatic source, the
discussions focussed on the Middle East peace process and the Western
Sahara peace plan.

11.03.99
Human rights
  AFAPREDESA held a press conference in Madrid to talk about the situation
of the two Sahrawis, Mohamed Chigali and Abdallah Ruh, both holders of
Mauritanian passports and Sahrawi identity cards, who were handed over to
Morocco by Spanish authorities at the beginning of February (see Week  07 /
99). Their cases are not unique and AFAPREDESA is calling on the Spanish
authorities to conduct an inquiry to determine who is responsible and to
use diplomatic channels to guarantee that the two Sahrawi's rights are
respected, to inquire into their physical well-being and to lend them
necessary assistance.

Ex-disappeared prisoners
The coordinating committee elected to represent Sahrawi victims of forced
disappearances in Morocco (see Week  51 / 98 and 42 / 98) is made up of 11
former disappeared Sahrawis who were freed in 1991 from a prison in El
Ayoun and the Kalâat M`Gouna penal colony. Several months ago they moved
into a Rabat hotel to demand reparations. In a press release, the committee
stated that since the publication, by the consultative committee on human
rights (CCDH), of a list of disappeared at the end of October 1998, the
committee has received only promises. The group has decided to only meet
authorities in the presence of national and international media
organizations and human rights NGOs. Their demand remain unchanged:
prosecution of those responsible for the disappearances; compensation for
the victims and their reintegration, including provision of jobs,
healthcare and housing; death certificates for the families; freedom of
movement and the right to leave the country. The committee is calling for
pressure on Morocco to force it to treat the issue of the disappeared in
conformity with human dignity, and is asking human rights NGOs to make
contact with the committee. The committee recently met with Amnesty
International. In early October, the Consultative committee on human rights
promised to settle all of the cases "within 6 months".

11.03.99
Referendum
While the United Nations are expect ing since 4 month the Moroccan answer
to the SG proposals to come out of the blockage of the process,
(S/1998/1160), Interior Minister Driss Basri persists with ambiguous
decalarations:

"The referendum on the Western Sahara will take place in March 2000. There
is no chance we will lose it," stated Moroccan minister of the interior,
Driss Basri. "In the event of an impasse in the referendum process, it will
be up to the UN to decide the outcome, and in any event, we will maintain
our territory," he added. (Al-Hayat, London)

Morocco wants the self-determination referendum in the Western Sahara be
organized "as soon as possible," according to Driss Basri, Moroccan
minister of the interior. "As early as possible, namely in February 2000,"
he told the Associated Press.

SOLIDARITY
Italie, Naples, 12.03.99: "Terra senza ombra", exposition de photos
réalisées par Livorio D'Avino et organisée par l'Association des Amis du
peuple sahraoui de Naples.
Espagne, Zamora, 13.03.99, Pabellon de desportes de San José Obrero 2º
concierto de música alternativa por un Sahara libre.

NEW PUBLICATIONS
- Sahara News, Embassy of SADR, New Dehli, Vol. 1, No 3, Jan.-Febr. 1999, 16 p.
- Refugee Problems in Africa, World Focus, Indian Monthly, No 229, 1999.
- Stalemate Over Western Sahara Leaves Exiles in Limbo, Daniszewski John,
Los Angeles Times,04.03.99.(
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/inatl/feed/world920549783332.htm)
- Cruz Roja Española investigó el desvío por el Polisario de ayudas para
comprar 430 camellas - La organización no comunicó su sospecha a sus
financiadores, Cembrero Ignacio, El Pais, Madrid, 07.03.99.(
http://www.elpais.es/p/d/19990307/sociedad/cruzroj.htm)
- Sahara. Mohamed Abdelaziz à Washington, Jeune Afrique, Paris, n°1991,
09.03.99, p. 8.
- El referéndum del Sahara puede ser en marzo del 2000 Rabat, Serbeto
Enrique, ABC, Madrid, 12.03.99.(
http://www.abc.es/cgi-bin/vdkw_cgi@1492/xe0aa674d-616/Search/2805964/1)
- Sahara Info, bulletin de l'Association des Amis de la RASD, Pairs, n°105,
janvier-mars 99, 20 p.


   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         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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Western Sahara Campaign UK

Urgent Action

Mrs Hilary Clinton to visit Morocco

On the occasion of the "Throne Day" of King Hassan II  it was announced in
a US Presidents message that Mrs Hilary Clinton is  shortly to visit the
Kingdom of Morocco.

The Western Sahara Campaign urges all those concerned with the  liberation
of Western Sahara from Moroccan occupation - and with fundamental  human
rights - to write immediately to Mrs Clinton.

We provide a draft letter for you to use. Either fax it to the  White
House, or send by Air Mail (63p stamp to USA). First, put your own name
and address on it, and date and sign it.
Or e-mail it: http://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/Mail/html/Mail_First_Lady.htm or
mailto:first.lady@...

You could go one further and fax a copy to the US Embassy in  Morocco. The
US Ambassador is Edward Gabriel: Fax: 00 212 7 750 863. Or
mailto:iorabat@....

For further pressure, the telephone of the White House is: 00 1  202 456 1414.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
——————————

Sample letter:

The Honourable Hilary Rodham Clinton
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
WASHINGTON DC 20500,
USA
Fax: 00 1 202 456 2461

Date:
Dear Mrs Clinton,

Morocco and Western Sahara

It is with deep concern that I learn of your imminent trip to the Kingdom
of  Morocco.

You are, of course, aware that Morocco invaded Western Sahara in 1975,
forcing tens of thousands of the inhabitants of the territory to flee their
homes and seek refuge in neighbouring Algeria.
Thousands more Saharawis suffer arbitrary arrest, torture and
extra-judicial  killing at the hands of over 100,000 Moroccan troops now
occupying Western  Sahara. The U.S. State Department, Amnesty
International, and Human Rights  Watch, and other bodies, have widely
reported on these crimes. Today over 500  Saharawis remain unaccounted for.
Eight years ago Morocco agreed to a United Nations brokered settlement
plan,  designed to bring about a just and lasting solution to the conflict
which  involved the Moroccan army and the POLISARIO Front.

The settlement plan calls, inter alia, for a free, fair and  transparent
referendum for the people of Western Sahara. Unfortunately what was
regarded to be a six month referendum process has now gone into its eighth
year  and it will go on and on unless Moroco is told enough is enough, the
time has  come for a just and durable solution in Western Sahara.
Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary General has, on many occasions, highlighted
the  Moroccan violations of the settlement plan and underlined the lack of
co-operation of Morocco with the UN.

As I write this letter to you, the peace process in Western Sahara is about
to collapse, once again, because Morocco has failed to accept the latest UN
proposals, presented to the parties by Kofi Annan last November.

I do believe, Madam, that your visit could be a great opportunity to raise
these matters with the Moroccan highest authorities and to urge them to put
an  end to their colonial and anachronistic occupation of Western Sahara.
Otherwise,  this visit may be seen by many as an encouragement to Morocco
to continue its  wrongdoings, and as a green light for more human rights
abuses, more atrocities,  and more rebellion by Morocco against the UN
Security Council resolutions.
With highest considerations,

Yours sincerely,

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
——————————

   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         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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WEEK 09
28.02. - 06.03.1999

24.02.99
U.S. Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright met with the U.N.
Secretary-General during his visit to Washington. Western Sahara was on the
agenda.

27.02.99
23rd anniversary of the Sahrawi Republic

Refugee camps - liberated zones
Commemorative events were decentralized, with each wilaya choosing its own
activities to celebrate the event, including artistic and cultural
contests. In the liberated zones, units of the Sahrawi liberation army
practiced manoeuvres. Sahrawi embassies and foreign bureaus held receptions
or cultural events. (Sahrawi Ministry of Information press release)

Austria: Reception in Vienna
The minister responsible for the status of women and consumer protection,
Barbara Prammer along with ambassadors, parliamentarians and Austrian NGOs
were present at the event. Prammer reaffirmed the Austrian people's support
for the Sahrawi. Polisario Front representative Salek Seghir Radhi thanked
all those who have supported the Sahrawi since the time of Bruno Kreisky.

Rabat: Incidents at the university
According to a number of reports, Sahrawi students from the Souissi 1
university campus in Rabat held a gathering on the evening of February 26.
A fight broke out between the Sahrawi and Moroccan students. It took the
CMIs (mobile police units) until 3:00 a.m. to disperse the students,
leading to injuries among both demonstrators and police. The Moroccan press
reported at least 11 arrests.
The injured, some of whom are still in hospital, included Bak el Hafed, Bak
Naama, Baihi Bachir, Mustapha Ahmednah Jamaa, El Hafed El Maaloul, El
Alaoui Abdelwahab, Ballal Moustapha, Mesbah Ahmadou, Mesbah Moulay Ahmed
and Mohamed Bentaleb.
  On the morning of March 1, Sahrawi students gathered and refused to
disperse until they had received an explanation. Abdelaziz Aallabouch,
director general of national security (responsible for the CMI) arrived
later that evening and promised to meet the students on March 8. Sahrawi
student demonstrations continued through March 4.

Switzerland: Reception in Geneva
Numerous participants included canton and municipal authorities, members of
parliament and  diplomats.

03.03.99
Speech by Hassan II
On the 38th anniversary of his enthronement, the King of Morocco announced
he was "firmly committed to the United Nations peace plan," which he said
should lead to a referendum "that will confirm the Moroccanness of our
Sahara." He added, "Morocco is absolutely determined to follow the
referendum route; there is no other option."

04.03.99
Sahrawi statement
"On the one hand, Morocco says it is ready to support the peace plan, as
the Moroccan king just announced. On the other, it does nothing to
facilitate its execution," stated the Sahrawi Minister of Information. "We
demand that Morocco prove its stated support for the peace plan," said
Fadel Ismaïl, adding, "Morocco is convinced that the referendum will come
out in favour of Western Saharan independence, so it does not want to come
out and agree to the UN proposals, but it cannot say no to them because
that would only increase its international isolation and facilitate the
Sahrawi Republic's ambition to hold a seat at the United Nations." (AFP)

05.03.99
Liberal International
During its 49th Congress, held in Brussels from March 3 to 5, the Liberal
International adopted two resolutions on the Western Sahara and decided to
send observers for the referendum. In the context of the United Nations
Decade for the Elimination of Colonialism, which ends in the year 2000, the
L.I . called for the withdrawal of Indonesian troops from East Timor and of
the Moroccan army from the Western Sahara as well as for respect for the
right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination (full text
http://www.arso.org/01-2-LI991.htm) . In its resolution on the Western
Sahara, the Congress called on Morocco to accept the proposals by the UN
and the European Union calling on it to increase its support for the
referendum process (full text http://www.arso.org/01-2-LI992.htm).

In his comment  Minister  M.Sidati  estimed that these resolutions
strengthen the international consensus around the W.S. question. He urges
the European Union to intervene in order to move away the true danger
induced by the Moroccan attitude.

Referendum
To extricate itself from the impasse it has created, Morocco is desperately
looking for arguments to justify its rejection of Kofi Annan's plan. It
wants to torpedo the plan by calling into question the validity of the
census. And it has found an ally in Emilio Cuevas, the Spanish colonel
responsible for the 1974 census, who considers it "incomplete". Cuevas
first gave an interview to Le Figaro on February 6. Then, a Spanish
journalist, contacted by the Moroccan Ministry of the Interior, met with
Cuevas in Rabat, in the home of one of the ministry's senior civil
servants. Cuevas said, "My statements are an expression of gratitude toward
Morocco and of bitterness toward the UN." The former Spanish civil servant
was a consultant to MINURSO until 1994 when he left in frustration because,
in his opinion, the organization did not appreciate his abilities. The
Spanish ministry of foreign affairs considers Cuevas's claim that "far more
than half of the population counted in the census" lived outside the
territory of the Western Sahara, as "greatly exaggerated." (Le Figaro,
Paris, ABC, Madrid, Die TAZ, Berlin)

COMING UP...
Italy, Rome: 09.03.99 :Amnesty International: presentazione del programma
per l'anno 1999.
-Campagna USA: Diritti per tutti
-Azione Marocco-Sahara Occidentale
Interventi di Riccardo Noury della Sezione Italiana di A.I. e di Gaia
Pallottino della Associazione Nazionale Italiana di Solidarietà con il
Popolo Saharawi, 09.03.99 ore 17,30, Casa Valdese, via A.Farnese,18, Roma.

NEW PUBLICATIONS
- Saharabulletinen Nr 1/99, Swedish Support Committee of the Sahrawi
People, February 99, 24 p.
- Nuevos argumentos de Marruecos para cuestionar el censo español del
Sahara, Serbeto Enrique, ABC, Madrid,
28.02.99.(http://abc.es/19990228/fijas/internac/index.htm)
- Bloqueado de nuevo el plan de paz para la ex colonia, Serbeto Enrique,
ABC, Madrid, 28.02.99.(http://abc.es/19990228/fijas/internac/002pa00.htm)
- Die Stadt des Schweigens, Wandler Reiner, TAZ, Berlin, 24.02.99.
(http://www.taz.de/tpl/1999/02/24/a0131.fr/text?Name=ls03304aaa)
- Marokko geht in die Offensive, Wandler Reiner, TAZ, Berlin,
26.02.99.(http://www.taz.de/tpl/1999/02/26/a0120.fr/text?Name=ls03304aaa)
- Polisario warnt vor Scheitern des UN-Friedensplans, hcr, Frankfurter
Allgemeine Zeitung, D-Frankfurt a. M., 27.02.99, p. 2.
- Westsahara: Unabhängigkeit oder Verbleib bei Marokko? Wandler Reiner,
General Anzeiger, D-Bonn, 01.03.99.
- Hassán II: el referéndum es la única salida para el Sahara, Serbeto
Enrique,ABC, Madrid, 04.03.99.
(http://abc.es/19990304/fijas/internac/008pa00.htm)
- Hassán II proclama el firme compromiso de Marruecos con el referéndum del
Sáhara , Canales Pedro, El Pais., Madrid, 04.03.99.
(http://www.elpais.es/p/d/19990304/internac/hassan.htm )
- BAHARA, revista mensual de la Asociación Barakaldo con el Sahara -Salam-
Barakaldo Sahararekin, nº 13, marzo de 1999.
(http://www.euskalnet.net/gorkafm/N13.htm)

   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         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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WEEKLY NEWS
WEEK 08

Former President of Mauritania, Mokhtar Ould Daddah (15.02.99)
«At present, I see no other solution than to pursue the difficult path of a
referendum on the Sahara. For Mauritania, it's an important issue that must
be addressed: geography, history and ethnicity have created a Sahrawi
population that is from the same stock as the people of northern
Mauritania. This is a difficult problem to resolve.» (Jeune Afrique
Economie)

20.02.99
"UMA: Present and future"
  To mark the 10th anniversary of the Union du Maghreb Arabe (UMA), the
International Studies Association held an international seminar in Tunis.
During the proceedings, a Tunisian participant, Mr. Ounaïes, stressed the
need to resolve the issue of the Western Sahara as quickly as possible. The
seminar ended with a reading of the "Tunis declaration," which called for
an atmosphere of "friendship and dialogue among Maghrebian States," and "to
pursue united Maghrebian action," as well as "to overcome obstacles to a
united Maghrebian front." (APS Algiers, La Presse Tunis)
The Polisario Front applauded this initiative by Maghrebian intellectuals
and took the opportunity to reiterate the Sahrawis' deep attachment to the
Maghrebian ideal and the participation of the Sahrawi government in the
construction of an inclusive Greater Maghreb. Polisario did, however,
criticize the fact that not all Maghrebians were represented at the seminar
(Official statement from the Ministry of Information of the SADR)
http://www.arso.org/01-2-UMA99.htm

21.02.99
A.I. congress
Amnesty International's next congress will be held in Morocco on August 18,
1999. Mohammed Sektaoui, general secretary of the Moroccan chapter of
Amnesty International, stated that Morocco is one of the most likely
countries to take on a key role in the promotion of a culture of respect
for human rights in North Africa and the Near East. He added that some 500
members representing 150 countries are expected to attend the congress in
Morocco.

22.02.99
Human rights
Two Sahrawis have been handed over to Morocco by Spanish authorities after
having been detained in the Canary Islands (see week 07).  (Participate in
the Urgent Action . http://www.arso.org/08-UrS99.htm

23.02.99
United States: Statement
The conflict in the Western Sahara has dragged on too long, according to
Martin Indyk, assistant to the Secretary of State for the Middle East and
North Africa. It has swallowed up important resources that could have been
put to better use in the region, he added during a presentation before the
Hannibal Club, a newly created think-tank in Washington, chaired by Robert
Pelletreau, a former senior foreign affairs officer. Mr. Indyk pointed out
Washington has always encouraged Morocco and Polisario to cooperate with
the UN. He stressed that the referendum was originally proposed by Morocco
and that the United States has always played a supportive role. "If Morocco
no longer wants a referendum, it should say so," he concluded (APS).

24.02.99
Austrian Parliament
The Austrian Parliament passed a resolution that calls on the government to
fully support the UN Secretary General's efforts to implement the peace
plan for the Western Sahara and to urge the parties involved in the
conflict to actively contribute to a positive result by mid-March 1999.

26.02.99
Espionage
The town of Gothenburg has this week been sentenced by the court of appeal
for having granted allowances to the local Moroccan committee. The
allowances have now been stopped. The former head of this committee was
sentenced to 8 months imprisonment for espionage in 1997 (see week 51 / 96,
43 / 97 and 47 / 97 ). According to the Swedish police the committee is
identical to ATCM (Amicale des Travailleurs et Commerçants Marocains), a
spy organisation controlled by the Moroccan regime. The Moroccan committee
is forbidden in Norway and Denmark.(see http://www.arso.org/01.e96-51.htm
http://www.arso.org/01.e97-43.htm
http://www.arso.org/01.e97-47.htm)

27.02.99
23th anniversary of the proclamation of the SADR
On celebration of the 23th Anniversary of the Saharawi Arab Democratic
Republic the Association of Indian Africanists and the Embassy of SADR
organised a reception and a seminar on 26 February 1999, in New Delhi on
"U.N. PEACE PLAN IN WESTERN SAHARA: PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS" Former Union
Minister Govt.of India, many senior diplomates accredited to India,
politicians, acadimicians, the press and the Director of the U.N.
information Centre attended the event. The seminar extendes it support to
U.N. and O.A.U. to organise a free, fair and transparent referendum in
Western Sahara in accordance with the terms of the peace plan and the
Houston Agreements, as accepted by Morocco and Polisario. The seminar calls
upon the U.N. to speed up the decolonisation of Western Sahara, which
remains the last colony in Africa.

NEW PUBLICATIONS
- Le Maroc, du Noir au Gris, Serfaty Abraham, Syllepse, 1998, pp. 103-116
(42, rue d'Avron, F-75020 Paris, mailto:sylleps@...).
- Oufkir, un destin marocain, Smith Stephen, Calmann-Lévy, 1999, 518 p.
- La Prisonnière, Oufkir Malika et Fitoussi Michèle, Grasset, 1999, 335 p.
- Los desaparecidos del Sahara, Articulo 20, No 14, 22.02.99, pp. 6-11.
- "On ne guérit pas de ce que j'ai vécu", entretien de Dominique Simonnet
avec Malika Oufkir, - L'Express, Paris, No 2485, 18.02.99, pp.12-15.
- "J'ai décidé de prendre la parole et d'agir", Mokhtar Ould Daddah, propos
recueillis par Diallo Bios, Jeune Afrique Economie, Paris, No 281,
15.02.99, pp. 112-123.
- Maroc/Etats-Unis, Les lobbyistes jettent l'éponge, Jeune Afrique, Paris,
No 1989, 23.02.99, p. 10.
- El Karama Nr 16, Okt.-Dez. 1998. deutsche Uebersetzung
(http://www.stud.tu-muenchen.de/~hans-gregor.huebl/ElKaraNr16.htm)
- Les exilés du Sahara se rappellent au souvenir des Lausannois, Sulser
Eléonore, 24 heures, CH-Lausanne, p. 37.
- Sahara Poll May Be Key to Home for Exiles - Sahrawis hope U.N. referendum
on independence might have chance despite foe Morocco, which took over
their land in 1975. If not, many are ready for war, Daniszewski John, Los
Angeles Times, 26.02.99.
(http://www.latimes.com./HOME/NEWS/FRONT/t000017963.html)
- U.S. Department of State, Morocco, Country Report on Human Rights
Practices for 1998 , Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and
Labor, 26.02.99.
(http://www.state.gov/www/global/human_rights/1998_hrp_report/morocco.html)
- U.S. Department of State, Western Sahara, Country Report on Human Rights
Practices for 1998, Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and
Labor, 26.02.99.
(http://www.state.gov/www/global/human_rights/1998_hrp_report/wsahara.html)
- Decolonisation of Western Sahara, U.N., Morocco and the Liberation
Struggle, The Indian Mainstream Magazine, 27.02.99.

   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         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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WEEKLY NEWS
WEEK 07
14.-20.02.1999

Italian Parliament (14.01.99)
Following a mission by a parliamentary delegation headed by Mr. Leccese
(see week 45 / 98 ), and a debate involving the under-secretary of state
for foreign affairs, Mr. Serri, the foreign affairs commission unanimously
endorsed a resolution that calls on the Italian government to continue to
support the United Nations peace process for the Western Sahara and also to
seek out support from appropriate international and bilateral
organizations, so that the referendum will take place without further
delay. The commission also called on the Italian government to promote
dialogue between the parties, "and to eventually offer to host this
dialogue in our country."

26.01.99
Swedish Parliament
An interparliamentarian group was formally founded in the Swedish
Parliament. The group consists of 22 MPs out of 349, and represents all
political parties sitting in the parliament. The leader of the group, Kent
Härstedt, is very dedicated to Western Sahara: "It was a good start and it
will be easy to recruit a lot of members!"

07.02.99
The disappeared
The national council of the Moroccan organization for human rights (OMDH)
met to study the issue of forced disappearances and concluded that four
months after the declaration of the consultative council on human rights
(see week 42 / 98 ) there have been no clarifications regarding measures
taken by public authorities to resolve this issue. "It is extremely unclear
as to the measures taken," the OMDH added and restated that it is essential
that the issue of the disappeared be dealt with in a transparent, impartial
and objective manner.

13.02.99
Appeal of the European Coordination
In the face of Morocco's ongoing rejection of the UN's package, the Task
Force of the European Coordination of Sahrawi support committees, meeting
in Paris, called on European governments and the European Union Council of
Ministers to "take urgent measures to pressure the Moroccan government to
respect all clauses of the Peace Plan and Houston Agreements."

15.02.99
Human rights
The Canary Islands Sahrawi solidarity association condemned the expulsion
to Morocco of two Sahrawi citizens. They are Mohamed Chigali (1967) and
Abdallah Ruh, both born in the Western Sahara. The first lived in the
Sahrawi refugee camps in Algeria from 1976 to 1996, the second from 1989 to
1996. They then went to Mauritania and from there to the Canary Islands,
where they have been living since 1998 with Mauritanian passports and
Sahrawi identity cards. In early February, both Sahrawis were detained at
Tenerife, then handed over to Moroccan authorities in Melilla, even though
they were clearly identified as Sahrawi citizens. The association considers
this a serious violation of human rights and fears that the two will join
the list of disappeared. It is calling on Canary Island representative in
the Spanish Parliament to demand an explanation from the Minister of the
Interior (Canarias7).
AFAPREDESA ( Association of families of disappeared and detained Saharawis)
states that these expulsions violate the Geneva Convention, the 1951 United
Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and Spanish law.

15.02.99
«There is no landmine problem in Morocco»
According to Moroccan university researcher, Hassan Marchane, Morocco does
not suffer from the scourge of antipersonnel mines. He pointed out that the
planting of landmines in Western Sahara by the Moroccan military poses no
threat to civilians. He added that the army will have no problem cleaning
up the landmines because it possesses the necessary plans and maps (MAP).

15.02.99
Lobbying I
A group of staffers from the U.S. Congress, on invitation by Morocco,
arrived in occupied Western Sahara. Moroccan authorities showed them
Morocco 's technological accomplishments in the territory, and held
meetings with pro-Moroccan Sahrawi notables, Sahrawi defectors and Moroccan
observers with the Identification Commission.

17.02.99
An official visit to the United States by the Moroccan Prime Minister is
planned for April (Al-Ousbou, Moroccan daily).

18.02.99
Lobbying II
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1999-02/18/006l-021899-idx.html)
Th
e Washington Post reports that the well-known American lobbying firm
Cassidy & Associates suddenly terminated the $1.2 million contract that it
signed with Morocco last summer (Legal Times, 13 July 1998). The firm
simply stated that it had completed its work, while the Washington Post
journalist asks: «Have the Kingdom of Morocco and Cassidy & Associates, one
of Washington's premier lobbying firms, been outflanked by a former desert
tribesman-turned-lobbyist ?» meaning Moulud Said, Polisario Representative,
who runs since several years a sucessfull one man campaign for the Saharawi
people, with no money.

NEW PUBLICATIONS
- Comparecencia del senor secretario de estado para la cooperacion
internacional y para Iberoamerica (Villalonga Campos), para informar sobre:
Programa de apoyo para la puesta en practica del plan de arreglo del
secretario general de Naciones unidas y otros aspectos relacionados con la
situacion del Sahara Occidental, a solicitud del grupo mixto. BOCG,
Commissiones del Congreso (España), 16 de diciembre de 1998, Num. 589, pp.
17193-17201.
- UK Role in Europe, Mrs Tess Kingham, Hansard UK Parliament, 13.01.99, pp.
396-8.(http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm199899/cmhansrd/cm
990113/debtext/90113-45.htm#90113-45_spnew1)
- Parlamento italiano, Commissione III: Risoluzione 7-00618 Leccese: Sahara
Occidentale, 14.01.99.
- Saramago, conciencia mundial, O Correo Galego, 31.01.99.
- Saramago presenta en Santiago un organismo para vigilar la
autodeterminacion del Sahara, La Region, 31.01.99.
- Saramago pide a la comunidad internacional mas compromiso con el Sahara
Occidental, Mojon Nacho, El Faro de Vigo, 31.01.99.
- Saramago apela a los medios para concienciar a la sociedad, El Mundo,
31.01.99.
- Nace una plataforma gallega de apoyo al pueblo saharaui, El Correo
Gallego, 31.01.99.
- Dossier de prensa, Enero de 1999, Observatorio Estatal, Madrid.
- Security Council Resolution S/RES/1228, 11.02.99.
(http://www.un.org/plweb-cgi/idoc2.pl?336+unix+_free_user_+www.un.org..80+un+un+
scres+scres++19981231%3cdate%3c20000101)
- Maroc: le changement à petits pas, T.O., Le Figaro, Paris, 04.02.99.
- Das Westsahara-Mandat vom Uno-Sicherheitsrat verlaengert, Neue Zuercher
Zeitung, CH-Zuerich, 13.02.99.
- La policia entrega dos polisarios a Marruecos, Canarias7, E-Las Palmas de
Gran Canaria, 15.02.99.
- El Frente Polisario recupera a sus dirigentes moderados de cara al
referendum, Canales Pedro, El Pais, E-Madrid, 15.02.99.
(http://www.elpais.es/p/d/19990215/internac/frente.htm)
- Tripping Up a Kingdom on a Shoestring, McAllister Bill, The Washington
Post, Washington, 18.02.99, p. A19.(
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1999-02/18/006l-021899-idx.html)
- Nouvelles sahraouies No 91, bulletin du comité suisse de soutien au
peuple sahraoui, Genève, février 1999, 16 p.

   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         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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WEEKLY NEWS
WEEK 06
07.-13.02.1999

08.02.99
Moroccan lobbying
A special envoy of King Hassan II gave Russian Prime Minister Primakov a
message from the King to transmit to Boris Yeltsin. Primakov restated
Russia 's support for Secretary-General Kofi Annan's efforts to save the
peace plan and ensure the holding of a self-determination referendum in the
Western Sahara. He stressed that Russia's position on this issue is that
the principle of self-determination should be respected while taking into
account the interests of all parties concerned (Itar-Tass).
11.02.99
SOFA
Following months of delay, Morocco signed the "Status of Forces Agreement"
with the United Nations defining the legal status of U.N. troops in the
disputed Western Sahara territory. Signing the pact was Ahmed Senussi,
Morocco's U.N. ambassador, and Bernard Miyet, the U.N.
undersecretary-general in charge of peacekeeping. Algeria and Mauritania
signed in November.

11.02.99
Security Council Resolution S/RES/1228, 1999
(http://www.un.org/plweb-cgi/idoc2.pl?336+unix+_free_user_+www.un.org..80+un+un+
scres+scres++19981231%3cdate%3c20000101)

The Security Council adopting resolution 1228 (1999) unanimously, extends
the mandate of the MINURSO, until March 31, "to allow for consultations in
the hope and expectation of agreement on the protocols on identification,
appeals and repatriation planning activities, as well as on the essential
issue of the implementation calendar, without undermining the integrity of
the Secretary-General's proposed package or calling into question its main
elements, for the prompt resumption of voter identification and initiation
of the appeals process."
11.02.99
Sahrawi statement
The Polisario representative to the United Nations, Ahmed Boukhari, stated
that Morocco's signing of the Status of Forces Agreement is "certainly a
gesture, but a lot remains to be done." The resolution gives Morocco a
reprieve to accept the Secretary-General's proposals and, according to
Boukhari, "if Morocco bends to the will of the international community,
which is what we are hoping for, the referendum process could be undertaken
without great difficulty. But if Morocco continues its intransigence, it
will have to take responsibility for derailing the process."
10.02.99
SADR: Government reorganization
Following a vote of non-confidence by the Sahrawi parliament, President
Abdelaziz named a new government of SADR composed as follows:

- Primer Minister Mr Bouchraya Hamoudy Beyoune (former Minister of
Commerce)
- Minister of the Occupied Territories and Emigration Mr Mahfoud Ali
Beiba (former Prime Minister)
- Minister of Interior Mr Bachir Moustapha Sayed (former Minister of
Public Health)
- Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation  Mr Mohamed Salem Ould Salek
- Minister of Economic Development Mr Boulahi Mohamed Fadel (former.
Minister of Education)
- Minister of Public Health Mr Mansur Omar (Polisario representative to
Spain)
- Minister of Equipment and Construction Mr Larabass Said Joumani
- Minister of National Defense Mr Mohamed Lamine Bouhali (member of the
National Secretariate)
- Minister of Education Mr Salek Bobih (Ambassador to Algeria)
- Minister of Information Mr Mohamed Fadel Ismaïl (Polisario
representative to France)
- Minister of Justice et des Affaires religieuses Mr Hametti Rabani
- Minister of Culture Mr Mohamed Bouzeid
- Minister of Transports M. Abeida Cheikh
- Minister Councellor of the Presidency    Mr Mohamed Sidati
- Minister Councellor of the Presidency    Mr Malainine Sadik
- Secretary General of the Presidency      Mr Daf Mohamed Fadel
- Secretary General of the Government    Mr Habiboullah Mohamed Kori (
former Minister of Transports)


11.02.99
Democracy at work
The British daily The Guardian reports that the reshuffling of the SADR
government was the outcome of a vote of no confidence by the Sahrawi
parliament. The Guardian journalist who was present during the session
argues that this is an indicator of the remarkable situation in the Western
Sahara and a demonstration of democracy at work, and, as  the Saharawi
President Mohamed Abdelaziz himself said, an independent Western Sahara
could become a "beacon for democracy" in the region. (The Guardian/APS)

NEW PUBLICATIONS
- Deserted in the Sahara, Tibbet Steve, Tribune (Brittain), 29.01.99.
UN to cut short peace mission in Sahara, Hooper John, The Guardian
(Brittain),01.02.99.
- Western Sahara: no referendum, no peace, Dabrowska Karen, The New Worker
(Brittain), 05.02.99.
- El jurista Felipe Briones cree que el Sáhara logrará la independencia,
L.H., Ultima Hora, Baleares, 07.02.99.
- A long wait on last frontier of colonial strife, Hooper John, reporting
from Western Sahara, The Guardian (Brittain), 09.02.99.
- "Desert war threat", a letter to the editor by Lord Wise, The Independent
(Brittain),11.02.99.
- The Polisario's Marxist past sinks into the desert sands, Hooper John,
The Guardian (Brittain), 11.02.99.
- Morocco keeps stalling, Palham Nick, Middle East International
(Brittain).12.02.99.
- La ONU prorroga por un mes la misión en el Sahara, ABCe, 12.02.99.
- BAHARA, revista mensual de la Asociación Barakaldo con el Sahara -Salam-
Barakaldo Sahararekin, nº 12 febrero 1999
(http://www.euskalnet.net/gorkafm/N12.htm)

   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         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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WEEK 05
31.01- 06.2.1999

26.01.99
Landmines
Tens of millions of landmines, including over 10 million antipersonnel
mines, are still buried in the Maghreb, according to experts at a
colloquium held in Tunis, sponsored by the Arab institute for human rights.
Morocco is responsible for planting the greatest number of landmines in
recent times. According to Mr. Elomari, Director of the Paris-based
Observatoire des Transferts d'Armements and co-organizer of the meeting,
2.5 to 3 million landmines have been planted "to protect" some 120 000 km2
of the sand wall running through the Western Sahara. He also stated that
the Mauritanian border is mined. Most of these landmines were manufactured
in Italy and the United States. The Ottawa Treaty, which comes into effect
on March 1, prohibits the production, use, stockpiling and sale of
antipersonnel mines. Tunisia ratified the treaty, Algeria signed it and
Mauritania has started the ratification process, while Morocco and Lybia
have opposed it (AFP).

01.02.99
Declaration
"Morocco does not want to say "yes" to the Secretary-General's proposals,"
says Fadel Ismaïl, who believes that Rabat is being two-faced in its
response. "On the one hand, it is trying to wear out the United Nations. On
the other hand, it is concerned about hiding the truth from the public. In
fact, Rabat could care less about the Secretary-General, and even less so
about the Security Council.," according to the Polisario representative to
France (APS).

01-03.02.99
Venezuela
A Sahrawi delegation, headed by the minister of the occupied
territories,Brahim Ghali, was in Caracas to attend the inaugural ceremony
of VenezuelanPresident, Hugo Chavez. The Sahrawi minister was received by
the newPresident and met presidents Pastrana of Colombia, Mahuad of
Ecuador,Sanguinetti of Uruguay and Castro of Cuba, among others.

02.02.99
Declaration
The Polisario Front representative to the United Nations stated that the
Polisario Front is calling on the members of the Security Council to adopt
a firm position vis-à-vis Morocco, to force it to accept all of the
Secretary-Generals proposals (APS).

03.02.99
UN
Special Representative Charles Dunbar and Chairman of the Identification
Commission, R. Kinloch, arrived in Rabat to continue discussions with
Moroccan authorities. According to a diplomatic source, discussion are
already being held within the Security Council regarding the future
resolution. The Friends of the Western Sahara (United States, France,
Spain, Great Britain, China and Russia) met on 3.2. The Security Council
will begin consultations on February 9 to render a decision on February 10
regarding an extension of MINURSO's mandate, which expires the following
day.

SOLIDARITY

Spain, Galicia
30.01.99 The Galician Observatory "For a free referendum in the Western
Sahara" was officially presented during a public ceremony at the St.
Jacques de Compostelle university. The rector presided over the ceremony,
attended by Nobel prizewinner for literature, José Saramago.

Spain, Andalucia
05-13.02.99.
Collection of food as well as money to purchase 34 trucks as part of
preparations for a peace caravan to the Sahrawi refugee camps.

COMING UP...

20.02.99 20:40 ARTE (TV), "Les Sahraouis - un peuple oublié en exil", 55
min, French/German, documentary realised by Anita Lackenberger and Andrea
Maurer. Production: TI:ME:CO:DE Berlin.
Made in October 1998 in the refugee camps. (Info: Andrea Maurer,
mailto:khoffelner@...).

London, March 20-28, 1999: SANDBLAST
A multi-cultural/multimedia celebration in solidarity with the Saharawis.
The event will include an exhibition of paintings and murals telling the
story of the Saharawis, Saharawi Children's art, screening of latest
British produced TV program on Western Sahara (Forgotten War, by highly
accomplished director Christopher Mitchell), an AI presentation on human
rights with Saharawi speakers, North African and Cuban food and a hot
sizzling and entertaining night of music and dance with African, Jazz and
Cuban performing artists.
The event is being organized to raise awareness and funds to buy a
photocopier with replacement parts for AFRAPREDESA work (at their request)
in the refugee camps.
Venue: the Spitz in Spitafield Market near Liverpool Station.
Dates:
March 20- Amnesty International day on human rights in WS
March 21- Saharawi storeytelling for children at the gallery
March 23- Gallery opening with Exhibition on WS ends April 2.
March 27- SANDBLAST night benefit with dinner and world music
March 28- Saharawi storeytelling at the gallery.
Discount offered for advanced purchase of tickets.
For more information please call:
Danielle at 0044.171. 2893990 or
Maureen at 0044.171. 7944654.

Charter flight Rome - Tindouf, 30.03.99 - 04.04.99.
For information contact:
ANSPS c/o Lega per i Diritti dei Popoli, V. Dogana Vecchia, 5, 00186 Roma,
Federica Nobilio tel./fax 06 68 64 640, mailto:lidlip@...
FRONTE POLISARIO, V. Principe Eugenio, 431/int. 6, 00185 Roma, Salem,
tel./fax 06 44 68 178
ASAPS, V. Poggio della Torre 24 B, 00060 Manziana (RM), Maurizio Marani,
tel. 06 99 64 344 oppure 0338 47 51 628, Carmen Frasca, V. del Ponte, 26,
00060 Manziana (RM), tel. 06 99 63 129.

NEW PUBLICATIONS
- SG Report S/1999/88 of 28.01.99.
(http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/reports/1999/s199988.htm)
- Rapport du SG S/1999/88 du 28.01.99.
(http://www.un.org/french/docs/sc/reports/1999/99rap88.htm)
- Informe del SG S/1999/88 del 28.01.99.
(http://www.un.org/spanish/docs/report99/s199988.htm)
- Security Council Resolution S/RES/1124 of 28.01.99.
(http://www.un.org/plweb-cgi/idoc2.pl?333+unix+_free_user_+www.un.org..80+un+un+
scres+scres++19981231%3cdate%3c20000101)
- Resolucion del Consejo de Seguridad S/RES/1224 del 28.01.99.
(http://www.un.org/spanish/docs/sc99/sres1224.htm)
- Résolution du Conseil de sécurité S/RES/1224 du 28.01.99.
(http://www.arso.org/S-1224-f99.htm)
- Marruecos no renovará el Tratado de Pesca con la UE, Baquero Antonio, El
Periodico de Catalunya, Barcelona, 02.02.99.

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



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The last Report of the Secratary-General is awailable

http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/reports/1999/s199988.htm

Ask: mailto:arso@... for sending per e-mail .

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



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WEEK 04
24.-30.01.1999

22.01.99
France
Polisario's representative to France, Fadel Ismaïl, stated that as France
welcomes the "year of Morocco," it has forgotten that country's illegal
occupation of the Western Sahara. He called on all persons of good will,
and the media, to raise public awareness of the implications of Morocco's
involvement in the Western Sahara and to call on Moroccan officials to
respect the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination. The Sahrawi
should not be eternally condemned to Moroccan occupation as a result of
France's priority to maintain good relations with Morocco, despite that
country's increasing isolation as a result of its obstruction of the
Western Sahara peace process. He called on France to liberate itself from
the shackles imposed on it by these relations and to resume its place as a
responsible player in the region of Northwest Africa.

26.01.99
England
During a public meeting organized by the All Party  Group for the Sahrawi
people, many MPs denounced Morocco's obstruction of the peace process and
called on the British government to exercise pressure on Morocco. They
expressed their indignation at the allocation of $281 million in EU aid to
Morocco this year, while Morocco spends $1 million a day in its illegal
occupation of Western Sahara (Polisario Front's UK information bureau).

28.01.99
A delegation from the All Party Group for the Sahrawi people in Parliament
met the British Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Derek Fatchett, to
discuss the latest developments regarding Western Sahara.

28.01.99
British Government's answer
In an answer to a written question by Lord Steel in the House of Lords
about the British government's current policy on Western Sahara, following
the failure of the United Nations to hold the referendum last month,
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean answered on behalf of the government: "Her
Majesty's Government was disappointed that the referendum in the Western
Sahara had to be postponed until December 1999. The UN Secretary General
recently visited the region and presented to all the parties involved a
package of proposals intended to advance the referendum process. The
Polisario, Algeria and Mauritania have all accepted this package and we
hope that Morocco also will soon accept. We fully support the UN's efforts
to find a just and durable settlement to this dispute. We are working with
our EU partners, within the Friends of the Western Sahara Group at the UN
and at the Security Council to encourage Morocco to rally to the consensus
on the next steps in the process."

28.01.99
SG Report S/1999/78
In his report to the Security Council on the situation in Western Sahara,
the Secretary-General noted the Moroccan government's decision to engage in
detailed discussions with his Special Representative and the Chairman of
the Identification Commission on voter identification and appeals protocols
in connection with a referendum on self-determination in the territory. The
Moroccan Government is now studying the clarifications provided by the
United Nations.
The Secretary-General expressed hope that the current consultations can
lead to a prompt resumption of the identification process and to the
initiation of the appeals process. He also welcomes the Moroccan
Government's decision to formalize the status of the UN High Commissioner
for Refugees (UNHCR) in the territory. The Secretary-General recommended
that the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara
(MINURSO) be extended until 28 February. (UN Highlights)

28.01.99
Security Council Resolution S/RES/1224 1999 (http://www.arso.org/S-1224-99.htm)
"The Security Council extends the mandate of the MINURSO until 11 February
1999. Unanimously adopting resolution 1224 (1999), the Council asked the
Secretary-General to keep it informed of all significant developments in
the implementation of the Settlement Plan and the agreements reached
between the parties - the Government of Morocco and the POLISARIO - and, as
appropriate, on the continuing viability of MINURSO's mandate."

28.01.99
Basri declaration
Morocco and the United Nations concluded an agreement on the resumption of
the identification of would-be voters in the self-determination referendum
that the UN plans to hold in the Sahara. The accord deals with the
resumption of the identification of tribal groups who had not been admitted
to identification, the beginning of appeal procedures and the status of the
MINURSO in Morocco (MAP).

28.01.99
EU aid to Morocco
"The European Union's £4bn overseas aid budget should be radically
overhauled to ensure that funds go to the world's poorest countries (...).
In a scathing report, the Commons International Development Select
Committee will call for a "refocusing" of the EU's priorities. The MPs were
horrified that Morocco, which is accused of human right abuses in its
illegal occupation of Western Sahara, comes out on top of the list of aid
recipients. Morocco receives 8 times more EU aid per head than Bangladesh
and Ethiopia" (The Independent).

Human rights
In the November 20 to 26, 1998 issue (No 11) of the Moroccan periodical
As-Siyassa, it was reported that the 320 Sahrawi detainees released by
Moroccan authorities in June 1991, continue to face daily difficulties
including health and employment problems. Fifty-seven detainees died in
prison, 13 others following their release as a result of serious health
problems caused by poor conditions in detention (Courrier de France, No 7).

NEWS PUBLICATIONS
- Morocco and Western Sahara, Zunes Stephen, Foreign Policy In Focus, Vol.
3, No 42, December 1998. (http://www.arso.org/01-3-fpic.htm )
- UNHCR: Western Sahara Repatriation Operation, Basic Facts , 1999.
(http://www.unhcr.ch/fdrs/ga99/esh.htm )
- Waiting for freedom, Cherian John, Frontline, New Dehli, 12.01.99.
- Getting their just deserts, Baker Chris, The Big Issue, Wales, 25-31.01.99.
- La tenue du référendum au Sahara occidental est compromise, Tuquoi
Jean-Pierre, Le Monde, Paris, 26.01.99, p. 4.
- MPs to call for overhaul of EU aid to Third World, Waugh Paul, The
Independent, London, 28.01.99, p. 8.
- Western Sahara: UN extends mission, BBC news, 29.01.99
- Marruecos acepta el último plan de Kofi Annan para el Sáhara, Canales
Pedro, El Pais, Madrid, 29.01.99
(http://www.elpais.es/p/d/19990129/internac/sahara.htm)
- Le Courrier de France, No 7, janvier 1999, publication de la
représentation du Front Polisario en France.
(http://www.altern.org/sahra/courrier7.htm)
- Development aid, EU's focus is condemned, Parker Andrew, The Financial
Times, London, 29.01.99.

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



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There was an error in precedent message. Please note the right address of
the New document:
Morocco and Western Sahara, Zunes Stephen, Foreign Policy In Focus,
December 1998, Vol. 3, No. 42
is : http://www.arso.org/01-3-fpic.htm

This text can be sent by e-mail on demande to mailto:arso@...

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



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Western Sahara
Weekly News

WEEK 03
17.-23.01.1999

Declaration by the European Union Council President (29.12.98)
The European Union has restated its full support for the settlement plan
proposed by the United Nations Secretary-General. While expressing its
concern about the ongoing disagreement regarding the three contested tribal
groups, it expressed its approval of the proposed arbitration between the
parties and the decision taken by the Security Council in its December 17
resolution. It expressed its sincere hope that the consultations scheduled
before the end of January 1999 will bring results.

17.01.99
Early Day Motion (see week 51/98)
To date, 112 British MPs have signed a motion on the Western Sahara calling
on the British government to exercise pressure on Morocco to accept Kofi
Annan's proposals. These MPs belong to various parties, and the list is
growing.

17.01.99
Madeleine Albright in Morocco
According to the Moroccan daily Al Mounaddama, the US Secretary of State
will be in Morocco on January 26 to discuss the situation in the Western
Sahara and Iraq with the King, head of government and minister of foreign
affairs. This information was denied on 20.01.99 by the American embassy in
Rabat.

17.01.99
"Revelations."
A "source who wishes to remain anonymous" has told AFP Rabat that only 85
000 Sahrawis were accepted as voters out of the 147 000 people identified
by MINURSO. Out of those accepted, 40% live in the Tindouf region, 10% in
Mauritania and 50% in occupied Western Sahara or Morocco. The same source
stated that only 3000-4000 of the 65 000 members of the contested tribal
groups should be accepted as voters. The final voter list should number
just below 90 000.

18.01.99
MINURSO's denial
In a release published following the AFP dispatch, MINURSO stated that the
identification process has not yet been completed and that appeals still
have to be processed. "Any hypothesis as to the number (.) is premature at
this point" and numbers are "purely speculative."

18.01.99
Sahrawi reaction
For Polisario's representative in France, the estimate of 90 000 votes
"seems correct." Fadel Ismaïl believes, however, that "Morocco will not
accept a referendum that it doesn't already know it can win." But he
insists that there is "only one possible option (.) Morocco's defiance must
be met with economic and political sanctions" or the UN must recognize the
Sahrawi Republic (interview with RFI).

18.01.99
Morocco-UN
Driss Basri met with Charles Dunbar, special representative for the Western
Sahara, and Robert Kinlock, President of MINURSO's Identification
Commission. The following points were raising during the meeting: 1.
implementation and the terms and conditions of MINURSO's mandate;
establishment of UNHCR in El Ayoun and protocol for the repatriation of
refugees; terms and conditions of the implementation of certain clauses
with regard to identification in the "package" proposed by the UN
Secretary-General. New working sessions will be held in the next few days
with MINURSO and the UNHCR delegation (MAP).

19.01.99
Basri's declaration
In an interview given to a French daily, Driss Basri stated: "We accept
Kofi Annan's plan in its entirety. We must move forward. We will sign the
agreement to extend MINURSO's mandate and we will make official the UNHCR's
presence with its mandate to repatriate refugees." He criticized the manner
in which the identification process took place: "Polisario observers
demonstrated a flagrant bias (.) with the complicity of certain MINURSO
members. All Sahrawis have the right to vote." (Le Figaro, Paris).

19.01.99
Interview with M'hamed Khaddad
In an interview given to the Dutch daily De Volkskrant, M'hamed Khaddad, a
member of the Executive of the Polisario Front, stated that the alternative
to a referendum "is war." He added that if there is no solution in place by
January 31, MINURSO will withdrawn, and war and instability will ensue.
Khaddad called on Europe to exercise pressure against Morocco, because
"Morocco depends almost entirely on the European Union and its individual
member States." He stressed that the new Moroccan government has not
changed Morocco's position. "You have seen as well as I have that Morocco
has two governments," Khaddad said, alluding to the Hassan II crown and
Youssoufi's government coalition. For him, Youssoufi was named to carry out
the "dirty work," since it takes a socialist to talk to the socialists
currently in power in Europe.

22.01.99
Postponed
The UN Secretary-General's report, expected on January 22, has been
postponed by one week.
COMING UP...
26.01.99 at 7.30 pm, Committee Room 5, House of Commons, London: Western
Sahara- The Last Chance. Public meeting addressed by MPs and Lords from the
British Parliament and open to media and the public. Organization: All
Party Group on Western Sahara.

28.01.99, ore 18,30, Villa Ximenes, Piazza Galeno, Roma: La cultura come
strumento di liberta dei popoli. Presentazione del libro di Umberto Romano
e Giorgio Fornoni "Saharawi, Memorie di Libertà". Interverranno: On.le
Marisa Rodano, Dande Maffia (Scrittore), Valerio Massimo Manfredi
(Scrittore), Fabio Croce (Editore), Rappresentanti del Fronte Polisario in
Italia.

24.02.-06.03.99, Lausanne (Suisse), Forum de l'hôtel de ville: Exposition
de photographies sur le Sahara Occidental, sous les auspices de la
municipalité de Lausanne. Organisation: groupe vaudois de soutien au peuple
sahraoui et ADER (association pour le développement des énergies
renouvelables).

NEW PUBLICATIONS

- Council of the EU, Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the
European Union on Western Sahara, Brussels
29.12.98.(http://ue.eu.int/Newsroom/LoadDoc.cfm?MAX=1&DOC=!!!&BID=73&DID=56655&G
RP=1557&LANG=1)
- L'opération Lamantin, 1977-1978, Villatoux Marie-Catherine, Air
Actualités, n° 516, nov. 1998, pp.46-47.
- Het grote Marokkaanse taboe, Stellweg Carl, Algemeen Dagblad,
Netherlands, 08.01.99.
- Jimi Hendrix und die Westsahara, Burkhalter Thomas, Der kleine Bund,
Beil. Bund Ausg.CH-Biel, 16.01.99.
- Légalité internationale, Samil A., El Watan, Alger, 16.01.99.
- L'ONU recense 85'000 Sahraouis pouvant voter lors du référendum
d'autodétermination, Le Temps, CH-Genève, 18.01.99.
- Sahara: le oui du Maroc à l'ONU, Le Figaro, Paris, 19.01.99, p. 4.
- Hendrix und die Westsahara, Burkhalter Thomas, Die Suedostschweiz,
CH-Chur, 20.01.99.
- Sahara Occidental, une marge étroite, T. H., El Watan, Alger, 21.01.99
(http://www.elwatan.com/journal/html/01/21/int01.htm)
- "Polisario: 112 British MPs sign an EDM about Western Sahara", Asharq Al
Awsat (London), 21.01.99.
- El Karama N° 16, Oct. - Dec. 1998, engl. version.
(http://www.arso.org/08-e16.htm)
- Newsletter, Western Sahara Campaign UK, emergency issue, January 1999.
- The UN and Western Sahara: recent developments, memorandum of the
Polisario Front, January 1999. (http://www.arso.org/FP-98.htm)


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



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WESTERN SAHARA
WEEKLY NEWS
WEEK 02 from 10.01.99 - 16.01.99

13.01.9
Debate in the British Parliament
In a debate in the British House of Commons about the "UK Role in Europe,"
Ms Tess Kingham, MP (Labour), spoke about how the EU aid budget has been
spent. She said she was shocked to learn that Morocco receives more EU aid
than any other country. "Morocco shot up from nowhere to become the top
country receiving EU aid; it did not even feature in the top 10 countries
receiving EU aid in the previous 10 years.(...) I cannot believe that, all
of a sudden, Morocco has dropped in the world rankings, ceased being a
middle-income country and suddenly become one of the poorest in the
world...".  She added, "Morocco is not only a middle-income country
receiving EU aid, but is spending about $1 million a day illegally
occupying Western Sahara. Therefore, while receiving EU aid money to the
tune of $280 million a year, it is spending $365 million a year illegally
occupying another country. Allowing such a situation to continue does not
demonstrate good,
open, democratic and accountable governance in the EU... The EU should be
flexing its strategic muscles and promoting good practice by trying to
ensure that peace continues in the Mediterranean and North Africa region."
(...) She further added, "I believe that the United Kingdom Government, the
EU and the EU member states have a very important role to play in urging
Morocco to move towards peace, and to accept and respond positively to the
new United Nations peacekeeping package."

14.01.99
European Parliament Resolutions
The European Parliament adopted a resolution that  "urges" Morocco to
accept the UN Secretary General's proposals "within the delays fixed by the
UN" and to allow the deployment of UNHCR activities in the Western Sahara.
The resolution, presented by socialist and popular groups, liberals, the
unitarian left and greens, called on the Commission and the Council to give
the "fullest possible support to the further preparatory work for the
referendum process", to bolster humanitarian aid to the Sahrawi people and
to send observers. "This resolution demonstrates clear support for the
right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination and freedom," stated
Minister Sidati, who applauded the adoption of "this important resolution."
He said it was time that "the European Union use its influence to pressure
the Moroccan
government to end its double talk."

SOLIDARITY
Andalucia, Espagne
12.01.99 Sahrawi Health Minister Bachir Mustapha Sayed was in Granada to
formalize the creation of a body to coordinate the health activities of
some 30 Sahrawi support organizations in Andalucia.  Its priority will be
to help children injured by antipersonnel mines (Ideal, Granada).

Cosenza, Italy
16.01.99 Sahrawi indipendente - Il ruolo delle istituzioni nella rete de
solidarietà internazionale, seminario organizzato dell'Amministrazione
provinziale di Cosenza, con diversi interventi, conclusioni di Carlo Leoni
del Gruppo Interparlamentare di solidarietà con il Popolo Sahrawi.

COMING UP...
Rome, Italy
"I diritti del popolo sahrawi: quali prospettive per l'autodeterminazione
?", relazione di Mohamed Salem nel ciclo di seminari "Il futuro dei diritii
umani", Lega per i dirittti dei popoli, Roma (nella sede dell'Associazione
Occhi Aperti, via Sprovieri 9, Roma, lunedi 25.01.99, ore 17,30).

NEW PUBLICATIONS
- La guerra del censo para el referéndum estalla en el Sáhara, Sanz Juan
Carlos, El Pais, - Madrid, 03.01.99
(http://www.elpais.es/cgi-bin/ELPAIS/vdkw_cgi@1121/x91407f8f-583/Search/2658536/
1)
- "Desperate desert kids need cash for visit", Baker Chris, The Big Issue
Magazine (Wales),11-17.01.99.
-  Mit dem Geodreieck in die Sahara, Nobel Inga, Sueddeutsche Zeitung,
D-Muenchen, 12.01.99.
- Maroccos Verzögerungstaktik geht auf, Handelsblatt, D-Düsseldorf,
13.01.99, p. 8.
- Resolution of Jan. 14 1999 of the European Parliament
(http://www.arso.org/resengl-PE99.htm)
- Résolution du 14.01.99 adoptée par le Parlement européen
(http://www.arso.org/resfr-PE99.htm)
- Resolución de 14 de enero de 1999 del Parlamento Europeo
(http://www.arso.org/resesp-PE99.htm)
- Déclaration de M. Sidati, 14.01.99 ( http://www.arso.org/01-2-sidati.htm)
- Parlement européen, séance du 14.01.99, compte rendu in extenso des
séances, Western Sahara, pp. 57-60, réponse Marin p. 66
(http://www.europarl.eu.int/dg7/cre/pdf/01-14-99.pdf)

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



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