Western Sahara : News

News : Western Sahara : News

The envoy spearheading United Nations efforts to help resolve the dispute over the status of Western Sahara is scheduled to arrive in Rabat, Morocco, today on the first leg of a nine-day visit to the region. (AllAfrica)

One of the most controversial films shown at the recent Los Angeles Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) was “Stolen,� which had its U.S. premier at the festival. The film tells the story of slavery in the Polisario-governed refugee camps in Algeria. (AllAfrica)

Legal advice stating that European vessels have no justification to fish off Western Sahara - a territory occupied by Morocco - has provoked a row between the main political institutions in Brussels. (AllAfrica)

The parties in the dispute over the status of Western Sahara have wrapped up two days of United Nations-backed talks in upstate New York by reiterating their commitment to continue their negotiations as soon as possible. (AllAfrica)

Informal talks between the parties involved in the dispute over the Western Sahara will take place on February 10 and 11 in Westchester, New York. (AllAfrica)

The U.S. welcomes the announcement of the second round of informal talks on the Western Sahara, which will take place February 10-11, 2010. We call upon the parties to continue negotiations under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General. The United States maintains full support for the Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy, Ambassador Chris Ross, in their efforts to reach a mutually-agreed solution. (AllAfrica)

The latest round of United Nations-backed talks between the parties in the dispute over the status of Western Sahara kicked off today in New York state. (AllAfrica)

Fifteen media practitioners from five Anglophone African countries, including Gambians and officials of the Ecowas Water Resources Coordination Centre (WRCC), on Wednesday, brainstormed on the status of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and water sector reforms in West Africa. (AllAfrica)

Intense negotiations to save the life of Saharan hunger striker Aminatou Haidar and allow her to return to her home in Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara bore fruit Thursday night, when she was loaded by stretcher into a plane leaving the Canary Islands. (AllAfrica)

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today expressed his great relief that an independence activist from Western Sahara has returned home, ending an impasse that led to her hunger strike lasting more than one month. (AllAfrica)

Aminatou Haidar, the Western Sahara independence activist who has been on a hunger strike in a Spanish airport for 32 days demanding to be allowed to return to her homeland, was taken to the hospital just after midnight Wednesday, and is in intensive care. (AllAfrica)

I was pleased to hear of the government of Morocco's decision to re-admit Aminatou Haidar -- a Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Prize recipient -- on humanitarian grounds following her month-long hunger strike in Spain. This humanitarian gesture is reflective of the true spirit and generosity of the Moroccan government and people, and underscores the urgency of finding a permanent solution to the Western Sahara conflict. I join United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon in calling for a fifth round of formal UN - sponsored Manhasset talks at the earliest possible date. I also want to express our strong support for personal envoy Christopher Ross and his efforts to find a solution. (AllAfrica)

AMINATOU Haidar is the mother of two sons. She was living with her family in Western Sahara, the former Spanish colony occupied by Morocco. (AllAfrica)

Below is a statement from the U.S. Congressman Donald Payne expressing concern over Western Sahara activist Aminatou Haidar. (AllAfrica)

The United States remains concerned about the health and well-being of Sahrawi activist Aminatou Haidar, recipient of the 2008 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award and the Train Foundation's 2009 Civil Courage Prize. We urge a speedy determination of her legal status and full respect for due process and human rights. (AllAfrica)

This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Andrej Mahecic – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at the press briefing, on 4 December 2009, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. (AllAfrica)

Last week, Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA) joined with Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI), Rep. Donald Payne (D-NJ) and Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) in sending a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton calling for clarification on the United States position regarding the people of Western Sahara and raising concerns about the situation of human rights defender Aminatou Haidar. (AllAfrica)

Mr. President, I want to bring to the attention of Senators who may not already be aware, a situation that has been unfolding in Morocco and the Canary Islands. (AllAfrica)

U.S. Sen. James M. Inhofe (R-Okla.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, made the following statement about Ms. Aminatou Haidar´s month-long hunger strike in the Canary Islands airport in protest over her refusal to accept Moroccan identity upon her arrival at the airport in Laayone on November 13. (AllAfrica)

The month-long hunger strike of Western Sahara activist Aminatou Haidar has succeeded in bringing pressure to bear on the international community to step up efforts to find a solution to the territory's future. (AllAfrica)

The optimism that seemed to prevail over the weekend among the close-knit group caring for the ailing human rights activist Aminetou Haidar, fueled by an impending meeting in Washington between the Spanish Foreign Minister and the US Secretary of State, today gave way to disbelief. (AllAfrica)

Following is the exchange about Western Sahara and human rights activist Aminatou Haidar between a reporter and Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos during a press conference after the Spanish minister's meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the State Department. (AllAfrica)

At a news conference in New York on Monday, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addressed the issues raised by the hunger strike of Western Sahara activist Aminatou Haidar. The relevant excerpts follow: (AllAfrica)

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has held talks with the Foreign Minister of Morocco to voice his "grave" concern over an independence activist from Western Sahara who has been on hunger strike since last month. (AllAfrica)

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is seeking "urgent" action from Spain and Morocco over a Saharawi activist whose condition is rapidly deteriorating after she went on hunger strike last month when Morocco denied her entry into her native Western Sahara, subject of a long-running dispute between the two countries. (AllAfrica)

Le Président de la Commission de l'Union africaine (UA), Jean Ping, continue de suivre de très près les développements au Sahara occidental, en particulier ceux relatifs à la situation des droits de l'homme dans le territoire, ainsi que le cas spécifique de l'expulsion de Mme Aminatou Haidar, militante sahraouie des droits de l’homme. (AllAfrica)

The United Nations refugee chief today appealed to Spain and Morocco to consider any measure to pave the way for the movement of a Saharawi activist who started a hunger strike last month and whose condition is rapidly deteriorating. (AllAfrica)

The following is a joint statement issued by U.S. Senator Russ Feingold and U.S. Representative Donald Payne, Chairmen of the Senate and House Subcommittees on Africa respectively, on the condition of Saharawi activist Aminatou Haidar and the ongoing talks to rectify the situation in Western Sahara. (AllAfrica)

The firm stance taken by Western Sahara independence activist Aminatou Haidar, in her third week of a hunger strike in an airport in Spain's Canary Islands, contrasts with the weak position of the Spanish government vis-à-vis the Moroccan government, which it has failed to pressure to allow the activist to return to her homeland. (AllAfrica)

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is concerned by the growing tension between the parties to the Western Sahara negotiations, which have increased following the recent detention of several groups of Saharawi activists. (AllAfrica)

Aminatou Haidar, the Western Sahara human rights activist expelled from her homeland 10 days ago, has entered the second week of a hunger strike in protest against the expulsion. (AllAfrica)