SAHARAWI WOMEN´S MESSAGE

Saharawi women and the whole people of the Africa´s last colony: Western Sahara wish you Merry Chrismas and a very Happy New Year 2013 wishing that during this new year the Saharawi people can at last enjoy freedom and justice in a Free and Independent Western sahara.

SAHARAWI WOMEN CONMEMORATE HUMAN RIGHTS DAY

Western Sahara Women have conmemorated the Human Rights Day in everywhere not only those that are living in the occupied cities of our country but also those who are in the Refugee Camps and in oversea, abroad mainly in european countries.

 

The Saharawi Women´s Association in Spain has organized on December 10th an important event at the POLISARIO Front ´s Main Office in the spanish capital, Madrid, for celebrating this historic and crucial  date for the humanity by inviting the Secretary General of the International Association of Jurists for Western Sahara, Mr. Felipe Briones who has pronnounced and important speech on the decolonization problem of Western sahara from the legal and juridical point of view and also has reffered to the great abusses of human rights in the occupied cities of Western Sahara.

 

Mr. Briones underlined in his speech underlined that the moroccan regime has no jurisdiction over the Western Sahara and its people and that the governement of morocco systematically denied the basic elements of legal proceedings, preventing the right of the Saharawi defense, imprisoned for defending their status, identity and human rights of his people

Since the Universal Declaration of human Rights in 1948, every year, the historic date presents an opportunity to celebrate human rights, highlight a specific issue, and advocate for the full enjoyment of all human rights by everyone everywhere.

 

This year, the spotlight is on the rights of all people — women, youth, minorities, persons with disabilities, indigenous people, the poor and marginalized — to make their voices heard in public life and be included in political decision-making.

 

The rights to freedom of opinion and expression, to peaceful assembly and association, and to take part in government (articles 19, 20 and 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights have been at the centre of the historic changes in the Arab world over the past two years, in which millions have taken to the streets to demand change. In other parts of the world, the “99%” made their voices heard through the global Occupy movement protesting economic, political and social inequality.

PERSONAL ENVOY OF THE UNITED NATIONS´S SECRETARY GENERAL PRAISES THE SAHARAWI WOMEN´S ROLE

The Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary General, Ambassador Christopher Ross,  has praised the important role are playing in their society as said that they are an example of emancipation in the arab and muslim world. Mr. Ross is visiting several countries in north-west Africa and in Europe from october 27th to 12 November  2012.

The United Nations Secretary General´s Special Representative in Western Sahara, Mr. Ross, has hold several talks with important representatives of  saharawi women not only with those that are living in the occcupied Western sahara´s cities but also with those that are in the liberated areas and in the saharawi refugee camps.
The american diplomat has said that his talks with the Saharawi officials and civil society were "valuable contribution" in the search for a political settlement to enable the people of Western Sahara of self-determination, in a statement following a meeting with the Saharawi President on Sunday evening, november 3rd.

Here is complete text of the statement (translation):

"At the outset, I would like to extend my thanks for the POLISARIO Front and MINURSO office for arranging my programme in the Saharawi camps and UN bodies, in this part of Algeria.

Since January 2009, I have been working to facilitate the direct negotiations between the POLISARIO Front and Kingdom of Morocco with the help of the two neighbouring countries, Algeria and Mauritania, and with the support of the entire international community to reach a just, durable and mutually agreed upon political solution by the parties, ensuring self-determination for the people of Western Sahara.

Despite several rounds of negotiations and talks between the parties, no progress has been achieved in this direction. So, I came to the region to contribute to the assessment of the last five years of direct negotiations, and get ideas on the best ways to achieve genuine and real progress on peace process, as to examine impact of the latest developments in North Africa and Sahel on Western Sahara issue.

My discussions with the Secretary General of the POLISARIO Front Mr. Mohamed Abdelaziz and other officials in the Front, as well as exchange of views with a wide range of Saharawi components, in social fields and others, have made a valuable contribution in the search for a more efficient way to move forward. I expect similar discussions in other stages of this tour.

On my return to New York, I will convey my findings to the Secretary General of the United Nations; I will also submit report to the Security Council by the end of November. Personally, I would like to contribute to a solution ending the conflict and suffering of families, separated for 37 years, a solution make it possible to complete the building of the Arab Maghreb Union and consolidate security and stability in North Africa and Sahel.
The situation in Western Sahara has continued enough, good people wherever they are must rally, sooner, for a honorable solution for all.

KERRY KENNEDY PRAISES THE SAHARAWI WOMEN´S ROLE

 

Saharawi Women are very pleased that several world-wide human rights organizations have organized a work-visiting tour to what is known as the Africa´s last colony: Western Sahara.

An important delegation of worldwide human rights organization has visited Western Sahara from August 25th  to 29th 2012. The international delegation has just been in both sides of the norther-african country: the moroccan occupied saharawi capital, El-Aayoune and the Saharawi Refugee camps (south-east of Algeria).

The delegation was led by of the President of the american foundation, RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights, Kerry Kennedy, and composed also by other relevant human rights defender leaders like Mary Lawlor, Director of Front Line Defenders; Margarette May Macaulay, Judge of the Inter American Court of Human Rights; Eric Sottas, former Secretary-General, World Organization Against Torture; Maria del Río, Board of Trustees of the Jose Saramago Foundation; and Marialina Marcucci, President of the RFK Center - Europe. RFK Partners for Human Rights Director Santiago A. Canton, Advocacy Director Marselha Gonçalves Margerin, and Advocacy Associate Stephanie Postar.

Before visiting the Sahrawi refugee camps, the U.S. delegation was arrived on Friday-night August 24th 2012 in the occupied territories of Western Sahara, where it had a series of interviews with representatives of associations of Saharawi human rights.

The interviews took place at the home of the Saharawi Human Rights activist, Ms. Aminatou Haidar, El Aaiun (occupied capital of Western Sahara) focused on the humanitarian situation of the Sahrawi population and violations of human rights, abuses committed by the Moroccan occupying forces.

The delegation met with, among others, members of the Saharawi Committee for defending the right of the Saharawi people to self-determination. The talks between the two sides focused on serious violations of human rights which is subject the Saharawi people.

The members of the delegation also met with representatives of the Support Committee for UN settlement plan and protection of natural resources of Western Sahara, who reiterated their call on this occasion to the protection of resources of Western Sahara from illegal exploitation by the Moroccan occupation.

The international delegation also met with the head of the section of the Moroccan Association of Human Rights in El Aaiun and the Saharawi collective of human rights Defenders (CODESA).

The arrival of Mrs. Kennedy in El Aaiun was marked by a "black out" and total "impressive device" characterized by "massive presence of officers in plainclothes of Moroccan intelligence".

It has also been an eyewitness to the police aggression against the human rights activist, former political prisoner, Soukeina Jeddehlou, who participated in a peaceful demonstration denouncing the gross violations of human rights in Western Sahara under Moroccan occupation.

Kennedy has declared that the delegation " will seek to assess the human rights situation on the ground by speaking to human rights defenders, government authorities, and ordinary families split apart by this conflict," said Kerry Kennedy.

"We hope to raise attention to this issue and support the establishment of a human rights mandate for the UN Mission." said the President of Kennedy´s Foundation.

Head of the Robert-Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights Kerry Kennedy, who leads a delegation made up of international human rights defense organizations hailed Wednesday in the Wilaya of Boujdour "Sahrawi women determination and contribution", mainly in the organization of everyday life in refugee camps.
 "It is moving to see women who have too terrible stories on human rights violations committed against them or their relatives (in the occupied territories of Western Sahara) does not admit or broken and remain determined to build the institutions of their society and organize their lives in refugee camps, especially in the areas of education and health," said Kennedy during a meeting with Sahrawi women.
Kerry Kennedy has announced that she agreed during her stay in the occupied territories of Western Sahara, with the Saharawi activist Aminatu Haidar, to collect the testimonies of women who suffered from violations of human rights to which they are mentioned in mission final report.
In this sense, she urged the concerned women to send their testimony as soon as possible to Haidar. In addition, Kennedy said her center annually awards prize to a personality that defends human rights, noting that this distinction was granted a few years ago to Haidar.

"Haidar is a hero to all of us ," said the RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights, Kerry Kennedy in a meeting with more than a hundred women in the saharawi refugee camps las wednesday.

 

SAHARAWI WOMEN ATTEND PREMIÈRE OF BARDEM´S DOCUMENTARY-FILM

Several women from Western Sahara have been invited last wednesday, May 16th in the spanish capital, Madrid, to an interesting event: which was the official presentation of the documentary-film tittled: " Sons of the Clouds, the Las Colony".that is a feature documentary produced by and starring Javier Bardem, examines the current political turmoil in Northern Africa and the responsibility of Western powers (especially US and France) due to their applying of Realpolitik (policies driven by economic or geo-strategic motives rather than by ethics or law) in their foreign policies. These policies have generated tremendous instabilities that have finally erupted into appalling violence and chaos. The film focuses on Western Sahara, the last African colony according to the Unitrd Nations and in that country is also known by the first arab people who begun with the so-called the "Arab Spring"

The documentary-film is a personal journey in which Bardem leads the audience through the tortuous path of world diplomacy and the terrible reality of an abandoned people, in a quest to understand how this could happen and how another war in Africa might be prevented.

Using a dynamic mix of action, interviews and archive footage, the film analyses the past to look at the future. Sons of the Clouds, the last colony  tells the real story as it is today, following the major players as they attempt to negotiate their way through this intricate and crucially important game of diplomatic chess.

The President of the Saharawi Women´s Association in Spain, Zahra Ramdán, had the opportunity to greet the famous spanish actor and she expressed on behalf of the saharawi people her deepest thanks for this inniciative for giving awareness on the injustice that is suffering for over three decades and also for his support to the just struggle of the people of Western Sahara to live in a free and independent country: Western sahara, which is ileglly occupied by the kingdom of Morocco.

THE SONS OF THE CLOUDS WINS THE " WHITE CAMEL" AWARD

We, the Saharawi Women, want to express our warmest congratulations to the authors of the documentary-film called "the Sons of the Clouds: Last Colony" for been nominated and won the "White Camel" Award in the 9th edition of the Sahara International Film Festival which have concluded on May 6th in the Dakhla Refugee Camp.

Several saharawi women among them the famous Human Rights activist Aminetu Haidar have participated in this Documentary-Films directed by Javier Bardem where all of them have underlined the important role of the saharawi women in the struggle for peace and justice andrespect of human rights  in their homeland, Western Sahara.

The documentary film on Western Sahara “Sons of the Clouds: Last Colony” starring Oscar-winning actor Javier Bardem and directed by Alvaro Longoria has won the White Camel Award as best film in the famous Sahara International Film Festival which has been opened by the Saharawi Minister of Culture, Khadidja Hamdi, that has reaffirmed the will of the saharawi people to continue struggling for peace and justice and thanks the hundreds of artists and participants in the event for their solidarity.

White Camel is a symbolic award presented by administration of FiSahara to the winner film. This year White Camel has been provided by the Festival administration for the Saharawi security forces as recognition to efforts they did to ensure of this edition.

“Sons of the Clouds” explores the Western Sahara conflict: its historical roots, the reasons behind the political stalemate and the human rights and humanitarian crises it created.

“Gdeim Izik: Camp of Saharawi Resistance” by Mexican Antonio Velázquez and Spanish Isabel Terrazam, which documented with photos and videos the moments of the Camp dismantling by the Moroccan occupation forces, came second in the rank.

“Wilaya” by director Pedro Pérez Rosales, about young Saharawi woma, Fatimetu, (Nadhira Mohamed) who returned after the death of her mother to visit her family in the Saharawi refugee camps, came third.

SAHARAWI WOMEN CONMEMORATE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN´S DAY

Women from Western Sahara have conmemorated as every year on March 8th the International Women´s Day with  different activities.

Saharawi Women not only those that are living in the refugee camps but also that are under the moroccan occupied  cities and overseas have celebrated the International Women´s Day with different events like work-shops, talks and conferences where they have paid tribute to the vital role women play in their country´s liberation struggle and emancipation.

Saharawi Women joined their sisters around the world in solidarity for equality,  justice and human rights.

The Saharawi Women´s Association in Spain has invited the Saharawi Minister Kheira Boulahi to the event that organized in the spanish capital, Madrid, on conmemoration of the International Women´s Day. The Saharawi female leader       

has reaffirmed in her speech the will of the Western Sahara people and women to continue their just struggle for independence ,peace and democracy in the Africa´s last colony and said that the saharawi women are a real example of emancipation in the arab and muslim world and they are still convinced that if their country is not free and independent that could not feel totally emancipated as a human been.

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH CALLED ON MOROCCO FOR HUMAN RIGHTS´S VIOLATIONS

Saharawi Women strongly support the Human Rights Watch´s World Report 2012 issued some days ago and express their agreement in the recommendations for the moroccan government to respect human rights in the Western Sahara´s occupied cities where the moroccan army daily use repression against the saharawi  citizens organize peaceful demonstrations.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) called on the Moroccan authorities to respect the right of assembly and protest in the occupied territories of Western Sahara, its 2012 World Report that assesses progress on human rights during the past year in more than 90 countries.

The Organization indicated that Moroccan authorities “still continue to suppress the peaceful demonstrations organized by the Saharawi citizens in the occupied territories of Western Sahara that demand self-determination and independence,” asking Morocco to stop violating the legitimate right to demonstrate which is provided by all international covenants.

It also expressed its concern on the detention of twenty-three Sahrawi civilians for their alleged role in Gdeim Izik camp and taking them to a military court, in addition to the detention of another 120 Sahrawi human rights activists for political reasons.

HRW demanded that Moroccan security services be accountable for using the excessive force, when dispersing the Saharawi demonstrators.

“Moroccan regime still prevents the establishment of associations and organizations of human rights in Western Sahara,” added the report.

“The people driving the Arab Spring deserve strong international support to realize their rights and to build genuine democracies,” said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch. “Loyalty to autocratic friends shouldn’t stand in the way of siding with democratic reformers. International influence is also needed to ensure that the new governments extend human rights and the rule of law to all, especially women and minorities.”

“Rights-respecting governments should support international justice regardless of political considerations. It’s misguided to believe that allowing countries to sweep past abuses under the rug will somehow avoid encouraging future atrocities,” Roth said.