July 2014

Gaza (Palestine), July 22, 2014 (SPS) - At least 509 Palestinians were killed since the beginning of the Israeli aggression against Gaza, including more than 130 on Sunday, the bloodiest day since the start of the Israeli attacks against the Palestinian enclave.


At least 72 Palestinians were killed in Israel’s bloodiest bombing in the city of Shajaya (east of Gaza), said Achraf al-Qoudra, emergency services’ spokesman, quoted by Algeria Press Service (APS).

Harare, July 22, 2014 (SPS) - Zimbabwe and Namibia have reaffirmed support for the liberation of the people of Western Sahara, calling for the “full implementation” of the settlement plan in Western Sahara, reported Bulawayo 24.


In a communique issued at the end of the 7th Session of the Zimbabwe-Namibia Joint Commission of Cooperation, held in Harare from 15 to 17 July, the two countries voiced their support to the liberation of the people of Western Sahara.

Algiers July 21, 2014 (SPS) - The Special Counselor to Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, Abdelaziz Belkhadem, reaffirmed that Algeria's firm position on the issue of Western, in an interview Sunday with Algerian Daily Al-Bilad.

"The position of Algeria is principled and it has never concealed it  and manifests it proudly  as long as it is related to the right of the Sahrawi people who can decide their own future whether they want independence or  living under the Moroccan authority or autonomy," said Mr. Belkhadem.

Ezulwini (Swaziland), July 20, 2014 (SPS) - The Saharawi Republic, represented by the Permanent Representative to the AU, Lamine Baali, participated to the meetings of the 7th Conference of African Ministers in Charge of Integration, held this 14-16 July in Ezulwini, Swaziland.

London, July 20, 2014 (SPS) - Adala UK President, Sidi hmed Meska, has spent the last five months in the Occupied Territories of Western Sahara. With violent interventions against peaceful demonstrations continuing, he has observed and investigated many cases of human rights violations during this time.

In the last three months, AdalaUK was present at 13 peaceful demonstrations, most recently on 26 June 2014. On all of these occasions, we found that:

London, July 19, 2014 (SPS) - It is essential that independent and impartial investigations are carried out. The Moroccan authorities have a pitiful track record in guaranteeing truth and justice regarding investigations into human rights violations. It is imperative that a rigorous investigation takes place in order to ensure that the authorities do not commit such acts again, said AdalaUKin a statement.

Chahid Al Hafed (refugee camps), July 18, 2014 (SPS) - South Africa and peoples of the world pay Friday, July 18th, homage to the anti-apartheid freedom fighter and former president of the Republic of South Africa, late Nelson Mandela, who died at 95 on December 5th, 2013.


18th July, which is Mandela’s birthday, was declared by the UN General Assembly as Nelson Mandela International Day in 2009.

Gaza (Palestine), July 17, 2014 (SPS) - Four Palestinians were killed Thursday tank fires and Israeli air strikes bringing the number of Palestinians martyrs to 230 since July 8, the beginning of the Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip, reported the Algerian Press Service (APS).


Thursday at dawn, an air raid on Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, killed one person and injured two others, according to Ashraf al-Qodra, spokesman for emergency services.

Tokyo, July 17, 2014 (SPS) - Four Japanese senators and members of parliament have voiced their support to the right of the Saharawi people to self-determination and independence, regretting for the fact that Western Sahara problem is still left unsolved for more than 39 years.


In four separate letters sent to the Saharawi people, obtained Thursday by SPS, the Japanese senators and parliamentarians called on the government of their country to work in favour of freeing the last colony in Africa, which is Western Sahara.

London, July 16, 2014 (SPS) - The London-based international news channel “VICE News” has started as from Monday the broadcasting of a series of five documentaries about the forgotten conflict of Western Sahara, entitled “the Sahara’s Forgotten War.”


VICE News travels to Western Sahara’s occupied and liberated territories, as well as the Saharawi refugee camps in Algeria, to find out more about the conflict of Western Sahara, one of the world’s least-reported conflicts.

Tokyo, July 17, 2014 (SPS) - Former Prime Minister of Japan, Mr. Yukio Hatoyama, has asked the government of his country to support “more strongly” the efforts undertaken by the United Nations in Western Sahara, demanding a “quick implementation” of the self-determination referendum of the Saharawi people.


In a letter obtained Thursday by SPS, Mr. Hatoyama called on Japan to denounce the violations of human rights being carried out by Morocco in the occupied territories of Western Sahara.

Chahid Al hafed (refugee camps), July 16, 2014 (SPS) - President of the Republic, secretary General of the Polisario Front Mr. Mohamed Abdelaziz received Wednesday Mr. Mr. Wolfgang Weisbrod-Weber of Germany, special representative of the UN Secretary General for Western Sahara and Head of MINURSO, who is in a farewell visit to the Saharawi refugee camps from Tuesday.

Ezulwini (Swaziland), July 16, 2014 (SPS) - The Saharawi Republic (SADR) takes part to the work of the 7th conference of the African Ministers in charge of integration, convened in the city of Ezulwini, Swaziland, from 14th until 18th July 2014.


The conference focuses on the infrastructure and integration Africa.


The SADR is represented at the meeting by Mr. Lamine Baali, ambassador in Ethiopia and permanent representative to the African Union (AU).

London, July 16, 2014 (SPS) - The UK human rights charity “Sandblast” on Sunday organized a ceremony to launch its annual awareness event “Run the Sahara” to raise funding for the 15th edition of Sahara Marathon, held in the Saharawi refugee camps in February each year.


Held under theme “recruit 40 runners, one for each year of exile”, the ceremony was attended by a number of sympathizers and people interested in the Saharawi cause, of which the well-known BBC journalists Robin Denselow and Laura Cathery.

Nairobi, July 16, 2014 (SPS) - Ambassador of the Saharawi Republic (SADR) in Kenya Mr. Abba Almud presented Tuesday a lecture about the decolonization and the latest developments of the question of Western Sahara at the University of Nairobi, said a statement issued by SADE embassy in Nairobi.

Chahid Al Hafed (refugee camps), July 16, 2014 (SPS) - The Union of Saharawi Journalists and Writers (UPES) organized Tuesday a sit-in at the headquarters of the Saharawi Television (RSDTV) to show solidarity with the Saharawi journalist and blogger Mahmoud Al-Haissen, who has been detained by Moroccan occupying forces on 4th July 2014.


The sit-in was attended by the Saharawi journalists, cadres in the Polisario Front and the state, in addition to of civil society representatives.

Chahid Al Hafed (refugee camps), July 15, 2014 (SPS) - The Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Western Sahara and Head of MINURSO Mr. Wolfgang Weisbrod-Weber of Germany will pay Tuesday a farewell visit to the Saharawi refugee camps, where he met with senior Saharawi officials.

Canary Islands (Spain), July 14, 2014 (SPS) -The Parliament of the Canary Islands affirmed its full support to the Western Sahara cause and the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination, a representative of the Polisario Front in the Canary Islands, Hamdi Mansour said.

El Aaiun (occupied territories), July 14, 2014 (SPS) - Moroccan occupying army on Saturday assassinated the Saharawi citizen, Brahim Badda Ould Taher, near Oum Draiga region in occupied Western Sahara, said member of the victim’s family.


According to the source, Brahim Badda was shot dead by units of the Moroccan occupying army using live bullets.


Moroccan occupying army tried to hide the corpse of the Saharawi citizen by dumping it 150 km from the place of the crime, the same source said.

Algiers, July 13, 2014 (SPS) - President of the Consultative National Commission for Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (CNCPPDH) lawyer Farouk Ksentini criticized Saturday, in Algiers, the comments made recently by Moroccan Foreign Minister about African Union's designation of special envoy to Western Sahara, and in which he cited Algeria.

"Those remarks are in line with Morocco's offensive policy whenever the Polisario Front makes an achievement or a step forward," Ksentini said.