Richard Dowden
The Royal African Society, Britain’s prime Africa organisation. Friday, 6 November 2015
Forty years ago today (6 November), Morocco invaded Western Sahara, a former Spanish colonial possession – mostly made up of desert – in West Africa.
As Spain walked away, Morocco claimed the territory as part of its ancient empire. The UN had declared that it was up to the people of the territory to decide their own future,(…cont)

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Western Sahara – Africa ’s Last colony
Malainin Lakhal
The Thinker, Vol 66, 2015
In 1963, the United Nations (UN) included Western Sahara in the list of countries to be decolonized and asserted the right of the Saharawi people to self-determination. In 1966 the UN, for the first time, passed a resolution calling for this self-determination to be exercised by referendum. On 31 October 1975, Morocco and Mauritania invaded Western Sahara as Spain (the former colonial power) looked on. (cont.)

Malainin Lakhal’s article >>

Australia Western Sahara Association (AWSA) Media Release
27 October 2015
Appeal to assist flood relief efforts in Saharawi refugee camps

The Australia Western Sahara Association is appealing for funds to assist relief work in the Western Sahara refugee camps where week-long torrential rains have devastated homes, hospitals and schools and destroyed food stores.
‘Never before have the Saharawi refugee camps been hit by a natural disaster of this magnitude,’ said Kamal Fadel, representative of Western Sahara in Australia.

AWSA media release >>

Tax deductible donations can be made online at APHEDA >>
At APHEDA webpage select C. One Off Donations and then select ‘Western Sahara’ from drop down list)
or call APHEDA on 1800 888 674

Floods leave considerable damage in the wilaya of Dajla
Tuesday 20 October 2015

Dajla (Saharawi refugee camps) -The wilaya of Dajla, in the Saharawi refugee camps, was hit by heavy rains since Monday, leaving considerable damage and “heavy floods have destroyed several public buildings and community centers, and have destroyed several homes of refugees, no victims are reported so far.”

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Al Fanar News and Opinion about Arabic Higher Education
Brennan Weiss / 06 Oct 2015

AGADIR, Morocco–In a small, dilapidated apartment in Agadir, in southern Morocco, student activists are meeting in secret. In defiance of the country’s authorities, they are planning protests for the independence of a disputed territory claimed by Morocco that is commonly called the Western Sahara.(cont.)

Al Fanar News and Opinion article>>

The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), 547th meeting 26 September 2015,

The Peace and Security Council at the level of Heads of State and Government, adopted the following decision on the situation in Western Sahara:
Council,
1. Takes note of the briefing given by the Commission on the situation in Western Sahara, as well as of the statement made by the representative of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR);
2. Recalls its earlier pronouncements on the situation in Western Sahara,

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The Annual General Meeting of the Australia Western Sahara Association (Victoria) was held on 1 October in Melbourne.

Mona Khizam’s talk, entitled “Sahara Libre – Camp Notes” was based on experiences during a visit in 2009 with a Swedish study group from the Jakobsbergs Folkhôgskola to the Saharawi Refugee Camps. Mona showed the audience items illustrating Saharawi culture, including an incense burner, some jewellery, a leather tobacco pouch etc.
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