domingo, 12 de abril de 2009

Le président de la République reçoit une délégation française


Chahid El Hafed, Le président de la République, Mohamed Abdelaziz a reçu, samedi au siège de la Présidence sahraouie des représentants d’ONG et avocats français, venus pour prendre part, vendredi dernier à la marche internationale contre le mur de défense marocain qui divise le Sahara occidental et son peuple depuis trois décennies.

"Nous sommes venus pour dénoncer au côté d’autres délégations étrangères ce mur qualifié de crime contre l’humanité, ainsi qu’a rapporter la réalité de la situation du conflit sahraoui à la société française", a déclaré à SPS, Josette Poilpré coordinatrice pour le Sahara Occidental de l’Association française, (Femmes solidaires) qui compte plus de 35.000 adhérentes en France.

Pour sa part le représentant de l’Association d’amis de la RASD (AARASD), Alain Aumont a révélé que sa visite rentre dans le cadre des contacts entre son ONG et la RASD pour la réalisation de deux projets en faveur de l’éducation et l’équipement des agriculteurs sahraouis.

"La résistance du peuple sahraoui est très forte que ça soit dans les camps des réfugies sahraouis ou dans les territoires occupés du Sahara Occidental, malgré la répression et l’état de siège médiatique et militaire imposés par les Maroc sur la région depuis les années soixante-dix", a constaté, France Welly avocate auprès de la cour de Paris et qui a assisté maintes procès des prisonniers politiques sahraouis devant les tribunaux marocains.

Le président de la République reçoit une forte délégation portugaise


Chahid El Hafed, Le président de la République, Mohamed Abdelaziz a reçu samedi à la Présidence de la République, une forte délégation portugaise qui a participé vendredi, aux côtés des délégations d'Espagne, Italie, France, Autriche, Allemagne, Amérique, Salvador, Norvège, Cuba et Algérie à la manifestation pacifique internationale pour le démantèlement du mur de la honte marocain.

"Nous vous prenons à témoins sur le caractère pacifique de la manifestation, à laquelle vous avez pris part pour revendiquer la destruction de ce mur, qualifié de crime contre l’humanité qui divise le Sahara Occidental et son peuple depuis des décennies", a indiqué le Président de la République devant la délégation portugaise.


Le Maroc avait déclaré vendredi par les voies de ses ministères de l’intérieur et des AE que "quelque mille quatre cents personnes, dont des étrangers, … munis d’armes individuelles et de détecteurs de mines ont procédé au tir de plusieurs coups de feu …", a-t-il rappelé.

M. Abdelaziz a condamné "énergiquement" ce rempart ceinturé de mines anti personnelle qui ne cesse de causer des victimes au sein des citoyens sahraouis, dont les dernières étaient deux jeunes sahraouis, le premier amputé de son pied droit et le deuxième blessés sur des différentes parties de son corps.

Il a sollicité des membres de la délégation portugaise d’être les messagers du peuple sahraoui pour la paix, afin de sensibiliser l’opinion publique au Portugal sur le drame du peuple sahraoui contraint à l’exil depuis l’occupation illégale de son pays par le Maroc, le 31 octobre 1975.

La délégation portugaise, forte d’une cinquantaine de personnes, représentants le Mouvement démocratique des femmes, les syndicats, les professeurs et la société civile portugaise.

La cérémonie a été assistée par le membre du Secrétariat national du Front Polisario, ministre conseiller à la Présidence, Mohamed Sidati, le représentant du Front Polisario au Portugal, Edda Hmeim et du SG à la Présidence de la République, Daf Mohamed Fadel.

Le président Abdelaziz appelle l'Espagne à se départir de son "ambiguïté" dans le conflit sahraoui


Madrid, Le président sahraoui Mohamed Abdelaziz a appelé le gouvernement espagnol à renoncer à "l'ambiguïté" de sa position à l'égard du conflit du Sahara occidental pour se ranger du côté de la légalité internationale, rapportent les médias.

"L'Espagne devrait se départir de sa position ambiguë, exiger le respect du droit international et faire pression sur le Maroc pour l'amener à mettre fin à sa stratégie continue de violation des droits de l'homme dans les territoires sahraouis occupés", a déclaré le dirigeant sahraoui à un groupe de journalistes espagnols.

Ces journalistes étaient en visite dans les territoires sahraouis dans le cadre de la nouvelle édition de "La colonne des 1.000" pour dénoncer le "mur de la honte" qui sépare le Sahara occidental.
Plus de 2.500 personnes, venus de plusieurs pays, dont 1.500 d'Espagne se sont rendus dans les campements de réfugiés sahraouis pour former une chaîne humaine face à ce mur, symbole de l'occupation marocaine, pour demander son démantèlement et exiger la tenue d'un référendum d'autodétermination pour le peuple sahraoui.

Le président de la RASD et Secrétaire général du Front Polisario M. Abdelaziz, qui a appelé à plus de "transparence" dans la position du gouvernement espagnol, a estimé que l'Espagne devrait profiter de sa présidence tournante de l'UE durant le premier semestre 2010 pour inscrire le conflit du Sahara occidental dans l'agenda des pays européens.

Tout en rappelant que l'Espagne "détient en grande partie la solution du conflit", le président Abdelaziz dit "ne pas trouver d'explications à l'ambigüité du gouvernement socialiste de Zapatero", auquel il a demandé de "cesser sa politique de concessions au Maroc".

Le président Abdelaziz a souhaité, par ailleurs, que soit exigé le respect des droit de l'homme par le Maroc dans le rapport que doit présenter, mardi prochain, le nouvel envoyé personnel du Secrétaire général de l’ONU pour le Sahara occidental, Christopher Ross, devant le Conseil de sécurité.

Dans ce sens, il a demandé également que le rapport doit inclure l'extension des compétences de la MINURSO afin de garantir le respect des droits de l'homme dans les territoires sahraouis occupés, et mentionner "l'exploitation illégale par le Maroc des ressources naturelles du Sahara occidental".

Pour le dirigeant sahraoui, le Front Polisario "est prêt à négocier tout ce qui devrait conduire à une solution pacifique" du conflit", mais a tenu à préciser que le "seul principe auquel il n'est pas disposé à renoncer, c'est bien le droit du peuple sahraoui à décider librement de son destin à travers la tenue d'un référendum d'autodétermination".

Le président de la République félicite Bouteflika pour sa réélection


Bir Lehlu, Le président de la République, Mohamed Abdelaziz a félicité, samedi le président algérien, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, à l’occasion de sa réélection en tant que président du pays.

"En mon nom personnel et au nom du peuple et gouvernement sahraouis nous vous félicitons pour votre réélection confortable tout en souhaitant qu’elle apportera au peuple frère algérien plus de progrès et de prospérité", a écrit le président de la République à, M. Bouteflika.

Pour M. Abdelaziz, le taux de participation "confortable" des électeurs algériens, qui a dépassé les prévisions, résume en lui seul une véritable "reconnaissance du peuple algérien au développement politique et économique qu’a connu le pays sous la présidence de Bouteflika".

M. Abdelaziz a salué enfin, la position indéfectible de la l’Algérie fondé sur le droit à l’autodétermination du peuple sahraoui, garanti par le droit internationale, conclut le message.

Sit in de solidarité avec les victimes de mines de la manifestation du vendredi (UJSARIO)


Ecole 27 février (camps des réfugies sahraouis), L’Union sahraouie de la jeunesse de Saguia Hamra et Rio de Oro (UJSARIO) a organisé, samedi un sit in solidaire avec les deux jeunes sahraouis victimes d’une mine anti-personnelle, alors qu’ils participaient à une marche internationale devant le mur militaire marocain qui divise le Sahara Occidental et son peuple depuis des décennies.

"Ce sit in qui a compté avec la participation de centaines de citoyens sahraouis et délégations venues d’Europe et d’Amérique Latine, vise à exprimer la pleine solidarité avec les deux jeunes sahraouis qui ont risqué leur vies pour dénoncer ce rempart qui menace quotidiennement la population sahraouie", a déclaré à SPS le président de l’UJSARIO, Moussa Salma.

Les ONG participantes à la marche internationale contre le mur marocain ont en outre signalé leur "profonde préoccupation face à ce mur qui est un crime contre l’humanité" et qui a couté récemment "la perte du pied gauche d’un jeune sahraoui et un autre blessé au visage", ont-t-ils regretté.

Les participants ont appelé le Maroc à hâter le démantèlement de ce mur de la "honte", affirmant que les autorités marocaines "assument pleinement la responsabilité de cet accident qui n’est qu’un exemple parmi les milliers de victimes sahraouis qu’il compte à son actif".

Les blessés, deux jeunes civils sahraouis, participaient aux côtés de centaines d'autres manifestants venus d'Espagne, Italie, France et Algérie à une protestation pacifique, baptisée "la colonne de 1000", face à un tronçon de ce mur, ceinturé par un champ de mines anti-personnelles parsemées tout au long du rempart, long de plus de 2000 kms, rappelle-t-on.

Le mur militaire marocain au Sahara Occidental : ''un crime contre l’Humanité'' (Gouvernement)


Bir Lehlu (territoires libérés), Le Gouvernement de la République sahraouie considère que le mur militaire au Sahara Occidental comme étant "un crime contre l’Humanité", réclame son "démantèlement" et "condamne fermement la pose de mines anti-personnelles sans aucune indication du danger qu’elles constituent pour les citoyens".

Un jeune sahraoui de 19 ans à sauté sur une mine au cours d’une manifestation internationale organisée vendredi à Oum Leghta, à laquelle ont pris part des délégations venues d'Espagne, Italie, Portugal, France, Autriche, Allemagne, Amérique, Salvador, Norvège, Cuba et Algérie et en présence de la presse nationale et étrangère, "pour réclamer le démantèlement de ce mur érigé par le Maroc au Sahara Occidental depuis des décennies", a déploré la même source.

"Profondément affecté par ce triste incident, l’exécutif sahraoui considère que la responsabilité incombe exclusivement au Gouvernement marocain", a indiqué un communiqué publié samedi par la primature, reçu par SPS.

Il a en outre lancé un appel à la communauté internationale représentée par l’instance de l’ONU, à accélérer la décolonisation du Sahara Occidental, afin de permettre au peuple sahraoui de s’exprimer librement sur son destin.

Le Gouvernement a exprimé sa gratitude à tous les participants venus des différents pays du monde pour réclamer le démantèlement du mur de la honte et exprimer leur solidarité avec le peuple sahraoui.

Une manifestation internationale pacifique réclamant la destruction du "mur de la honte", érigé par le Maroc au Sahara Occidental depuis des décennies, a été organisée vendredi à Oum Leghta (secteur de Mahbes) à laquelle ont pris part des centaines de citoyens européens, ainsi que des ONG sahraouies et des centaines de la société civile des camps de réfugiés sahraouis, rappelle-t-on

Les prisonniers politiques sahraouis de Boulemharez suspendent leur grève de la faim


Boulemharez (Marrakech), Les prisonniers politiques sahraouis en grève de la faim dans la prison de Boulemharez (Maroc) ont suspendu vendredi leur action "suite à la sollicitude de plusieurs associations sahraouies, marocaines et internationales", ont-ils indiqué dans un communiqué.

"Nous, les détenus politiques sahraouis, Brahim Baryaz, Ali salem Ablagh et Khallihanna Aboulhassan, ayant entamé une grève illimitée de la faim depuis le 13 Février2009 dans la prison locale de Boulemharez " …"nous décidons de suspendre temporairement notre grève de la faim dans l’attente de la satisfaction à tous les points de l’accord préétabli avec les autorités carcérales", ont-il s écrit dans ce communiqué reçu par SPS.

Les prisonniers affirment que leur détermination "demeurent ferme et solide" et à "continuer la lutte pour concrétiser nos revendications légitimes".

Les prisonniers politiques sahraouis qui ont totalisé 56 jours de grève de la faim, ont remercié tous les acteurs démocratiques internationaux et locaux, les organisations des droits de l'homme les ont fortement soutenus dans leur" longue et difficile bataille".

Création d’une plate-forme internationale pour ''le démantèlement du mur''


Chahid el Hafed, Une plate-forme internationale pour le démantèlement du mur de la honte, "un crime contre l’Humanité", au Sahara Occidental a été créée, vendredi dans les camps de réfugiés sahraoui, pilotée par quatre organisations de soutien au peuple sahraoui en Espagne, selon un communiqué de ces organisations, reçu par SPS.

"Les organisations signataires, soussignées, se s’engagent à créer une plate-forme internationale pour le démantèlement du mur de la honte au Sahara Occidental", ont-t-ils indiqué dans le communiqué, déplorant que le "Gouvernement marocain ait converti le Sahara Occidental en une immense prison qui sépare le peuple sahraoui depuis plus de trois décennies".

L’initiative intervient après une manifestation pacifique de quelque 2.000 personnes face à un tronçon de ce mur à Oum Leghta (500 Kms à l’est d’El Aaiun), organisée vendredi par ces organisations soutenues par la société civile sahraouie.

"Au cours de cette manifestation et pour cause de la tension accumulée tout au long de 34 ans d’occupation, un groupe de jeunes sahraouis s’est approché d’une zone de mines non signalée par le Maroc, causant l’explosion d’une mine et blessant malheureusement le jeune sahraoui de 19 ans, Brahim Houssein Labeid", a déploré le texte.

La plate-forme estime que "tout ceci relève de la responsabilité exclusive du Maroc, pour avoir perpétué son occupation du territoire du Sahara Occidental", et "érigé une fortification illégal depuis 1980 où 5 millions de mines y sont localisées".
Les organisations signataires sont : La coordination étatique des associations solidaires avec le peuple sahraoui (CEAS), la colonne de 1.000, le Réseau internationale de soutien à l’Union nationale des femmes sahraouis et le Rallye des vélos contre le mur.

Deux personnes sautent sur des mines anti-personnelles dans une manifestation devant le mur marocain de séparation


Oum Leghta (territoires libérés), Deux personnes ont sauté, vendredi à Oum Leghta (500 Kms à l'est d'El Aaiun), sur des mines anti-personnelles devant le mur militaire marocain qui sépare le Sahara Occidental et son peuple depuis des décennies, au cours d'une manifestation dénonçant ce "rempart de la honte".

Les blessés, deux jeunes civils sahraouis, participaient aux côtés de centaines d'autres manifestants venus d'Espagne, Italie, France et Algérie à cette démonstration pacifique, baptisée "la colonne de 1000", face à un tronçons de ce mur, ceinturé par un champ de mines anti-personnelles parsemées tout au long du rempart, long de plus de 2000 kms.

Ils ont été évacués d'urgence vers l'hôpital de Chahid El Hafed dans les camps de réfugiés sahraouis, a indiqué à SPS le responsable de l'équipe médicale qui accompagne la manifestation, déplorant qu'"aucune indication n'était visible devant ce champ de mines, interdites par les conventions internationales".

Les travailleurs sahraouis de la société minière fosbucraa privés de leur droit au logement


El AaIun (territoires occupés), La confédération syndicale des commissions ouvrières au Sahara occidental a condamné la décision de la société minière fosbucraa, visant l'attribution de 450 logements au profit de colons marocains, et l'exclusion des travailleurs sahraouis au sein de cette société, des logements abandonnées par l’administration coloniale espagnole.

"Cette opération reflète la persistance du régime marocain dans sa politique d'apartheid contre les habitants autochtones de la région", a déclaré la fédération dans un communiqué parvenu à SPS.

A cet égard, elle a également appelé le SG DE L’ONU et son envoyé personnel, Christopher Ross, afin d’intervenir pour mettre fin à cette ségrégation et arrêter le pillage des richesses naturelles du Sahara occidental.

La Confédération a en outre déploré l'expulsion des travailleurs sahraouis de la société, précisant que plus de 721 d’entre eux ont été renvoyés et remplacés par des colons marocains.

Ces travailleurs continuent de réclamer leurs droits usurpés, comme l'a souligné récemment par un nombre de syndicats et d'organisations internationales, notamment le rapport de France Libertés et de la Fédération internationale des syndicats à Genève en mars dernier.

Auparavant le rapport de l'internationale des syndicats, français, espagnol, italien ayant visité la région en février 2008. Ce rapport a recommandé la nécessité d'une intervention urgente pour protéger les travailleurs sahraouis, a conclu le communiqué.

M. Abdelaziz ''perplexe'' pour l’indifférence face au sort des prisonniers de Boulemharez


Chahid El Hafed, Le Président de la République, Mohamed Abdelaziz, s’est déclaré "perplexe" pour l’indifférence affichée de l’ONU, de l’Union européenne et de la communauté internationale, face au sort tragique réservé par les autorités marocaines à trois prisonniers politiques sahraouis en grève de la faim depuis 56 jours dans la prison de Boulemharez (Marrakech)

"L’indifférence du Secrétaire général de l’ONU, du Conseil de sécurité et de l’Union européenne face à l’imminente tragédie qui menace ces prisonniers est très déconcertante et peut être expliquée comme un silence complice", a dit M. Abdelaziz au cours d’un déjeuner offert à des délégations étrangères devant participer vendredi à une marche internationale contre le mur de séparation marocain au Sahara Occidental.

Le Président sahraoui s’est montré "très préoccupé par l’état critique de la santé de ces trois prisonniers politiques sahraouis, Brahim Baryaz, Khalihenna Abou El Hacen et Ali Salem Ablagh, incarcérés dans la prison de Boulemharez", qui, a-t-il dit, ont "cessé de prendre la ration de sucre et de l’eau nécessaire à leur survie jusqu’à présent".

Par ailleurs M. Abdelaziz s’est interrogé sur "la manière" d’appliquer le droit international sous d’autres cieux et celle de l’appliquer chez les Sahraouis. "Comme si nous sommes exemptés de ce droit", a-t-il déploré.

Le Président sahraoui a également évoqué les grèves de la faim de plusieurs autres prisonniers politiques sahraouis dans les prisons de Taroudant, Kenitra, Ben Sliman, Inzegan, Ait Melloul (Maroc) et la Carcel negra d’El Aaiun, qui avaient déclenché eux aussi ces actions depuis une semaine en signe de solidarité avec leurs compatriotes.

Brahim Baryaz, Ali Salem Ablagh et Khalihenna Abulhasan ont été arrêtés par les forces de sécurité marocaines, entre avril et Décembre 2008, en raison de leur participation dans des manifestations pacifiques réclamant le droit à l'autodétermination du peuple sahraoui, garanti par la légalité internationale, rappelle-t-on.

Transfert deux des prisonniers politiques sahraouis à la prison marocaine d’Inzegan vers celle d’Ait Melloul


Inzegan (Maroc), L'administration pénitentiaire marocaine a procédé mercredi au transfert des deux prisonniers politiques sahraouis, Yahya Mohamed El Hafed (Iazza) et Boba Najem qui purgent des peines d’emprisonnement à Inzegan, vers la prison d’Ait Melloul sous une haute surveillance, ont rapporté des sources judiciaires sur place.

"Ce geste s’inscrit dans le cadre des tentatives des forces de répression marocaines visant à mettre fin à la grève de faim entamée par les prisonniers politiques sahraouis depuis samedi dernier dans les différentes prisons marocaines", en signe de solidarité avec leurs compatriotes en grève de la faim depuis 56 jours à la prison de Boulemharez (Marrakech), a-t-on précisé de même source.

Les deux prisonniers politiques sahraouis ont été transférés à la prison d’Ait Melloul où ils ont été enfermés dans deux cellules individuelles (cachot) "les mains menottées et les yeux bandés", a ajouté la même source.

Auparavant les prisonniers politiques sahraouis à la prison marocaine d’Inzegan ont été l’objet d’une agression brutale de la part de fonctionnaires de l'administration pénitentiaire, sous le commandement du Directeur, Mustafa Al-Rafii.

A cet égard, les familles de ces prisonniers politiques ont organisé un sit-in devant la prison d’Inzegan pour avoir été empêchées par les autorités marocaines de rendre visite à leurs fils, "sans donner de raisons".

SADR primer minister addresses international activists during conference on Moroccan wall


In the meeting hall of the National Union of Saharawi Women (UNMS) in the February 27th refugee camp, the prime minister of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) made a surprise appearance to speak with the attendees of a conference on the Moroccan-built wall that divides the Western Sahara.

“I apologize for interrupting this conference,” began Prime Minister Abdelkader Taleb Omar, “but I think it is important to talk about yesterday’s events.

“First of all, I want to thank you all for your presence. Yesterday’s International March against the Wall of Shame was an utter triumph, thanks to the participation of people from Africa, Europe and the Americas...Every time people like you come to show your solidarity, we get a fresh breath of freedom.”

Abdelkader went on to speak about the explosion of a landmine during the march, which occurred when a group of Saharawi youth broke off from the 3,000 other protestors and began to approach the heavily-fortified Moroccan wall. In the explosion, one young Saharawi lost his foot, and four others sustained burns and shrapnel wounds.

“You have all now seen, in a very direct way, the horror that is produced by the presence of the Moroccan wall,” stated Abdelkader. “You have seen how it can so easily convert life into death.”

During the protest, young Saharawis became aggressive and brazenly threw rocks toward the Moroccan wall while Polisario officials unsuccessfully tried to stop them.

In the Saharawi camps, the difference of opinion between generations concerning the most effective route to regaining their lands and securing their independence is apparent. The prime minister spoke about this in his address.

“We are dedicated to following a peaceful path to independence,” he assured, “but as you can see, the Polisario Front receives pressure from a number of groups, especially the young Saharawis, who beg us to take the next step and return to armed struggle.”

The prime minister expressed some hope that the day’s events might spark more international attention

“God willing, this horrible incident will motivate the United Nations to change its approach the conflict. The Saharawi people want a peaceful and democratic solution…but if our peaceful efforts continue to be ignored, the region will return to war and strife.”

The Wall of Shame

The prime minister’s discourse took up the majority of the time that had been allotted for the informational session regarding the Moroccan-built wall, which was to be presented by Baba Moustafa Sayyid, the director of the Saguia il-Hamra Institute for Strategic Studies.

Nonetheless, Baba managed to give a brief, but very informative presentation on the history of the conflict of the Western Sahara and the construction of the wall, which was especially useful for the activists, many of whom were visiting the Western Sahara for the first time.

“Just as deadly as the war between the Saharawis and the Moroccan monarchy was and continues to be the complete black-out of international information regarding the conflict and the construction of the wall,” insisted Baba.

Activists react to landmine blast during International March against the Wall of Shame


Still in shock over the landmine explosion during the International March against the Wall of Shame the previous day, foreign visitors to the Saharawi refugee camps expressed their continued solidarity with the Saharawi people on Saturday.

“I couldn’t stop crying during the whole march,” said Maria from Cuenca, Spain, who was visiting the Western Sahara for the first time. “I cried when I saw the wall, which is a manifestation of all that the Saharawi people are suffering. I cried when I saw the young people start to throw rocks and charge at the wall. And I especially cried when I heard about the landmine explosion.”

During the march, which included over 2,000 foreigners and hundreds of Saharawis, a group of young Saharawis began to approach the heavily-fortified, 2,500 km Moroccan wall, which divides the Western Sahara in two. The wall is protected by over 160,000 soldiers, hundreds of tanks and millions of landmines.

“We understood their actions completely,” said Maria. “We could see all of the anger, all of the emotion that they had been carrying inside themselves. It was almost too powerful to watch.”

The Moroccan berm is surrounded by a barbed-wire fence, supposedly marking the areas that are mined. It was in this zone that the explosion occurred.

“But the mines were in front of the barbed wire, too,” confirmed Irene, from Madrid, Spain. “We stepped over a few mines without realizing it. I saw at least four.”

Unarmed police officers of the Polisario Front – the movement for Saharawi independence – accompanied the group and attempted to control its movements, but small groups broke off and wandered into the minefields.

“Polisario did its best to keep everyone controlled,” said Pablo, from Madrid, “but the young people have been shoring up such extreme anger that they could not be stopped.”

“All the international protestors were well-informed and well-controlled, and I never felt like I was in any danger,” he added.

Moroccan minister tells a different story

After yesterday’s march, the minister of foreign affairs in Morocco released a statement, condemning the peaceful protest and claiming that the Saharawis had violated an 18-year-old cease-fire.

“[Polisario] has flagrantly violated the military agreements,” the decree read. “On Friday, Polisario and 1,600 activists entered into the prohibited area in 90 Jeeps, 10 trucks and several bicycles.”

More importantly, the Moroccan statement claimed that the Polisario guards that accompanied the protestors were heavily armed, and that “various shots were fired into the air.”

Had this been true, Polisario would have been violating the terms of the 1991 ceasefire it signed with the Moroccan monarchy, which was sponsored by the United Nations and the Organization for African Unity. The agreement prohibits any military activity within 5 km of the wall on the Polisario side.

“Yeah, I’m used to hearing these kinds of lies from Moroccan politicians,” said Pablo. “The statements are completely false.”

“There were no gunshots, just rocks being thrown,” confirmed his friend, Iñigo. “The police didn’t even have pistols – they were just carrying radios to communicate.”

All of the activists interviewed expressed similar contempt for the Moroccan statement.

“Lies, complete lies,” exclaimed Maria. “They said we came with tanks and guns, but [the young Saharawis] had bicycles and were throwing rocks!”

Landmine blast sparks massive protest march in Saharawi refugee camps


Hundreds of Saharawis, both young and old, were joined by hundreds of international activists as they marched through the Saharawi refugee camp of February 27th on Saturday morning.

The protestors followed a pick-up truck carrying a group of Saharawi youth, who led them in deafening chants.

“No other alternative but self-determination! No, no to autonomy! Western Saharan independence is on its way! Through armed struggle we will redeem the Western Sahara with our lives! Ibrahim, rest easy, we will continue the fight!”

This last chant refers to Ibrahim Hussein Abait, who lost his foot in a landmine blast on Friday during a peaceful march in the desert. In what is called the International March against the Wall of Shame, over 800 Saharawis and 2,000 international visitors marched 2 km in the desert to show their opposition to the 2,500 km-long Moroccan wall that divides the two, and to show their support for the Saharawis’ peaceful struggle for independence.

The Moroccan wall is heavily fortified by infantry, tanks and millions of landmines. The Polisario Front, the leaders of the Saharawi movement for independence, has been working actively with Landmine Action, a British NGO, to de-mine the territory under their control. But there are still millions of mines surrounding the wall, and there is speculation that Morocco continues to plant more, which would be in violation of the ceasefire signed in 1991.

The straw that will break the camel’s back?

During the march in February 27th, the Spanish, Italian, Austrian, French, Mexican, Salvadorian, American, Portuguese and British travelers gathered at the camp’s entrance, where they were rallied by the Saharawi youth groups the Sumud Brigade and Peace and Liberty and the National Union of Saharawi Women (UNMS).

From the entrance, the group of more than a thousand poured onto the main road and marched 2 km to the school and administrative center. The road was completely impassable, but drivers happily pulled over to the shoulder, honked their horns and chanted along with the passing crowd.

When the group arrived at the school, protestors climbed onto the rooftops and continued their shouts. Children wandered out of their classrooms, curious about the commotion. They, too, joined in the cries of sorrow over the injury of their fellow countryman and of reassurance that the struggle for Western Saharan independence would continue.

Amid a sea of green, white, and black – the colors of the flags of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) – the emotion was tangible.

“People from the outside world can’t understand,” said Ilmomi, a member of the Peace and Liberty youth group. “We’ve been living like this our whole lives, and we can’t take much more of it.”

Five Saharawis injured by landmine blast during peaceful protest against Moroccan wall in Western Sahara


Five Saharawis were injured in Rouss Essabty on Friday, 70 km from the Saharawi refugee camps, when a 19-year-old boy stepped on a landmine.

The victims, along with 3,000 other Saharawis and international activists, were participating in a peaceful protest against the Moroccan wall that divides the Western Sahara.

The blast occurred when the five victims were attempting to approach the wall by clearing a path through a barbed wire barrier that surrounds it, which is known to the Saharawis as the Wall of Shame. Three of the victims, identified as Ibrahim Hussein Abait, Hamdi Fadli Adbelahi and Mohamed Salim Bouda Larossi, were passing through an active minefield with more than 300 other demonstrators.

Ibrahim, from the Saharawi refugee camp of Dakhla, suffered the gravest injury, losing more than half of his left foot in the explosion. Hamdi and Mohamed sustained minor burns and shrapnel wounds to their faces, arms and backs.

Luckily, Saharawi doctors and members of Landmine Action (LMA), a British NGO working to de-mine the Western Sahara, had accompanied the protestors to the wall. The group had emergency first-responders on-hand who dressed the victims’ wounds and evacuated the three from the zone. Ibrahim was taken to a hospital in Tindouf, Algeria, and the other four were taken to the SADR National Hospital in Rabouni.

The protest in which the five were participating was called to the International March against the Wall of Shame. During their peaceful march, they formed a human chain in the desert to call for the destruction of this partition and to show support for Saharawi people’s right to self-determination.

During the protest, which was organized by the National Union of Saharawi Women (UNMS), the 2,000 foreign participants joined hundreds of Saharawis to express their fervent condemnation of the continued presence of the wall, which extends 2,500 km and which is surrounded by millions of Moroccan anti-personnel and anti-tank landmines.

By tearing apart friends and families, the wall, which was built by Morocco in the 1980s, has augmented the suffering of Saharawis both in the Occupied Territories and the refugee camps in Algeria.

According to a representative from Landmine Action, there are over 7 million landmines located around the Wall of Shame, and most have been planted using methods that violate international norms. To alert the international community of this danger, LMA has been hosting conferences for the past week to raise awareness about the perilous situation here in the Western Sahara.

Hundreds of foreign activists attend special conference on Western Saharan natural resources


In the meeting hall of the National Union of Saharawi Women (UNMS) in the 27th of February Saharawi refugee camp, over 200 international visitors gathered to listen to a special presentation on natural resources in the Western Sahara, presented by Lih Beiruk, special representative of the Saharan Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) to the Netherlands.

The presentation, given in Spanish, focused upon the exploitation by Morocco of the plentiful fish and phosphate resources that define the natural wealth of the Western Sahara. Lih insisted that the main impetus behind Morocco’s continued occupation of two-thirds of the territory of the Western Sahara was the influx of income provided by exports from the territory.

Since Morocco’s invasion in the 1970s, it has benefited immensely from that wealth. The Moroccan use of the resources, however, has been illegal since the very beginning, according to Lih.

"Near Bu Craa [in the Western Sahara], a Spanish company had constructed a 107 km-long conveyor built, the longest in the world," said the SADR special representative. "In a hidden passage of the Madrid Accords [the tripartite agreement signed by Spain, Morocco and Mauritania in 1975], Spain handed over 65 percent of the project to Morocco."

Lih clarified that according to UN General Assembly resolutions, the International Convention on Human Rights and the International Pact on Social and Economic Rights – among others – the exportation of natural resources of a colonized territory without direct benefit to the inhabitants of the territory is strictly forbidden.

In the presentation, Lih pointed out that today, over 1,700,000 tons of phosphate are extracted from the Western Saharan Bu Craa mines each year, and almost 306 million tons of fish are caught and exported from waters around the ports of El Aaiun. The port city is currently the biggest exporter of sardines in the world.

Lih accused the entire international community of engaging in illegal economic pacts with Morocco, but aimed many of his allegations at the European Union.

"The European Union claims to be a great defender of human rights," he fired,"but it continues to deny the right of the Saharawi people to benefit from the natural resources of their own land."

Responding to a question from the audience as to whether the international community would ever support the Saharawis’ right to their own territory, Lih expressed his hope that with a new US President, the status quo may eventually be overturned.

"We are waiting and hoping that the US, especially with Obama and his slogan of ‘Change’, will recognize the rights for which we are fighting," said Lih.

The conference closed with a brief documentary by the Western Sahara Resource Watch, a Norwegian NGO geared towards ending the illegal exploitation of the natural wealth of the Western Sahara by making public the activities of companies and governments that do so.

Dollars and sense
In an exclusive UPES interview after the conference, Lih discussed a few of the conference’s topics in more detail.

"Over 10 percent of Morocco’s phosphate exports and well over half of its fish exports come from the Western Sahara," he pointed out.

When asked if Morocco was benefiting too greatly from the Western Sahara to ever agree to allowing the Saharawis to hold their UN-supported referendum on self-determination, Lih denied that this was a legitimate concern.

"It costs the Moroccan crown over 2 million euros per day to maintain the 160,000 troops it keeps in the Western Sahara," explained Lih. "So they will be saving money when they eventually have to give back the territory to the Saharawis.

"But yes, Morocco’s number one reason for holding onto the Western Sahara is economic exploitation of its resources," he continued. "The second is to keep the army as far away from the government as possible. Throughout history, the army has been the only force who has challenged the monarchy, so the crown tries to keep the army occupied in the Western Sahara."

Morocco’s economy, Lih argued, is based entirely on tourism and the drug trade. Meanwhile, the Western Sahara has a variety of resources, including phosphate, fish, sand, gold, iron and even oil, reserves of which have been mapped out in the northeast region of the territory and on the continental shelf off of Western Saharan shores.

Neither rain nor sand nor heat nor...
On the third day of informational sessions for the visiting activists, rain clouds, oppressive heat and a sandstorm threatened to cancel the conference, which was originally scheduled to be held outside in a gigantic tent.

But the session was moved indoors and was given before a packed house. All of the 150 chairs and every bit of floor space were occupied by foreigners and Saharawis alike, craining their necks to take in all of the economic data showing Morocco’s illegal economic ventures in the Western Sahara.

When the conference closed, the participants migrated outdoors to share cups of tea with the representatives of the UNMS.

Activits brush up on Wall of Shame before journey to Western Sahara


In the stifling meeting hall of the National Union of Saharawi Women (UNMS), hundreds of international activists gathered late Thursday morning to learn about the Moroccan-built wall of sand and stone that divides the Western Sahara in two.

The presentation on the 260,000 km wall was given by Lih Beiruk, special representative of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) to the Netherlands; Ahmed Sidali, the Saharawi director of Landmine Action, a British NGO that has been working in the region since 2006; and representatives of the SADR Ministry of Defense.

The conference began with a 10-minute documentary produced by UNMS and the Saharawi Youth Union (UJSARIO) entitled "The Wall of Shame," as it is known among Saharawis and international supporters of the Saharawi movement for self-determination.

According to the documentary makers, the Moroccan wall, which is defended by 160,000 soldiers, hundreds of tanks and millions of mines, was built with four main objectives in mind: to keep Polisario soldiers (the leaders of the Saharawi movement for independence) away from the main cities occupied by Morocco, to safeguard the Bu Craa mines and the ports at Layoun under Moroccan control, to take away the Polisario’s previously effective suprise attacks and to create an obstacle to any kind of offensive led by the Saharawis.

In the early 1980s, the documentary continued, the first walls were built out of sand, but in May 1987, the Moroccans began to fortify them with thicker rock walls.

During the short film, the Moroccan wall was compared to the Berlin Wall. The latter, it was argued, received coverage both day and night, while the former was unknown throughout the world, despite the fact that it was 60 times longer than its German counterpart.

All in all, just a mine around the wall

After the documentary, Lih discussed history of sand berm and the the military build-up by the Moroccans on their side of the wall.

The wall, argued the SADR special representative, was the brainchild of Israeli military experts, who entered Morocco with Canadian passports and assisted the Moroccan military in planning and constructing the barrier.

"We continue to try to convince Morocco to de-arm its side of the wall, but it just keeps fortifying it with more modern weapons," Lih argued. "It has taken international assistance that it promised to spend on combatting illegal immigration and the drug trade, and it has used it to fortify the wall."

While unable to cite specific examples of the Moroccans continuing to plant mines around the sand curtain – a practice which is prohibited under the conditions agreed to by the Polisario Front and the Moroccan crown in the 1991 UN-sponsored cease-fire – Lih suggested that the Moroccan military may be doing so at night.

"We have found mines that were fabricated in 2001," he pointed out,"so if you do the math..."

A dirty, thankless job

Meanwhile, on the Saharawi-controlled side of the wall, the Polisario Front has enlisted the help of Landmine Action (LMA) in de-mining the Western Sahara since 2006, said Ahmed.

Echoing a similar presentation given at the Association for the Families of Saharawi Political Prisoners and Dissappeared Persons (AFAPREDESA) on Saturday, Ahmed informed the attendees of LMA’s past activities and future plans in the Western Sahara.

In 2007 and 2008, the organization performed its survey of the area and began removal of the landmines, cluster bombs, and ordinances it encountered. By November of 2008, LMA had visually cleared over 3,765,000 square meters and had performed subsurface scans on another 63,000 square meters. Within this area, the NGO destroyed 1,877 items, including 550 BLU63 cluster bombs.

Landmines, cluster bombs, unexploded aircraft shells, and other ERWs plague the Western Sahara, making it one of top 10 most contaminated countries in the world.

"Our efforts are doubly challenging here in the desert," said Ahmed. "After a heavy rain, the mines can migrate with the water and sands, so we have to re-check areas that we have already surveyed."

When asked how long the demining of the Western Sahara would take with LMA’s current resources, Ahmed responded that the process could take "decades."

Man versus mortar

The Spanish, German, Italian, British and American acitivists – among others – listening to the presentation on the Wall of Shame were doing so in preparation for their journey to said barrier the following morning.

Over 1,000 participants are expected to take the two-hour ride in Land Rovers and Jeeps to the Liberated Zones of the Western Sahara (the territory under the control of the Polisario Front). Once at the wall, the activists will march for 2 of the 240,000 km of the embankment, showing their solidarity with the Saharawi people.

For many of the travellers, it will be their first encounter with the Moroccan wall, and a hint of nervousness was apparent in the meeting hall, but a representative of the SADR Ministry of Defense did his best to quiet their qualms.

"We have visited the zone just a few days ago," he affirmed, "and it is perfectly safe. Just stay with the group, and it will be a very safe, productive and moving day."

International visitors prepare for march against the "Wall of Shame" in the Western Sahara


Hundreds of Spanish visitors spent the evening hours on Thursday making final preparations for their march of protest and solidarity in front of the Moroccan-built wall that divides the Western Sahara in two.

Lunches were made, bags were packed, and orientation sessions were held to make sure that all of the participants were ready for Friday’s events, organized and coordinated by the National Union of Saharawi Women (UNMS).

These 300 Spaniards have signed up to make the two-hour trip, but several hundred more – from Germany, Italy, Great Britain, the United States, France, Austria, Portugal, El Salvador, Mexico and other countries – will be accompanying them as they demonstrate their opposition to the Moroccan occupation in the Western Sahara and the physical barrier erected between the Saharawi refugees near Tindouf, Algeria, and their family members still living in the territory occupied by Morocco.

After three days of conferences, meetings, celebrations and informational sessions, the participants are hoping that the culmination of their visit to the Saharawi refugee camps – their 2 km march in front of the 2,500 km-long sand embankment – will help to raise international awareness and show their solidarity with the Saharawi people.

"I think that’s what everyone is wishing for," said Maria, a Spanish journalist from Castellón. "Hopefully the march will get some international media coverage, and more people will become interested in the situation here in the Western Sahara."

The making of a protest

"Planning the trip was not easy," said Mariano Gonzalez, one of the protest’s main organizers.

Gonzalez is one of the members of a small group of Spanish students who have given themselves the name Saharawi Conscience. The group took up the task of planning the march, following in the footsteps of Willpower and Determination, a group of students from Madrid that arranged a similar protest in 2008, which was known as the Column of 1,000.

"I was a part of the Column of 1,000 last year, and we wanted to make sure that more Spaniards had the opportunity to take part in this experience," insisted Gonzalez. "Many people have come without having any idea of the real situation here, but most of them will become more politically involved after their five days in the camps.

"For me, the first time I saw the wall, I felt a mix of anger, indignation and hope," explained the Gonzalez. "Anger that the Saharawis have to undergo such suffering, indignation at our government for not assuming its international responsibilities and hope that our protest would help raise some awareness."

Noting that the majority of the Spanish population supports a referendum on Saharawi independence – for which the United Nations has expressed its support in dozens of resolutions – Gonzalez expressed his desire for more action from the international community.

"We are calling on the international community to take on their responsibilities, show their respect for justice and listen to the oppressed people of the world."

A march with an international flavour

In addition to the 300 Spaniards who have signed up for the march in front of the Moroccan wall, estimates as to the total number of international visitors in the camps run as high as 2,000. Arriving in 18 specially-charted flights, the travelers have come to visit Saharawi families they have lived with in years past, to share a few days with the Saharawi people for the first time or to participate in the protest march.

"Holy Week is when most Europeans have the time to come visit us in the camps," said Aishatu, a young Saharawi woman who works in the National Archive in the camp of Rabouni, "but I have never seen this many at once."

Participants will leave Rabouni at 7 am on Friday morning in Saharawi trucks and vans, and they will arrive in what is known to Saharawis as the Liberated Zone of the Western Sahara – for it is currently under the control of the Polisario Front, the leaders of the Saharawi movement for independence – at approximately 9 am. They will then march 2 km, waving flags of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) and carry banners expressing their opposition to the Wall of Shame and their support for the Saharawi people’s peaceful struggle for independence.

Saharawi Conscience was able to organize the march with the help of the Saharawi Youth Union (UJSARIO), the National Saharawi Women’s Union (UNMS), the Polisario Front, the coordinator of Friends of the Saharawi People (a network of NGOs in Spain), and Willpower and Determination.