U.S. Announces Groundbreaking Draft Resolution for Human Rights in Western Sahara

(Washington, DC | April 12, 2013) The Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights (RFK Center) applauds the United States’ draft resolution calling for a human rights monitoring and reporting mechanism in MINURSO, the United Nations (U.N.) Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara and the Sahrawi refugee camps outside Tindouf, Algeria.
This groundbreaking proposal by the United States reverses decades of silence from the international community on this ongoing human rights crisis. The U.N. members currently negotiating the MINURSO resolution, which is up for renewal at the end of April, are known as the Group of Friends of Western Sahara and are comprised of the United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia, and Spain.
“The mission in Western Sahara is the only U.N. peace-keeping mission that was designed without a mandate to investigate and report on human rights violations in the last several decades,” said Kerry Kennedy, President of the RFK Center. “This resolution from the United States government would right that wrong and protect hundreds of thousands of lives.”
Four decades after the UN declared a ceasefire, the Sahrawi people suffer torture, arbitrary detention, forced disappearances, and other human rights violations at the hands of the Moroccan government. And more than 100,000 refugees are left living in what were intended to be temporary camps outside Tindouf, Algeria, separated from their families since 1976 and afraid to return home.
“If human rights is a pillar of the United Nations, then it must find a way to implement an effective human rights mechanism to protect the Sahrawi people,” said Santiago Canton, Director of RFK Partners for Human Rights and former Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. “We are calling on the U.N. Secretary General, U.N. Special Envoy to Western Sahara, U.N. Members of the Security Council and Human Rights Council, The Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights, and the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees to take a simple, bold stand for human rights in Western Sahara and the Sahrawi refugee camps.”
Over the last six years, the RFK Center has been a leading voice in the global movement to include a human rights mandate in the MINURSO peace-keeping mission in Western Sahara. In 2008, the annual RFK Human Rights Award was given to Aminatou Haidar, a courageous woman  known as the “Sahrawi Gandhi,” kicking off a multi-year partnership. The RFK Center has worked hand-in-hand with Haidar and other Sahrawi rights activists to call on the international community to take action for human rights in Western Sahara.
Upon returning from the 2012 delegation to Western Sahara, the RFK Center released a Preliminary Report summarizing our findings. A full report will follow in the coming weeks. This week, Horizon Magazine, a travel periodical offered to Wall Street Journal subscribers in the United States and Toronto Star and National Post readers in Canada, published a gripping report on the RFK Center’s 2012 delegation

 http://www.wshrw.org/en/usa-anuncia-un-revolucionario-borrador-de-resolucion-sobre-el-sahara-occidental/

Ban Ki Mon change paragraphs of his report on Western Sahara by pressure from Morocco. Inner City ensures that the Group of Friends of the Sahara will negotiate a draft resolution to the margin of the African Union.

Morocco and France are trying to again misusing in the UN Security Council. A scandalous action that dissociates alarmingly credit and reputation of the UN.

On W. Sahara, UN Drops "Referendum for Self-Determination" From April 6 Report

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, April 11 -- In what is becoming an annual ritual of craven ineptitude, the UN Secretariat of Ban Ki-moon and Frenchman Herve Ladsous have again crudely watered down their report on Western Sahara.

Inner City Press is today putting online the versions of April 6, 2012, which had a discussion of the referendum on self-determination for which the UN mission MINURSO was set up, and the changed version of April 11, which drops the reference, and more.

The April 6 version said that MINURSO was

"intended to operate for three critical purposes: 1) as an instrument of stability in the event that the political stalemate continues; 2) as a mechanism to implement a referendum on self-determination in the event that the talks led by my Personal Envoy are successful; and 3) to provide independent information on conditions in the Territory to the Secretariat, the Security Council, and the international community."

The revised April 11 version changes 2) to

"as a mechanism to support implementation of successive Security Council resolutions related to the mandate of MINURSO (the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara)."

Compare April 6 version, here, especially from Paragraph 114, with April 11 changed version, here.

 This happened last year, though it took an actual leak to Inner City Press to expose it. This year, the UN did it openly, after having circulated the April 6 version.

  While most attribute the changes to pressure from Morocco, which this year unlike last is a member of the Security Council, active not only on Western Sahara and often positively, Inner City Press would put more of the blame, or shame, on the Secretariat of Ban Ki-moon and Ladsous, the fourth Frenchman in a row to head the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations.

  Already Ladsous has been written to with this complaint:

"Dear Mr. Ladsous. I am concerned by the fact that the UNSG report whose copy has been already sent to the UNSC members and the parties (Morocco news agency MAP has already published several parts of the report) still not available on the UN web site. I learned that once again Morocco is trying to force changes on some specific paragraphs contained in the 'recommendations and observations.' This attempt is showing nothing more nothing less than is not only MINRSDO on the ground which is submitted to 'unacceptable established practices' imposed by Morocco but also the UN headquarters."

  But Ladsous and Ban Ki-moon who appointed him appear to be more and more shameless. How will they explain these changes? How will envoy Christopher Ross respond? His briefing is scheduled for April 17. And what's called the Group of Friends on Western Sahara are, without AU input, negotiating a draft resolution, on which we'll have more. Watch this site.
Source: Inner City

European Parliament rejects EU-Morocco deal

The European Parliament today rejected the EU-Morocco fisheries agreement.
326 MEPs voted against the agreement, 296 voted in favour of it, and 58 abstained.
The fisheries deal, which has effectively been in force since February awaiting the Parliament’s verdict, will now have to be suspended.
After the vote, fisheries commissioner Maria Damanaki said the Commission will fully respect today’s vote and that she will tomorrow propose to the Council that it repeals the provisional application of the Protocol.
In a written statement, Damanaki wrote: “We don’t know if a new Fisheries Protocol with Morocco is possible. We are going to explore all the possible ways forward.”
She added: “In any case – as I have already stated on several occasions – if a new fisheries Protocol with Morocco were to be proposed and agreed, it would have to give convincing answers to the key issues of environmental sustainability, economic profitability and international legality.”
The European Parliament also adopted a resolution with demands on future fisheries agreements with Morocco.
Axel Naver

Links:
>> Results of roll call votes
>> Press release from the European Parliament

Morocco is attempting to paralyze the round of negotiations with the Polisario Front until it forms part of the UN Security Council.

From W. Sahara, Morocco Said to Block UN Torture Rapporteur Mendez

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, October 26 -- A briefing on Western Sahara had been promised in the UN Security Council on October, but got pushed back to the 26th to be after Morocco's October 21 election to a Council seat in 2012-13. As envoy Christopher Ross gave his briefing, behind closed doors, a Council diplomat left, telling Inner City Press that, "as usual, nothing surprising."

Afterward South African Permanent Representative Baso Sangqu told the Press that the compromise human rights mechanism agreed to, that UN Special Rapporteurs could visit, was not being implemented. Only one rapporteurs has been there, and returned critical of the denial of cultural rights in Western Sahara.

Later Inner City Press learned that another rapporteur, Juan Mendez who covers torture, has tried to visit but has received "push back" from Morocco. Mendez wanted to focus on Western Sahara, while Rabat wants him to come to Morocco. Mendez is reportedly conferring with Ross on how to move forward.

As Sangqu spoke with reporters, French Ambassador Gerard Araud walked by and laughed. Apparently his side, which opposes inclusion of a human rights mandate for the UN peacekeeping mission MINURSO, is winning: there is no need to talk.

(c) UN Photo
Ban Ki-moon & Ross: access for torture rapporteur Mendez not shown

Germany through its Deputy Permanent Representative Berger expressed a wish that Morocco would hold talks prior to January. But, others say, Morocco has said that its "diplomatic calendar" is too full until January, when they take up their Council seat.

Moroccan representatives were present around the Council and at the stakeout afterward but did not speak to the assembled media. Morocco's position on Special Rapporteur on Torture Juan Mendez would have been good to obtain; if received it will be published.

On October 21, Inner City Press asked Morocco's foreign minister not only about Western Sahara -- in his response he called it "Moroccan Sahara" -- but also about Palestine, a question he did not answer. When he goes, we will report it. And so it goes at the UN.

Fuente Inner City

The Polisario Front denounces Moroccan increased military presence in Dakhla (Western Sahara). Morocco could violate ceasefire in the UN.

The Polisario Front reporting increased military presence in the city of Dakhla and a 'resurgence of violence "towards the Saharawi days leading street protests by' beating death 'of a young man.

This was explained by the spokesman of this movement, Mohamed Salem, speaking, who says that 'two days ago has reinforced military presence', with the arrival of vehicles, tanks and helicopters.

It is an unusual presence, because they also suspect, says Salem, who to mark the upcoming anniversary of last year's incident at Camp Hope, which falls on November 8, these will be repeated.

The Polisario Front spokesman Moroccan does not clarify whether they are right with your suspicions, but reiterated that the military presence 'increases' at times.

Mohamed Salem also alleged that the violence used these days against the inhabitants of Moroccan settlers also participate Dakhla

Soar to seven dead in Dakhla (Western Sahara) clashes between Sahrawi and Moroccan settlers. Seven dead in Dakhla during clashes between Moroccan and

Seven people have died in the riots unleashed in Dakhla, South of the Sahara, from the afternoon of last Sunday, said today the 'States' (civil government) of the area. According to this information, two are police officers.

In a statement to the official MAP Agency, 'wilaya' specifies that two of the victims are police officers, and noted that there have been numerous fires of vehicles and shops, although they say that the situation is 'under control' at this time.

On the other hand, the prosaharaui organization Sahara Thawra denounced a young Sahrawi, Maichan Mohamed Lamin Lahbib, was 'killed' by a group of Moroccan settlers that him beaten.

According to Thawra, Maichan Mohamed Lamin Lahbib, born in 1982, died yesterday at noon because of 'the multiple beatings by Moroccan settlers in the streets of the city'. As a result of his death, continued the Organization through a press release, there have been clashes between the Saharans and the Moroccan police in Laayoune and the own Dakhla, as a result of which a young Sahrawi in the capital of the former Spanish colony have been arrested.

Also, continued, the Moroccan settlers, together with the police, they tried to enter in some neighborhoods of Dakhla, but found with 'resistance of Sahrawi youth'.

The settlers, according to the Organization, have also burned houses of Saharans in the city 'with the consent and supervision of the police'. The Minister of the Interior Morocco, Taieb Cherkaoui, 'already has landed in the city of Dakhla to take command of the situation and control the next steps to follow', added Thawra.

'The situation in the city of Dakhla is quite alarming, explosions are heard from several points of the city, panic and assault sweep the streets, and columns of smoke can be seen from all parts of the city', he added.

The dead on Sunday

The State Agency of news, MAP, reported Monday that at least two people were killed and several had been injured in the past because of a brawl between Sahrawi and Moroccan settlers after a match of the League of amateur football in Dakhla.

Morocco Army has besieged Dakhla in Western Sahara. Moroccan settlers burn a House of a Sahrawi family.

The clashes in the city of Dakhla began at 12 noon today, nothing more know the news of the death of the young Sahrawi, Maishan Mohamed Lamin, wounded at the hospital in the city, since that last night, he was brutally attacked by several Moroccan settlers.

Multitude of Sahrawi people took to the streets and were juntandose in the neighborhoods of Sahrawi majority called Um Tunsi, Errahma, Esalam, and the neighborhood of 64, found in the South of the city's airport.

The Saharawi population of neighborhoods with Moroccan dominance, on the other side of the city, have been fleeing progressively their homes and moving to other districts, to see how their Moroccan neighbors, settlers, looted throughout the later houses of Saharan families, all destrozandolo, burning cars and shops.

Throughout the afternoon and still continues, the Moroccan settlers are patrolling the streets of the city along with the police, both are protected by the Moroccan Army.

To the rededor of 18: 00 h, several Moroccan settlers along with the police, have fired firearms against groups of Saharans who were resisting in the streets. At that time, seems that it has been hurt a police Moroccan, after being shot by mistake by a colleague.

What is in the city of Dakhla breathes, much remembers what happened in the city of Laayoune during the aftermath of the brutal dismantling of Gdeim Izik.

At the moment, except these 4 neighbourhoods (Um Tunsi, Errahma, Esalam and 64), the city is taken by the Moroccan Army, leaving no moving through the streets to anyone, and leave their homes, except for the groups of Moroccan settlers who patrol with police.

There are dozens of wounded and detainees but unknown numbers and the names of the persons concerned.

Less than 10 minutes ago, Moroccan settlers have lit fire to Sahrawi House family Hanoun, near the neighborhood of 64. Under the supervision of the Moroccan security forces.

The city of Dakhla is totally besieged by the Moroccan Army and the only access to the city, the road that goes from Boujdour, is cut to civilian vehicles.