Yearly Archives: 2011

Morocco’s king is destroying hope for democracy

By Ahmed Benchemsi
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 30 June 2011

With the protest movement weakened, King Mohammed VI is forcing constitutional change and retaining absolute power
“This is my way: I invite unto Allah with sure knowledge, I and whoever follows me.”
It was with this these words, quoted from the Qur’an, that King Mohammed VI ended his speech on 17 June, urging Morocco’s people to vote for his new constitution project in a referendum to be held on 1 July.

Time to drain the reservoir of indifference on Western Sahara

Stefan Simanowitz reports from a refugee camp in the desert in Algeria
Monday, May 30th, 2011

Addressing a meeting in a refugee camp in the desert in Western Sahara recently, former United Nations Assistant Secretary-General Francesco Bastagli described the ongoing 35-year occupation of Western Sahara as “a simple problem made complicated by the collusion or indifference of a small number of powerful nations”.
Bastagli, who resigned from the UN in 2006 in protest over the organisation’s inaction on Western Sahara, was back in the refugee camps to attend the Sahara International Film Festival, known as FiShara, from May 2-8.

Amnesty International urges Morocco to end violent crackdown on protests

2 June 2011 – Morocco has seen continuing demonstrations since 20 February

Moroccan authorities must not use excessive force against protesters, Amnesty International said today, as activists called for renewed pro-reform demonstrations across the country on Sunday.

Scores of protesters in Morocco have been physically assaulted by security forces in recent weeks.

Moroccan police violently disrupt pro-democracy protests

Moroccan police violently disrupt pro-democracy protests in Casablanca and near capital
Associated Press, Washington Post, 29 May 2011

CASABLANCA, Morocco (AP) — Club wielding Moroccan police riding motorcycles drove into crowds of thousands of demonstrators in the country’s largest city to disperse a protest by pro-democracy activists on Sunday.

Read more >>

The theft of Western Sahara

by David Cronin
29 May 2011 – New Europe, Issue : 937

When and where did the “Arab Spring” begin? Most observers of the tyrant-toppling uprisings would probably agree they kicked off after the Tunisian street vendor Mohammed Bouazizi set himself on fire in December last year. Not for the first time, Noam Chomsky has highlighted an omission from the conventional discourse. The wave of protests really started a month earlier in Western Sahara, Chomsky has argued..

MOROCCO: Protest violence could escalate, intelligence analyst says

Los Angeles Times Blog, 24 May 2011

Moroccan police beat dozens of protesters who defied a ban on demonstrations and took to the streets of the capital Rabat and Casablanca on Sunday, according to news reports.

Months of protests in the north African nation have led its monarch, Mohammed VI, to make some concessions, but not enough to please protesters. They appeared more defiant Sunday, although their numbers have failed to match the scale of demonstrations in Egypt, Tunisia other countries that saw “Arab Spring” uprisings. Article continues….

Youtube footage of protest violence >>

AWSA Press Release, 24/5/2011 Disputed phosphate shipped to Geelong and Hobart

Australia Western Sahara Association
Press Release – 24 May 2011
….photo courtesy Geelong Advertiser
Disputed phosphate shipped to Geelong and Hobart – Australian companies continue unethical trade

As the Triton Stork berthed in Geelong at 6pm Monday, the Australia Western Sahara Association denounced Australia’s trade with Morocco in phosphate sourced in the disputed territory of Western Sahara.

Earlier this month, Aicha Dahane, a Saharawi human rights activist from occupied Western Sahara added her voice to the protest about what superphosphate manufacturer, Incitec Pivot is doing in Geelong.

Continue reading →

Keep the focus on Morocco’s illegal occupation of the Western Sahara

By Mouloud Said – 05/19/11 01:12 PM ET
The Hills Congress Blog

In his recent blog entry in The Hill, “Mercenaries in Libya: Gadhafi’s Hired Terrorists,” Edward Gabriel disingenuously alleges that the indigenous Saharawi people, of the Western Sahara, are fighting for Moammar Gadhafi and somehow linked to al Qaeda. Gabriel’s tired allegations could not be further from the truth and, as a long-time lobbyist for the Government of Morocco, he knows it.

Read full article >>

Janelle Saffin relaunches the Parliamentary Friends of Western Sahara Group

Article in Northern Star, 18th May 2011
Saffin a Friend of Western Sahara

“Page MP Janelle Saffin has enhanced her busy political life by being elected chair of the Australian Parliamentary Friends of Western Sahara Group.
The group has been relaunched after Saharawi human rights activist Aicha Dahane visited Canberra last week….”

Read rest of Northern Star report >>

Greens call on Australian companies to cut ties with occupiers of Western Sahara

Media Release, Senator Scott Ludlam, Wednesday May 18th, 2011

The Australian Greens have called on Australian companies to sever all ties with Moroccan firms involved in the occupation of Western Sahara.

The Greens justice spokesperson, Senator for Western Australia Scott Ludlam, said the African Union and more than 80 governments around the world refuse to recognise the Moroccan conquest of Western Sahara and Australian companies should withdraw from deals with the occupation forces.
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