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December 2020

SPLA pursues attacks on Moroccan army positions

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Bir Lehlou (Sahrawi Republic), 19 December 2020 (SPS)-The Sahrawi People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) on Thursday led intensive attacks on Morocco’s military bases west of the sand wall that divides Western Sahara, said the Sahrawi Defence Ministry in a communiqué.

Senator Inhofe: Morocco has hired lobbyists in Washington to counter Polisario

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Washington, 19 December 2020 (SPS) - Morocco hires lobbyists to influence Washington decisions concerning Western Sahara question, Senator James Inhofe said on Thursday in front of the UN Congress.
"Today, right now, Morocco is represented by JPC Strategies, Third Circle, and Neale Creek, and average over $1 million each year. So all these lobbyists in Washington have been hired by Morocco," assured James Inhofe who is President of the US Senate’s Defense Committee.

AU PSC special meeting to reach a new agreement on peace in Western Sahara

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Addis Abeba, 19 December 2020 (SPS) - The African Union (AU) Commissioner for Peace and Security Smail Chergui underlined that the Peace and Security Council (PSC) will hold a special meeting on Western Sahara in order to make proposals likely to reach a new peace and ceasefire agreement between the two sides to the conflict.

SPLA continues attacks on Moroccan military bases for 34th day in row

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Bir Lahlou (Liberated Territories), 19 December 2020 (SPS) - The units of the Sahrawi People's Liberation Army (SPLA) continued Wednesday their attacks on the bases and positions of Morocco's occupation forces, along the wall of shame in the area of El-Guerguerat, the Sahrawi ministry of Defense said in a statement.

Trump exploits weakness of Arab countries to bring them to normalize with Israel

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Ramallah, 19 December 2020 (SPS) -The Trump administration entered into collusion or complicity with the U.S. administration and with Israel to bring Arab countries to normalize their relations with Israel, said the former executive committee member of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Hanane Achraoui.

HRW Press Release: Neither American recognition nor Moroccan repression can take away Saharawi rights

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New York (USA) 18 December 2020 (SPS)- Human Rights Watch issued a Press release Today, stressing that neither US outgoing President, Donald Trump, recognition of Moroccan occupation nor the rising repression by Moroccan authorities against Saharawi civilians can take away Saharawi people’s rights to freedom and self-determination.
Following is the full text of the Press release as published on HRW website:
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Western Sahara: Morocco Cracks Down on Activists

James Baker III: Trump’s recognition of Western Sahara is a serious blow to diplomacy and international law (Opinion)

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Washington (USA) 18 December 2020 (SPS)- Former US Secretary of State, James Baker III, published an opinion yesterday in The Washington Post, warning against the dangerous possible implications of US outgoing President, Donald Trump, illegal decision to recognise Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara.
Following is the full text of James Baker III’s Opinion as published:
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“Trump’s recognition of Western Sahara is a serious blow to diplomacy and international law

John Bolton: Biden Must Reverse Course on Western Sahara (Article)

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Washington (USA) 18 December 2020 (SPS)- Former US National Security Advisor and diplomat, John Bolton, published an opinion on Foreign Policy, criticising the decision by US outgoing President, Donald Trump, to recognise Moroccan illegal occupation of Western Sahara, considering that US upcoming administartion should reverse course on this illegal move.
Following is the full text of the Opinion Article Bolton Published on Foreign Policy last Tuesday 15 December:

Christopher Ross: Trump’s proclamation on Western Sahara is “foolish and ill-considered decision”

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Washington (USA) 18 December 2020 (SPS)- Former UN Secretary General’s Personal Envoy to Western Sahara, Ambassador Chrisopher Ross, criticised last Monday 14 December the latest Proclamation of Trump recognising the Moroccan illegal occupation of Western Sahara, considering it "foolish and ill-considered decision”.
Following is the full opinion of Ross:

POLISARIO addresses a letter to UN Member States on US outgoing President’s proclamation regarding Western Sahara

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New York (United Nations) 17 December 2020 (SPS) -Member of the National Secretariat of the Frente POLISARIO and Representative at the United Nations, Dr. Sidi Mohamed Omar, sent a letter to Member States of the United Nations today containing the views of the Frente POLISARIO on the proclamation issued by the outgoing US President regarding Western Sahara on 10 December 2020.

Portugal's presidential candidate criticizes her government's silence towards Trump's proclamation

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Lisbon (Portugal), Dec 17, 2020 (SPS) - The candidate for the presidency of Portugal and former member of the European Parliament for the Socialist Party, Mrs. Ana Gomes, criticized “the silence of the Portuguese government towards the proclamation made by the outgoing President of the United States, Donald Trump, to recognize Morocco's alleged sovereignty over Western Sahara in exchange for normalizing its relations with Israel”

Western Sahara: Trump's decision may create instability in Maghreb

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Washinton (United States),  Dec 17, 2020 (SPS) - The recognition of the alleged Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara territory, announced recently by outgoing US president Donald Trump may undermine U.S. policy and raise significant problems of stability across the Maghreb, former United States National Security Advisor John Bolton said Tuesday.

Norway reaffirms its support for a political solution guarantees Sahrawi people right to self-determination

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Oslo (Norway), Dec 16, 2020 (SPS) - The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway, Ms. Ine Eriksen, stated that “the position of her country is firm and known by both parties, which is based on the support to a political solution in accordance with Security Council resolutions, whose latest resolution 2548 (2020) emphasizes respect for the right of the people of Western Sahara to self-determination.

British NGO Says Trump Proclamation Contradicts International Legality

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London (United Kingdom), Dec 16, 2020 (SPS) - The British organization Western Sahara Campaign stated that “the proclamation of the outgoing President of the United States, Donald Trump, which supposedly grants the sovereignty of Western Sahara to Morocco, was a regrettable decision that contradicts international legality and negatively affects the international credibility of his country ”.

New Zealand reaffirms support to UN peace process and to the holding of a referendum of self-determination in Western Sahara

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Willengton (New Zealand) 15 December 2020 (SPS)- New Zealand Minister for Foreign Affairs, H.E. Nanaia Mahuta, reaffirmed today her country’s strong support tp the UN peace process in Western Sahara.
“New Zealand’s long-standing position on Western Sahara is unchanged and we remain strongly supportive of the United Nations peace process,” she stressed.

Christopher Ross: International community's approach to Sahrawi question remains unchanged

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Washington, 15 December 2020 (SPS) - Former UN Envoy for Western Sahara Christopher Ross said on Monday that the decision of the outgoing US president Donald Trump, recognizing Morocco's alleged sovereignty over Western Sahara doesn’t change the international community approach on this conflict, recalling Algeria's "clear" position on the right of peoples to self-determination.

Trump's decision sparks new surge of international solidarity with Sahrawi cause

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Algiers, 15 December 2020 (SPS) - The recent deal between the United States and Morocco has generated involuntarily a "new surge" of international solidarity with the just cause of Western Sahara, the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) President's advisor, Bachir Mustapha Sayed, said Sunday.
In a statement to APS, the Saharawi President’s advisor dubbed outgoing US President Donald Trump' decision on Western Sahara as "ephemeral" and "irresponsible," saying that "it has made the Saharawi question known on a larger scale."

Morocco impeded UN envoys’ work, says Ross

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Washington, 15 December 2020 (SPS) - Morocco “has shown disrespect” and impeded the work of United Nations (UN) envoys, former UN Envoy for Western Sahara Christopher Ross wrote on his Facebook page.
According to Christopher Ross, who served as a UN Envoy for Western Sahara from 2009 to 2017, Horst Kohler, another UN envoy, would have not resigned "for health reasons" but more likely out of disgust for Morocco's lack of respect and efforts to impede his work (as they did with me).”

Trump’s proclamation on Western Sahara is “foolish,” “ill-considered,” says Ross

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Washington, 15 December 2020 (SPS) - Former UN Secretary General’s Personal Envoy for Western Sahara Christopher Ross underlined Sunday that the recognition by Trump of the alleged Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara is a “foolish and ill-considered decision” which goes against the peoples’ right to self-determination.