New vessel to New Orleans

Arrived 12th of January 2009 with phosphates from occupied Western Sahara.

A bulk vessel called Fortezza on 12th of January 2009 arrived the harbour of New Orleans, USA, with phosphate rock from occupied Western Sahara.

The trade is taking place in violation of international law, and in the disregard of the wishes and interests of the people of Western Sahara.

The Western Sahara Resource Watch section in Louisiana sent 1st of October 2008 a letter to PCS urging the highly unethical trade to stop. See the letter here. WSRW is still waiting for reply from the company.

Fortezza has IMO number 9057575, and is owned and operated by Harvey Development Corp. It has 69.634 deadweight tonnes.

Morocco explores minerals deep south

Uranium, diamonds, gold, niobium. ONHYM's mining programme in southern parts of occupied Western Sahara is speeding up.

In November 2008, the Moroccan state oil and mine company ONHYM wrote prospects for 3 different geological structures in southern Western Sahara.

Glibat Lafhouda
The geological finding, which was done in 2006, is located some 70 kilometers to the south west of Awserd.
The finding contains iron oxides associated with dolomitic carbonatites. An exploration programme was carried out in 2007 and 2008. It consisted of:
-14 bore holes
-850 samples done at an area of 5 sq.km.
-A topographic survey covering 4 sq.km.
-A geophysical survey (gravimetric and magnetometric) on a surface of about 10 sq.km.
See the prospect from 13 November 2008 in English or French.

Twihinate
The structure, located some 260 kilometers south of Dakhla, is claimed to be "susceptible to be a world class deposit for REE, Niobium and iron"
Download prospect here from 13 November 2008 in English - or in French.

Lafwila
The gold deposit in Lafwila is located 300 kilometers south of Dakhla.
A program of drill holes is under realisation.
See prospect from 13 November 2008 in English or French.

Tichla, Awserd
The fourth corner-stone of ONHYM's exploration of southern parts of Western Sahara, is the Tichla area, containing several interesting metals, as well as diamonds. It is explored through a joint-venture between ONHYM and Canadian firm Metalex. WSRW will write more about that partnership later.

In addition, there are two more stuctures in the region that ONHYM is exploring, the Madnat As Sadra and Ouday Cfa.

mining_projects_autumn2008_350.jpgThe map to the right shows the six projects in the southern part of Western Sahara. The map can be downloaded from this ONHYM report from October 2008. More details can be found in the prospects above.

It should be noted that the area in which the exploration is taking place, is under occupation, and that Morocco has no right to explore or exploit the minerals in the territory, as long as it is in the disregard of the wishes and interests of the Sahrawis.

After the International Court of Justice in October 1975 rejected Morocco’s and Mauritania’s claims to Western Sahara, the two neighbouring countries still decided to invade the territory.

The southern part, where the 6 exploration programmes are located, was first occupied by Mauritania. When Mauritania withdrew from the area in 1979, Morocco occupied it instead. The UN General Assembly reacted to the Moroccan 1979 occupation in Resolution 34/37 of 1979 (‘Question of Western Sahara’) paragraph 5, with the following statement: “Deeply deplores the aggravation of the situation resulting from the continued occupation of Western Sahara by Morocco and the extension of that occupation to the territory recently evacuated by Mauritania””, while paragraph 6 “Urges Morocco to join in the peace process and to terminate the occupation of the territory of Western Sahara”.
Download that resolution here.

Since then, the UN has stated that exploration or exploitation of the mineral resources in the area is in violation of international law if the local people is not consulted, something which is evident that they are not.

The majority of the Sahrawi people has lived in refugee camps since Morocco illegally invaded the territory. The Sahrawis remaining under occupation, and who speak out for the independence, are subject to severe human rights violations. Morocco fails to respect the more than 100 UN resolutions that call for the right to self-determination to be respected.

Libyan rumours resurface

Rumours of Libyan state oil company Tamoil having entered occupied Western Sahara were in 2007 emphanitcally denied by the company. Now, the rumours resurface in Spanish media.

According to the Spanish news service Capital News, the Libyan state owned oil company Tamoil has been carrying out oil exploration in Western Sahara "for months".

"En tierras saharauis espera ya, explorando desde hace meses la estatal libia Tamoil. Invertirá de 100 a 150 millones de dólares en el Sáhara Occidental y doblará la cifra si descubre petróleo."
Capital News, 27 January 2009Tamoil is according to Capital News investing between 100 and 150 million rollars in Western Sahara, an amount that would doubled once petroleum is found. The exact same information was first covered by Moroccan media in 2007 .

Tamoil denied the news that then had appeared in Moroccan media back in 2007.

"The company denies emphatically some media reports about an oil investment deal in Western Sahara. It did not sign any agreement on oil exploration permits in Western Sahara and it has no plan to invest in any oil operations there", they stated to Reuters on December 26th 2007.

WSRW has not yet seen any comment from the company on this new development.

DESCUBIERTAS FOSAS COMUNES EN EL AAIUN SAHARA OCUPADO

Extracto de una de las páginas del periodico marroqui Assabah que ha difundido la información la semana pasada.El Aaiun 11 Enero 2009.

El periódico marroquí Assabah en su edición del pasado mes de diciembre publicó que los trabajadores de la empresa Fosbucra situada a 90 kilómetros de la ciudad saharaui ocupada de El Aaiun, algunos operarios se han encontrado con una fosa común con ocho tumbas de personas que se han enterrado separadas en ocho grupos de personas.La fosa según la gendarmería marroquí es de los años de la guerra entre el ejército marroquí y el saharaui época en la que desaparecieron más de 500 civiles saharauis y se calcula que podría ser desde hace 15 a 20 años de haber sido practicada con pocos cuidados como prevé los ritos religiosos.El periódico marroquí habla de que los agentes de la gendarmería no disponen de adecuados medios para realizar la investigación que podría determinar el reconocimiento y las condiciones en las que estas personas perdieron la vida, así como el estudio de su ADN para identificar la identidad de cada cadáver. Este descubrimiento ha movilizado las familias saharauis de los desaparecidos y las que hayan perdido sus hijos en la guerra sin saber donde habían sido enterrados, que es el caso de muchas familias de soldados marroquíes.

Le CORESLSO relance sa campagne d’information sur les 15 jeunes sahraouis enlevés par la marine marocaine

Paris, Le Comité pour le respect des libertés et des droits de l’Homme au Sahara occidental (CORELSO), basé à Paris, vient de relancer une campagne d’information sur l’enlèvement de 15 jeunes sahraouis par la marine marocaine, le 25 décembre 2005 et le combat que mènent leurs familles pour faire éclater la vérité et connaître le sort réservé à leurs enfants.

Le 25 décembre 2005, les 15 jeunes ont tenté de quitter clandestinement par mer la localité d’Azioualt, dans la préfecture de Boujdour, pour rejoindre les Iles Canaries.

Les familles des victimes organisées en "Comité des mères des 15 enlevés sahraouis" sont convaincues que leurs fils ont été kidnappés et détenus par la marine et la gendarmerie marocaine.

Dans le cadre de cette campagne, le CORELSO saisit toutes les opportunités pour distribuer un recueil de documents, acheminés, il y a deux ans, des territoires sahraouis occupés, relatifs à cette affaire. Les familles des enlevés sont catégoriques. Leurs enfants ont bel et bien été enlevés.

Cette conviction, expliquent-elles, est renforcée par les informations qui leur ont été transmises par des associations espagnoles s’occupant des questions de migrations qui leur ont assuré que l’embarcation à bord de laquelle se trouvaient les jeunes sahraouis, n’a pas été interceptée par les gardes-côtes espagnols sur les côtes des Iles Canaries.

Dans le rapport global figurant dans le recueil, " le Comité des mères des 15 enlevés sahraouis" précise que parmi "les victimes figurent des activistes politiques et des militants des droits de l’homme ayant des opinions claires sur la cause du Sahara Occidental et ont participé à plusieurs manifestations pacifiques".

"Ces militants ont décidé de quitter la région pour éviter les poursuites et les éventuelles arrestations, emportant avec eux des CD, des drapeaux et des documents sur les violations de droits de l’homme pour les remettre aux comités de soutien étrangers à la cause sahraouie et aux correspondants étrangers interdits d’accès aux territoires occupés", ajoute le Comité.

Les mères des jeunes enlevés n’ont pas cessé au lendemain de leur disparition d’entreprendre des initiatives pour s’assurer du sort réservé à leurs enfants. Des plaintes individuelles et collectives ont été déposées auprès des autorités judiciaires marocaines.

Des rencontres ont eu lieu avec des responsables locaux, dont le Wali de la région occupée d’El Aaiun-Boujdour, avec des responsables de la sécurité et le procureur général de cette même région. Toutes ces démarches se sont avérées infructueuses.

Les membres du comité ainsi que leurs proches ont organisé des manifestations, trop souvent sévèrement réprimées, comme la manifestation du 25 avril 2006 qui a fait plusieurs blessés.

Les contacts menées auprès des organisations marocaines et internationales de défense des droits de l’homme ont contraint les autorités marocaines à se montrer "plus coopératives" en recevant à maint reprises ces familles et à promettre l’ouverture d’enquêtes et des informations sur ces disparus.

Lors d’une rencontre, le 2 mars 2007, les mères, reçues par le wali d’El Aaiun , ont menacé de s’immoler par le feu, en présence d’ONG et de journalistes, si leur quête de vérité n’aboutissait pas et pour dénoncer l’obstination des autorités marocaines à taire la vérité.

Le recueil élaboré par le CORELSO comprend des compte-rendu des différentes rencontres et audiences accordées par les responsables locaux marocains, des photos montrant les exactions et les blessures causées aux membres du comité des mères, des fiches de renseignements sur les 15 enlevés et leurs itinéraires politique et militant, des copies de plaintes déposées auprès du tribunal d’El Aaiun, des certificats médicaux constatant les blessures causés aux manifestants lors des différentes manifestations ainsi que des articles de presse relatant les faits et le combat de ces mères qui ont choisi comme slogan de leur lutte "Le sahraoui enlevé reviendra".

L’UE appelée à jouer un "rôle central" dans l’autodétermination du peuple sahraoui

Madrid,Plusieurs organisations sahraouies de défense des droits de l’homme ont exhorté l’Union européenne (UE) à jouer un "rôle central" en faveur d’une solution au conflit du Sahara occidental, basée sur le droit du peuple sahraoui à l’autodétermination, à travers l’organisation d’un référendum "libre et démocratique".

Dans une lettre adressée à la mission du Parlement européen en visite au Maroc et dans les territoires sahraouis occupés, ces organisations ont exprimé leur "vive préoccupation" face à la "persistance des violations" des droits de l’homme dans ces territoires, accompagnées de "sévices très graves" contre les populations civiles sahraouies de manière générale et les défenseurs sahraouis des droits de l’homme de manière particulière.

"Cette situation est, bien entendu, la résultante d’un conflit politico-militaire qui perdure depuis plus de trois décennies tout au long desquelles il a contribué au climat de grande frustration qui s’est installé et accentué les souffrances d’une population, victime de toutes les discriminations, de toutes les humiliations, et privée de son droit au respect et à la dignité humaine", lit-on dans cette lettre.

Aussi, "nous exhortons le Parlement européen et, à travers lui l’Union européenne, à jouer un rôle central en faveur d’une solution du conflit du Sahara Occidental, conforme à la légalité internationale et aux multiples résolutions des Nations unies qui appellent au respect du droit imprescriptible du peuple sahraoui à l’autodétermination, à travers la tenue d’un référendum libre et démocratique permettant à ce peuple de choisir librement son devenir", soulignent-elles.

Les défenseurs sahraouis des droits de l’homme se disent "convaincus" qu’une solution définitive du conflit du Sahara Occidental, basée sur le droit international ne manquera pas d’ouvrir la voie devant l’édification d’un "Maghreb uni, réconcilié et prospère".

Dans ce sens, ils ont appelé l’UE à "faire pression" sur le Maroc et l’amener à se conformer à la légalité internationale en acceptant l’organisation d’un référendum pour appliquer le droit à l’autodétermination du peuple sahraoui "dans les plus brefs délais".

Les associations sahraouies ont invité également l’UE à œuvrer pour l’application de la recommandation de l’organisation américaine, Human Rights Watch, appelant à l’instauration d’un mécanisme onusien pour le contrôle et le respect des droits de l’homme dans les territoires sahraouis occupés.

Elles ont demandé aussi à l’UE à revendiquer la publication du rapport élaboré en 2006 par la commission du Haut commissariat des droits de l’homme de l’ONU.

Enfin, les associations sahraouies de défense des droits de l’homme considèrent que l’accord de pêche, signé entre l’UE et le Maroc, incluant les eaux territoriales sahraouies, est "contraire au droit international", en ce qu’il "ne respecte aucunement le statut juridique reconnu au Sahara Occidental", précisent-elles.

Arrivée du Président de la République à Addis abeba pour prendre part au sommet de l’union africaine

Addis Abeba,Le Président de la République, Mohamed Abdeklaziz, est arrivé, ce samedi à Addis abeba pour prendre part aux travaux du XIIème sommet ordinaire des Chefs d’Etats et des Gouvernements de l’Union africaine (UA) qui se tiendra dans la capitale éthiopienne du 1er au 3 février.

Le Chef de l’Etat a été accueilli à la passerelle de son avion, a l’aéroport de Addis Abeba, par le ministre éthiopien de la culture, actuel commissaire de l’UA aux affaires économiques, ainsi que plusieurs hautes personnalités politiques éthiopiennes et africaines.

M. Abdeaziz et la délégation qui l’accompagne devaient écouter l’hymne national africain avant de passer en revue une unité de l’armée éthiopienne venue lui rendre les honneurs.

Le Président de la République est accompagné d’une délégation comprenant, le MAE, Mohamed Salem Ould Salek, du ministre délégué chargé de l’Union africiane, Mohamed Yeslem Beissat, des Conseillers à la Présidence de la République, Bachir Sghayer et Abdati Breika, l’ambassadeur sahraoui auprès de l’UA, Breika Lehbib, du premier secrétaire à l’ambassade, Habbaaa et du conseiller juridique de l’ambassade, Salama Khalil.


L’Union africaine (UA) a formulé, vendredi au cours de la session du Conseil exécutif de l’Union à Addis-Abeba (Ethiopie) son souhait de voir les négociations engagées entre le Maroc et le Front Polisario reprendre "immédiatement", après avoir constaté qu’"aucun progrès" n’a été enregistré dans la résolution de ce conflit.

Dans le rapport établi par le président de la Commission de l’UA,
M. Jean Ping, soumis à l’adoption du Conseil exécutif et à la conférence des chefs d’Etat et de Gouvernement dans la capitale éthiopienne, il est mentionné que "l’UA souhaite ardemment que les négociations entre les deux parties puissent reprendre immédiatement", considérant que durant les six derniers mois, "aucun progrès n’a été enregistré dans la résolution du conflit du Sahara occidental", rappelle-t-on.

Sahara occidental : L’UA souhaite la reprise immédiate des négociations entre le Maroc et le Polisario

Addis-Abeba, L’Union africaine (UA) a formulé, vendredi à Addis-Abeba (Ethiopie) son souhait de voir les négociations engagées entre le Maroc et le Front Polisario reprendre "immédiatement", après avoir constaté qu’"aucun progrès" n’a été enregistré dans la résolution de ce conflit.

Dans le rapport établi par le président de la Commission de l’UA,
M. Jean Ping, soumis à l’adoption du Conseil exécutif et à la conférence des chefs d’Etat et de Gouvernement dans la capitale éthiopienne, il est mentionné que "l’UA souhaite ardemment que les négociations entre les deux parties puissent reprendre immédiatement", considérant que durant les six derniers mois, "aucun progrès n’a été enregistré dans la résolution du conflit du Sahara occidental".

"Il ne faut pas que les négociations représentent encore une fois un
autre exemple d’opportunité gâchée, mais qu’elles montrent plutôt une détermination à relever le défi de parvenir à un résultat qui soit totalement compatible avec les normes juridiques internationales", est-il mentionné dans le document.

Au cours des deux dernières années, trois "importantes" résolutions
ont été adoptées par le Conseil de sécurité des Nations unies, à savoir les résolutions 1754 (avril, 2007), 1783 (octobre (2007) et 1813 (avril 2008), sur la base desquelles des négociations directes ont été entamées entre le Maroc et le Front Polisario.

Le but de ces négociations, précise le rapport, est de parvenir à une
"solution politique juste et mutuellement acceptable, dont l’objectif serait de prévoir l’autodétermination du peuple du Sahara occidental dans le cadre d’arrangements compatibles avec les principes et les objectifs de la Charte des Nations unies".

Dans son rapport, le président du Conseil de l’UA attribue le retard
accusé par la convocation du 5e round des négociations au fait que le poste de l’Envoyé personnel était vacant, suite à la démission de l’ambassadeur Van Walsum en sa qualité de médiateur.

Lors de la séance du mois d’avril 2008, au cours de laquelle le rapport du secrétaire général de l’ONU pour le Sahara occidental a été examiné, l’Envoyé personnel de l’époque avait soumis une note aux membres du Conseil dont la teneur consistait en "son évaluation du processus de paix et ses conclusions y relatives".

"Les propositions faites par l’Envoyé personnel en guise de solution au conflit, n’étaient pas compatibles avec les principes établis des Nations unies concernant les territoires non autonomes", selon le rapport de l’UA, soulignant que cette "controverse a entraîné une perte de confiance dans l’intégrité de l’Envoyé personnel de la part d’une des parties en conflit (laquelle) avait déclaré qu’elle
ne participerait à aucune négociation entamée par l’Envoyé personnel".

M. Ping a ainsi estimé que la nomination d’un nouvel Envoyé personnel
pour le Sahara occidental, M. Christopher Ross, a été "retardée" du fait qu’une des deux parties "souhaitait être informée au préalable sur la voie à suivre".

Aggressive onshore plans

Morocco has apparently launched a big onshore exploration programme in Western Sahara. While a lot of attention has recently been given to the controversial US oil exploration offshore the occupied Western Sahara, Morocco is also carrying out what seems to be an aggressive programme for oil exploration onshore the territory. Irish oil companies are taking the lead, in what is constituting a violation of international law, and a highly unethical support of the brutal occupation. The most known onshore block is the socalled ‘Zag block’ in the north-eastern part of the territory. The reconnaissance contract was given to Irish company Island Oil and Gas, together with San Leon and Longreach (former GB Oil) in 2006. The block is covering the town of Smara, and parts of the territory that remains under the current control of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. What is less known, is that the same group of companies also has 4 blocks in the El Aaiun area. El Aaiun is the capital of the occupied country. The acreage is marked with numbers 154, 155, 156 and 157 on the map to the right. The map was issued by the Moroccan state oil company ONHYM on 17 December 2008. The adjacent blocks 153, 152 and 151, also operated by the same firms, are located in Morocco. Click on the map for bigger version. You can also download the map here. The actual location of the blocks 154 to 157 - inside Western Sahara - comes as a surprise. Island Oil & Gas already on 11 April 2008 (see the press release below) announced that they had an agreement in what they said was "Tarfaya", together with their other two partners. Tarfaya is a costal town in Morocco proper. Island’s partner San Leon also gave the same impression that the agreement was in Morocco, not in Western Sahara. They state on their homepages that the block lies " south of Agadir ". It was therefore thought that the Tarfaya block was uncontroversial, located far into what is internationally recognised as Morocco. But the recent ONHYM map, however, shows that the Tarfaya Petroleum Agreement reaches into the most densely populated part of the territory of Western Sahara. In 2008, Island Oil and Gas had planned to carry out seismic acquisition in Tarfaya area in 2009. A third large area, until now unknown, has apparently been alotted to ONHYM itself. The blocks are numbered from 117 to 129, and comprises of a part of the coastal Western Sahara between the cities of El Aaiun and Dakhla. The section must have been awarded to ONHYM some time between January 2007 and April 2007. This time period appears since blocks are generally given out numerically. Since block number 116 (the ‘Ouest Souss’ onshore reconnaissance contract in the Agadir area) was awarded to GBP on 25th of January 2007, while block number 130 (the ‘Asilah 1’ onshore petroleum agreement in nothern Morocco) was awarded to Direct and Anshutz on April 11th 2007, it must logically follow that the ONHYM blocks in Western Sahara must have been awarded at a point in time between those two. Block 117-129 has so far not been mentioned in any media reports in Morocco, as far as WSRW can see. Morocco has no right to carry out oil exploration in Western Sahara, according to the UN. See the UN legal opinion from 2002 on the oil exploration in Western Sahara here.

Saharawis demonstrate against Fugro-Geoteam

Saharawi students at the University of Agadir on 22 January 2009 protested Fugro-Geoteam’s engagement for Moroccan authorities in occupied Western Sahara. Carrying banners "Fugro-Geoteam go out", and pictures of Saharawi political prisoners, Saharawi students arranged a demonstration in Agadir on January 22nd. Fugro-Geoteam carries out a highly unethical oil exploration programme for Moroccan authorities offshore occupied Western Sahara, in violation of the occupied people’s own interests and wishes. There are no places of higher education in the occupied areas, so Saharawi students have to travel to Morocco to get studies. There, the students carry out frequent demonstrations for the Saharawis’ right to self-determination.

AI: Saharawi Human Rights Defenders face obstacles while European Parliament delegation visits Western Sahara

Amnesty International expressed concerns, yesterday, regarding obstacles that members of Saharawi human rights groups continue to face because of their work to document past and present human rights abuses in Western Sahara. Here is the complete text of the Press release: ------------------------------------- AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC STATEMENT AI Index: MDE 29/002/2009 Date: 30 January 2008 Morocco/Western Sahara: Saharawi Human Rights Defenders face obstacles while European Parliament delegation visits Morocco and Western Sahara Amnesty International welcomes that after a delay of over three years a European Parliament ad hoc delegation on Western Sahara was able to conduct a “fact-finding mission” to Morocco and Western Sahara between the 25 and the 29 of January. While Amnesty International is satisfied that the delegation was able to meet Moroccan officials as well as members of human rights organizations in Morocco and Western Sahara, the organization remains concerned about reports that a number of Saharawi human rights defenders faced harassment in the context of the visit. Amnesty International calls on the Moroccan authorities to uphold the rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association in Morocco and Western Sahara and to allow Saharawi human rights defenders to collect and disseminate information and views about human rights without fear of reprisals. The visit by the ad hoc delegation was reportedly characterized by a heavy security presence of law enforcement officers in official and civilian dress around El Aaiun and particularly around Hotel Parador where the delegation was staying. Reports also indicate that a number of homes of human rights defenders in El Aaiun were surrounded by security officials during the visit and that some human rights defenders were delayed and verbally harassed at security checks. Amnesty International received reports that four human rights defenders were stopped by law enforcement officers in civilian clothes on 27 January about 500 meters from Hotel Parador where the delegation was holding its meetings. Rachid Sgheir and Ahmed Moussa, both members of the Committee against Torture in Dakhla, were reportedly prevented from entering the hotel. Their two companions, the Secretary General of the Saharawi Association of Victims of Grave Human Rights Violations Committed by the Moroccan State (ASVDH), and Mahjoub Oulad Cheikh, a member of the Committee against Torture in Dakhla, were allowed to proceed to the scheduled meeting. Mahjoub Oulad Cheikh reported being hit on his legs during the security check. Reports also indicate that Ahmed Moussa was arrested by the security officials and detained until the night of the 27 of January. During the incident, a number of items such as two mobile telephones, reports and other documents as well as one USB stick were reportedly confiscated by the security officials, and have not been returned to date. Amnesty International also received reports that on 26 January, Ali Salem Al-Tamek, member of the Collective of Saharawi Human Rights Defenders (CODESA) and former prisoner of conscience, was stopped at a road block between Tan Tan and El Aaiun for three hours before being allowed to proceed to the scheduled meeting between members of CODESA and the European Parliament ad hoc delegation. On a number of occasions, Amnesty International has raised its concerns with the Moroccan authorities regarding various obstacles that members of Saharawi human rights groups continue to face because of their work to document past and present human rights abuses and their public expression of their views on the right to self-determination for the people of Western Sahara. Of particular concern is that Saharawi human rights groups are severely hampered in their work as they are unable to obtain legal registration due to politically-motivated administrative obstacles. The local authorities in El Aaiun have repeatedly refused to acknowledge receipt of the ASVDH registration file, despite administrative courts’ rulings in their favour. In a similar vein, CODESA was unable to hold its founding congress on 7 October 2007 because the local authorities refused to acknowledge their request for authorisation of a public meeting. When Amnesty International raised this issue, the authorities in El Aaiun contended that the statute of CODESA made clear that it was a “separatist” organization, in reference to the views on the right to self-determination of its members. Amnesty International repeats its calls on the Moroccan authorities to comply by their obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Morocco is a state party, by respecting freedom of association, expression and assembly. Background Since the European Parliament ad hoc delegation first decided to conduct a fact finding mission to the region in late 2005, the mission was postponed a number of times due to the Moroccan authorities’ objection to the composition of the delegation. The mission was finally rescheduled for November 2008, only to be postponed again reportedly because the ad hoc delegation was notified very late on the content of the programme by the Moroccan authorities. Upon the termination of the mission which took place between the 25 and the 29 of January, the Chairman of the ad hoc delegation on Western Sahara, Ioannis Kasoulides, expressed satisfaction at being able to meet a variety of stakeholders including Moroccan officials, the Human Rights Advisory Council and a wide range of human rights organizations in Morocco and Western Sahara.

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Occupation 101: Award-winning documentary film on the root causes of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Unlike any other film ever produced on the Palestine, ‘Occupation 101’ presents a comprehensive analysis of the facts and hidden truths surrounding the never ending controversy and dispels many of its long-perceived myths and misconceptions of the conflict in Palestine. The film also details life under Israeli military rule, the role of the United States in the conflict, and the major obstacles that stand in the way of a lasting and viable peace. The roots of the conflict are explained through first-hand on-the-ground experiences from leading Middle East scholars, peace activists, journalists, religious leaders and humanitarian workers whose voices have too often been suppressed in American media outlets. The film covers a wide range of topics -- which include -- the first wave of Jewish immigration from Europe in the 1880’s, the 1920 tensions, the 1948 war, the 1967 war, the first Intifada of 1987, the Oslo Peace Process, Settlement expansion, the role of the United States Government, the second Intifada of 2000, the separation barrier and the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, as well as many heart wrenching testimonials from victims of this tragedy.

UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office aware of the trial of Mustapha Abd Daiem

The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Bill Rammell, said last Tuesday in a written answer to Parliament, that his government is aware of the trial and case of the Saharawi journalist and short-stories writer, Mustapha Abd Daiem. The British official answered a question by member of Parliament, Katy Clark (Ayrshire North & Arran, Labour), saying that his government is “aware of the trial of Mustafa Abdel Dayem, which was discussed during a European Union meeting in Rabat on 16 January”. He also asserted that “the trial will be discussed again at the European Union Heads of Mission meeting in Rabat on 28 January 2009. We will continue to monitor developments alongside our European Union colleagues”. Mustapha Abd Daiem, journalist and short-stories writer member of UPES, was arrested on October 2008, sentenced to 3 years imprisonment and more than 6000 fine in addition to 10 years ban from public employment, because of his political opinion and support to the independence of Western Sahara. Amnesty International declared in a press release that it “is concerned that aspects of Mustafa Abdel Dayem’s trial proceedings did not meet international fair trial standards as he was denied the right to legal counsel during his appeal hearing. His case was submitted several days ago to Morocco’s highest court, the Court of Cassation, which can review the alleged irregularities in his trial and, if confirmed, dismiss the ruling and send the case for retrial by a lower court”. Amnesty International also “fears that Mustafa Abdel Dayem’s conviction may have been intended to punish him for his public support for the right to self-determination for the people of Western Sahara and for the POLISARIO Front, which calls for an independent state in Western Sahara and runs a self-proclaimed government-in-exile in refugee camps in south-western Algeria”. The case of Mustapha Abd Daiem is getting more and more known to international organization especially Amnesty International (North Africa) and Amnesty International US. The international organization issued a press release about his unfair trial and the US branch is publishing an action on its page about Mustapha. On another level, a campaign of letters was launched in solidarity with UPES in its endeavour to support Mustapha. The first to express support were Japanese journalist supporting Western Sahara, followed by the UK Western Sahara Campaign, and Australia Western Sahara Association. This campaign of letters is the first step in a bigger campaign that will develop in a second step to be a campaign of letters to Foreign Affairs Ministries in all countries that can exercise pressures on Morocco on the subject. “The campaign, UPES Secretary General, Malainin Lakhal said, will take other steps in the future, and adopt additional ways to put more pressures on the Moroccan colonial authorities, until Rabat knows that it is no use to arrest Saharawi human rights activists, writers or normal citizens, and that the only good option is to release the political prisoners and enable the Saharawi people to exercise their right to self-determination and independence”.