SAHARA PRESS SERVICE

Algiers, 05/08/2004 (SPS) The representatives of Algerian Red Crescent (CRA), Nebach Djemaa, proceeded Thursday to the deliverance of a symbolic quantity of food and clothes to the Saharawi Red Crescent (CRS) at the Cinema of Algeria (Algiers), with the presence of the President of the Community of Algiers Centre and other Algerian figures as well as the Saharawi delegation, which participates to the activities of the week of brotherhood and solidarity with the Saharawi people.

The ceremony took place with the presence of Mehrez El Amari, President of the Algerian National Committee of Solidarity with the Saharawi people (CNASPS) and Mr. Boughdour Ali, coordinator of the CRA with the CRS. The donation was handed over to the representative of the CRS to Algeria, Hamad Bourhah.

On another hand, the CRA exposed videos covering its humanitarian activities and experiences, noting that it is an accredited partner within the HCR, WFP and other NGOs, through which its donations to the Saharawi refugees are passed. (SPS)

020/ALG/000 051820 August 04 SPS

SPS
SADR/SPAIN/MOROCCO
A Spanish Association criticises "the contradictions" of the Spanish policy concerning Western Sahara

Seville, 05/08/04 (SPS) The vice-President of the Spanish Association of Friendship with Saharawi people (AAPS), Miguel Castro, criticised the lack of coherence in the policy of his country concerning Western Sahara question. He called the Spanish Government to make use of "its good relationships" with Morocco to convince it implement the peace plan for the self-determination of the Saharwi people.

In a statement to the Spanish Agency, Europa Press, Mr. Castro expressed his "bewilderment" to "the contradictions" dominating the new Spanish position towards Western Sahara. He further expressed his astonishment in front of many Spanish officials statements of "opposition first then support to the Baker plan, to thereafter search adjustments to the same" plan.

The Spanish officials "are lacking inventiveness or they are adopting an ambiguous strategy", he said, since they "are launching contradictory messages", which do not help understand their political vision of the way to follow to resolve this conflict for which Spain declared to be engaged to support any "solution that will allow Saharawi people free self-determination through a referendum in conformity with UN's resolutions".

Mr. Castro, on another hand, called his Government to "take profit of its good relationships with Moroccan Government to push it towards the agreements of the UN's peace plan for the self-determination of the Saharawi people", unanimously adopted by Security Council and considered by the same as the "optimal solution" to Western Sahara conflict. (SPS)

060/090/000 051238 August 04 SPS

SPS
SADR/ALGERIA/SOLIDARITY/MEDIAS
Algerian press widely covers the week of solidarity with Saharawi people

Algiers, 05/08/2004 (SPS) Algerian press widely covered Thursday the Week of Solidarity with Saharawi people, which is taking place from the 4th to the 10th August in Algiers under the theme "the peaceful and final solution to the Saharawi question should obligatorily pass through the application of the right to self-determination".

Under the title "a week to express solidarity between Algerian and Saharawi peoples", Algerian newspaper "La tribune" reproduced large parts of the speech of the Saharawi Prime Minister, who is chairing his country's delegation in this event. It also reproduced extracts of speeches of many representatives of Algerian associations and Parliament, who reaffirmed "the unshakeable solidarity between the two States and peoples".

The newspaper put forward the statements of the representatives of Algerian Senate, who openly said: "We are for the edification of the Maghreb Union. But there can not be a Maghreb Union without Western Sahara, and the solution to the conflict should pass through Saharawi people self-determination".
 
"La tribune" noted "the atmosphere of conviviality and brotherhood of the opening of the week of solidarity with Saharawi people", underlining that the organisation of this event aims to "the implication of all the civil society" in the legitimate struggle of the Saharawi people, according to the terms of the Mayor of Algiers Centre, Tayeb Zitouni, who added that other communities will participate to this week of solidarity.

"The honours of Algiers Centre to Western Sahara", edited Algerian newspaper " Le soir d’Algérie" in its front page. It reported extracts of the speech of the representative of the Algerian Senate, Seddik Chihab, who affirmed that the edification of the Maghreb Union depends on the settlement of the Saharawi conflict in which "the right to self-determination is inalienable", affirming that "in faithfulness to the martyrs of the war of liberation, Algeria has the duty of adopting the cause of the Saharawi people".

"L'expression", on its side, entitled its edition "Algiers receives El Aaiun", reproduced quotations of the speech of the Saharawi Prime Minister, Abdelkader Taleb Oumar, who hailed "the indefectible support of Algeria" to the cause of the Saharawi people and to its "self-determination along the lines of the solution proposed by the United Nations, represented in the Baker Plan".

The newspaper also reported the statement of Saharawi Minister of occupied territories, Khalil sidi M’Hamed, who talked about more than 526 disappeared in Western Sahara, whose fates is not yet revealed by the coloniser and about 14 political detainees whom Morocco refuse to consider as political prisoners.

"La nouvelle République" and "Le soir d'Algérie", had also widely covered the opening ceremony of this week of solidarity, in which the twinning between the Saharawi Capital, El Aaiun, and the Community of Algiers Centre, already linked by a twinning protocol signed in 2002, was renewed.

It was also noted that the Park Sfindja de Télemly (Algiers) will take the name of the Saharawi liberated town, Tifariti, the School of El Mouahiddine, will take the name of a Sharawi martyr, Mohamed Sid Brahim Bassiri, who was assassinated during the Spanish colonisation, while a Shararawi press centre baptised , Centre Mohamed Fadel Ismail (Saharawi martyr and imminent writer), will be inaugurated by the Head of the Saharawi State, Mohamed Abdelaziz, who will move to the Algerian capital this Sunday according to the organisers. (SPS)

010/090/666/TRD 051820 August 04 SPS

SPS
SADR/ALGERIA/CONGRATULATIONS
The minister of defence felicitates the new Algerian Chief of military staff

Bir Lehlu, 05/08/2004 (SPS) The Minster of defence, Mohamed Lamine Bouhali, sent a message of congratulation to Algerian General, Ahmed Gaid Saleh, on the occasion of his nomination Wednesday as Chief of Staff of the Algerian National Popular Army (ANP). Here is bellow the complete text of the message SPS translated form Arabic.
 
"To the Chief of Staff of Algerian
National Popular Army,
General. Ahmed Gaid Saleh,
Algiers

General and dear brother,

On the occasion of your nomination as Chief of Staff of the Algerian National Popular Army, I would like to express you, on my name and on behalf of Saharawi National Liberation Army, my best congratulations and my best wishes of good health and prosperity, asking Allah, the All Almighty, to help you succeed in your new mission and to help you in the achievement of what is good for Algeria and its people.

Your presence in this very stage on the head of the Algerian National Popular Army, successor of the Algerian National Liberation Army, carries in itself a lot of wisdom.
 
We are persuaded that as you proved in the period of the struggle for the liberation of Algeria, you will be able to lead Algerian National Popular Army towards a new stage of improvement to rise it to the level of the challenges the current period is imposing, to reinforce it more and more to fulfil its goals of defending the great established achievements Algerian people realised after their independence.
 
We believe that you are able to successfully lead your mission to good terms with your courage, your military abilities and experience.
 
Finally, My General and dear brother accept the expression of my friendship and my best regards.                                                                  
   
Mohamed Lamine Bouhali,
Minister of National Defence". (SPS)

060/090/110/TRD 051647 August 04 SPS

SPS
SADR/SPAIN
Political Parties and NGOs call Zappatero to stop backing Moroccan position

Madrid, 05/08/2004 (SPS) The spokesperson of the Basque National Party (PNV) to the Commission for foreign affairs of Spanish Senate, Iñaki Anasagasti, pointed out Wednesday in Madrid that the Zapatero Government "has bet on Morocco", considering that "this is horrible".

Mr. Anasagasti pessimistically considered this position incompatible with the wide support to Saharawi cause within the Spanish community.

On his side, the leader of the Unified Left (IU), Gaspar Llamazares, stressed on Saharawi people's right to self-determination in a meeting with Zapatero Tuesday in the Moncloa (siege of the Government). He called for "the defence of the Saharawi people's right to decide over its future through a referendum".

In a letter addressed to Mr. Zapatero, more than 190 Spanish writers called the Head of the Spanish State to get engaged in the support of the Saharawi people's just cause. They estimated that "the positions maintained by successive Spanish Governments, since 1975 so far, were ambiguous if not contradictory".

The writers stressed that Spain "can not stand in an equal position towards the victim and the aggressor", baring in mind "that the ethical accountability towards Saharawis should be relevant to our responsibility" and that "Saharawis have always shown their ties and confidence in Spanish people". (SPS)

010/090/666/TRD 051236 August 04 SPS