Comunicado de Imprensa

Organização Mundial de Solidariedade exige que um território ocupado seja excluído da cooperação europeia

4 de Novembro de 2008

As conversações para a concessão do chamado Estatuto Avançado a Marrocos estão prestes a concretizar-se. Se prosseguir com esta cooperação, a União Europeia poderá vir a violar o direito internacional.
A organização de solidariedade Observatório dos Recursos Naturais do Sara Ocidental (WSRW, sigla em inglês Western Sahara Resource Watch) exige que uma condição prévia para a concessão a Marrocos de um tal estatuto privilegiado seja que as partes ocupadas do Sara Ocidental fiquem especificamente excluídas da cooperação.
“Esperamos que o acordo saído das conversações sobre o Estatuto Avançado especifique claramente que a cooperação não se estenderá para sul da fronteira meridional internacionalmente reconhecida de Marrocos, com a latitude de 27º 40’ N”, declara uma carta que hoje foi enviada a Benita Ferrero-Waldner, a Comissária da UE para as Relações Exteriores.
Nenhuma precisão como esta foi feita até agora. O Conselho de Associação UE-Marrocos, reunido pela sétima vez a 13 de Outubro de 2008 no Luxemburgo, não faz menção da aplicabilidade territorial do acordo.
Marrocos continua a ocupar uma grande parte do Sara Ocidental, violando mais de 100 resoluções da ONU, que declaram que o povo do Sara Ocidental tem o direito à autodeterminação. A ONU trata o Sara Ocidental como uma questão de descolonização, e considerou o território como tendo sido ocupado e anexado. O Tribunal Internacional de Justiça rejeitou reivindicações infundadas de Marrocos sobre o território.
"É claro que, por força do direito internacional consuetudinário, a UE e os seus Estados membros têm o dever de não reconhecer a anexação ilegal do Sara Ocidental por Marrocos. O que a UE deve fazer é especificar claramente qual o território com que vai cooperar"- disse Sara Eyckmans, coordenadora do Observatório dos Recursos Naturais do Sara Ocidental, Bélgica.
Se a UE fizer tal precisão, estará a seguir o exemplo dos Estados Unidos da América, que excluiram especificamente o Sara Ocidental do seu acordo de comércio-livre com Marrocos.
"Se a cooperação UE-Marrocos não excluir claramente o território do Sara Ocidental, tal facto levará a um fortalecimento das reivindicações ilegais e infundadas de Marrocos sobre o seu país vizinho. A UE não deve apoiar uma ocupação brutal como esta", disse Eyckmans.
Marrocos pratica graves violações de direitos humanos contra os Saraouis que lutam pela autodeterminação do Sara Ocidental. Mais de 500 Saraouis foram vítimas de “desaparecimentos” desde que Marrocos invadiu o território em 1975.
WSRW é uma rede mundial, que tem como membros organizações em mais de 30 países e que trabalha para a protecção dos recursos naturais do povo Saraoui contra os interesses comerciais marroquinos e estrangeiros no Sara Ocidental ocupado.
Para mais informações, por favor contactar:

Pedro Pinto Leite, IPJET- Plataforma Internacional de Juristas por Timor-Leste, Coordenador da Associação Internacional de Juristas pelo Sara Ocidental na Holanda
Tel: +31-71-5221065
Email: ipjet2@gmail.com

John Gurr, coordenador da Western Sahara Campaign UK
Tel: (+ 44) (0) 845-458-9577
Email: wsc.cymru@tiscali.co.uk

Jan Strömdahl, coordenador da Swedish Western Sahara Association
Tel: (+ 46) 704-3888-41
Email: jan.stromdahl@politik.sll.se

Sara Eyckmans, WSRW Bélgica
Tel: (+ 32) (0)475-458695
Email: sara_eyckmans@yahoo.fr

Leia mais sobre o Observatório dos Recursos Naturais do Sara Ocidental em www.wsrw.org, saraocidentalonline.blogspot.com

Morocco launches homepage on Advanced Status including occupied Western Sahara as part of its own territory

A new Moroccan webpage about the Advanced Status to the EU has now seen its light. The homepage, www.statut-avance.com, was registered on the 22nd of October 2008, and was announced on the Moroccan ministry of information propaganda service, MAP, on November 4th. It is not clear on the webpage who is behind it. But according to MAP, it could be the Moroccan government: "Morocco has launched, on Tuesday, a website dedicated to the advanced status granted by the EU to Morocco in view of promoting this agreement as well as the reforms undertaken by the Kingdom", MAP wrote. The site is "meant to provide information on the status and pays a tribute to those who support Morocco’s endeavours", according to MAP. The webpage mentions places within Western Sahara as being part of Morocco, such as the cities of Laayoune and Dakhla, which are quoted as being important ports for Moroccan processing of fish. Even the small logo of the entire page carries a map of Morocco, including territories that are both under Moroccan occupation and Polisario control. See its logo on the right. No countries in the world, including none of the EU states, recognise Western Sahara as being part of Morocco. Controversial sister pages The new page which according to MAP is launched by "Morocco" is affiliated to a number of obscure Moroccan propaganda sites which have appeared over the last two years. It is registered by the US based company www.DomainsByProxy.com, the same registrant as used by a number of other services from the Moroccan ministry of information. The US blogger Will Sommer has on his blog One Hump or Two uncovered how the Moroccan sites are all related through the same servers. This is the case for anti-Polisario pages such as www.polisario-confidentiel.com, www.polisario-verdad.org, www.camps-sequestres.org, www.lavage-de-cerveau.com and www.rabouni.com. They all appear to have the same graphical designer and registered on the same server. They also produce and reproduce the same news, together with MAP. Also the now closed propaganda site www.speakforsaharawis.org, which claimed to be a voice for Sahrawis abused by Polisario, had the same registrant. Most of the news on these sites are inventions, mentioning events, organisations etc. that do not exist, and quoting people erroneously. The interesting new development, is that MAP now admits that www.statut-avance.com, which is on the same registrant as the mentioned propaganda sites, is actually made by what can only be interpreted as the Moroccan government. The new webpage on the Advanced Status does not mention what plans Morocco has to withdraw from the territory it illegally occupies. Morocco remains in Western Sahara, despite of over 100 resolutions from the UN Security Council and General Assembly demanding right to self-determination for the people of Western Sahara to be implemented. On 6th of November 1975, 33 years ago, Morocco entered its neighbouring country despite of the ruling of the International Court of Justice, which said Morocco has no legitimate claim over the territory. Read the full version of the 1975 opinion here. A petition was launched by Western Sahara Resource Watch this week-end to demand from the EU Commission that the Advanced Status shall only cover Morocco as it is internationally recognised, and not to include occupied Western Sahara. After 4 days, 52 organisations have so far signed the petition. The petition, with all signatories, will be sent to the Commission on December 4th.

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The President of the Republic congratulates Obama for his “historical electoral victory”

The President of the Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz, sent a message of congratulations Today to the newly elected President of the US, Barack Obama, for his “historical electoral victory”. Barack Hussein Obama was elected the 44th president of the United States on Tuesday, and secured nearly 63 million votes, the largest total in history. He led Republican candidate, John McCain, 52 percent to 46 percent in the popular vote--the highest percentage of any Democratic presidential nominee in 40 years. Here is the complete text of the letter sent Today by President Mohamed Abdelaziz to President Barack Obama: ------------------------------ November 5, 2008 The Honorable Barack Obama The President-Elect Obama for America P.O. Box 8102 Chicago, IL 60680 Dear President-Elect; On behalf of the people of the Western Sahara; its Government and my own, I would like to extend my warmest congratulations upon your historic electoral victory which brings so much hope to many people and nations, in particular to the Sahrawis that have been denied justice for so long. I am confident that your election not only will lead your great country to further prosperity but also will contribute to creating a more stable world based on the respect for the international legality. The people of the Western Sahara, the last colony in Africa, has a great hope in your leadership to ensure that justice will prevail in that part of Africa and that a democratic solution is implemented through a free and fair referendum in which the Sahrawi people can determine its future. While I wish you success in your noble Mission, Mr. President-Elect, Please accept the expression of my highest consideration. Mohamed Abdelaziz President of the Sahrawi Republic Secretary General of the Polisario Front

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President Mohamed Abdelaziz met with Mr. Ban Ki-moon

POLISARIO Front’s Secretary General and President of the Saharawi Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz, met on Tuesday at the UN Headquarters in New York, with the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, with the presence of the latter assistants, a source from the Presidential delegation indicated. The discussions tackled the efforts of the United Nations aimed to decolonise Western Sahara and the process of negotiations between the two parties to the conflict, POLISARIO Front and Morocco, with a view to implement the UN Security Council’s resolutions. The Saharawi President, who affirmed the attachment and engagement of POLISARIO to continue the negotiations under the auspices of the UN Secretary General and his Personal Envoy, regretted the attitude of Morocco that continue to put obstacles in front of this process and that uses all kinds of delaying tactics to postpone the official announcement of the name of the new Personal Envoy. Mr. Abdelaziz also recalled POLISARIO Front’s attachment to the international legality and underlined that the "respect of the Saharawi people’s inalienable right to self-determination and independence is the only solution to the conflict". President Mohamed Abdelaziz drew the attention of his interlocutor to the daily violations of the human rights committed by the Moroccan authorities in the occupied territories of Western Sahara and in the south of Morocco. In this respect, the Head of the Saharawi State stressed the need to enlarge the mandate of the UN’s Mission on the ground, MINURSO, to include the protection and monitoring of human rights, in addition to the need to publish the report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, elaborated since 2006 by a mission from the commissioner that visited the occupied zones of Western Sahara and the refugee camps. On his side, Mr. Ban Ki-moon affirmed to President Abdelaziz his determination to continue with his efforts for a prompt resuming of the process of negotiations under the auspices of his new Personal Envoy. He thanked POLISARIO Front, in this regard, for its cooperation as well as its help and assistance to the MINURSO. The meeting was also attended, from the Saharawi side, by Mr. Mhamed Khadad, Saharawi Coordinator with the MINURSO, Mr. Boukhari Ahmed and Mr. Moulud Said respectively POLISARIO Front’s representatives in New York and in Washington.

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Sentenced to 3 years imprisonment, Mustapha is transferred to Inzegan prison

The Saharawi writer and journalist, member of UPES, Mustapha AbdDaiem, was transferred yesterday to the local prison of Inzegan (Agadir-Morocco), where he was immediately handcuffed and put in punishment cell. The Saharawi Journalists’ and Writers’ Union (UPES), consider this practice exercised against the Saharawi journalist and activist as an act of vengeance from the Moroccan colonial authorities against Mustapha. Moroccan colonial court in the city of Gulemim (South of Morocco) sentenced the Saharawi journalist and writer, Mustapha AbdDaiem, Tuesday 4 November, to 3 years imprisonment and 5000 Moroccan dirham fine, because of his political opinions. Mr. Mustapha AbdDaiem is an active human rights activist, and member of UPES (Saharawi Journalists’ and Writers’ Union), who usually unveils and condemns the Moroccan human rights violations in the occupied zones of Western Sahara, in the South of Morocco and in Moroccan universities against Saharawi students. He was kidnapped last Monday 27 October in the city of Assa, after he clearly supported some Saharawi demonstrators, who were victims of Moroccan police violence. The Saharawi journalist entered the Moroccan court raising his hands in sign of victory and chanting slogans in favour of the independence of Western Sahara. He openly declared that the Moroccan police has falsified all his statements during the interrogatory, and asked the Moroccan judge not to consider any of the false information presented by the criminal police. The Moroccan judge, however, didn’t take note of the victim’s declaration and quickly sentenced him to three years imprisonment after a brief break. The lawyers of the Saharawi journalist were surprised and declared that the trial lacked the most fundamental condition of fair judgment. It should be noted that the sister of the Saharawi journalist was arrested the same day, in the occupied city of Dakhla some 1400 km south the city where her brother was arrested. The Saharawi Journalists’ and Writers’ Union (UPES) condemned this new violation of Saharawi people’s most fundamental rights, and called on all international human rights organizations and trade unions to support the Saharawi journalist in his plight. UPES informs all concerned that it will soon start an international campaign for the support to the Saharawi journalist, AbdDaiem, and for his immediate and unconditional release. And ask all friends and lovers of justice to support this action.