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Letter Issn 0891-608X THE SAHARAN PEOPLES SUPPORT COMMITTEE, USA Volume IX, No. 2 October-December SPSC 1988 LETTER ISSN 0891-608X 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF UNIVERSAL Sahara. Since the 1960's the DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS: UN General Assembly has studied SAHRAWIS SEEK POLITICAL RIGHTS the question of the former Spanish Sahara. The right of a This issue of the SPSC LETTER people to self-determination is appearing in a month in and the principle of a free and which we celebrate the 40th an­ just referendum have marked the niversary of the UN Universal debates and been echoed in UN Declaration of Human Rights and votes. the 22nd anniversary of the UN International Covenant on Civil November 20, 1988, the UN again and Political Rights. Both voted 86 - 0, with 53 absten­ documents are important in this tions, to request "the parties struggle of the Sahrawi people. to the Western Sahara conflict­ -the Government of Morocco and The International Covenant the Popular Front for the Lib­ notes that "all peoples have eration of Saguia el Hamra and the right · to self-determina­ Rio de Oro (Polisario) to begin tion. By virtue of that right direct negotiations for a cease they freely determine their fire and the holding of a ref­ political status and freely erendum on self-determination pursue their economic, social for the Western Saharan people and cultural development." The under the auspices of the UN current effort of the Sahrawis and the OAU." to exercise this right has its roots in the traditional inde­ To assist his own efforts in pendence of the people of the this regard and to move the region, in their repeated peace process forward, in late efforts to avoid subjugation by October UN Secretary-General colonial powers, and in the Javier Perez de Cuellar named stated goals of these two UN Uruguayan judge Hector Gross de documents. The Covenant is an Espiel as UN Special Represen­ elaboration of the rights to tative for the Western Sahara. civil and political freedom Gross de Espiel has met sepa­ described in several articles rately with delegations of the of the UDHR. two parties to the conflict and will continue meetings concern­ In conformity with these two ing the peace proposal which documents, the UN General As­ was outlined by the UN Secre- sembly has pronounced the 1990's as the "International Decade for Eradication of Co­ PEACE lonialism." Certainly it is in IN this period that colonialism 1989 should disappear in the Western tary-General last August. The in October, Mohamed Sidati, week of December 12, Gross de SADR Minister for Foreign Af­ Espiel will meet with delega­ fairs, noted that the UN vote tions of the two parties in "reiterates the legitimacy of Geneva. Also present for the the cause of the Sahrawi peo­ discussions in Geneva will be ple and its inalienable right representatives of Mauritania to self-determination and inde­ and Algeria. pendence." He added that the vote calls for a free and fair Two areas of agreement between referendum for the Sahrawis and Morocco and the SADR on the that it "reaffirms the legal UN/OAU peace proposal are the framework for a settlement" basis for the vote and the (OAU Resolution 104 and UNGA questions of the referendum. 40/50--Ed.), and "calls for Both parties agree that the direct negotiations between Spanish census of 1974 should Morocco and the Polisario serve as the basis for deter­ Front." Sidati said that the mining who will be entitled to recent UN resolution and vote vote. They also agree that the effectively supports the mis­ two questions should be inte­ sion of "good offices" under­ gration or independence. taken by the Chairman of the OAU and the UN Secretary-Gen­ The five point s which need to eral. be resolved are the Moroccan military presence, Moroccan A month which has given birth settlers in the territory, Mo­ to two documents like the UDHR roccan occupation laws, the and the Covenant of Civil and election campaign and direct Political Rights is a good negotiations between the two month for a meeting of Morocco belligerents . and the Polisario Front. One can hope that foot dragging The UN Secretary-General con­ delaying tactics by Morocco to tinues to gi ve personal atten­ avoid direct negotiations may tion to the conflict in Western be halted in Geneva. Hector Sahara. In November Perez de Gross de Espiel will soon visit Cuellar and Gross de Espiel met the Western Sahara. Let us separately with delegations hope that he, President Moussa headed by Bachir Moustapha Traore of Mali, Acting Chairman Sayed (Polisario Front) and of the OAU, and Secretary­ Ahmed Osman (president of the General Perez de Cuellar will Moroccan National Assembly). succeed in bringing peace and In December the Secretary­ justice to Western Sahara. General met with Mouloud Said (Polisario Representative to "Everyone has a right to a the UN Fourth Committee) and nationality," notes the UDHR. the Moroccan Ambassador to the It is also a twenty-five-year UN to discuss with them the -old cry of the Sahrawis. meeting in Geneva scheduled for "Anyone is entitled to a social later in the month. and economic order in which rights and freedoms set forth MEANING OF UNGA VOTE ON ISSUE (in the UDHR, Ed.) can be fully realized." The Sahrawis think Commenting on the vote of the it is time for them to exercise UN General Assembly in New York these rights. PUBLICATIONS UPDATE .•.•....... like Africa News, has been covering the war in Western Sahara for the past thirteen years. 1. "Recent Developments on the Western Sahara Question," Anthony Pazzanita, paper given 5. "Selected Periodical at the annual African Studies Articles, Government Documents, Association Meeting, October And Pamphlets About Western 28-31, 1988, Chicago, 28 pages. Sahara, 1976+," "Recently Catalogued Books About Western Detailed study of recent events Sahara," "Selected Magazine including the agreement in Articles About Western Sahara, principle by Morocco and the 1983+," Library of Congress. Polisario Front to U.N. Secretary-General Javier Perez The number of articles, books, de Cuellar's peace proposal. etc., is increasing. Numbers of citations were respectively 79, 135 and 16. The Library of 2. "Sahrawi Women," Carlos Congress has good holdings in Wilson, OBAA. SIMA, Accra Ghana, this area as in others. No. 84, 1988, pp. 6 & 8. Letter to journal. Of interest 6. "Western Sahara: next would be reader responses. feather in UN peace cap," Carlos Wilson, The Christian Similar information was also Science Monitor, August 31, published by Wilson in IRIDE, 1988, p. 8. Guigno 1988, Florence, Italy, and in VERA, Malgagn Kvenfrel­ Evenhanded treatment of peace sisbarattu, Reykjavik, Iceland, process underway. July 1988. 3. AFRICA ACTIVISTS' GUIDE: Organizer's Reference Directory to Information Sources, William Minter, Africa Peace Tour & ACAS and Outreach Program, African Studies Center Boston Unversity, 1987-1988, 14 pages. Useful tool. It is not meant to be comprehensive, but is a quick reference source. 4. "Polisario: Still Fighting The SPSC NEWSLETTER is pub­ for Independence,"Karen Gellen, lished about 4 times per year. THE GUARDIAN, September 28, A yearly donation of $5 is 1988, p. 12. requested. Write: Editor, SPSC NEWSLETTER, 217 E. Lehr Avenue, Good article. The Guardian, Ada, Ohio 45810. u.s. STATE DEPARTMENT NOTES the Western Sahara question, EFFORTS AT PEACE SETTLEMENT Taking note of the agree­ ment in principle, given on August 30, 1988, by the Kingdom Secretary of State George of Morocco and Polisario Front Schultz' statement on "Efforts to the joint proposals of the for Peace in Africa" was print­ UN Secretary-General and the ed by the u.S. State Depart­ Chairman of the OAU, ment in "Current Policy No. Anxious to support these 1111." The address was given efforts for holding referendum by the Secretary at a recep­ of self-determination of the tion in honor of the Organi­ people of Western Sahara, zation of African Unity in New organized and supervised by the York City, October 4, 1988. UN,in cooperation with the OAU, Remarks concerning Western -Decides to authorize the Sahara were the following: Secretary-General to nominate a special representative to West­ "We also welcome and support ern Sahara, the Secretary General of the -Requests the Secretary­ United Nations [Javier Perez de General to submit to it, as Cuellar] in his efforts to med­ soon as possible, a report on iate the dispute in the West­ the holding of a referendum of ern Sahara. With the concur­ self-determination of the rence of the Security Council, people of Western Sahara and on important steps toward a reso­ the means to be implemented in lution---including the desig­ order to ensure its organiza­ nation of the Secretary Gen­ tion and supervision by the UN, eral's special representative-­ in cooperation with the OAU." -have already been taken. We hope that the progress attained Result of vote: through the UN and OAU efforts Aye: 15 Nay: o will permit the introduct ion of Abstentions: o a balanced resol ution in the General Assembly this year Debates on Western Sahara at supporting the Secretary the UN in October found dele­ General." gations supporting the peace initiatives of the UN and OAU. SECURITY COUNCIL VOTES FOR Speaking for implementation of SPECIAL ENVOY OF PEREZ DE direct negotiations and contin­ CUELLAR TO WESTERN SAHARA uation of the process were representatives of Nigeria, Syria, the Association of Amer­ The text of the Security ican Jurists, Algeria, Cuba, Council resolution on Western Hungary, West Germany, Ghana, Sahara is the following: India, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Tanzania. These delegations, "The Security Council, as well as others, noted the Having heard a report given need to resolve the questions by the Secretary-General con­ of a cease-fire, withdrawal of cerning the joint good offices troops and administrative per­ undertaken by the Chairman of sonnel by Morocco as well as the OAU, in accordance with withdrawal of any Moroccan set­ Resolution 40/50 of the General tlers, and the suspension of Assembly, for the solution of Moroccan laws in the territory.
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