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February 2018

Court of South Africa: Seized phosphate shipment belongs to Sahrawi Republic

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Port Elizabeth, South Africa, February 23, 2018 (SPS) - The High Court of South Africa on Friday issued a final ruling on the shipment of phosphates held in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, that the shipment belongs to the Sahrawi Republic, confirming that Morocco had never any ownership over Sahrawi phosphate. 

Western Sahara in 2017: Moroccan authorities use “unnecessary excessive force”

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London, Feb 23, 2018 (SPS) - The Moroccan authorities used, in 2017, “unnecessary and excessive force” against the population of Western Sahara who claimed their right to self-determination and justice, affirmed the latest annual report of Amnesty International (AI) on the situation of human rights in the world, published on Thursday.
The authorities routinely used excessive and unnecessary force to disperse peaceful protests in Western Saharan cities, including Laayoune, Smara, Boujdour and Dakhla, » said teh report.

Renegotiation EU-Morocco Agreements: EP Intergroup "worried" about Commission’s "lack of transparency"

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Brussels, Feb 22, 2018 (SPS) - The European Parliament Intergroup "Peace for the Saharawi people" expressed on Wednesday "deep concern" over the  European Commission’s "lack of transparency" during its negotiations with Morocco, about an additional agreement to the Association Agreement, in order to comply with the ruling of the European Court of Justice, of December 2016.

Plundering of Sahrawi natural resources: Euro-MPs, international trade unionists express “deep concern”

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Brussels, Feb 22, 2018 (SPS) - The participants in the conference “trade unionists and solidarity with Western Sahara” organized Monday and Tuesday at the European Parliament in Brussels expressed their “deep concern” over the continuing plundering of Western Sahara’s natural resources, calling on EU and its institutions to “clearly condemn” any illegal exploitation of these resources.

While Morocco rejects AU role, Gutiérrez affirms African crises must be resolved by African leaders

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Lisbon, Feb 21, 2018 (SPS) - The UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, said on Monday at a press conference after being awarded the title of Doctor Honoris Causa by the University of Lisbon that the African crises must be resolved by African leaders.
Guterres said he is "a great defender of African leadership" to solve the problems affecting the continent and that "the United Nations should be a focus of support for African initiatives."

South African Minister of Science and Technology renews her country's firm position and supports to Sahrawi people right

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Pretoria (South Africa), Feb  21, 2018 (SPS) - Minister of Science and Technology, Mrs. Naledi Pandor, renewed on Tuesday her country's solid support of the struggling Saharawi people, she minister was speaking in parliament yesterday during the debate on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s state of the nation address delivered last Friday. Ramaphosa is expected to respond later today.
The South African official urged urged that Western Sahara – the last occupied territory on the continent – should not be neglected.

Prisoners of Gdeim Izik: AI calls on Morocco to respect the rights of defense

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London, Feb. 20, 2018 (SPS) - The Human Rights Organization, Amnesty International (AI), has called on Moroccan authorities to respect the rights of defense of the group of prisoners in Gdeim Izik after the ban on entering the.Morocco of two of their lawyers.Two lawyers, Ingrid Metton and Olfa Ouled, from the group of Saharawi political activists in Gdeim Izik, detained in Morocco for more than seven years, were banned last Monday from entering Morocco.

Gdeim Izik prisoners: AI calls on Morocco to respect right to defence

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London, Feb 19, 2018 (SPS) - The human rights organization Amnesty International (AI) has called on the Moroccan authorities to respect the right to defence for the Gdeim Izik prisoners, following the expulsion of two of their lawyers, Ingrid Metton and Olfa Ouled.
In a tweet posted after the expulsion, the AI said that Moroccan authorities must "respect the right to defence for the Gdeim Izik detainees, including the right to a lawyer of their choice."

UK "fully supports" UN-led peace process

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London (UK), Feb 19, 2018 (SPS) - The United Kingdom "fully supports" the peace process led by the UN Secretary General's Personal Envoy to Western Sahara Horst Kohler, the UK Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department of International Development Alistair Burt said Sunday.
The UK minister stressed, in a tweet, that he had met Horst Kohler on the sidelines of Munich peace conference, in Germany, with whom he had a "useful exchange" on Western Sahara conflict.

Permanent Office reiterates readiness of Sahrawi Republic to negotiate with Kingdom of Morocco as two members of African Union

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Shaheed El-Hafed, Feb 19, 2018 (SPS) - The Permanent Office of the National Secretariat of the Polisario Front has renewed the readiness of the Sahrawi Republic to negotiate with the Kingdom of Morocco as two members of the African Union in order to end the Moroccan occupation of parts of the Sahrawi territory in accordance with its charter and resolutions and that of the United Nations. 

Election of UJSARIO deputy president of IUSY

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Becici (Montenegro) February 17, 2018 (SPS) – Member of Sahrawi Youth Union (UJSARIO), Minetou Larabas, has been elected, on Saturday, deputy president of the International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY) for two years, along with three deputies from Africa, during IUSY 33rd Congress.
With this honor, UJSARIO has been awarded the position for the fourth time in succession, and Minetou Larabas succeeded Aseria Mohammed Talib, who held the position for three years.

EU-Morocco fisheries agreement: WSRW welcomes Sweden’s position

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London, Feb 18, 2018 (SPS) - The Western Sahara Resource Watch (WSRW) hailed Friday, Sweden’s opposition to the European Commission’s sought mandate to start negotiations with Morocco for a new fisheries agreement, which includes the Western Sahara territorial waters.
“Sweden’s position seems to have evolved towards one that is more compliant with international law and the CJEU ruling,” said the Coordinator of Western Sahara Resource Watch, Sara Eyckman, cited in the WSRW’s communiqué.

IUSY 33rd Congress calls for respect of international law in Western Sahara

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Becici (Montenegro) February 17, 2018 (SPS) - The 33rd Congress of the International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY) on Saturday approved a recommendation on Western Sahara calling on the international community to respect international humanitarian law in Western Sahara.
The recommendation called for respect for international humanitarian law in the occupied territories of Western Sahara, in particular the right to freedom of association, assembly, protest, freedom of movement and expression.

Adala UK: Morocco continues arbitrary expulsions of international observers from Western Sahara

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During 2017, Adala UK recorded that the number of cases of people who had been denied entry to or been arbitrarily expelled from Western Sahara by Morocco had reached 76. These people included international observers, human rights defenders, journalists, lawyers, those from the solidarity movement and those accused of 'disturbing the peace' or being 'undesirables', all of whom were attempting to conduct human rights monitoring work.

IUSY Congress opens with participation of Sahrawi delegation

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Becici (Montenegro) February 17, 2018 (SPS) - The 33rd Congress of International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY) opened on Friday in Becici, Montenegro, with the participation of a Saharawi delegation representing the Youth Union (UJSARIO) and the Students Union (UESARIO), alongside a large number of delegations from different countries of the world.
The opening ceremony was attended by the President of the Socialist Party of Montenegro, Milo Dukanovic, who hailed in his speech the work of socialist youth around the world.

Sweden rejects renewal of EU-Morocco Fisheries agreement

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Stockholm,  Feb 15, 2018 (SPS) -Sweden announced that it will vote against granting the European Commission of the negotiation mandate on the new protocol relating to the fisheries agreement between the European Union and Morocco, including the Sahrawi territorial waters, said the Sahrawi news agency SPS.
 

Messahel to meet with UN SG Personal Envoy for Western Sahara Thursday in Berlin

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  Algiers, Feb 15, Algiers 2017 (SPS) -Foreign Minister Abdelkader Messahel on Thursday will fly to Berlin where he will hold talks with the Personal Envoy of the United Nations (UN) Secretary General for Western Sahara Horst Kohler part of the mission entrusted to him by the UN Security Council, announced the Foreign Ministry in a communiqué.