THREAT OF WAR IN WESTERN SAHARA

The threat of war comes at a time when it appears that the international community, led by the U.S., is abandoning its commitment to self-determination for Western Sahara. Contrary to international law prohibiting the exploitation of the resources of occupied countries, U.S. businesses are lining up to contract with the mock democracy in Rabat for oil and mineral rights in the occupied territories of Western Sahara.

At the recent Festival of Tan Tan, 93 delegates from the European Union, the United Nations, the U.S., Tunesia, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and others were guests of King Mohammed VI of Morocco. Soon to be ex-San Francisco Supervisor Fiona Ma and FogCityNews Editor Luke Thomas co-wrote a glowing report on the festival and the business potential in Morocco that was published on the net on December 15. Most of the countries represented were U.S. “allies”. Concurrent with the festival, Moroccan occupation forces cracked down on human rights activists and demonstrators a scant 186 miles from the festivities.

12/11/2006 (SPS) In the occupied city of El Aaiun, Western Sahara 13 wounded victims were reported, including the Sahrawi human rights activists, Brahim Dahan, ex-political prisoners and President of the Sahrawi Association of the Victims of the Flagrant Human Rights Violations Committed by the Moroccan State (ASVDH), the Deputy-President of the same association, Mrs. Jimi El Ghalia, besides the imminent Sahrawi human rights activists, Mr. Hmad Hamad, ex-political prisoner and Deputy-President of the Committee of Support of Self-determination for Sahrawi People, while the Sahrawi human rights activist and Winner of the Rafto Human Rights Price, Sidi Mohamed Dadach was detained and driven around in a police car before he was released a few hours later.

In the occupied city of Smara, 23 Sahrawis were wounded after the violent intervention of the Moroccan police against peaceful demonstrations last Sunday, and two others were arrested, mainly, Makhloufi Mahmoud and Hamoudi Labeid, the same source said.

The demonstrators raised placards and chanted slogans asking for the release of the Sahrawi political prisoners, the organisation of a self-determination referendum and asked for the revealing of information on the fate of more than 500 Sahrawi disappeared and more than 151 prisoners of war.

The tension is at its extreme limits in both occupied cities where the Moroccan forces seal the main streets and arrest persons in their houses, eye witnesses said. (SPS)

El Aaiun (occupied territories), 12/24/2006 (SPS) The Moroccan forces arrested the Sahrawi human rights activist, Brahim Al Ansari.

London, 12/23/2006 (SPS) Mr. Ali Salem Tamek, Sahrawi human rights activist and ex-political prisoner said the Moroccan authorities "do not allow the visits of international observers and media, including the European Parliamentarians, into the occupied territories of the Western Sahara, to conceal the gross crimes committed against the sons of the Sahrawi people". (SPS)

A UN “peacekeeping” force has been present in Western Sahara since a 1991 cease fire. The Polisario and the Sahara Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), the government in exile have shown remarkable patience over the past 15 years. SADR is recognized in over 80 sovereign nations as the legal government of Western Sahara and is a member of the African Union. SADR is currently headquartered in refugee camps with 160,000 Sahrawi in Algeria.

The recent European Union’s contract with Morocco to fish off the Western Morocco, the UN World Food Program reduction in food allocation to the refugees (90,000 rations short), an oil exploration contract award and other factors have led to a reported loss of hope and future in the refugee camps. The increase in repression in the occupied territory of country is stiffening the resolve of the Sahrawi to take up arms if the international community does not act soon to prevent Morocco, a nation of 33,000,000 from swallowing a country of 330,000 people that international law and United Nations guidelines and resolutions have determined should be free.

The U.N.’s ineffective, undersized (300 peacekeepers), and impotent attempts to resolve the conflict have been met by manipulation and outright defiance by King Mohammed VI. Contrary to the U.N. cease fire agreement, Morocco has deployed 160,000 troops – most of its army – into Western Sahara. With all of the turmoil in Africa, it appears the U.S. government is creating more.