February 2013

Oslo, Feb 4, 2013 (SPS) - The Saharawi Coordinator with the MINURSO Mr. Mhamed Khaddad held Thursday and Friday several meetings with Norwegian Foreign Ministry officials and representative of political parties, a part of a working tour to northern Europe.


Mr. Khaddad received at Norwegian Foreign Ministry headquarters by the Foreign Minister’s Political Advisor Ms. Katherine Radim, and met with representative of the leading political parties, trade unions, youth organizations and parliamentarians in Norway.

Bir Lehlou (liberated territories), Feb 4, 2013 (SPS) - The President of the Republic and Secretary General of the POLISARIO Front Mr. Mohamed Abdelaziz called the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon for the immediate intervention to release Gdeim izik group and the rest of Saharawi political prisoners currently incarcerated in Moroccan jails, in a letter sent Sunday.

Algiers, Feb 3, 2013 (SPS) - The Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Mohamed Salem Ould Salek welcomed Sunday in Algiers the decision taken at the recent African summit in designating the African Union Commission to take all measures for the holding of a referendum on self-determination in Western Sahara, expressing readiness of the Saharawi government to contribute to the realization of this endeavour.

Pretoria, Feb 3, 2013 (SPS) - The South African Movement of Solidarity with the Saharawi People condemned, in a memorandum issued on Thursday, the military trial that was planned for Friday against Gdeim izik prisoners, calling Morocco to ensure that no civilians and activists defending human rights are tried in front of the Military Court.

Stockholm, Feb 3, 2013 (SPS) - Four major Swedish food chains signed on 22 Jan 2013 a letter of intent with the Swedish Western Sahara support network VästsaharaAktionen, outlining their stance vis-à-vis produce imports from Western Sahara.


The four food chains are Axfood, Coop, ICA and Bergendahls/City Gross.

Addis Ababa, Feb 2, 2013 (SPS) - The Chairperson of the African Union Commission Dr. Nkosazana Clarice Dlamini-Zuma has affirmed the Union’s strong resolve to continue supporting and defending the right of Saharawi Republic to recover its territories occupied by Moroccan Kingdom, in a statement on the sidelines of a farewell meeting on honour of the Saharawi Ambassador Dr. Sidi Mohamed Omar, after the end of his missions as a permanent representative of SADR to the AU.

Rabat, Feb 2, 2012 (SPS) - The military court of Rabat postponed Friday the trial of the 24 Saharawi political prisoners, arrested following the dismantling of Gdeim Izik camp, to next Friday, informed a close source to families of the group.


The court decided to postpone the trial after the lawyers submitted a petition demanding the presence of eyewitnesses the arrests that took place on 8 Nov 2010 following Moroccan forces’ attack on Gdeim izik camp, near El Aaiun, said the source.

Paris, Feb 2, 2013 (SPS) - French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius was questioned by Parliament, through senator Leila Aichi, about the referendum on self-determination in Western Sahara.


"The political situation in Western Sahara seemed to have reached a deadlock in Western Sahara, while the living conditions of Saharawi refugees are a real matter of concern," the French Senator wrote in a statement.