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Desaparecidos Saharauis THE SAHARAN PEOPLES SUPPORT COMMITTEE, USA ISSN 0891-608X UN SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE TO WESTERN SPANISH SUPPORT COMMITTEE SEEKS SAHARA VISITS REGION IN FEBRUARY 90 INFORMATION ON SAHRAWIS WHO ARE IMPRISONED OR DISAPPEARED Johannes Mann, special representative Human rights activists in Spain to UN Secretary-General Javier Perez associated with Support Committee de Cuellar for the Western Sahara, is activities for the Sahrawi people in that region this month in an ef­ undertook a letter-writing campaign fort to end the apparent stalemate in in September-November 1989 in an the peace process. effort to find large numbers of Sahrawis who have disappeared since Mann, a Swiss citizen, will visit the start of the war between Morocco Morocco, the occupied territory and and the Polisario Front. the free territory of the Western Sahara, and will undoubtedly confer Postcards with pictures of those who with other interested parties to the have disappeared and the dates of conflict as has been done in the their disappearance were mailed to past. Spanish and Moroccan authorities. In an attempt reminiscent of Amnesty In­ Efforts to move forward on the refer­ ternational actions, other support endum of the Sahrawis are seen as groups throughout the world were necessary. With the completion of asked to join in the effort to gain the process of independence for information about those who have Namibia, the Western Sahara remains disappeared. one of the few areas on the docket of the 4th Committee of the UN. Below is a copy of part of the cards sent: UN Secretary-General Perez de Cuellar is working closely with OAU Chairman Hosni Mubarek of Egypt to bring a resolution to the conflict. DESAPARECIDOS SAHARAUIS FEBRUARY 27, 1976 - FEBRUARY 27, 1990 14 YEARS OF THE SAHRAWI ARAB DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC RECOGNIZED OFFICIALLY BY 73 NATIONS MEMBER OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS SWISS SUPPORT GROUPS ASSIST SAHRAWIS SWISS AUTHOR DESCRIBES HER SUPPORT WITH SOLAR POWER IN SAHARAN DESERT WORK FOR SAHRAWI REFUGEES IN CAMPS A pilot program with solar power in the Sahrawi refugee camps in Algeria Christiane Perregaux, author of in March 1987 led Genevan technician­ L'Ecole sahraouie: De la caravane a engineer Max Schneider and the Swiss la guerre de liberation, noted in an Support Committee for the Sahrawi interview in August in Algeria that People to undertake a larger project: the Swiss Support Committee was lighting for 25 kindergartens and as created in 1976 and that it has two many dispensaries throughout the branches, one German, the other refugee camps. French. The francophone branch is made up of individuals who contact The project included three aspects: the press, humanitarian groups and 1. Capturing solar energy with the Swiss Confederation. The German­ solar panels, speaking group is made up of several 2. Stocking the energy, associations for assistance: Terre 3. Redistribution of the energy. des Hommes, Entraide ouvriere, etc. She noted that a number of political A 7 1/2 ton container full of light­ parties have also established poli­ ing materials for use with solar cies with regard to the conflict in power left Geneva in July and arrived Western Sahara. in the camps in the beginning of September. Schneider and two members Perregaux's book resulted from her of the Swiss Support Group went to research of several years and her the camps at the same time for the several stays in the camps. installation. Financing of the project is being undertaken by several sources. First of these is the favorable price for the materials due to the project's being within the framework of "North­ South" transfer of technology. The Swedish Red Cross had already sup­ plied about half the cost of the project in September. The European Community, through a non-governmental Belgian organization, has also been asked for funds. The SPSC LETTER is published about four times a year at 217 E. Lehr An important aspect of the project Avenue, Ada, Ohio 45810, USA. has been its learning dimension. During the pilot project Schneider A donation of $5 is requested yearly had instructed three Sahrawi elec­ to cover costs of publication and tricians in solar energy. The work mailing. of formation will continue during the construction of the solar network for Some past issues of the LETTER are the kindergartens and dispensaries. available. Write the above address The Swiss engineer had also studied for information concerning the the actual terrain before designing availabili ty of volumes and numbers. the current project. The SPSC LETTER is in its 10th volume PEACE FOR THE SAHRAWI PEOPLE IN 1990 of publication. PEACE PROCESS FOR WESTERN SAHARA efforts to annex the Western Sahara, CONTINUES DESPITE DIFFICULTIES: the explanation for this stance has WILL 1990 BRING THE REFERENDUM? been "long-term ties with Morocco" (in the same breath one can state An Editorial that the same sort of long-term ties also existed with Tunis and Algiers); "East-West balance" (a concept that As the winds of change touch every seems to be outmoded); links with a continent in this new decade of the "more democratic government"(Morocco) 90's, the question arises as to as opposed as to a less democratic whether the Sahrawis of Western government (Algeria?)? (As a side Sahara will also benefit from this note one must note that Amnesty In­ new spirit of democracy and coopera­ ternational has issued a report that tion growing throughout the world is harshly critical of Morocco's and existing between former enemies. human rights record. The 28-page document asserts that the government In Europe we see the reunification of of King Hassan II has systematically Germany in the offing; multi-party tortured hundreds of prisoners and elections in the Soviet Union and killed others during long periods of throughout Eastern Europe; the with­ detention.) drawal of Soviet forces in Czechoslo­ vakia; the abandonment of the long­ Since the war began between Morocco term parties/leaders by some nations and the Polisario Front in 1975, this in Eastern Europe; disarmament talks writer can recall the numerous between the U.S. and the Soviet Union explanations given her in writing or that might mean major reductions in orally in meetings with u.S. military spending for both nations. officials concerning the need to strengthen Morocco so that North In South Africa it appears that Africa would not be dominated by a apartheid is waning; the ANC is no state with strong ties to the Soviet longer persona (association) non Union. The world that that kind of grata; Nelson Mandela is free. explanation belonged to is apparently Namibia becomes independent in March. dead now, if it even existed in 1975 . In North Africa Algeria has held This long preface is given to under­ multi-party elections; it is streng­ score the longstanding need for the thening long-term ties with the West; u.S . to rethink its North African it is expected that the economy will policy, if it really has one, in become more of a mixed economy than terms of the political realities previously foreseen. which truly exist. It is in the long-term and short-term interests of In Nicaragua the Sandinistas sup­ the U.S., it appears to this writer, ported a multi-party free election. to urge Morocco to fully cooperate It appears there will be an orderly with UN/OAU initiatives for a fair transfer of power. referendum, to withhold all delivery of arms to Morocco and to put a "Strategic interests" explanations moratorium on arms sales to Morocco that have dominated u.S. foreign until the question of Western Sahara policy apologia in the past seem to is resolved; and to vote with the have little or no reference to majority of the UN General Assembly current events . on the Western Sahara issue. In the past when u.S. officials have The U.S. has not been in the fore­ explained support of Morocco in its front of movements for popular democracy in Africa since the days of Senator John Kennedy who called for A: For a long time there wasn't a self-determination for the Algerians. Sahrawi representative in Geneva any The u.S. has followed the lead of more. Today it's become indispen­ European, Asian, North American and sable since the UN and the OAU have South American nations----very launched the peace process, agreed to slowly, and in the view of some in principle by Morocco and the Poli­ observers, rather grudgingly, and sario Front. In addition, the repre­ often only at the behest of outrage sentative for the UN for the peace by ordinary u.S. citizens who believe plan is in Geneva and it is necessary in the American dream of personal to maintain contact with him. This liberty, self-determination, the peace process has raised much hope rights of peoples and equality before which continues with the Sahrawis. the law. Further, since Morocco has repre­ sentation in Geneva, it is necessary In the case of Western Sahara, the that the special representative of U.S. should finally abandon its the UN also find a Sahrawi spokes­ outdated policy of tacit (and actual person in the same city. (At the military) support of Morocco and time of the interview, the special become the advocate for a negotiated representative for the UN was M. settlement of an on-going, troubling Hector Gros Espiel. It is now conflict which ought to be resolved Johannes Manz, also a Swiss citizen.) to help that region lessen its economic difficulties, achieve It is from Geneva that the UN Mission stability, and develop a plausible left in October 1987, and Switzerland "Greater Maghreb." By taking this had offered the airplane which action the u.S.
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