WE CONDEMN THE BRUTAL INTERVENTION IN THE OCCUPIED CITY OF DAKHLA

The Women and the whole people of Western Sahara express their deep condemnation to the brutal intervention of the moroccan army and settlers in the occupied city of Dakhla and also would like to express their condolence to the Mohamed-Lamin Lehbib´s family.

Last sunday,  September 25th, a group of sahrawis organized a peaceful demonstration in the occupied saharawi city of Dakhla for  protesting against the savage attack carried out by a moroccan settler on a sahrawi fan during a football match between a local team and a team coming from Morocco.
Saharawi Women strongly condemn this new brutal intervention of the moroccan oppressive forces and hundreds of settlers which has caused the death of the young sahrawi called: Maichan Ould Mohamed Lamine Ould Lehbib, while a lot of other saharawis were seriously injured and many Saharawi houses and properties were ransacked and vandalised.
Saharawi Women launch an urgent appeal to the European Union and the United Nations to put pressure on the moroccan government to stop the great violations of human rights in the occupied cities of Western Sahara and on the face of this new and repeated terrorising act, it is imperative that the United Nations proceeds immediately to the establishment of a UN mechanism to enable the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) to protect monitor and report on the human rights in the territory. The protection of civilians as an international obligation should not be subjected to double standards and discrimination in terms of what is happening in Western Sahara and in other parts of the world.

WESTERN SAHARA PEOPLE WAS THE FIRST ONE IN THE SO-CALLED "ARAB SPRING"

There is no dout that the small and peaceful people of Western Sahara was the first one to begin with the peaceful demostrations that we have witnessed these great changings in the arab countries particularly in the northern part the african continent.

However and unfortunatelly, in the case of the Western Sahara People´s demands were brutally repressed and violently dismantled when the moroccan army fiercely intervened against the peaceful Camps in Gdeim Izik, 15 kilometers from El-AAiun.

The famous spanish newspaper has recently published an interesting article on the so-called "Arab Spring". The North-African expert journalist, Ignacio Cembrero has publishes a long interview with a well-known saharawi whom live in the occupided citties of Western Sahara.

On 4 November, 2010, Elabadila Chbihna Maaelaynine left his home in Casablanca to fly to Laâyoune, the capital of Western Sahara. Although he is well integrated into Moroccan society, with a well-paid job as a computer programmer, as a Sahrawi he says he felt he had to see the Agdaym Izik camp set up by some 12,000 refugees a month earlier in the outskirts of the city. Five days later, Moroccan police forcibly dismantled the camp, leaving at least 12 people dead, among them several police officers.

Just under three months later, on February 20, Maaelaynine was among the thousands attending a peaceful demonstration in the Moroccan capital of Rabat calling for constitutional and political reform in Morocco that would include a solution to the conflict in Western Sahara.

"Western Sahara was where the first Arab revolts took place, but unlike in Tunisia and Egypt, there has been no happy ending," says the 46-year-old, whose great-grandfather[A1]  was Sheikh Maaelaynine, a local tribal leader who stood up to the French and Spanish colonizers a century ago, and who founded the former Spanish colony's religious capital Smara.

The Western Sahara conflict is both one of the world's oldest and one of its most neglected. More than 30 years after the war began, following Spain's hasty departure and Morocco's land grab, the displacement of large numbers of people and a ceasefire in 1991 that froze military positions, its end remains remote.

Maaelaynine has been campaigning discreetly for reform in Morocco for several years: in 2003, shortly before Rabat offered limited autonomy to Western Sahara, he published an article in the weekly Le Journal calling for greater political independence, along with a bigger share of the revenue from the region's vast mineral wealth. He is now one of the leaders of the February 20 movement, which continues to hold peaceful protests every Sunday in cities throughout Morocco. He blames the Moroccan authorities for the violence that ensued when the police raided the camp.

Mohammed Ghalous, the government representative for the Laâyoune region, said the gendarmerie and auxiliary forces had moved in "to end a situation which had exhausted all means of dialogue," by dismantling the camp.

The Polisario Front movement, which seeks independence for the Western Sahara, accused the security forces of injuring hundreds of people in the dawn raid on the camp. The security forces raided the camp by ground and air, using helicopters.

Maaelaynine condemns the violence, and says that the organizers of the protest camp were extremely careful not to provoke the Moroccan authorities, and imposed careful checks on who entered the camp, banning Polisario flags, for example. He says that those responsible for the deaths of the Moroccan police officers should be brought to justice. "But I have no respect for a regime that cracked down in this way on people who were staging a peaceful protest," he adds.

The unrest in November came ahead of yet another failed round of talks between Morocco and the Polisario Front. The latter wants a UN-organized self-determination referendum, with independence as one of the options. Morocco has so far rejected any proposal that goes beyond greater autonomy.

Saharawi Women launch an urgent appeal to the United Nations and the European Union and all the peace-loving countries and persons all over the world for puting presure on the government of Morocco to respetct the democratic demands of the saharawi people, to respect the human rights in the saharawi occupided cities and to implement the UN resolutions on the Africa´s last colony: Western Sahara.

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MOROCCAN PROPAGANDA, AS USUALLY

The Saharawi Women express their strongest condemnation to the continous moroccan propaganda against the just struggle for peace and justice of the people of Western Sahara.

The moroccan goverment is always trying to confuse the international public opinion about what the United Nations Organization has called as a problem of decolonization of Western sahara due to the continuous illegal occupation of the moroccan troops of Western Sahara.

Saharawi Women totally support the official statement made by the Saharawi Government related to the last propaganda launched by the moroccan regime agains the peaceful people of Western Sahara and its sole representative: POLISARIO Front . The statement  was published by the Saharawi Press agency which says:

"The Sahrawi Government and the Polisario Front denied Friday categorically allegations that “about 556 mercenaries from the Polisario Front have been brought in to support Gaddafi troops, have been arrested by the guerrillas of the Transitional National Council,” as was reported Thursday by Moroccan news agency, in a statement issued by the Ministry of Information.

“The Government of the Sahrawi Republic and the Polisario Front deny categorically these lies, aimed at compromising the nobility of the cause of the Saharawi people and its just national struggle for freedom and self-determination, and confirm that the fighters of the brave Sahrawi People Liberation Army, did not and will not participate in any conflict outside the borders of the Sahrawi Republic and that their exclusive mission was and will remain the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Sahrawi Republic,” the statement said.

“The Kingdom of Morocco is seeking, through the dissemination of these lies, to distort the facts that are clearly known to the international public opinion and all governments that are closely following the developments of the conflict in Western Sahara and the situation in the Maghreb.”

“The whole world is aware that the Qaddafi regime has suspended all forms of support for the Saharawi people's struggle against Moroccan expansion since July 1982, and later signed with the Kingdom of Morocco the Convention of what is known as the Arab-African Unionin 1984.”

“The Rabat – Tripoli center engaged in the course of trading and bartering on the basis of multi-faceted Libyan support to Morocco with money and weapons in its expansionist war against the Sahrawi people. In contrast, the Kingdom of Morocco proceeded to hand over Libyan opponents refugees in Morocco, such as Colonel Mahiashi and his colleagues, track and follow up Libyan dissidents in Europeand the United States in addition to permanent efforts to puff Colonelin some capitals.”

“Since that date, Kingdom of Morocco and the Qaddafi regime did not spare of any effort to destroy the Sahrawi resistance militarily and diplomatically, especially on the African scene,” the statement added.

Finally the statement called for an urgent independent inquiry into these allegations which were reported by the Moroccan news agency.

It also invited the new Libyan authorities, represented by the Transitional National Council, to issue a denial urgently to the charges fabricated by the Moroccan occupier, for the benefit of the Libyan and Sahrawi peoples as well as all peoples of the region.
 

SAHARAWI WOMEN CONDEMN THE NORWAY´S CRIMINAL ATTACK

The Women and the whole people from the Africa´s last colony: Western Sahara, want to express their total solidarity with the people of the peaceful Norway and reaffirm their strongest condemnation to the  the acts of terrorism perpetrated against the peace loving people of Norway on the sadest Friday´s, July 22nd 2011.

Saharawi Women express their most deepest and sincere condolences for the great loss of innocent lives mainly young peolpe from this scandinavian  country.

The Saharawi Women  condemn vigorously the vicious deadly attacks that targeted the norwegian government buildings and the peaceful Youth Camp at Utoeya, and we would like to extend the most heartfelt condolences and sympathy with the families of the victims of these criminal attacts and express its total solidarity with the whole Norwagian Women´s organizations and and also with the government and people of the peaceful Norway.

Sahrawi Women say to you that our hearts go out to the people of Norway and reaffirm our will on continuing struggling agains all kind of terrorisms and all the acts of the religious extremism.

We, the saharawi women, are convinced that the peace loving people of Norway will quickly overpass this difficult and painful moment and that it will defeat violence and the sowing of fear and terror among the innocent, the rationality will overcome insanity and love will, inevitably, overcome hatred and that justice will eventually prevail.

We are sure that the whole people of Norway will not be intimated by this mean act of terrorism, and will continue its undeterred advocacy for peace, freedom and prosperity for all the peoples of the world and mainly in their example of a democratic and solidarity country.

MOROCCAN KING´S DANGEROUS INTENTIONS IN WESTERN SAHARA

Saharawi Women also express their deep concern on the moroccan´s king dangerous intentions on what is known the Africa´s last colony: Western Sahara.

We, the Western Saharan women totally support the letter sent recently by the Saharawi President, Mr. Abdelaziz, to the United Nations Organization Secretary General, Mr. Ban Ki Moon.

Due to its importance, we publish the whole text of the Saharawi President´s letter:

"I would like to address to you this letter to draw your attention to the intentions of the Moroccan Government to implement some political decisions concerning the constitutional reforms in Morocco, in which it also intends to include Western Sahara that is under the illegal occupation of the Kingdom of Morocco.

Western Sahara is not a Moroccan territory, and it is listed by the United Nations as a Non-Self-Governing Territory pending decolonization. Its final legal status can be determined only by the Sahrawi people themselves through a free, fair and just referendum on self-determination conducted under the supervision of the United Nations.

It is the Moroccan occupation that has so far impeded the exercise by the Sahrawi people of this inalienable and internationally recognized right. As you have pointed out in your latest report to the Security Council, there can be no solution to the Sahrawi-Moroccan conflict without full respect for the will and sentiments of the Sahrawi people, and that any agreement or settlement that does not take this into account will only engender more tension and instability in the region.

Mr. Secretary-General,

By engaging in such provocative operation, the Kingdom of Morocco only persists in its policy of intransigence and obstruction to the efforts deployed by the United Nations with a view to bringing to conclusion the decolonization of Western Sahara.

The Frente POLISARIO, the sole and legitimate representative of the Sahrawi people and the partner in the peace process negotiations, which are conducted under the auspices of your Personal Envoy, Mr. Christopher Ross, renews its categorical rejection of the arbitrary and forced involvement of the occupied territories of Western Sahara in a Moroccan internal exercise that does not concern the Sahrawis at all.

It also condemns these unilateral political decisions taken by the Kingdom of Morocco, which cannot have any legal implications that may affect directly or indirectly the final status of Western Sahara.

The Frente POLISARIO therefore calls on the United Nations to take all necessary measures to urge the Kingdom of Morocco to desist from making such move that constitutes an infringement on the internationally recognised borders and a flagrant violation of the Charter and resolution of the United Nations and international law.

I would appreciate it if Your Excellency would bring the present letter to the attention of all members of the Security Council.

Please accept, Mr Secretary-General, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Mohamed Abdelaziz,

Secretary-General of the Frente POLISARIO.

AMNISTY INTERNATIONAL CONDEMNS VIOLATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN OCCCUPIDED WESTERN SAHARA

Saharawi Women express their full support to the last Amnesty International´s Report in which once again has condemned the flagrant violations of human rights in the occupided cities of Western Sahara.

The Saharawi Women express their deeep concern on the constant violations of the most basics human rights of the saharawi populations in the occupided cities and towns of Western sahara, ilegally occupided by kingdom of Morocco since its military invasion at the end of the year 1.975.

Amnesty International (AI) has denounced, in its 2011 report on the state of human rights in the Middle East and North Africa, the repression practiced by the Moroccan forces in Western Sahara.

“The Freedom of expression, association and assembly has been restricted, especially on issues relating to political sensitivity, such as the question of Western Sahara,” the report asserted.

It noted that the Sahrawi human rights activists were harassed and persecuted for political reasons during 2011, adding “dozens of people suspected of security offenses were detained and some, held in communicate, reportedly been tortured or abused.”

“The arrests and collective expulsions of foreigners continued. Death sentences were imposed and no executions have taken place. No action has been taken to bring to justice the perpetrators of gross human rights violations committed in the past," the report said.

AI underlined the negotiations on the status of Western Sahara between the Polisario Front and Morocco “were still deadlocked”, adding the UN Security Council renewed the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) on last April, without including “a mechanism to monitor the human rights situation.”

The report pointed that the Moroccan security forces dismantled on November 8, 2010 by using force a protest camp for the Saharawis in Gdeim Izik, near occupied city of El Aaiun, which settled to protest against marginalization policy as well as demand jobs and housing, confirming killings and injuries among the Saharawis.

WESTERN SAHARA´S INTERNATIONAL CINEMA FESTIVAL

The Saharawi Women are very thankful for the hundreds of actors, Film-makers, actrisses, producers and persons in general who are trying to give awareness on the injustice that is facing the saharawi pwople for over 35 years due the illegal occupation of the kingdom of Morocco to Western Sahara.

The Saharawi Minister of Culture, Mrs.Khadija Hamdi, affiemed in a press conference that the eighth edition of International Film Festival of Western Sahara (FISAHARA) brings a new vision of solidarity with the Saharawi people for the recovery of its legitimate rights to self-determination and independence.

Mrs. Khadija Hamdi, who hosted Monday a press conference at the offices of the Ministryof Culture on the eve of the opening of Fisahara, declared that "the objectives of the festival were designed to expand the solidarity movement with the Sahrawi cause and support the international network of artists and intellectuals, known as "Together with Sahara."

"Our action aim at finding new forms of art to give to the cinema the humanitarian and political spirit through the projection of movies in refugee camps, to enable the Saharawi youth to discover the cinematographic art," she added.

The eighth  edition of FISAHA which coincides with the regional festival of culture and folk art, is presenting long and short films from around the world, documentaries and a series of movies devoted specially to the theme of the Western Sahara, underlined the minister.

A wide numbers of artists and people from all over the world are these days in the Refugee Camp of Dakhla  taking part in this new FISARA´s edition, the minister affirmed, adding that the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is the guest of honor at the eighth edition of the International Cinema Festival in the Saharawi Refugee Camps.

SAHARAWI WOMEN IN THEIR SIXTH NATIONAL CONFERENCE

Hundreds of Women from Western Sahara have just finished the three days sessions of their Sixth National Conference (called also Congress) which was hold in the Saharawi Refugee Camps from 22 to 24 of April 2011. This important event for the Saharawi women is organized each four years. As in other ocassions, hundreds of Saharawi Women have taken part in this important gathering repressenting the females from the Refuggee Camps, and also from the occupided cities of Western Sahara and overseas and saharawi communities abroad.

The VI Congress of the National Union of Saharawi Women (NUSW) concluded on late hours of last sunday, April 24th, by renewing confidence in the ex-Secretary General, Ms. Fatma Almahdi, electing an Executive off of 8 members and delivering a number of messages and recommendations.

Once again, the saharawi women declared oppenly their support to the legitime struggle of the saharawi people for peace and justice and express their determination on continuing playing a vital role in the saharawi society and stressed the need of preparing our women in technical and professional skills.

In his concluding speech, the Saharawi Prime Minister, Ms. Abdelkader Taleb Omar, applauded degree of maturity and responsibility shown by the participants in the evaluation of work and chart the way for the orientations of the coming stage.

The final session marked by reading out messages, recommendations and programme of action, which the participants have been engaged to study during 3 days of deliberations.

The Congress, which started on April 22 in the Feb. 27 School, witnessed cultural, intellectual, science and sport workshops as well as workshops for educating elderly, voluntary work and human rights.

Foreign delegations from the African, american and european continents attended the important gathering of the saharawi women and express their solidarity and support to the saharawi women in their struggle for living in an independent and democratic country.

SOUTH-AFRICAN WOMEN REAFFIRM THEIR SUPPORT AND SOLIDARITY WITH THEIR SISTERS IN WESTERN SAHARA

The National Union of  Saharawi Women´s International Officer, Suelma Beiruk, has just been received in the South-African capital by the President of the ANC´s Women´s League who has reaffirmed their support and solidarity with the people and women óf the Africa´s last colony: Western Sahara.
The President of the ANC Women's League and Minister of the Basic Education, Ms. Angie Motshekga, renewed last friday the firm support of her country to the just cause of the Saharawi people, according to the Saharawi Embassy in South Africa.

During her meeting with a Saharawi delegation at headquarters of the SADR Embassy in Pretoria, Ms. Motshekga confirmed that the supporting position of her country “stayed in the past and will remain in the future”
She saluted struggle of the Saharawi women, considering it a “unique example of resistance in the world”
The president of the ANC Women's League welcomed her invitation to attend the Saharawi women´s  conference which is scheduled next April 20th to 24th, adding that it will certainly be an “occasion to strengthen the close ties between the ANC women's league and UNSW”
 Mrs. Suelma Beiruk briefed struggle of the Saharawi women in the refugee camps occupied territories of Western Sahara, as well as the next congress of Saharawi women.
The meeting also focused on the latest developments of the Saharawi cause and bilateral relations between the peoples and governments of both countries.

SAHARAWI WOMEN CONMEMORATE THE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN´S DAY

The Saharawi Women as the majority female all over the world have conmemorated the International Women´s Day with different activities.

Western Saharan Women not only those that are living in the refugee camps but also those whom are ressisting the moroccan military occupation and those who are living abroad have celebrated this important day not only because this year is the centenary of the official declaration of the International Women´s Day but also because in an anniversary of the first saharawi martyr: Bachir Lehlawi.

This pictures were taken in a conmemoration of the International Women´s Day celebrated in the spanish capital, Madrid, where the saharawi human rights activist, Digdja Lachgare, has been invited by a spanish NGO. In such event, Mrs. Lachgare has given her personal experience of suffering due to her more that twelve years of imprisonment in the moroccan prisons and she has spoken about the flagrant violations of human rights in the occupided cities of Western Sahara and she launched an urgent appeal to the international opinion to put pressure on the moroccan government for stopping in its repressive policy and to respect the international resolutions and the human rights in the occupided cities of Western sahara and to release all the saharawi prisoners of conciousness.

The Saharawi Women as the majority female all over the world have conmemorated the International Women´s Day with different activities.

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This year marks the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day. The day was commemorated for the first time on 19 March 1911 in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland, following its establishment during the Socialist International meeting the prior year. More than one million women and men attended rallies on that first commemoration.

Since then, International Women’s Day has been celebrated in many countries around the world. It is a day when women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political. It is an occasion for looking back on past struggles and accomplishments, and more importantly, for looking ahead to the untapped potential and opportunities that await future generations of women.

Saharawi women are known by her example of emanipation and empowerment in the arab and muslim world and they wish to strenghthen the ties and relationship with all the women´s organizations and all the peace loving countries for struggling together for a just a peaceful world.

SAHARAWI WOMEN CONDEMN THE MOROCCAN BRUTAL REPRESSION IN OCCUPIDED DAKHLA

The Association of Saharawi Women in Spain (AMSE) expresses its strongest condemnation of the acts of vandalism carried out by moroccan settlers against the Saharawi civilians in the occupied city of Dakhla. According to eyewitnesses who have been in telephone contact with AMSE, affirmed us that on the night of Saturday, February 26, thousands of Moroccan settlers, escorted by numerous Moroccan army vehicles have assaulted the neighborhoods where the Sahrawi population living mostly by burning private cars, burglarizing homes and businesses and creating a true chaos in the occupied city of Dakhla, generating a real situation of terror and forcing the helpless Saharawi population to leave the city, fleeing into the desert for protecting themselves against the brutal repression of the moroccan settlers.

While the Saharawi people was celebrating with joy and happiness the trirty-fith anniversary of the proclamation of the Saharawi State: the Saharawi Republic, the moroccan occupation authorities tried once again, undermines the cultural identity of Western Sahara and misrepresent the true social and political situation faced by Western Sahara. All this atrocity occurred while the Sahrawi people organized a festival in the city of Dakhla and at the end of the members of the Moroccan occupation launched this wave of settler violence against civilians Moroccan Sahara.

 Saharawi Women take the opportunity to make an urgent appeal to all the peace loving countries and the whole  international community, that under the new changes that are being generated against dictatorial regimes especially in North Africa, to put pressure on the Moroccan government to respect the international law and particularly human rights in occupied Western Sahara.

RFK CENTER REAFFIRMS GREAT VIOLATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS

The Women from the Africa´s last colony, Western Sahara, express their satistaction for the recent report of the prestigous R.F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights where the american institution reaffirmed that in the occupied cities of Western sahara the moroccan authorities still comiting human rights abuses persist in wake of November unrest.

Based on dozens of interviews, this report documents human rights abuses inflicted by Moroccan government forces against civilians during the dismantlement of the Gdaim Izik protest camp in November 2010, and in its aftermath.

In January 2011, a delegation of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights traveled to Western Sahara to visit 2008 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award Laureate, Aminatou Haidar. Led by Haidar, the delegation examined human rights violations allegedly committed by Moroccan security forces against Sahrawis. The delegation met with more than two dozen victims of abuse, torture, and imprisonment and their families, in addition to Moroccan government officials and representatives of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO).

According to the findings of the report, torture, arbitrary arrest and detention, failure to follow criminal procedures, and repression of civilians by Moroccan government forces are all too common in Western Sahara. This context, in concert with the violence that broke out on November 8, 2010, when Moroccan security forces dismantled the Gdaim Izik camp set up by residents of Western Sahara to protest social and economic discrimination, reinforces the need for impartial international human rights monitoring of the situation.

EOROPEAN TRADE UNIONS CONDEMS GREAT VIOLATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS

The Women from Western sahara express their total support to the report released these days of a mission of the European most representative trade unions where they have denounced the holding in the Moroccan prisons of hundreds of Saharawis have been arrested by the Moroccan occupying forces last November in Western Sahara.

Eight unions from different European countries, including Italy, who had stay in the capital city of Western Sahara, ilegally occupied by moroccan army, El-Aaiún, from 23 to 25 January, have published their report in which they denounce great abuses of human rights against the peaceful Saharawi population.

"The objectives of the mission were to show the international solidarity to Western Sahara workers and to the Sahrawi people, and be directly in touch with the current situation of the Sahrawi occupied territories by Morocco," the trade union´s report affirms in its joint communiqyé that have been published on monday, january 30th, in the italian capital, Rome.

Saharawi Women launch an urgent appeal to the international community and the European Union to put pressure on the moroccan government to respect the human rights in the occupied Western Sahara and the United Nations´s resolutions on this problem of decolonization.

MOROCCAN REGIME STILL VIOLATING HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE OCCUPIDED WESTERN SAHARA

The Saharawi Women express their deep concern about the continuing violation of human rights in the occupided cities of Western sahara as are a lot of the NGOs and Human Rights organizations like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International´s reports are confirming the great vilations of human rights in the oc saharawi cities occupided by the Kingdom of Morocco for over thirty-five years ago.

Sahrawi defender of human rights Izzana Amidan, 31, confirmed, in an audio testimony after she was provisionally released some weeks ago, she was tortured and ill-treated.

She was subjected to severe beatings, insults, verbal abuse and practices degrading to human dignity. She was also interrogated by various Moroccan intelligence services at the so-called prosecutor s office in the center of gendarmerie in the occupation city of El Aaiun, on charges of participation in the camp of Gdeim Izik.

The human rights activist had been arbitrarily arrested Saturday by the police officers of the Moroccan occupation, before being released temporarily pending her appearance again in front of the so-called investigating judge February 28, with a view to her interrogation.

On the other hand, two Sahrawi activists, Kaltoum Lebsir and Mariam Bourhim, arrested Sunday at the airport in Casablanca (Morocco) on their return from South Africa, have also been provisionally released Wednesday until March 24.

WE FULLY SUPPORT THE NEW CAMPAIGN: "DON´T GO TO MOROCCO"

The Saharawi Women fully support the new campaign on visiting and doing turism in a country like Morocco whom is daily violating the most basic human rights and is ilegally occupating Western sahara for over thirty-five years.

Following the Moroccan government’s announcement last Tuesday that it plans to double its tourism in the next 10 years activists today launched a new campaign aimed at highlighting human rights abuses in occupied Western Sahara and asking tourists to boycott holidaying in Morocco.

The new action dubbed "Don’t Go to Morocco" was launched in London today by the Western Sahara Campaign and the Free Western Sahara Network at a meeting in Piccadilly. A handful of dedicated campaigners then braved freezing temperatures outside Morocco’s main tourism office in Regents’ Street and the offices of Royal Air Maroc in Gosfield Street handing out leaflets detailing the discrimination, abuse and violence suffered by the native Saharawi population under Morocco’s 35 year occupation of their country.

Earlier this week Moroccan tourism minister Yassir Znagui unveiled a tourism development plan which would see the expansion of tourism over the next decade in eight regions including Western Sahara.

Morocco annexed Western Sahara after Spain pulled out of its former colony in 1976, and despite widespread international criticism and numerous United Nations resolutions requiring a referendum on self-determination the referendum has yet to be held.

Cities on Western Sahara’s Atlantic coastline such as Dakhla will be developed into thriving tourist destinations. This announcement comes just weeks after violent clashes in Western Sahara which resulted in several deaths, over one hundred injuries and many arrests.

A report from Human Rights Watch last Friday found that Saharawi detainees had been beaten and abused. The violence in El Aaiun has been condemned by the United Nations Security Council and last week the European Parliament passed a resolution calling for an independent UN investigation into the violence. This call has so far been rejected by Rabat.

“Western Sahara is a beautiful place but whilst the brutal occupation continues we do not feel it is an appropriate tourist destination", said Natalie Sharples of the Western Sahara Campaign.

"The Saharawi people face daily discrimination with those daring to challenge the occupation facing detention, abuse and torture. If holiday-makers knew about the situation in Western Sahara we are confident that many would chose to holiday elsewhere."

Cathy Jamieson, MP for Kilmarnock & Loudoun agreed. “Raising awareness of what has been happening over the years of Moroccan occupation is vital, particularly in light of recent events. Every effort must be made to get a fair and just solution for the Saharawi people and hopefully this campaign will show the real strength of feeling" she said.

Whilst Morocco will no doubt continue to be a popular tourist destination the campaigners hope that their slogan “sun, sea, sand and torture” may well put some people off holidaying in Western Sahara.

WE STRONGLY CONDEMN THE NEW MOROCCAN AGGRESSION AGAINST PEACEFUL SAHARAWIS

The Women from the Africa´s last colony: Western Sahara express their strongtest condemnation to the brutal and criminal intervention of the moroccan army and settlers against the saharawi citizens in the Gdeim Izik Camps, situated from 18 kilometers from the saharawi capital, Laayoune.

At least one Sahrawi, Mahmoud Babi Gargar, was killed and hundreds were injured after a brutal intervention by Moroccan forces early this monday´s morning, november 8th, against defenseless Saharawis in the Gdim Izik camp (Camp Liberty).

Sources from the occupided saharawi capital affirmed that he forcible intervention committed earlier Monday by Moroccan forces against the Saharawis in the Gdim Izik camp left at least one Saharawi killed and hundreds were injured and moroccan army and settlers entered to saharai houses.

The Saharawi women and the whole poeple of Western Sahara  warned that the situation was going to become became extremely serious several days ago in Laayoune and has erupted since today´s morning after the new escalation of the moroccan army and settlers where several international press agencies have reported that more than ten saharawis have died among them Mahmoud Babi Gargar, who was 26years old and killed by  moroccan occupider forces.

This despicable and tragic assassination, is repeated by the occupation forces following the intervention of the units of the Moroccan army, gendarmerie and auxiliary forces against the Sahrawi population, who are since the beginning of last October, left their homes and camping in Gdim Izik (17 km east of the city of Laayoune) to demand their rights.

The Saharawi Women  denounce strongly this criminal action of the moroccan army and settlers  against the peaceful people of Western Sahara and, we launch an urgent appeal to the international public opinion and all world´s organizations for defending human rights and for intervening to put an end to the repressive campaign against the peaceful saharawi population in the occupided cities which are under moroccan occupation since thirty five years ago.

SAHARAWI WOMEN IN THE 36TH EUCCOCO

As every year, an important delegation of Saharawi Women, from the occupided cities, also from the Refugee Camps and other parts, has partipated in the 36th European Coordianating Conference of Support to the Saharawi People which have just concluded its works in the french city of Le Mans.

This important event, the 36th European Coordinating Conference of Support to the Sahrawi People (EUCOCO) wrapped up Sunday by the adoption of a final resolution in which the participants renewed support to the right of Sahrawi people to self-determination.

The participants praised the "permanent effort" of the Algerian Committee for Support and Solidarity with Sahrawi People (CNASPS) for its support to the legitimate claims of Sahrawis, and also welcomed the setting-up of an international Latin-American conference of Support for Sahrawi people, and promised to help them achieve concrete results.

They also agreed on goals to be achieved to enhance and diversify solidarity operations and working methods to raise abilities of militants and their organizations to contribute to “ the implementation of the inalienable rights of the Saharawi people to self-determination and independence,”

The participants charged the working group of the EUCOCO to quickly find and deploy schedule and joint program coordinating on the international level.

The political, human rights and media issues took most time of the conference where the workshop of human rights decided to take many masseurs to develop its strategy of work to impose respecting human rights in Western Sahara.

Emergency program for the next two months has been adopted towards the occupied Saharawi territories especially “camps of independence” including visit of medical delegation and European parliamentarians and visits by representatives of several institutions, journalists, solidarity movement and civil society.

To support these decisions a creation of active “lobby” will begin towards UN, EU, France and Spain through letters, demonstrations and meetings

Lawyers have invited to join trails of Saharawi human rights defenders especially the trail of the Seven Saharawi political prisoners in Sale scheduled on November5.

It was also agreed on a program towards UN Human Rights Council and UN Security Council with need to find out a mechanism for monitoring and protecting human rights particularly the right of self-determination.

The participants began with group of jurists to study laws in favor of the Saharawi people to guarantee respect of human rights of Saharawi exodus toward “camps of independence”

Concern the media, the participants agreed to find ways to correct lies of Morocco and to promote media that could reflect the Saharawi reality

Regarding the natural resources of Western Sahara, the participants stressed on the need to demand EU to cancel its partnership agreement and fishing agreement with Morocco.

Finally the Participants decided to hold the 37th European Coordinating Conference of Support to the Saharawi People next year in Spanish Capital, Madrid.

SAHARAWI WOMEN IN THE 4TH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON ISLAMIC FEMINISM

Four women from Western Sahara have participated in the Fourth International Congress of Islamic Feminism which have just held in the spanish capital, Madrid, from October 21st to 24th.

The Saharawi Women´s delegation have activally taken part in all the different workshops and also could transmitted the message of peace and justice from what it is considered the last Africa´s colony people and specially in these days where the situation is very worried due to the brutal repression of the moroccan occupider army has brutally repressed the peaceful people in the main saharawi cities.

The Saharawi Women delegation in this important event was composed by Zahra Ramdán Ahmed, Soukeina N´Diaye (Gleiyilhum Buna), Zahra El-Hasnawi and Doctor Lehdia Dafa.

The International Congress on Islamic Feminism is an initiative of the Catalan Islamic Council (JIC). Through the conferences, the intent of the JIC has been to present Islamic Feminism (IF) as an emerging reality, with a strong intellectual development and a significant activism in pursuit of the rights of Muslim women. We have tried to maintain a balance between the theoretical and field experiences, including the development of a discourse generated in the academy, and ways to implement the propositions of IF in different contexts.

To date there have been three editions of the conference (Barcelona, 2005, 2006 and 2008), and the fourth is scheduled for 2010, in Madrid. More than 1300 participants have attended the conferences. The Congress has brought together some of the most prestigious and charismatic personalities of IF, as well as prominent organizations from the five continents. The media coverage of these conferences has helped to visualize IF as a emerging reality worldwide.

MRS. HAIDAR CANDIDATE FOR THE "SAKHAROV AWARD"

The women from Western Sahara would like to congratulate our compatriot Aminatou  Haidar for been candidate once again in one of the most important awards that the European Parliament gives to relevant personalities of human rights defenders from all over the world.

The Saharawi human rights activist, Aminatou Haidar, has nominated to the Sakharov Prize for human rights granted by the European Union for her commitment to defend human rights in Western Sahara, according to a source from the occupied city of El Aaiun.

The Saharawi activist was nominated within nine institutions and international figures for this Prize, to select one of them October 21 in a public meeting of the EU Parliament.

Aminatou Haidar won many awards in the field of human rights by international organizations, including Robert F. Kennedy Foundation of America, Juan Maria Bandres for Human Rights and Solidarity with the Refugees as well as Khobelano Prize of "resistance and freedom".

She also engaged in various indefinite hunger strikes which put her under the harassment and detained of the Moroccan authorities, where she adopted by many international organizations as a prisoner and political activist for defending the right of the Saharawi people to self-determination and independence.

It is note worthy that the Saharawi activist held November14, 2009 an indefinite hunger strike in the Spanish airport of Lanzarote for 32 days on the ground of her forcibly deportation by the Moroccan authorities from the occupied city of El Aaiun.

SAHARAWIS CELEBRATES THE INTERNATIONAL PEACE DAY

Today, September 21th, The Saharawi people celebrates the International Peace Day. The Saharawi Women express their total support to the Saharawi Government´s decision on conmemorating every year the date: september 21th, as the International Peace Day , as an expressión of the whole people of western Sahara to their peaceful will of solving the conflict of what is considered as the Africa´s last colony due to the illegal occupation of the moroccan army to Western Sahara.

The Saharawi Press Agency (SPS) informs: The Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic has decided on Sunday to commemorate the International Day of Peace declared by the United Nations which falls Sept 21, in accordance with its obligations as a founder member of the African Union, according to a statement of the SADR Presidency.

The statement asked all the national bodies and institutions as well as citizens to exert maximum efforts in order to create the best conditions of cooperation, seriousness and commitment for implementing all the activities, in line with the SADR standing and responsibility within the AU to contribute for security and peace in Africa and the world.

The SADR decided to mark this Day by a number of activities and events, including hosting the AU flag besides SADR flag on the national institutions and observe a minute of silent for peace at 10:00 am GMT, 11 o’clock on the local time, visit the Saharawi victims of war in center of Shraif Martyr, developments works by members of the armed forces and multiple voluntary campaigns

According to the same source, the Day will also be known the organization of a football game under the slogan “one day and one goal”, in addition to teaching a lesson of peace in all SADR national schools, ensure complete coverage to all day’s activities by the national media as well as organize lectures and media platforms.

The International Day of Peace was ratified in the AU decision on the year of peace and security in Africa by the XIV Ordinary Session of the AU Conference held February 2010 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and the conference of “make peace happen” which adopted by the XV Ordinary Session of the AU Conference July 2010 in Kampala, Uganda.