April 2016

Ait Melloul (Morocco), April 30, 2016 (SPS) - Saharawi political prisoner Mbarek Daoudi on Friday began a 48 hour hunger strike to express solidarity with the Sahrawi students in the prison of Marrakech, Saharawi political prisoner Abdel Khaleg Merkhi and condemn the crime of the assassination of Saharawi martyr Ibrahim Saika.
In a statement, the family of Mbraek Daoudi held the Moroccan authorities fully responsible for the consequences of the deterioration of his health because of the strike.

Washington (United States), April 30, 2016 (SPS) - Polisario Front called on Friday the Security Council to take a "decisive" action to allow the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) to fully fulfill its mandate and to set a firm schedule for negotiations with Morocco.

Washington (United States), April 30, 2016 (SPS) - UN Security Council called Friday on the Polisario Front and Morocco to start a new round of negotiations, reiterating  its support to the efforts made by Ban Ki-moon's special envoy for Western Sahara, for the settlement of the conflict.
In the resolution it adopted Friday, extending the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) by one year, the Security Council stresses the importance of carrying on preparation for a fifth round of talks on the final status of Western Sahara.

New York, April 29, 2016 (SPS) - The Representative of the Polisario Front to the United Nation, Boukhari Ahmed, has welcomed the renewal of the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) by the UN Security Council.
Following the decision of the UN Security Council on Friday to renew the mandate of the mission, Mr. Boukhari Ahmed also called for more urgent and decisive Council action to reverse Morocco’s expulsion of MINURSO’s civilian personnel, and to set a firm timeline for final negotiations on a referendum.

Washington, April 26, 2016 (SPS) - The United Nations Security Council on Friday has adopted the resolution 2285 (2016) extending the mandate of the UN Mission for Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) for one year until 30 April 2016.
The United States-drafted resolution was backed by 10 countries in the 15-member Security Council, while two voted against and three others abstained.SPS
 
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London, April 29, 2016 (SPS) - The international organization supporting Western Sahara and based in the United Kingdom, Western Sahara Action Forum (WSAF) has blamed the United Nations Security Council for Morocco's human rights violations against Sahrawi prisoners.
All violations by the Moroccan authorities against Sahrawi citizens are "direct result of the UN Security Council's failure to implement a referendum on the right of self-determination" of Sahrawi people, said WSAF in a statement published on its website.

Martyr Ammi Military School,  April  28, 2016 (SPS) - Prime Minister, Mr. Abdelkader Taleb Omar oversees today the graduation of second promotion of reserve units for defense and national security in  military School of martyr Ammi.
 
Speaking at the graduation ceremony, Prime Minister praised the spirit of discipline and readiness of the promotion during its training, briefing  them on Saharawi issue developments at UN level focusing on Moroccan direct confrontation with UN due to its consistent intransigence.

Washington (United States), April 28, 2016 (SPS) - US draft resolution on Western Sahara, requiring from Morocco to immediately re-establish the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), was altered on Wednesday under the pressure of France, which has reduced its value and removed its urgency," UN sources said Wednesday.
The new version of the resolution, of which APS has a copy, provides for a briefing by the UN secretary general on the re-establishment of MINURSO activities in 120 days (four months).

Helsinki (Finland),  April 28, 2016 (SPS) - The Finish former Foreign Minister, Mr. Erkki Tuomioja stressed in an interview with the Association for the Monitoring of the resources and for the protection of the environment (AMRPENWS), I have been a minister for eleven years, and all these years, I don’t see the Moroccan side being interested in any solution, and is undermining the UN’s resolutions... but at the same time, the UN should be the primary mover for a solution for the issue. We have the resolutions, but they have to be implemented.
 

Rome, April 28, 2016 (SPS) - Minister Counsellor and Personal Envoy of the President of Republic, Mr. Bashir Mustapha Sayed, held several meeting at different levels, the government, parliament and political parties during his visit to Italy.
President Envoy accompanied by Polisario Front’s representative in Italy, Mr. Amih Omar has met the Deputy Foreign Minister in charge of the Mediterranean region, Mr. Enzo Amendula,

Accra (Ghana), April 28, 2016 (SPS) - The Ghanaian Forum on Western Sahara asked the President of the UN Security Council, Mr. Liu Jieyi to take concrete steps to ensure full functionality and mandate of MIUNRSO.
 
In a letter to the President of the Security Council, on Monday, the Ghanaian Forum expressed its concern on recent developments regarding the mandate and functionality of the Mission of the United Nations for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) which  its civilian component was expelled by Morocco.
 

Brussels, April 28, 2016 (SPS) - The European Commission rejected once again the false allegations on the embezzlement of humanitarian aid destined to the Sahrawi refugees and the overestimation of their number when calculating the financial aid provided by the European Union (EU).
“It is not up to the European Union to carry out a census of refugees,” wrote commissioner of the European Commission in charge of humanitarian aid and crisis management Christos Stylianides in a reply to Euro-MP Hugues Bayet, known for his close ties with Morocco.

New York, April 27, 2016 (SPS) – the Polisario Front Coordinator with MINURSO, Mr. Emhamed khadad demands the UN Security Council the immediate reinstatement of MINURSO to its mandated status quo ante
“Want to see the Council use tomorrow’s resolution to demand the immediate reinstatement of MINURSO to its mandated status quo ante, including by use of sanctions against Morocco, if necessary.” Polisario Front Coordinator with MINURSO said in his press conference today in New York.SPS
 
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New York, 27 April 2016 – On the eve of the UN Security Council’s renewal of the mandate of the Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), the Frente POLISARIO’s MINURSO Coordinator, Emhamed Khadad, made the following statement to the press.
 

New York, April 27, 2016 (SPS) – the Polisario Front Coordinator with MINURSO, Mr. Emhamed khadad calls today the UN Security Council to response Moroccan big challenge to its authority, and to the security and integrity of peacekeeping missions worldwide in press conference held in New York.

New York, April 27, 2016 (SPS) – the Polisario Front Coordinator with MINURSO, Mr. Emhamed khadad praises today the African strong support towards the issue of the Saharawi people during his press conference on the eve of the next meeting of UNSC on Western Sahara in New York.
“Pleased to see AU Special Envoy Chissano brief the Council yesterday.  There is strong African solidarity in favour of the Saharawi people.  Morocco is the only African country not in the AU, precisely because it has isolated itself on WS”. Emhamed khadad says

New York, April 27, 2016 (SPS) – the Polisario Front Coordinator with MINURSO, Mr. Emhamed khadad said that Moroccan unilateral decision to expel 84 staff of MINURSO is longstanding comtempt to the United Nations during press conference on the eve of the next meeting of UNSC on Western Sahara in New York.

New York, April 27, 2016 (SPS) - The Special Envoy of African Union for Western Sahara, Joaquim Chissano, requested the UN Security Council to set a date for the holding of the referendum in his intervention in meeting with UN Security Council.
AU envoy stressed that UN Security Council should set a date for the holding of the referendum.
 

New York, April 27, 2016 (SPS) - The Special Envoy of African Union for Western Sahara, Joaquim Chissano, called to the respect the Sahrawi people’s permanent sovereignty over their natural resources during his meeting with UN Security Council.
The former President of Mozambique and current AU envoy to Western Sahara said that UN Security Council should properly address and condemn the illegal exploitation of the Territory’s natural resources
 

New York, April 27, 2016 (SPS) - The Special Envoy of African Union for Western Sahara, Joaquim Chissano, urged the UN Security Council to provide MINURSO with a human rights mandate during his  meeting with UN Security Council.
The UN Security Council should provide MINURSO with a human rights mandate, taking into account the need to ensure sustained, independent and impartial monitoring of human rights in both the Territory and the refugee camps, Joaquim Chissano says