Yearly Archives: 2010

Letter from Socialist Alliance to HE Mr Jose Luis Rodriguez, President of the Spanish government

“We are writing to bring to your attention the situation in Western Sahara and kindly request you forward this letter to HE Mr Jose Luis Rodriguez, President of the Spanish government.

The Socialist Alliance notes that Morocco invaded and illegally occupied Western Sahara in 1975. which led more than 165,000 Saharawis to flee their homeland and seek refuge in South West Algeria for the past 35 years in dire conditions.
Read letter….

BHP urged to dump unethical phosphate trade in its takeover of PotashCorp

Australia Western Sahara Association
Press Release, 25 August 2010

The Australia Western Sahara Association today urged BHP-Billiton to suspend PotashCorp’s trade in phosphate from Western Sahara if its takeover bid is successful.

President of AWSA, Lyn Allison, said “If BHP cares anything for business ethics, social responsibility and international law, it will not allow the Canadian fertiliser corporation to buy further Western Saharan phosphate from Morocco.”
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Human Rights Watch call for Morocco to Release or Try Sahrawi Activists Held 10 Months

Seven Facing Charges in Military Court After Visiting Tindouf Refugee Camps
August 2, 2010
(New York) – Moroccan authorities should release three well-known Sahrawi activists held since October 8, 2009, on charges of “harming state security,” or provide them with a prompt and transparent trial, Human Rights Watch said today.

Read HRW report >>

The Image and its Discontent: The 29th Sundance Film Festival and the 18th Pan African Film and Arts Festival

Festival Reports in Issue 55
by Bérénice Reynaud
….The controversial Australian documentary Stolen (which received PAFF’s Best Feature Documentary Award) argues that slavery still exists in the Polisario camps in Western Sahara – an assertion that was violently criticised during the post-screening panel discussion, that unfortunately degenerated into a screaming match between (and among) the Festival’s organisers and some members of the audience. (….continued)
Read full report >>

Professor Stephen Zunes speaks on Western Sahara in Sydney

zunes_and_galtung_.jpgA lecture delivered by Professor Stephen Zunes during an event that took place on 7 July 2010 as part of the Fringe Program of The International Peace Research Association (IPRA) conference 2010 which was held in Sydney (Australia) on 6-10 July 2010.

The event was under the title: “Self-determination, 50 years on: Conflict Resolution in the Struggle for Self-Determination” The theme for the event was the issue of self-determination with Western Sahara as an example of where peace perspectives are urgently needed.

Professor Stephen Zunes is Professor of Politics & International Studies and Chair of Middle Eastern Studies Program at the University of San Francisco.

Full-text of Professor Stephen Zunes lecture >>

Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF) to remove the so-called “Stolen” film

13 July 2010
Press Release

The Embassy of the Saharawi Republic to the United Republic of Tanzania welcomes the decision by Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF), to remove the so-called “Stolen” film from the program of its 13th Festival which is taking place in Zanzibar on 10-18 July 2010.

ZIFF’s Board decided not to screen “Stolen” during the Festival after close and thorough consideration of all the information and representations made by the Saharawis affected by the film including the family of Fetim Sellami a key figure in the film.

Press Release >>