THE SAHARAN PEOPLES SUPPORT COMMITTEE, USA Volume IX, No. 4 SPSC January-May 1989 LETTER ISSN 0891-608X MOVEMENT CONTINUES TOWARDS 4. January 28, 1989, the SADR CONFLICT RESOLUTION IN SADR President Abdelaziz declared a unilateral Polisario truce for the month of February. Activities undertaken by the Polisario Front, the Kingdom of 5. Throughout January 1989 Morocco and the good offices of King Hassan agreed that he the UN and the OAU since late would meet a second time with December 1988 have resulted in representatives of the Poli­ some recent advances toward a sario Front, but gave no defi­ negotiated resolution of the nite date for the meeting. conflict in Western Sahara. 6. In early February 1989 the UN Secretary-General met with 1. December 23, 1988, the Ex­ Mouloud Said, the Polisario ecutive Committee of the Poli­ representative to the UN. sario Front reviewed the decla­ ration made by King Hassan II 7. At the end of February that he desired to meet with 1989, since there had been no the Polisario Front. This sug­ second meeting with King gestion by the King was viewed Hassan, the Polisario Front by the Front as a response to ended its unilateral truce and their numerous calls for direct resumed military operations on negotiations. The Executive all fronts. Committee decided to send a high-level Polisario delegation 8. M. Issa Diallo and General to meet with the King. Timoty Dubuama, military advi­ sor to the UN Secretary-Gen­ 2. January 4-5,1989, the Poli­ eral, visited Morocco and the sario delegation led by Bachir Western Sahara during the month Mustapha Sayed and including of March 1989. Mahfoud Ali Beiba and Brahim Ghali, met twice with King Has­ 9. March 24, 1989, Mouloud san in Marrakesh, Morocco. Said, Polisario Representative to the UN met with UN Secre­ 3. January 10 , 1989, M. Hector tary-General Javier Perez de Gross Espiell, Special Repre­ Cuellar concerning resolution sentative of the UN Secretary­ of the conflict in Western General for Western Sahara be­ Sahara. gan an exploratory tour of the region. Gross Espiell's visit 10. March 27, 1989, Bachir ended January 19. During his Mustapha Sayed, along with visit he met with SADR Presi­ Mouloud Said and Mohamed dent Abdelaziz and King Hassan. Boukhari , met with the UN Secretary-General in New York information is not available on to reaffirm the Polisario all who have disappeared, this Front's readiness to give "a list of over 720 individuals new dynamic to the joint UN/OAU clearly documented to be miss­ peace process." It was report­ ing is an indication of the ed at that meeting that the UN extent of the problem. military team had not finalized its report. Some 64 individuals from El Aiun, Oued Saguia, Oued El 11. The UN Secretary-General Guezeh, Smara, Assa, Zak, Tan is expected to tour the region Tan, Tarfaya, Lebouirat, Foum­ of the conflict in June 1989. lahsen and Taroudart are re­ He will meet with SADR Presi­ ported missing in 1975 and dent Mohamed Abdelaziz and King these men and women are persons Hassan II. with various professions: no­ mads, persons raising animal 12. An official diplomatic herds, shopkeepers, bureaucrats source reports that a second and students. meeting of King Hassan II and a high level delegation of the In 1976 the number of the docu­ Polisario Front will take place mented missing rose to 268. In in June 1989. 1977 the number listed is 41; in 1978, 20; in 1979, 15; in 13. Polisario sources announce 1980 , 45; in 1981, 49; in 1982, that the Polisario Front has 8; in 1983, 39; in 1984, 10; in decided to free some 200 Moroc­ 1985, 19; in 1986, 50; in 1987, can prisoners of war. This 88. Besides the above list of will be completed in early towns in the 1975 part of the June. (It is believed that report, additional towns or Morocco is holding 500 Sahrawi areas from which Sahrawis are prisoners of war in addition to reported arrested and missing the over 700 citizens who have are Agadir, Dakhla, Goulimine, been jailed/disappeared. The Oujda, Rabat, Daoura, Ouel El Sahrawis hold about 2,500 Gazah, Souk Ejmal, Meknes, Bir Moroccan prisoners of war.) Lahlou, Amgala, Ametti, Tiznit, Inezgane, Ouarzagate, Kenitra, 14. PEACE IN 1989 ?????????? Khouribga, Lemseyed and Casa­ blanca. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ For additional information, write the Polisario Front CONCERN FOR SAHRWAI CIVILIANS Office in North America: P.O. WHO HAVE DISAPPEARED GOES ON Box 53213, Washington, D.C. The Sahrawi Red Crscent has +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ published a list of Sahrawi civilians who disappeared in THE SPSC LETTER is published southern Morocco or in the quarterly in Ada, Ohio, USA. occupied territories of the Western Sahara between 1975 and Donations of $5 are requested. 1987. The list gives family Checks or moneyorders may be name, first name, age, occupa­ sent to the SPSC LETTER, 217 tion, and date and place of East Lehr Avenue, Ada, Ohio arrest. Although all of this 45810, USA. THANK YOU! AROUND THE WORLD WITH THE to the conflict in Western SADR Sahara; Welcome the acceptance in 1. The European Committees principle by the two parties to Coordination for Help to the the conflict, the Kingdom of Sahrawi People held meetings in Morocco and the Polisario February and May 1989. The Front, on August 30, 1988, of February meeting was set to the joint proposals of the plan and coordinate the May Chairman of the OAU and the 1989 International Meeting. Secretary-General of the United Included among the European Nations for the organization of Support Committees who attended a referendum on self­ the meetings were members from determination for the people of Spain, the Netherlands, Great Western Sahara under the Britain, Germany, Switzerland, auspices of the UN in Italy, France, Belgium, as well cooperation with the OAU; as representatives from the European Parliament. Welcome the appointment of a special Representative on 2. The latest Non Aligned Western Sahara by the United Countries Coordinating Bureau's Nations Secretary-General in Resolution on the Question of conformity with Security Western Sahara, which was council Resolution 621 (1988); issued after their recent meeting in Harare, Zimbabwe, Take note with satisfaction of May 22, 1989 reaffirms the the progress made in the commitment of these nations to framework of the joint process the OAU/UN peace process. It of good offices undertaken by states: the UN and the OAU and encourage the Chairman Head of The ministers State of the OAU and the UN Secretary-General to pursue and Reaffirming that the settlement intensify their efforts in view of the conflict of Western to resolve the remaining Sahara lies in the application problems and create the of the United Nations General necessary conditions for a Assembly resolution 1514 (VX) referendum for self-determina­ on the granting of independence tion for the people of Western to colonial countries and Sahara, a referendum without peoples; any military or administrative constraints; Recalling the right of the people of Western Sahara to Welcome the meeting of self-determination and inde­ Marrakesh between his Majesty pendence; King Hassan II and a high-level delegation of the Polisario Considering that OAU resolution Front and express their AHG/Res. 104 (XIX) and United conviction that the continua­ Nations General Assemby 43/33 tion of this direct dialogue Resolution remain the between the two parties will appropriate framework for the contribute to the joint process exercise of that right and for of good offices and to the a just and definitive solution restoration of peace in Western Sahara, as well as to the Takes note of the positive stability and security of the responses of the concerned region. parties, the Kingdom of Morocco and the Polisario Front to the 3. The European Parliament UN Secretary-GeneralIs peace issued a statement on Western proposal; Sahara on March 15, 1989. The following is part of that Welcomes the recent meeting of statement from Brussels: Marrakesh between the Moroccan sovereign, King Hassan II, and The European Parliament ... the representatives of the Polisario Front, and see these Considers that the climate of facts as a gesture of good will war has provoked since 1976, a to both parties; deterioration in the economi­ cal, political and social sit­ Takes note with satisfaction of utation among the Sahrawi peo­ the increasing cooperation be­ ple and that this situation tween the States of the must urgently cease; Maghreb, which will facilitate the holding of the consultation Considers that the peoples' in Western Sahara; right to self-determination, as recognized internationally, Urges the Member-States and the constitutes an imperative rule, European political cooperation which must be respected and to use their influence to pro­ should not be put into ques­ mote the necessary conditions tion and reaffirms its support for the organization of a to the Sahrawi people's right genuine consultation as pro­ to self-determination and in­ jected by the actions of the UN dependence; Secretary-General; Reiterates its support to UN Considers that the peaceful so­ General Assembly resolutions, lution to the conflict will namely Resolutions 40/50 help establi sh a real coopera­ (1985), 42/78 (1987) and 43/33 tion between the states of the (1988), and to OAU Resolutions, Maghreb in the perspective of namely Resolution AHG/Res. 104 the Union of the Arab Maghreb (1983), and to the good offices as an economic and political proposed by the UN Secretary­ project which will allow the General and to the ongoing ne­ countries