AI asks for an investigation on the killing of an African migrant in Morocco

Amnesty International called on the Moroccan authorities, yesterday, to open an independent investigation on the death of a sub-Saharan African migrant in the north of Morocco. AI considered that the Moroccan authorities should investigate on the behaviour of its police agents and authorities, which are usually reported by international observers and Medias to be ill-treating migrant and violating human rights in general. Here is the complete text of Amnesty International’s public statement on the subject: -------------------------------- AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC STATEMENT 7 January 2009 AI Index: MDE 29/001/2009 Morocco/Western Sahara: Open investigation in migrant’s killing Amnesty International today calls on the Moroccan authorities to open a thorough, independent and impartial investigation into the death of a migrant killed at the border between Northern Morocco and Melilla, a Spanish enclave. The organization also called for the respect of the rights of migrants who are often ill-treated and summarily expelled from Morocco. The calls follow the killing of 29 year-old migrant from Cameroon, known as Alino and the arrest and arbitrary expulsion of 14 other migrants at the beginning of January 2009. In the morning of 1 January 2009, at least 50 migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa tried to reach the fence between Morocco and the enclave of Melilla. According to accounts given to Amnesty International, Moroccan law enforcement officials fired once in the air but following shots were directed at the migrants to prevent them from crossing the border. Alino, one of the migrants, was reportedly hit by the second shot and died during his transportation to Nador hospital. During this incident, 14 other migrants were reportedly arrested and beaten up, and brought to the gendarmerie of Beni N’sar where they were photographed and their possessions confiscated. They were then taken to the city of Nador and from there taken and dumped at the border with Algeria near the city of Oujda, in what appears to be an arbitrary and collective expulsion. Amnesty International calls on the Moroccan authorities to establish an investigation to examine the behaviour of security forces at the border and the circumstances surrounding the killing of a migrant with a view to determining whether excessive force was used by the Moroccan security forces. An independent post-mortem examination should also be conducted in accordance with the UN Principles on the Effective Prevention and Investigation of Extra-legal, Arbitrary and Summary Executions. In the case that the investigation concludes that excessive force was used, it should make recommendations to hold accountable those responsible, compensation for the victims and measures to prevent any recurrence of such use of excessive force. The findings of this investigation should be made public. The Moroccan authorities must also ensure that the fundamental rights of all individuals intercepted at the border are protected. In line with international standards such as the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials, law enforcement officials should “use force only when strictly necessary and to the extend required for the performance of their duty”. In addition, Amnesty International calls on the Moroccan authorities to ensure that no individual is forcibly returned to a country where he or she faces a risk of serious human rights abuses, in accordance with Morocco’s obligations under international law, including the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. Morocco must provide access to full and fair asylum procedures to all those fleeing persecution. Any decision to deport asylum-seekers found not to be in need of international protection must include adequate procedural safeguards, including the ability to challenge deportation decisions. BACKGROUND In 2005 and 2006, Amnesty International has documented serious human rights violations against migrants and asylum-seekers trying to cross the border between Morocco and Spain at the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, including killings, use of excessive force by law enforcement officials, collective expulsions and violations of the principle of non-refoulement. The Moroccan authorities have opened investigations into migrants’ deaths in Ceuta and Melilla in 2005, in Western Sahara in 2007 and near the port of Al Hoceima, but to Amnesty International’s knowledge, they have not been completed nor their results made public.

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Polisario Front welcomes the appointment of Christopher Ross

Polisario Front welcomed, in a statement Thursday, the appointment of Mr Christopher Ross as UN Secretary General’s Personal Envoy for Western Sahara. "Polisario Front reaffirms its readiness to cooperate with Christopher Ross and will provide all necessary assistance in order to complete the process of decolonization of Western Sahara in accordance with United Nations’ resolutions," POLISARIO’s statement published by the Saharawi official press Agency, SPS, indicated. For Polisario, "all the resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council reiterate that the conflict in Western Sahara should be resolved through the exercise by the Saharawi people of its inalienable rights to self-determination". The statement said Polisario has always "supported and encouraged the implementation of the Settlement Plan, the Houston Accords and Baker plan for self-determination of the people of Western Sahara, all these plans been unanimously supported by the Security Council." It also regretted that Morocco has "blocked and rejected all these plans and, so far, blocked the appointment of Mr. Christopher Ross." The UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, Wednesday informed the Security Council of the appointment of the American diplomat, Christopher Ross, as a personal envoy for Western Sahara, said the spokesperson of Secretary-General, Michele Montas, in a statement made public on the website of the United Nations.

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Ban Ki-moon names Christopher Ross his Personal Envoy for Western Sahara

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon informed the Security Council of his intention to appoint Christopher Ross of the United States as his Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, UN News Centre indicated yesterday. Mr. Ross, who replaces Peter van Walsum, has had a long and distinguished career with the US State Department in which he focused on Middle Eastern and North African affairs. A former US Ambassador to Syria and to Algeria, he was most recently Senior Adviser for the Middle East and North Africa at the US Mission to the UN. “Mr. Ross will work with the parties and neighbouring countries based on the most recent Security Council Resolution 1813 and previous resolutions, building on progress made to date, in pursuit of a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara,” UN spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters. The Department of State for Foreign Affairs of the USA has welcomed the appointment of Mr. Ross to the position of the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary General for Western Sahara, calling on the parties to the conflict, Polisario Front and Morocco “to engage in new rounds of direct negotiations at the beginning of this year. " The UN Secretary-General had informed last August the two parties to the conflict, Morocco and the Polisario Front, as well as members of the Security Council of his intention to appoint Mr. Christopher Ross as new personal representative for Western Sahara, but without making it publicly. Several rounds of UN-led talks, bringing together representatives from Morocco and the Frente Polisario, held last year resulted in the parties agreeing to continue negotiations in good faith towards a solution to the issue. Morocco was reluctant to declare its acceptance of the appointment of Ross, and thus blocked the process of negotiations for many months, so as to pressure the UN many observers indicated. Polisario Front, on the other hand clearly declared its approval of the designation since the first time the name of the US diplomat was mentioned last September 2008.

Aminetou Haidar ''fabrique le monde de demain'', selon un journal suisse

Genève, Sous le titre "ils fabriquent le monde de demain", un journal suisse d’information et d’analyse, "Le Temps", rend hommage à quatorze personnalités aux trajectoires stimulantes qui, sur les cinq continents, travaillent à un quotidien meilleur, parmi lesquelles il cite Mme Aminetou Haidar, militante sahraouie des droits de l’homme.

"Voilà 20 ans qu’elle lutte pour la liberté du peuple sahraoui", qui lui a valu d’être "récompensée par le Prix Robert Kennedy, l’une des plus hautes distinctions en matière des droits de l’homme", en septembre dernier, a indiqué le journal publié récemment à Genève.

Depuis son enfance, Aminetou Haidar, née en 1967 à El-Aaiun, au Sahara Occidental, "pays occupé militairement depuis 1975 par le Maroc" est "confrontée à la violence coloniale", relève le commentateur.

La femme, mère de deux enfants revendique le droit à l’autodétermination du peuple sahraoui, "enfermé dans des zones ultra-militarisées", invoquant ses démêlées avec les forces d’occupation marocaines, souligne l’article intitulé "La voix des Sahraouis".

"En 1987, après une manifestation, elle est arrêtée, puis détenue sans jugement pendant quatre ans dans une prison secrète, les yeux bandés. Quand elle racontera plus tard les tortures et les humiliations subies dans les geôles marocaines, elle deviendra une héroïne du peuple sahraoui", a-t-il ajouté.

"A sa sortie de prison, Aminetou Haidar se bat pour alerter l’opinion internationale sur le sort des prisonniers et disparus sahraouis. Sa dernière arrestation date du 17 juin 2005. Grièvement blessée par la police marocaine au cours d’une manifestation pacifique, elle est enlevée aux urgences puis passe 7 mois derrière les barreaux", conclu le journal.

Mme Haidar a déjà obtenu plusieurs prix internationaux, dont la " Silver Rose 2007" de " Solidar", une alliance internationale indépendante de 60 ONG de 20 pays européens, rappelle-t-on.

"Le peuple sahraoui est plus que jamais attaché à son droit inaliénable à l'autodétermination et l’indépendance", (diplomate)

Abuja,L’ambassadeur de la RASD au Nigeria, Oubi Bouchraya a estimé mardi, que "toute solution au conflit du Sahara occidental doit respecter le principe du droit des peuples à l'autodétermination à travers un referendum régulier, démocratique et transparent ", tenant compte également de la règle de l'Union Africaine qui impose "le respect des frontières héritées de l'ère coloniale", a-t-on appris de source proche de l’ambassade sahraouie à Abuja.

L’ambassadeur Oubi Bouchraya, qui s’exprimait au cours d’une interview avec la Radio Fédérale Nigérienne (FRCN) diffusée mardi soir, a affirmé qu’une telle solution "mettra définitivement un terme aux velléités d'expansion et prémunira le continent des tentatives d'occupations étrangères et colonialistes", a précisé la même source.

M. Oubi Bouchraya a exposé, lors de cette interview, les récentes évolutions du conflit sahraoui marocain à la lumière de la résolution 1813 du Conseil du Sécurité de l’ONU, précisant que "le peuple sahraoui est plus que jamais attaché à son droit inaliénable à l'autodétermination et l’indépendance", ajoutant, d’autre part, que la "soi- disante proposition marocaine est unilatérale et révèle l’intention du Maroc de continuer à manœuvrer à l'instar des puissances coloniales qui l'ont précédé".

Interrogé sur le contenu du dernier rapport de Human Rights Watch, le diplomate sahraoui a mis en évidence "la responsabilité juridique et morale de l’ONU dans la situation dramatique des territoires occupés du Sahara Occidental", appelant à prendre en considération les recommandations du rapport et "mettre en place des mécanismes au sein de la MINURSO pour surveiller le droits humains et protéger les civils sahraouis contre les crimes commis tous les jours contre eux dans les territoires occupés par le Maroc".

Sahara occidental : 2008, l'année de l'offensive diplomatique

Alger,L'offensive diplomatique des dirigeants sahraouis, leurs négociations directes avec le Maroc et les violations des droits de l'homme dans les territoires occupés ont été les faits marquants ayant permis à la cause sahraouie d'occuper, durant 2008, la scène internationale, rapporte l’Agence de presse algérienne (APS).

Tout au long de cette année, les représentants du Polisario ont mené d'intenses activités diplomatiques aussi bien dans différents forums internationaux, dans les territoires libérés que dans les camps des réfugiés, pour défendre le droit légitime du peuple sahraoui à l'autodétermination à travers un référendum régulier sous l'égide des Nations unies.

L'action diplomatique des représentants du peuple sahraoui, à leur tête le président Mohamed Abdelaziz, ont également mis toutes leurs énergies dans la sensibilisation de la communauté internationale, des instances régionales et internationales influentes sur la volonté du Polisario à faire aboutir les négociations directes avec le Maroc, sur l'avenir du Sahara occidental, conformément aux différents résolutions du Conseil de sécurité.

Alors que toutes les résolutions du Conseil de sécurité prônent l'engagement de pourparlers directs, de bonne foi et sans conditions, entre les deux parties en conflit (le Maroc et le Front Polisario), pour "parvenir à une solution politique juste, durable et mutuellement acceptable qui permette d'assurer l'autodétermination du peuple du Sahara occidental", le processus reste bloqué en raison de l'"intransigeance" du royaume (dénoncée par les Sahraouis) qui refuse tout autre alternative à son plan d'autonomie.

Cette manière visant à imposer la "marocanité" du Sahara occidental est "une nouvelle tentative des autorités marocaines d'occupation de se soustraire à leurs engagements pris depuis l'instauration de cessez-le feu entre les deux belligérants, en 1991", ont expliqué les représentants du peuple sahraoui.

"Nous ne sommes pas une province marocaine pour avoir besoin d'une autonomie administrative. Nous sommes un pays inscrit sur l'agenda de la 4e commission, à la recherche de sa décolonisation complète par le biais d'un référendum juste et régulier", a expliqué devant la 4ème commission de décolonisation de l'ONU, en octobre dernier, un diplomate sahraoui.

Il a ajouté que "sur la base de la Charte des Nations unies et de ses résolutions, le peuple sahraoui est habilité à choisir librement entre l'indépendance et tout autre option, y compris l'intégration au Maroc. C'est la doctrine de l'Onu, le contraire constituerait une doctrine de deux poids, deux mesures".

Les représentants du peuple sahraoui ont également expliqué que l'échec du 4ème round des négociations, tenu en mars dernier, était "l’œuvre de la partie adverse, alors inexplicablement soutenue dans sa thèse colonialiste par le facilitateur onusien (Van Walsum), qui avait jugé +irréaliste+ l'option d'indépendance du peuple sahraoui, se disqualifiant par là même de son rôle de médiateur".

En revanche, cette situation de blocage n'a pas découragé les autorités sahraouies qui ont mené, au cours de l'année 2008, une vaste offensive diplomatique mettant en exergue la justesse de leur revendication, l'autodétermination, à travers un règlement conforme aux résolutions onusiennes du conflit qui les oppose au Maroc.

Par la voix du chef de l'Etat, aussi bien lors de sa rencontre en novembre avec le secrétaire général de l'ONU, Ban Ki-moon, que lors de sa récente visite aux institutions européennes, à Bruxelles et à Strasbourg, elles ont réitéré leur volonté de reprendre la série de négociations rompues de fait, par l'autre partie, et demandé aux SG de l'ONU, de nommer officiellement son nouvel représentant pour le Sahara occidental.

Le président sahraoui, informé par Ban Ki-moon, de son intention de désigner l'ancien diplomate américain au poste de médiateur dans le conflit, en la personne de Christopher Ross, a fait part de l'acceptation de la désignation de ce dernier, pour peu qu'elle soit "neutre" dans son rôle contrairement, à son prédécesseur, dont la démission exigée par les Sahraouis.

"Le rejet par les Marocains de la nomination" du nouveau représentant onusien "est une forme de chantage exercé sur l'ONU pour qu'elle accepte leur conditions", a affirmé le représentant du Polisario auprès de l'ONU.

Les autorités sahraouies continuent de militer pour que la communauté internationale exerce de nouvelles pressions sur Rabat pour qu'il reprenne les négociations, alors que le 5e round était attendu pour fin 2008.

Parallèlement aux actions politiques et diplomatiques, les autorités sahraouies ont encouragé, au cours de l'année 2008, l'Intifada dans les territoires occupés en particulier, dans les principales villes sahraouies, mais aussi marocaines.

Des dizaines de manifestations pacifiques ont réclamé le droit du peuple sahraoui à l'autodétermination, la libération des prisonniers politiques sahraouis, et de faire la lumière sur les centaines de disparus.

Selon des sources sahraouies, "à ces actions, les autorités marocaines d'occupation ont, à chaque fois, opposé une répression de plus en plus violente, dans un silence total dû au refus d'autoriser des missions indépendantes et des représentants des médias indépendants à se rendre dans les territoires occupés".

L'année 2008 a également été celle de la revendication sahraouie et des ONG de rendre public le rapport du Haut commissariat des droits de l'homme sur la situation des droits de l'homme dans les territoires occupés, sous embargo depuis 2006. Rapport dans lequel l'organisation onusienne fait état de "graves violations" des droits de l'homme dans les territoires occupés.

Les autorités sahraouies ont, dans ce contexte, demandé d'élargir les prérogatives de la mission onusienne, la MINURSO, à la protection des droits de l'homme, sans obtenir gain de cause. Les multiples dénonciations des violations de ces droits, aussi bien par les autorités sahraouies que les centaines d'ONG amies du peuple sahraouies, ont été corroboré dans le dernier rapport de l'ONG américaine Human Rights Watch (HRW) et adressé au Conseil de sécurité de l'Onu.

HRW qui a fait un état des lieux accablants pour les autorités marocaines, a préconisé que l'ONU devrait assurer des "garanties" de sorte que sa présence dans la région puisse comporter un "mécanisme" régulier de surveillance des droits humains.

Activité des forces marocaines au Sahara occidental : Abdelaziz écrit à Ban Ki-Moon

Bir Lehlu (territoires libérés), Le président de la République, Mohamed Abdelaziz a appelé le SG de l’ONU, Ban Ki-Moon et le Conseil de sécurité, afin d’exiger du Maroc "d’arrêter immédiatement ses travaux militaires offensifs en cours au Sahara occidental et à la reprise immédiate des négociations entre les parties au conflit pour la mise en application des résolutions du Conseil de sécurité".

"Nous vous appelons, Monsieur le SG, comme nous appelons le Conseil de sécurité, à tout faire pour qu’un terme soit mis à cette escalade et cette exhortation à la guerre en exigeant du Maroc d’arrêter immédiatement ses travaux militaires offensifs en cours au Sahara occidental et à souscrire à vos recommandations pour une reprise immédiate des négociations entre les parties au conflit pour la mise en application des résolutions du Conseil de sécurité", a écrit le président de la République à M. Ban dans une lettre parvenue à SPS.

M. Abdelaziz qui s’exprimait dans une lettre au SG de l’ONU à l’occasion du nouvel 2009, a adressé ses meilleurs voeux les meilleurs de santé et de succès "dans votre noble mission en faveur de la paix dans le monde conformément aux idéaux et principes de la charte de l’Organisation des Nations Unies".

Voici le texte intégral de la lettre :


"Monsieur le Secrétaire Général,

Je voudrais tout d’abord, à la veille de la nouvelle année 2009, vous adresser mes plus vives félicitations et mes voeux les meilleurs de santé et de succès dans votre noble mission en faveur de la paix dans le monde conformément aux idéaux et principes de la charte de l’Organisation des Nations Unies.

Monsieur le Secrétaire Général,

Depuis quelques jours, il a été constaté la concentration d’un grand nombre d’engins, de bulldozers et de camions à la frontière nord-est du Sahara occidental avec le Maroc. Mais, aujourd’hui, il est manifeste que ce mouvement de matériel a pour objectif une activité militaire déclarée de l’armée marocaine, au mépris des termes du cessez-le-feu en vigueur dans le territoire, depuis le 06 septembre 1991.

En effet, l’armée marocaine entreprend actuellement, depuis la región de Mahbés au nord-est du territoire, une grande opération de reconstruction et consolidation du mur militaire englobant les territoires occupés du Sahara occidental. A ce jour, les travaux incluant la surélévation du mur à plus de cinq mètres de hauteur, le réaménagement et fortification des bases des compagnies et unités militaires ont atteint plus de dix kilomètres à l’intérieur du territoire sahraoui au niveau du point 27º 35’ 661 Nord et 08º 46’ 622 Ouest.

Alors que l’accord du cessez-le-feu entre l’Armée sahraouie et les forces armées royales marocaines, du 06 septembre 1991, et plus tard l’accord militaire nº1 établissaient clairement que les deux parties sont tenues de respecter l’état de situation prévalant avant la cessation des hostilités et partant interdisaient tout renforcement ou consolidation de leurs dispositifs militaires respectifs, cette nouvelle provocation du Maroc constitue une violation gravissime de la trève supervisée par les Nations Unies et une provocation inadmissible.

Le Maroc ne peut indéfiniment de la sorte défier la communauté internationale tout en refusant le dialogue et la négociation, en foulant aux pieds les règles du Droit international qui font du respect des droits du peuple sahraoui à l’autodétermination un passage obligé pour la solution du conflit maroco-sahraoui et en violant, dans l’impunité totale, les droits humains au Sahara occidental, comme vient de le rappeler, dans son dernier rapport, l’ONG Human Rights Watch et avant elle l'Office du Haut Commissariat des Nations Unies pour les droits de l'homme.

Aussi, nous vous appelons, Monsieur le Secrétaire général, comme nous appelons le Conseil de sécurité, à tout faire pour qu’un terme soit mis à cette escalade et cette exhortation à la guerre en exigeant du Maroc d’arrêter immédiatement ses travaux militaires offensifs en cours au Sahara occidental et à souscrire à vos recommendations pour une reprise immédiate des négociations entre les parties au conflit pour la mise en application des résolutions du Conseil de sécurité.

Hautes Considérations.

Mohamed Abdelaziz, Président de la RASD
Et Secrétaire général du Front POLISARIO."

UPES calls for the protection of Palestinian citizens from genocide

Photos of 5 Palestinian sisters /between 4 and 12 years old, killed in Gaza Saharawi Journalists’ and Writers’ Union (UPES) called on the international community, Wednesday in a press release, to protect the Palestinian citizens in Gaza Strip from the genocide and mass killing committed by the Israeli army. The text vividly condemned the attack, which is waged by the Israeli army against Gaza since last Saturday, as “a real premeditated genocide” against Palestinian. The Saharawi journalists and writers express their principled and unconditional solidarity with the Palestinian people, who are now targeted by a blind killing machine that doesn’t distinguish between kids and elderly. Reports talk so far of more than 384 Palestinian killed, including more than 21 child, and more than 1700 persons injured. The press release also compared the current attacks against innocent people to the Moroccan army attacks against the Saharawi population during the Moroccan invasion of the last colony in Africa in 1975. UPES also called on the UN and on governments to act quickly and without more delays to protect the Palestinians and compel the Israeli government to put an end to its violations of the international legality, human rights and international human values. It also called on the neighboring countries, especially Egypt, to assume their responsibility and provide the Palestinian with all needed support and assistance without further delay. The text finally warned against the Israeli attempts to put Gaza under complete Medias and military siege so as to exterminate the Palestinian resistance.

Moroccan forces of occupation targets children in Western Sahara (report)

Sources of the Saharawi Journalists’ and Writers’ Union (UPES) in the occupied zones of Western Sahara and in the south of Morocco indicated that the Moroccan forces of occupation targets more and more Saharawi children and primary schools’ students, arresting them, torturing them and interrogating them with a lot of intimidating psychologically dangerous ways. Last Sunday 21st December 2008, the Moroccan police arrested the 16 years old student Charaf Addin Mohamed Salem Dichkour. He was driven in a police car to a police station in the city where he was subjected to interrogation and torture “as it is the custom”, the same sources added. In the next day, the family of the young student indicated to Saharawi human rights activists that he was released “and had obvious traces of torture on his body. The family had to take him to the hospital in the city. Doctors asserted that he has a fracture in the muscles of his left arm as a result to torture and to the ill-treatment he was subjected to in the police car”. The boy also told the human rights activists that he spent the whole night without clothes on the bare and cold cell without bedding or blankets. He also said that his torturers undressed him to scare him of rape. In the city of El Aaiun, another 16 years kid, Hassan Saad Buh, was arrested by the Moroccan police last Saturday 27 December 2008 after he got out of school. Right after that, another student, Bazeid Lahmad, was arrested allegedly because the Moroccan police is accusing him of distributing leaflets that demand the decolonisation of Western Sahara! Both kids were taken to the central police station in the occupied capital of Western Sahara, El Aaiun, as reported by the Saharawi Collective of Human Rights Defenders (CODESA). In the occupied city of Smara, the kidnapping and torture of a 9 years old Saharawi girl, by a group of Moroccan police agents, cause a wide condemnation in the city. The little girl said in a video that her kidnappers, which she is able to identify as she said, took her outside the city “in a place where there are many trees”, to beat her, interrogate her about some girls who participate to peaceful demonstrations apparently. She said that her kidnappers insulted her with “bad words”, and probably threatened her of rape! To make her give them the names of demonstrators. In the city of Tanta, in 10 December 2008, a group of Saharawi youngsters were arrested, including a minor, Bakar El Kentawi, after a violent intervention from the Moroccan police to disperse a peaceful demonstration of protest in front of the house of El Houssein Abd Sadek Lakteif (a young Saharawi student who was killed along with another student, Baba Khaya, by Moroccan authorities in Agadir during a sit-in organised in 1 December 2008). According to human rights activists’ sources, the group of detainees was taken by the police to the stadium of the city where they were all beaten savagely, ill-treated and threatened of rape before they were released without any charges! In 03 November 2008, the young Saharawi girl, Enguia Elhawassi, said she has been kidnapped by Moroccan police and interrogated under torture outside the occupied city of El Aaiun. Enguia, it should be recalled, has been arrested more than 6 times since 2005 and her name and story has been reported in the latest report of Human Rights Watch on the human rights situation in Western Sahara. Saharawi minor, Mohamed Saaidi, has been arrested on 03 September 2008 and transferred to the notorious Black Prison (Carcel Negra) in the occupied city of El Aaiun, where he has been imprisoned with adults. Saaidi has been arrested during his participation in a peaceful demonstration in the neighbourhood of Al Aawda. Demonstrators only lift Saharawi flags and chant slogans asking for the independence of Western Sahara. He was subjected to torture and interrogation during the period of his arrested and the police forced him to sign false confession to incriminate him. In the same month in the occupied city of Smara, a police patrol arrested the Saharawi minor, Basiri Salah, in the neighbourhood of the neighbourhood Salam. He was subjected to violent interrogatory and tortured in the police station. In May 2008, the Moroccan police in the occupied city of El Aaiun arrested many young Saharawis. Their number and names couldn’t be identified by the human rights activists, but they were able to notice that there was a young girl, minor, among the arrestee. This group was arrested after a student’s peaceful demonstration. Once taken to the hospital Belmehdi in El Aaiun, the young girl, Fatma Laaziza Belkasmi, indicated that she was subjected to torture in the police station. She also said that all the arrestee were badly tortured by policemen, and by agents in civil clothes. Worse, she asserted to the sources of UPES that few minutes after she was taken to the hospital, a nurse started torturing her to help some police agents interrogate her. She said that the nurse stabbed her with injections in sensitive parts of her body to make her talk, while the policemen stopped her parents outside the hospital for three hours. In Mars 2008, concordant sources in El Aaiun told UPES that the Moroccan forces of occupation arrested and tortured dozens Saharawi citizens, after they violently dispersed a peaceful demonstrations asking for the independence of Western Sahara. The same sources said that 10 children were among the group. The names of the kids are: Deich ould Mohamed Mbarek Masoud, Ayub Mohamed, Yassin, Mahmoud Beilal, Baba Ahmed Ndour, Sid Ahmed Garhi, Mohamed Atam, El Wali and Krikou, all of them are between 11 and 12, in addition to the 8 years old boy, Najem Burial. In February 2008, the Moroccan police in the occupied El Aaiun arrested Abd El Hay El Kaskas (12 years old) and his younger brother Mohamed Bachir El Kaskas. They both were subjected to torture and intimidation before they were released. In January 2008, the Moroccan police arrested two kids at least after they violently dispersed a peaceful demonstration in the occupied cities of Smara and Boujdour. Police was reported to have used excessive violence in the intervention causing many dangerous injured victims, including minors. Source then indicated that the child, Ahmed Nahi, was taken by police outside the city of Boujdour. They tortured him and threatened to rape him to force him give the names of his friends. In the same month, the Moroccan police sealed schools to scare the young students, intimidating them and insulting them after some slogans were written on the walls of some schools. In this respect, the police arrested the student Mahmoud, took him to a police station and he was bashed and intimidated. In January too, policemen arrested a minor in a cyber café, mainly Mahmoud Labeihi, because he was navigating on the net and visiting some Saharawi websites that demand the decolonisation of Western Sahara! In brief, the Moroccan premeditated attacks against the Saharawi young generation and kids aims to intimidate them, push them to give up their studies and sometimes even to break their future for ever. In many cases the kid ends up with a serious physical of psychological handicap of injury that would be very hard to cure.

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Saharawi Government condemns the massacre in Gaza

The Government of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) and the Polisario Front condemned, Monday, the massacre committed by Israel against Palestinians in Gaza Strip since Saturday, in which more than 350 victims were killed and 1600 injured, according to SPS. The Government of the SADR considers that "the use of force, the policy of occupation, killing and terror against defenceless citizens are contrary to morals, laws and customs of the humanity and are in contradiction with international legality." Based on this principle, Saharawi Government, "expresses its solidarity with the Palestinian people in the tragedy subsequent to the massacre perpetrated by Israeli forces against Palestinians in Gaza Strip", said the text. The Saharawi Government and the Polisario Front which strongly condemn this criminal aggression against the Palestinian people, "urged the international community and all peoples and governments, especially the Arabs to act urgently in order to bring to a halt these premeditated assaults, to protect the defenceless Palestinian people and lift the siege imposed on Gaza Strip."

Testimony of a Saharawi woman about the human rights’ situation in the occupied territories

Melek Ameidan is a young Saharawi woman who lives in the occupied territories of western Sahara, by telling her own experience in the short Youtube’s video below she tries to describe how the Saharawi people live and fight the Moroccan army of occupation, and she emphasizes the Saharawi women’s participation in all the peaceful demonstrations against the Moroccan colonial presence in Western Sahara.

Le président de la République adresse un message de félicitations à son homologue algérien, Abdelaziz Bouteflika

Bir Lehlu (territoires libérés), Le président de la République, Mohamed Abdelaziz a adressé un message de félicitations à son homologue algérien, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, à l'occasion de l'avènement du nouvel an de l’hégire 1430 et la nouvelle année 2009.

Dans ce message, M. Abdelaziz a exprimé, en son nom et en celui du gouvernement et du peuple sahraouis, à son homologue, Abdelaziz Bouteflika et au peuple algérien ses chaleureuses félicitations, leur souhaitant une nouvelle année pleine de succès, de progrès et de prospérité.

Le président de la République a réitéré la disposition constante de la RASD pour la consolidation des excellentes relations existantes entre les deux pays et peuples frères, pour le bien de la paix, la stabilité et la prospérité dans la région.

Saharawi child victim to abduction and torture

A film taken by a cell phone’s camera presented the testimony of a 9 years old girl, who has been abducted by a group of policemen, taken outside the city of Smara and tortured and threatened. When the story of the child reached the Saharawi medias, it was spread through the net, so the Moroccan authorities asked the family to bring the little girl, and to say in front of the camera that all what is said on the net are lies. The young girl was so scared that in her testimony, she hardly holds herself from crying, but she was brave enough to say the truth about what happened with her. Transcript of her innocent testimony: The girl appears sitting in a room; she is talking to a Saharawi woman, who is encouraging her to go on talking and telling her story. The girl starts speaking: “I was playing outside our home… then police came and arrested me… they took me to a place where there are too many trees, and they started asking me questions, they said to me: you distributed leaflets, and you brought them from the house of your family, didn’t you? They started asking me many questions, and started beating me, one of them kicked me here (she points to her body), and they asked me. Then they took me back in their car and dropped me. I was so scared that they would go again to my family house to arrest me and beat me again”. (Talking about the second time she was subjected to interrogation before the Moroccan official news agency pretended that her story was made up and not true). She says: “When they took us again just now, they asked me: who was with you… and which car took you (the car of her kidnappers).. and asked me a lot of questions. They asked me if I remember them (the policemen who abducted and tortured her). They asked me, can you identify anyone of them if you see him, can you remember them? I said: Yes, I can. And they continued asking me questions, saying: who are the girls who were with you? I said: I don’t know. (The woman asks the girl: Did they say to you bad words?) The girl: “Yes they did. They said to us a lot of bad words, but we didn’t answer them… we didn’t say a word when they were addressing us bad words. After that they brought us near the milk shop. I harried upstairs and I hided and started crying, until Bteila (a woman) and her sister came, took my hand and took me to the house”

New Zealand company Ballance Agri-Nutrients again imports phosphate from occupied Western Sahara

The New Zealand company, Ballance Agri-Nutrients, has again bought phosphate rock from a Moroccan state phosphate company in occupied Western Sahara. The shipment arrived 3 December 2008, on the Israeli managed vessel ‘White Diamond’. Ballance Agri-Nutrients has for several years purchased phosphates from occupied Western Sahara, from the illegal occupying power in the territory. Such trade is clearly in violation of international law, as described by the UN in 2002. It is furthermore highly unethical. Morocco refuses to withdraw from the territory that it illegally occupied in 1975. A majority of the Western Sahara people has been living in exile since the occupation began, and more than 500 Saharawis have disappeared. Human Rights Watch in a report on 19th of December described the very harsh conditions for human rights in the Moroccan occupied territory. The US based NGO Freedom House labels the occupied Western Sahara as one of the most repressive societies in the world, and compares the situation with the one in Zimbabwe. Still, Ballance Agri-Nutrients continues its unethical imports. The purchases are made from a Moroccan governmental company called OCP, despite the fact that no state recognises the Moroccan claim to Western Sahara. OCP sacked most of the indigenous workers in 1975, when Morocco took control over the mines. These people were quickly replaced by Moroccan settlers. "We strongly urge Ballance Agri-Nutrients to follow very basic principles of Corporate Social Responsibility, and immediately find other sources for its phosphate imports", said Cate Lewis, international coordinator of Western Sahara Resource Watch. "Supporting an illegal occupying power in violating international law, while the local people earn nothing from the plundering, on the contrary are being subjected to the worst forms of torture, is highly unethical. As long as there is a conflict in Western Sahara, and Morocco continues its presence there, no company should source its phosphates from the territory", said Lewis. Morocco earns billions of dollars on the industry each year, while the Saharawi people protests the trade. The photos of the vessel ‘White Diamond’ below were taken in the Port of Tauranga, New Zealand, on 3 December 2008. To the right of the vessel, you can see parts of Ballance Agri-Nutrient’s factory. ‘White Diamond’ is managed by the Israeli company Ofer Ships, sails under Liberian flag, and has IMO number 9330666 .

Madeira steals another beach

Madeira has constructed a second artificial beach. Just as before, the sand is originating from occupied Western Sahara.

"The sand that is being used on Madeira is coming from North Africa, from the zone of Western Sahara", explained a local Madeira official to the Portuguese news service Lusa. The beach was being made by "half a dozen ships of different size".

This is the second artificial beach on Madeira, after the initial 2004 Calheta beach, which has been labeled "a success" by the local authorities. WSRW wrote about Calheta beach earlier this year.

22.000 tonnes of sand were supposedly used for the contruction of the new beach in Machico county. The new 125 meter long, 70 meter wide beach was inaugurated on the 29th of September 2008.

As far as Western Sahara Resource Watch knows, representatives of the Sahrawi people have not been consulted in the process of the sand purchase. Therefore, the Portuguese imports are probably in violation of international law.

Mais areia para Machico

DNoticias Madeira
Data: 10-09-2008
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=593278&page=13

Machico recebeu 4.500 toneladas de areia amarela transportada desde Marrocos

Encontra-se atracado no porto do Caniçal o navio de carga geral 'Aastun'. Com procedência do porto de Laayoune, este transporta nos seus porões cerca de 4.500 toneladas de areia amarela, a qual tem como finalidade criar uma praia artificial de areia amarela em Machico.

A descarga da areia do porão do navio teve inicio na manhã de ontem e segundo conseguimos apurar implicará que os camiões envolvidos nesta operação realizem, no total, cerca de 155 viagens entre o Porto do Caniçal e a praia de Machico.

Com este transporte, o terceiro até ao momento, aquela praia já recebeu cerca de 12.400 toneladas de areia amarela, toda ela proveniente de Marrocos, sendo de salientar que para o final desta semana está prevista a vinda de mais um navio com cerca de 3.250 toneladas de areia. Dessa forma, aquela praia irá receber no total 16.000 toneladas de areia, toda ela proveniente de Marrocos.

Sobre o 'Aastun' refira-se que o mesmo foi construído nos estaleiros dinamarqueses 'Svendborg', no ano de 1975. Das suas principais características salientamos os 94,21 metros de comprimento, 15,40 metros de boca (largura) e um calado de 6,55 metros, com uma arqueação bruta de 3.136 toneladas. De casco único, o navio está registado no Panamá e pertence à Arabella Enterprise, com sede em Las Palmas, Canárias.

Depois de concluir as operações de descarga, o navio zarpa com destino a alto mar, sendo que o seu agenciamento para a madeira está a cargo do agente Via Oceano, Lda.


Blog: Madeira4u
Text and photo (right)
Moored in the port at Caniçal is the ship 'Aastun' with it's precious cargo of yellow Moroccan sand. The 4,500 tons are waiting to go to Machico beach in 155 lorry journeys. 12,400 tons have already been delivered here, and another 3,250 tons are almost on their way in the final delivery (16,000 tons in all). Anyone living near a beach not far from Machico must be eagerly awaiting the winter storms as nature prepares to share out the sandy booty of Machico.

http://www.madeira4u.com/blog.html?p=1584


Also the vessel 'Hannes' took part in the construction of the beach, with a shipment in September.

Madeira steals another beach

Madeira has constructed a second artificial beach. Just as before, the sand is originating from occupied Western Sahara. "The sand that is being used on Madeira is coming from North Africa, from the zone of Western Sahara", explained a local Madeira official to the Portuguese news service Lusa. The beach was being made by "half a dozen ships of different size". This is the second artificial beach on Madeira, after the initial 2004 Calheta beach, which has been labelled "a success" by the local authorities. WSRW wrote about Calheta beach earlier this year. 22.000 tonnes of sand were supposedly used for the construction of the new beach in Machico County. The new 125 meter long, 70 meter wide beach was inaugurated on the 29th of September 2008. As far as Western Sahara Resource Watch knows, representatives of the Saharawi people have not been consulted in the process of the sand purchase. Therefore, the Portuguese imports are probably in violation of international law.

Morocco/Western Sahara: Irregularities in Sahrawi activist's trial

Amnesty International is concerned about the recent sentencing of Sahrawi activist Mustafa Abdel Dayem, currently on hunger strike, to three years in prison on the basis of what he claims was a falsified record of statements he made in custody. The organization is also concerned that other 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 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.

Mustafa Abdel Dayem, member of both the Assa-Zag Branch of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights and the Sahrawi Journalists' and Writers' Union, was arrested without a warrant on the evening of 27 October 2008 at his home in Assa in southern Morocco and taken to the Royal Gendarmerie Station in the same city. His arrest followed anti-government protests in Assa earlier that day by Sahrawi members of the population calling for the creation of employment opportunities and the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination. While Mustafa Abdel Dayem claims not to have participated in the protests, he admits to having lowered the Moroccan flag from the 'Alal Al-Fassi secondary school, where he worked as a security guard. He explains that his action was intended to show his support and solidarity with the demonstrators and his opposition to the intervention of law enforcement officers to break up the protests.

On 4 November 2008, the Court of First Instance of Guelmimsentenced Mustafa Abdel Dayem to a three-year prison term and a fine of 50,000 dirhams (approximately US$6,220) for offending the flag of the Kingdom of Morocco, rebelling and inciting an armed gathering, participating in the destruction of public property and participating in the contempt of public officials on duty. The sentence also included a prohibition on Mustafa Abdel Dayem from practicing teaching or working in any educational institution for a period of 10 years. Mustafa Abdel Dayem insists that the record of his questioning by the Royal Gendarmerie (procès-verbal), on which his conviction was largely based, was falsified -- attributing to him acts which he neither committed nor confessed to committing during his interrogation at the Royal Gendarmerie station in Assa. He argued that he had signed a procès-verbal following his questioning, whereas the one presented to the court was unsigned. During the hearing, his defence team walked out in protest at the court's refusal to call on the Royal Gendarmerie to produce as evidence the procès-verbal signed by Mustafa Abdel Dayem.

During his appeal trial, Mustafa Abdel Dayem was denied his right to be defended by legal counsel. According to members of his defence team, none of his lawyers was summoned to the appeal hearings which took place at the Court of Appeals of Agadir. Furthermore, Mustafa Abdel Dayem claims that his request to postpone the second hearing on 11 December until his lawyers were present or until he had had the opportunity to constitute a different defence team was rejected by the court, which confirmed the lower court's conviction later that day. On 19 December his lawyers submitted an appeal against the ruling to the Court of Cassation, which is mandated to review cases only on questions of procedure, but no date has yet been set for its consideration of the case.

Mustafa Abdel Dayem, currently incarcerated at Inzegane Prison in Agadir, has reportedly been on hunger strike since 13 December 2008 to protest the Court of First Instance's refusal to request as evidence his signed procès-verbal to the Royal Gendarmerie and the Court of Appeal's insistence on pronouncing its decision despite the absence of his defence team.. Seven of his family members in Assa, including his parents, who are elderly, started a hunger strike on the same day in solidarity with him, threatening to continue it until he is retried in a trial meeting international standards.

Background

Since 2005, dozens of Sahrawis have been charged with violent conduct and detained after being arrested during or after demonstrations against Moroccan rule in Western Sahara. Many of those arrested allege that they were tortured or otherwise ill-treated to force them to sign confessions, to intimidate them from protesting further or to punish them for demanding the right to self-determination for the people of Western Sahara. The Moroccan authorities continue to claim that those imprisoned were involved in criminal acts and are not being held for their views. Amnesty International has serious concerns about the fairness of their trials, including that some of the evidence was tainted on account of unexamined claims of torture or other ill-treatment and that defendants were not permitted to call defence witnesses

In October 2008, Yahya Mohamed ElHafed, member of the Collective of Sahrawi Human Rights Defenders, was found guilty of violent conduct and sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment in connection with his participation in a protest in Tan Tan against Moroccan rule. Eight other defendants received sentences of up to four years in prison. Allegations that they were tortured during questioning were not investigated.

WSRW urges Island Oil & Gas to not renew their reconnaissance contract in occupied Western Sahara

24th of December 2008, the oil reconnaissance contract held by the Irish oil company Island Oil & Gas for oil exploration in occupied Western Sahara expired. Today WSRW sent the company a letter demanding them to not renew their engagement. Here is the complete text of the letter, signed by Mrs. Cate Lewis, International Coordinator of Western Sahara Resource Watch. ---------------------------- Paul Griffiths CEO Island Oil & Gas Dear Paul Griffiths, Open letter to Island Oil & Gas We urge your company to please reconsider your unethical business in occupied Western Sahara. The day after Island Oil and Gas announced that an agreement for oil reconnaissance in occupied Western Sahara had been signed with Morocco, 13 December 2006, WSRW sent you a letter urging your company to immediately terminate the agreement, and asked for a meeting in Dublin. We would like to remind you that we have still not received an answer to that letter. We also notice that now, two years later, it still seems that your company have not done anything to seek permission or acceptance from the Sahrawi people. Your activities seem only to be in coordination with the Moroccan state oil company ONHYM, or with the Moroccan government. We would thus like to remind you that Western Sahara is not a part of Morocco, and that Morocco has no right to extend such licences to foreign companies. The right of a people to self-determination includes, inter alia, the right of permanent sovereignty over its natural resources. Permanent sovereignty over natural resources is a customary principle of international law Regarding the legality of your agreement, we would like to urge you to read the presentation by the former UN Under-Secretary General for Legal Affairs, Hans Corell, at the Conference on Multilateralism and International Law with Western Sahara as a Case Study, hosted by the University of Pretoria and the South African Department of Foreign Affairs, on December 5th 2008. His conclusion is crystal clear. Oil exploration or exploitation in Western Sahara is in violation of international law, if the Sahrawi people has not been consulted. This position is also shared by the Irish Government. See statement from Irish Minister of Foreign affairs on 1st May 2008 On this basis, WSRW promises that if Island Oil & Gas decides ever to proceed with advanced stages of oil exploration or exploitation in Western Sahara, we will do our utmost to make sure that your activities be tried by an appropriate legal body. But, as we have pointed out before, your agreement in Western Sahara is most of all a matter of ethics. Working for a brutal occupying power inside an occupied country, in the disregard of the wishes of the oppressed people, is highly unethical. For information of the human rights violations committed in the town of Smara, which is located on the Island Oil and Gas block, please see the 216 page report published by Human Rights Watch on December 19th 2008. The report contains testimonies of Sahrawi youths from Smara town that are detained by police, “driving them to an isolated location, and then beating them as a form of ‘summary punishment’ for their suspected participation in street protests in favor of Sahrawi self-determination”. Only last week, on Wednesday 17th December, a nine year old girl called Lalou Cheikh Bel Limam, also living on the Island Oil and Gas block, was taken from her home by the police and interrogated for 10 hours. When released, she had traces of beatings on her body. These incidents are common in Smara, on that very land where you plan to look for oil. But these are not any kind of violations as found in many other countries. They are committed by an illegal occupying power on an occupied land. Above all, we would believe that the Irish people would understand what occupation and self-determination means. Your company is working with a foreign government that oppresses a people in their neighbouring country. It is contrary to any kind of elementary corporate social responsibility. Today, December 24th, your one-year extension of your contract terminates. http://www.islandoilandgas.com/default.asp?docId=12442&newsItem=12858 In respect of the Sahrawi people, and of the hundreds of thousands of refugees, and of the families of the 512 Saharawis who have disappeared from the surface of the earth since the occupation began: please reconsider what you are doing. Please do not renew your engagement in occupied Western Sahara. May you have a peaceful Christmas. Yours sincerely, Cate Lewis International Coordinator Western Sahara Resource Watch