Global Voices » Western Sahara

Western Sahara: Wikileaks Revelations Spark Comments

Lina Ben Mhenni — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 00:41:05 +0000

Reactions to the diplomatic cables released by the whistleblower website Wikileaks continue to flourish all over the blogosphere. Revelations concerning the conflict over Western Sahara have sparked a few comments.

Ali Amar is a Moroccan journalist. Writing on VoxMaroc [Fr], a blog hosted by the French daily Le Monde, he underlines the fact that although the leaked cables revealed American diplomats' reservations about bad governance and corruption in Morocco, they showed unwavering American support for the kingdom's position on Western Sahara:

[A]ux yeux de Washington, le Maroc demeure une monarchie bananière, régentée par une clique proto mafieuse. La realpolitik reprend cependant le dessus lorsqu’il s’agit d’épauler le régime de Mohammed VI, sur la question du Sahara Occidental notamment : un rapport de l’ex ambassadeur Thomas Riley daté de 2009 soutient sans détour le plan d’autonomie préconisé par Rabat.

In the eyes of Washington, Morocco remains a banana monarchy, regimented by a proto mafia clique. Realpolitik, however, takes the upper hand when it comes to supporting the regime of Mohammed VI, on the question of Western Sahara in particular: a report by former Ambassador Thomas Riley dated 2009 clearly supports the autonomy plan advocated by Rabat.

Stephen Zunes writing on the Huffington Post, agrees. He dismisses views expressed by a diplomat on a cable dated August 2009, as flawed and distorted by an ideology, he says, is reminiscent of the Cold War (link added):

This cable is very reminiscent of the longstanding effort by State Department officials during the Cold War to delegitimize national liberation struggles by claiming they were simply the creation of Cuba, the Soviet Union, or some other nation-state challenging U.S. hegemony. Indeed, in a throwback to Cold War rhetoric, Jackson [the diplomat, author of the cable] insists that the Polisario Front, which has been recognized as the legitimate government of Western Sahara by over 80 governments, is “Cuba-like.” In the cable, Jackson calls for U.S. support for Moroccan calls for a census and audit of international programs in Polisario-led refugee camps, but not support for the international call for human rights monitors in the occupied territory.

A cable released earlier this month suggests that Algerian president is seeking a resolution of the conflict that would allow his country to “save face.” Fayçal, writing on the Algerian online news website Algerie Focus comments [Fr]:

L’Algérie aurait-elle tourné le dos au Front Polisario ? La question mérite d’être posée, surtout quand on lit un câble du site WikiLeaks assez intriguant qui montre un Président algérien voulant en finir avec un problème devenu trop embarrassant pour l’Algérie.

Has Algeria turned its back to the Polisario Front? The question is worth asking, especially when one reads an embarrassing cable released by the Wikileaks website, which intriguingly shows Algerian President wanting to end a problem that has become too embarrassing for Algeria.

Morocco: Danish journalist deported for Western Sahara fishing story

Solana Larsen — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 20:21:24 +0000

A Danish journalist who did a radio story on the European Union paying Morocco for fish from Western Sahara was deported from Morocco two days after arriving. His computer hard drive and SIM card were confiscated.

Morocco/Western Sahara: Gadaym Izik Riots Become a Volatile Political Crisis

Tarek Amr — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 23:18:40 +0000

Western Sahara's 35-year-old struggle is once again making the headlines.

The former Spanish colony was annexed by Morocco in 1975 after “The Green March Demonstration” in November of the same year. And, according to Reuters, it witnessed one of the worst violent events in years last week.

Morocco said four of its police officers and a fire-fighter were killed by protesters, while the pro-independence Polisario Front said Moroccan security forces killed a 26-year-old activist during a raid on a protest camp in the desert.

It all started when more than 12,000 people gathered in the Gadaym Izik camp, near Laayoune, in what was reported to be the largest protest in the 35-year clash over Western Sahara’s proprietorship.

According to blogger Cabalamuse, there are two different theories for the reason behind the Gadaym Izik's protest.:

The Gadaym Izik camp stood up a month ago by discontented Sahraouis aiming to draw attention to their straitened economic circumstances. Others saw it as a protest against Morocco’s rule over Western Sahara. The tension intensified two weeks earlier when Moroccan police fired at a vehicle entering the camp; the incident resulted in the death of a fourteen year old boy. Moroccan authorities claimed the vehicle was carrying explosives and weapons.

However it is still possible that the reason behind the protest is “a mixture of this and that,” noted blogger Hisham of the mirror:

I think these people who camped at Gadaym Izik had the right to assemble and protest their poor living conditions. I regret the mismanagement of the issue by the Moroccan authorities who did almost everything one could think of to make the situation worsen, and transform a protest that was economic in nature into a highly volatile political crisis with the subsequent media disaster we’ve been witnessing in the last 72 hours or so.

Bloggers from both sides tried to present their own point of view.

Solidarité Maroc compared the situation in Western Sahara to that in Palestine - with an analogy between what he called the Moroccan occupying forces and Israel.

Il suffit de regarder les vidéos qui arrivent à franchir le mur d’acier élevé par les forces d’occupation pour s’en convaincre : au Sahara occidental occupé par le Maroc, une véritable intifada est en cours. Comme en Palestine en 1987, les protagonistes en sont les chebeb – les jeunes, y compris les très jeunes – et les femmes. Un seul cri retentit sur les barricades bricolées par les insurgés : « Fuera Marruecos ! », Dehors le Maroc. Et s’ils le crient en espagnol, c’est parce que l’espagnol est leur langue de communication principale avec le monde extérieur, le monde tout court, autrement dit nous.

Just watch the videos that pass through the steel wall erected by the occupying forces, and you will be convinced: the Western Sahara is occupied by Morocco, a real intifada is there. As in Palestine in 1987, the protesters are the chebeb - youth, including the very young - and women. A single cry is being shouted there by the protesters: “Fuera Marruecos!”, “Morocco Out!” They yell in Spanish, just because Spanish is their language of communication with the outside world, i.e. us.

He continued his analogy by comparing how Spain handed Western Sahara over to Morocco, just like the British Empire handed Palestine over to Israel.

At the mirror, Hisham questioned the legality of the Western Sahara independence calls.

I support a people’s right to self determination and I would subscribe to any option the people in question might choose, whether autonomy, integration or outright independence. But that said, there are some preliminary questions one ought to ask before accepting such a process as legitimate and not as an orchestrated imposture on the part of meddling regional powers.

A call for independence must at least be based on a coherent argument. There is, however, a fundamental flaw in Polisario’s stance. It is something that makes the separatist plea highly suspicious to me. If we’re going to consider the Sahara and its people, why for example should we restrict that exercise to the relatively minuscule western part of the huge Saharan territory? The nomadic Saharawi population is a unique blend of Arabs and indigenous Berber tribes, that spans a territory that includes necessarily the whole of Mauritania and very large chunks of the Algerian, Libyan segments of the Sahara desert. The separatists would have been more convincing had they stopped playing the puppet role for regional powers’ obvious ambitions.

He added:

The referendum idea, in the context of the conflict over Western Sahara, is I believe passé, because the separation would be a disaster, not only for Morocco, but also for the region.

Spain and Algeria are two foreign countries who are being accused to be behind such ongoing unrest in Western Sahara, explained Cabalamuse:

I don’t discount the possibility that the riots could have been instigated by fomenters doing the bidding of the Spanish secret service in response to the unrest in Melilla, or the Algerian/Polisario security services as a retaliation to the Mustafa Salma Ould Sidi Mouloud affair which in turn was Morocco’s counter for the Aminatou Haydar fiasco. So it seems Morocco, Spain, and Algeria ‘secret services are playing tic for tac.

Spanish claims that both Ceuta and Melilla are integral parts of the Spanish state, and have been since the 15th century, while Morocco denies these claims and maintains that the Spanish presence on or near its coast is a remnant of the colonial past which should be ended. And recently, Morocco has been accused of stirring up unrest in Melilla. And that's why some bloggers claimed that Spain might have a hidden agenda that makes its media support the independence movement in Western Sahara.

Nibras Chabab noted:

إسبانيا تحت ضغط اليمين المتطرف وصلت وقاحتها حد دعوة مجلس الأمن للإنعقاد لدراسة أحداث العيون وهي خطة مسمومة تروم من خلالها إسبانيا تأليب الرأي العام الدولي ضد المغرب و تحويل وتحوير أحداث الشغب لجعلها في قالب سياسي ليبدو الأمر وكأنه انتفاضة “شعب “ مع أن إسبانيا التي تناقض نفسها تنسى أنها الوحيدة التي لا زالت تحافظ وتكرس احتلالها لمدينتين مغربيتين سليبتان تقعان على مرمى حجر من جزر مغربية أخرى محتلة

Spain, and under the pressure of the right parties there, was bold enough to call for the Security Council to convene and investigate the incidents of Laayoune. It's a wicked plan meant to turn the international public opinion against Morocco, and to make those riots appear as a revolution of the Sahraoui people. It's strange because Spain forgot that it's the only country that still occupies two Moroccan cities, which in turn are few miles away from other occupied Moroccan islands.

Meanwhile, the EU Ambassador to Morocco, Mr. Eneko Landaburu said, “The Spanish press made its coverage to be all in favor of the western Sahara Separatist group, the Polisario Front”. In response, Moroccan bloggers attacked the Spanish media for fabrication.

According to Maghreb Voices:

Spanish major newspapers, El Pais and El Mundo, as well as pro-separatist websites posted a photo attributed to EFE, depicting two injured children whom they described as Sahrawi victims of Moroccan forces’ brutality. The surprise is that the somehow graphic photo belonged to Palestinian children injured during an Israeli air assault in Gaza in 2006. World Prout Assembly, an activist website, had previously published the image in 2006 and attributed it to injured Palestinian children.

On the other hand, this blogger wonders how the Moroccan and Algerian diplomatic relations work:

The diplomatic relations between Morocco and Algeria can, candidly, be described as “unique” and “aberrant”. There is nowhere else in the world where a country, in this case Algeria, host, arm and diplomatically support a separatist group that has militarily threatened a neighbouring country, in this case Morocco, and yet both countries have diplomatic relations. So, why does Morocco keep its embassy open in Algiers and host an Algerian Ambassador in Rabat?

He continued:

Since 1975, when Morocco liberated the Western Sahara from Spain, the Algerian government has been involved in a proxy war against Morocco over the liberated territory. While The Algerian military and political establishments claim to have no interest in the Western Sahara, they view the conflict as a way to keep Morocco too weak to challenge the Algerians in North Africa by bogging down the Moroccans in a Saharan quagmire. Although well aware of this obvious Algerian strategy, Morocco kept his counter-attack civil and general. The Algeria backed Polisario front has survived thus far solely on the Algerian support. In other words, all and every action ever taken by the Polisario against Morocco is an Algerian hostile engagement to destabilize Morocco.

Morocco: Talks on Western Sahara to Resume

Jillian C. York — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 05:46:48 +0000

The dispute over the Western Sahara is a complex one–Morocco claims it as their own, while the Saharan independence movement (the Polisario), backed by Algeria, desires independence. Three years ago, talks resumed between the Polisario and Morocco, but after four rounds of formal negotiations, a conclusion still had not been reached. Morocco's current proposal is autonomy, but the Polisario demands a referendum on the territory's future, including an option for independence.

The latest news is that talks are set to resume on February 10, informally, in upstate New York. Bloggers are weighing in with their thoughts on what the future might hold for the region. Maghreb Blog, whose author is based in the U.S., gives a bit of background to the conflict, and offers this opinion:

If the plan is not to their liking, which is obviously the case, then it is incumbent upon Algeria and the Polisario to step up to the plate and propose a non-obstructionist, realistic alternative. The blind rejectionism of anything Moroccan will only lead to maintaining the current status-quo largely in favor of Morocco at this point. Any meaningful compromise between Morocco and Algeria is beneficial, not only to the two countries, but also to the other three countries in the Maghreb region, as it could be a tremendous step towards full economic and political integration.

Commenter Chasli expresses disagreement with the blogger's assessment, saying:

You and clearly Rabat are in total denial that the Polisario has already offered a plan. Shortly before Morocco officially came forward with their autonomy plan the Polisario presented a plan that called for a referendum that, as far as I can tell, could include just about anything as long as it included independence as an option. And if the inhabitants voted for independence the Polisario pledged to allow the illegal Morrocan colonists to remain and to institute a special relationship with Morocco. This is I feel a very impressive compromise that deals with a number of Rabat's concerns; however, because Rabat flatly refuses to discuss the UN-mandated referendum on self-determination they have totally ignored the Polisario plan.

The debate continues throughout the comments section. Blogger Analitikis also takes on the subject in a recent post; discussing a recently-issued UN statement, the blogger writes:

Reading the statement and subsequent euphoria on the seeming acceptance of the parties to engage in yet another round of “talks”, one would think that a resolution to the Western Sahara conflict is within reach; that all it takes is a Security Council’s resolution, a Secretary General’s report, a Special Representative’s statement, and a parties half-hearted acceptance for a 35-year-long intractable conflict to be resolved. Little attention is paid to the process, to the parties’ readiness, and to the contextual conditions that may signal the opposite. As far as I know, neither the parties nor the UN (I use the term loosely here) are ready for any kind of serious and honest engagement that would put an end to the conflict of attrition known as the Western Sahara conflict.

Western Sahara: Running the Sahara Marathon 2010

Renata Avila — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 07:59:19 +0000

So you just made that list. Yes, the list with your New Year’s Resolutions. Maybe you have written there that you want to exercise more often, and you also want to help other people around the world, travel to a different country and also meet people from other cultures. If the answer is `yes`, you will love to learn more about the Sahara Marathon 2010 on February 22, 2010.

The Sahara Marathon is an international sport event to demonstrate solidarity with the Saharawi people and this year celebrates its tenth anniversary. Twenty different nationalities will face an enormous challenge in the Western Sahara desert while helping the Saharawis in refugee camps.

Running Shoes by Josiah Mckenzie under a creative commons licence http://www.flickr.com/photos/josiahmackenzie/3414064391/sizes/m/

This year the marathon will go to Dakla Camp and many Saharawi blogs are announcing and promoting the event. In Spanish, Todos con el Sahara, Sahara Deportes and Blog de Montaña, write about the event. You can also find information about it in English on the official site as well as at euskera, where you can find a blog dedicated to the event.

Con el Sahara blog explains the purpose of the event:

Las aportaciones de todos los corredores y el dinero recaudado de particulares o instituciones es íntegramente destinado al proyecto de ayuda humanitaria en los campamentos.

The donations from the participants and the funds raised by individuals or institutions will go towards the humanitary aid project in the refugee camps.

Sahara Marathon by aabrilru under a Creative Commons License http://www.flickr.com/photos/aabrilru/3539753056/sizes/m/in/photostream/

Last year, Kilometrosysueños attended the Sahara Marathon and his inspirational experience to motivate you to take part of it:

Recomiendo firmemente a todos los corredores esta prueba. Es maravillosa la experiencia de correr por el desierto, además hay distancias para todos: 5, 10, 21 y 42. No hay excusa!!!

I strongly recommend this challenge to any runner. A race in the desert is a wonderful experience, besides there are distance options for all: 5, 10, 21 and 42 kms. You have no excuse!!!

If you miss this, your second opportunity is the “Sahara Bike Race” that will take place next April, with a blog promoting the event in multiple languages: Spanish, French, English and Italian.

Many Saharawis have been refugees for more than 30 years, entirely dependent on restricted aid and big efforts by their political leaders and facing the indifference of the rest of the world. One third of them are children. Events like the marathon and the bike race described above are intended to raise funds to help them develop small projects but also to share with anyone a unique and rich culture, but also the problems they face to survive as a nation.

Western Sahara: Aminatou Haidar Deported

Jillian C. York — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:53:50 +0000

Photo of Aminatou Haidar by saharauiak

Aminatou Haidar is a leading activist for independence of the Western Sahara (from Morocco). Born in 1967, she was “disappeared” by Moroccan authorities for her activism at age twenty, only to reemerge three years later. In 2005, Haidar was arrested for her participation in a protest and sentenced to seven months in prison for “inciting violent protest activities.” Amnesty International deemed her a prisoner of conscience, questioning the fairness of her trial and those of 6 others. Since her release, she has been honored with the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award, nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, and most recently awarded the Civil Courage Prize in New York, all for her work defending human rights in the Western Sahara.

Regardless of the accolades given to her, Haidar lived - until recently - in Morocco with great fear of being arrested; that is until Friday, November 13 when, upon returning to Laayoune (a city in the Western Sahara region), she was arrested and subsequently deported. According to the Christian Science Monitor, authorities took issue with her writing “Western Sahara” on her customs forms. According to Moroccan officials, Haidar renounced and “willingly signed away” her Moroccan citizenship. She was then sent to Lanzarote in the Canary Islands, and later granted Spanish residency on humanitarian grounds, according to Spanish news organization ABC.

Pro-independence blog Sandblast reminds readers that Haidar is not the only dissident persecuted for her cause, stating:

Since October 6, fifteen well-known human rights defenders from Western Sahara have been arrested, detained and interrogated. Seven of them, known as the Casablanca 7 are being tried in a military court for acts of treason after visiting their relatives in the Saharawi refugee camps in SW Algeria. These Saharawis have been targeted for speaking out against the repression of the Moroccan occupation in their homeland and advocating their self-determination rights as recognized by the UN charter and over a 100 UN resolutions. In August, the Moroccan authorities prevented six Saharawi youths from traveling to the UK to participate in the Oxford-based programme Talk Together, which promote dialogue between youth in areas of conflict.

Spanish blogger Bilbaobilonia, referencing a recent speech in which Moroccan King Mohammed VI stated that anyone supporting the Sahara's independence is a traitor, expressed support [es] of Haidar:

Ya lo dijo el rey Mohamed VI en su discurso conmemorativo de la Marcha Verde: en Marruecos sólo se puede ser patriota o traidor. Claro que, si alguien se toma la molestia de examinar las raquíticas libertades que promueve la dinastía alauí o la persecución a la que somete a la disidencia saharaui , es fácil llegar a la conclusión de que en Marruecos, la traición es la forma más noble de patriotismo.

As King Mohammed VI already said in his speech commemorating the Green March: A Moroccan can only be a patriot or a traitor. Of course, if someone takes the trouble to examine the stunted freedoms the Alawite dynasty promotes or the persecution to which it submits Saharawi dissidents, it is easy to conclude that in Morocco, treason is the noblest form of patriotism.

Blogger One Hump or Two expresses surprise at the fact that Moroccan authorities would go after someone so well-connected:

This shows Moroccan police will go after any Sahrawi who supports a referendum, even those with international connections and support. Haidar's awards (most recently the Civil Courage Prize) weresupposed to place her outside these dangers by showing the Moroccan government the world is watching them.

Sahara Occidental continues to post media roundups on Aminatou Haidar's case.

Western Sahara: Hunger Strike in Support for Separatists

Hisham Almiraat — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:12:29 +0000

Solidarité Maroc [Fr], an online forum regrouping some Moroccan human rights activist, publishes an appeal (video) by French national Jean François Debargue who's on hunger strike in solidarity with Sahrawis whom he says are living in “dire conditions” in Western Sahara - a territory administered by Morocco and contested by the separatist Polisario Front, which is supported by neighbouring Algeria.

Bubisher: A Bus of Books for Children in Western Sahara

Renata Avila — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 15:47:35 +0000

Bubisher..Books for Western Sahara children in refugee camps

Bubisher means “a bird bringing good news.” According to Roge Blog, it is also the name of a Saharaui poetry book. But for hundreds of children living in refugee camps in Western Sahara, it is the name of a bus full of books, explains Haz lo que debas.

Gonzalo Moure, a children's book author and the man behind Bubisher says:

El Bubisher no lleva libros regalados o sobrantes, sino un plan de lectura, con 4 o 20 ejemplares por titulo, para un fondo inicial de 1400 libros.

Bubisher does not carry used or extra books, but it is a reading plan with 4 - 20 copies per title to start a library of 1,400 books

Abueliki blog encourages us to read the Bubisher blog, meet the creative bus and support the endeavour - not only with funding but through sharing experiences and learning about the exemplary way in which volunteers engage in the project and love it. Among them are politicians, universities, publishing houses and ordinary people.

EL PAJARO QUE TRAE LA BUENA SUERTE from Irene Bailo on Vimeo.

Kalandra Blog explains more:

Además de libros en castellano, donados por editoriales como KALANDRAKA, el Bubisher también incorpora una selección de literatura infantil y juvenil en árabe, lo que afianza los lazos de la multiculturalidad. Frente a la carencia de libros y de espacios de lectura, el Bubi supone “una biblioteca abierta y que se acerca a los lectores”, tal y como ha expresado Gonzalo Moure. Una biblioteca rodante, en constante movimiento.

In addition to books in Castillian Spanish donated by publishing houses like Kalandra, Bubisher has a collection of books for children and youth in the Arabic language strengthening the ties with multiculturalism. Facing a lack of books and spaces to read, the Bubi is an open library that goes to where the readers are, as explained by Gonzalo Moure. A mobile library, always on the move.

Would you like to volunteer with Bubisher? You can do it by joining their 120 Bubisher friends initiative which partners with classrooms or even schools to collect some funds or you can donate books or funds on your own. You can also translate their materials from Spanish to other languages or you can just forward the Bubisher poster to your friends and print it to show it to your offline community. And there is more, you can visit the refugee camps as a volunteer and share some good readings with the children.

In conclusion, I would like to quote Bubisher creator Gonzalo Moure, discussing literature and books:

Eso es la literatura: corazones que no dejan de latir, pensamiento sin la barrera del tiempo. El corazón del abuelo latiendo en nuestro pecho. El aliento de Homero en nuestros oídos. Leer es vencer al tiempo, tener mil corazones

This is literature: hearts that continue to beat, thoughts that are challenging time barriers. The heart of our grandfather beating in our chest. Homer's breath in our ears. To read is to challenge time, to feel with a thousand hearts.

Western Sahara: Landmine Injures Five During Peaceful Protest

Jillian C. York — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 16:19:02 +0000

Last week, Saharawis and Spaniards stood together in solidarity against the berm (”Wall of Shame”) built between Morocco and the Western Sahara, over which Morocco claims sovereignty. The protest, dubbed the International March against the Wall of Shame, resulted in an unconfirmed number of Saharawis injured by landmines.

Blogger Sahara Ocidental, who is based in Tindouf, is one of the only bloggers discussing the incident. Prior to its inauguration, the blogger wrote:

Hundreds of Spanish visitors spent the evening hours on Thursday making final preparations for their march of protest and solidarity in front of the Moroccan-built wall that divides the Western Sahara in two.

Lunches were made, bags were packed, and orientation sessions were held to make sure that all of the participants were ready for Friday’s events, organized and coordinated by the National Union of Saharawi Women (UNMS).

These 300 Spaniards have signed up to make the two-hour trip, but several hundred more – from Germany, Italy, Great Britain, the United States, France, Austria, Portugal, El Salvador, Mexico and other countries – will be accompanying them as they demonstrate their opposition to the Moroccan occupation in the Western Sahara and the physical barrier erected between the Saharawi refugees near Tindouf, Algeria, and their family members still living in the territory occupied by Morocco.

The blogger then states that, during the protest, five Saharawis were injured when a 19-year-old accidentally detonated a landmine:

Five Saharawis were injured in Rouss Essabty on Friday, 70 km from the Saharawi refugee camps, when a 19-year-old boy stepped on a landmine.

The victims, along with 3,000 other Saharawis and international activists, were participating in a peaceful protest against the Moroccan wall that divides the Western Sahara.

The blast occurred when the five victims were attempting to approach the wall by clearing a path through a barbed wire barrier that surrounds it, which is known to the Saharawis as the Wall of Shame. Three of the victims, identified as Ibrahim Hussein Abait, Hamdi Fadli Adbelahi and Mohamed Salim Bouda Larossi, were passing through an active minefield with more than 300 other demonstrators.

Ibrahim, from the Saharawi refugee camp of Dakhla, suffered the gravest injury, losing more than half of his left foot in the explosion. Hamdi and Mohamed sustained minor burns and shrapnel wounds to their faces, arms and backs.

In February, two Saharawis were killed when a landmine detonated. The Western Sahara is known for having scores of landmines left over from conflicts dating back to World War II.

Maghreb: UN Western Sahara Envoy Holds Talks with Polisario

Jillian C. York — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 22:57:18 +0000

Yesterday, Christopher Ross, the UN Special Envoy to the disputed Western Sahara, arrived in Algeria to hold talks with the Polisario Front, according to AFP. Daily Maghreb reported on the meeting, stating:

Ross was in a “listening position” while meeting Morocco's Foreign Minister Taieb Fassi Fihri and senior officials of the royal consultative council for Saharan affairs (CORCAS), an informed source said.
The Polisario Front independence movement has disputed Morocco's claim to the territory since the north African kingdom annexed it after the withdrawal of Spanish settlers in the mid-1970s.
Ross arrived in Rabat on Wednesday after officials at UN headquarters in New York warned against great expectations of a first mission on which the new envoy was to sound out a chance of resuming negotiations.

alle, writing for the new blog, Maghreb Politics Review, commented on the event as well:

It is his first trip to see the parties to the conflict, and he impressed early on by speaking to Aljazeera TV in fluent Arabic — although what he said was “no comments”. For some reason, that feels illustrative of the whole Western Sahara issue.

van kaas, commenting on the blog post, said:

Ross will arrive in the camps for Sahrawi refugees today and he will probably be asked to demand information from Moroccan authorities about the disappeared Saharawis. This item should have been dealt with long time ago, and this longstanding complaint is one of the failures of van Walsum, the former SESGUNWS.

Sahara Occidental also wrote:

Mr. Ross has been received by the people and leaders in the Sahraoui refugee camps. Mr. Ross said he came to find a political acceptable solution to both parties ( Morocco and the Polisario Front), which would allow the Sahraoui people to determine their future.

Tindouf home for over thirty years some 165,000 Sahraoui refugees, according to official Sahraoui figures.

Global: Morocco Closes Caracas Embassy

Jillian C. York — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 21:22:35 +0000

Morocco announced this week that it would close its embassy in Venezuela due to Venezuela's recognition of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), the territory also known as the “Western Sahara,” over which Morocco asserts its sovereignty. Forty-eight countries recognize SADR, and thirteen of those are home to Saharawi embassies (see image below).

Moroccan blogger Ibn Kafka provides a timeline of events between Morocco and Venezuela:

Ceux qui me lisent connaissent le peu d’estime que j’ai pour les séparatistes, et quelques uns me le reprochent même régulièrement. Je me sens d’autant plus à l’aise pour vous communiquer les éléments d’information suivants, sous forme de calendrier.

3 août 1982: le Vénézuela reconnaît la “République arabe sahraouie démocratique“, qui a une ambassade à Caracas depuis cette date - voir son site (qui ne fait pas très sérieux, mais c’est une autre affaire).

2 septembre 2004: le président vénézuelien Hugo Chavez rencontre officiellement Abdelaziz el Marrakchi, leader des séparatistes, et affirme publiquement le soutien du gouvernement de la république bolivarienne du Vénézuela à la cause séparatiste.

6 juin 2008: un nouvel “ambassadeur” sahraoui est accrédité à Caracas, et est reçu par le ministre vénézuelien des affaires étrangères pour lui remettre ses “lettres de créance”.

27 décembre 2008: Israël lance sa guerre d’agression contre Gaza.

6 janvier 2009: le président de la république bolivarienne du Vénézuela, Hugo Chavez, déclare persona non grata l’ambassadeur d’Israël au Vénézuela, qui a 72 heures pour quitter le pays.

15 janvier 2009: un communiqué de la MAP annonce que le Maroc a décidé de rompre les relations diplomatiques avec le Vénézuela “en réaction à l’hostilité ouvertement affichée par ce pays à l’égard de l’intégrité territoriale du Maroc, compromettant tout effort de développement de la coopération bilatérale“. Le communiqué rajoute: “La république bolivarienne n’a pas cessé d’afficher ouvertement [son] hostilité au Maroc, joignant la parole aux actes, au plus haut niveau de l’Etat, portant ainsi un grave préjudice aux relations de bonne entente entre les deux pays“. Tout ceci est vrai, mais les jalons de cette attitude vénézuelienne vis-à-vis de la question du Sahara ont été posés entre 1982 (date de la reconnaissance de la “RASD” par le Vénézuela) et juin 2008 (date de la dernière accréditation d’un “ambassadeur” de la “RASD” au Vénézuela). Le Maroc réagit donc avec entre 6 mois et 27 ans de retard, selon le critère que l’on pourrait choisir pour déterminer le moment à compter duquel le Vénézuela a “affiché son hostilité à l’intégrité territoriale du Maroc“.

Those who read my blog know the little esteem I have for the separatists, and some even reproach me for it regularly. I feel even more comfortable communicating to you the following pieces of information, in the form of a timeline.

3 August 1982: Venezuela recognizes the “Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic”, which has had an embassy in Caracas since - see its website (which is not very professional, but that's another matter).

2 September 2004: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez formally meets Abdelaziz el Marrakchi, leader of the separatists, and asserts the public support of the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the separatist cause.

6 June 2008: a new Saharawi “ambassador” is accredited in Caracas, and is received by the Venezuelan Minister of Foreign Affairs to submit his “credentials.”

27 December 2008: Israel launches its war of aggression against Gaza.

6 January 2009: President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, declares Israel's ambassador to Venezuela persona non grata, giving him 72 hours to leave the country.

15 January 2009: a press release of the MAP [Maghreb Arabe Presse, Morocco's state news agency) says that Morocco has decided to sever diplomatic relations with Venezuela “in response to the open hostility displayed by that country with regard to Morocco's territorial integrity, undermining any effort bilateral cooperation efforts.” The release adds: “The Bolivarian Republic has continued to openly display its hostility to Morocco, joining the call to action at the highest level of government, dealing a serious injury to the good relations between the two countries.” All this was true, but the foundations of this Venezuelan attitude vis-à-vis the Sahara issue were laid between 1982 (date of recognition of the SADR by Venezuela) and June 2008 (date of last accreditation of an “ambassador” of the “SADR” in Venezuela). Morocco therefore reacts 27 years and 6 months too late, according to the criteria which we could choose to determine the moment that Venezuela might have “shown its hostility to the territorial integrity of Morocco.”

Roads to Iraq ties the incident to Israel, saying:

Morocco cuts relations with Venezuela because the Latin-American country supports the Polisario, who are recognized by more than 64 countries in the world and Venezuela, had already relations with the Polisario since the 80s.

But if you read what Moroccan newspaper Attajdid wrote that Israel’s exports to Morocco last year reached $19.6 Million, Morocco’s exports to Israel about $3.6 Million, then you can understand the real reason.

Nimr of the Arab-American blog KABOBfest also raised the issue, and referring to how often Venezuelan embassies have turned up in the news lately, says:

Well if you can dish it, hope you can take it: Now Morocco is closing its embassy in Caracas in protest over Venezuela's support for the Polisario:

The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the decision followed “increasing hostility by the Venezuelan authorities regarding the Kingdom of Morocco's territorial integrity and recent measures to support (Polisario)”.Why do stern diplomatic communiques always sound like a passive-aggressive ex-girlfriend? “I mean, we are not mad at you, ya know? We are mad that you don't respect our, like, integrity…”

Fortunately, Kabob Mediation Services™ has stepped up and figured out a solution to everyone's benefit. Morocco, Israel and Morocco have all agreed that in the event of a future diplomatic row, participants will simply hurl metallic devices devices at the French.

Egyptian blogger Zeinobia is perplexed by Morocco's timely decision:

Mentioning the news of official Morocco , why did really the Moroccan government withdraw its ambassador from Carcass ?? Is it really for the Western Sahara issue !!??

Well I think it is plain stupid now with my all respect because Venezuela has recognized the Western Sahara since 1982 !!!! So I wonder why King Hassan II did not withdraw his ambassador from Carcass all that time.

Surely Carcass is not the only capital that recognize the Western Sahara as an independent entity. For God sake there are other countries in the world that recognize the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic “SADR”. Strangely these countries are still having Moroccan Embassies like for instance Mexico so why now Mohamed IV decides this strange decision when Venezuela becomes the new ally of Arabs in South America ?? In time we are in a very bad need to an ally.

I still do not get this move at all.

Recent Developments in Western Sahara

Amira Al Hussaini — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 18:14:03 +0000

Writing on One Hump or Two?, Will Sommer updates us on recent developments in Western Sahara.

Western Sahara: Student Reported Detained

Jillian C. York — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 17:23:39 +0000

Saharawi-students.org reports that a Saharawi law student has been detained in Tan Tan. The student was released after 10 hours.

Western Sahara: Cubarawis

Renata Avila — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 16:15:15 +0000

Can be loved the desert after living in the Caribbean? …the desert is the face of each Saharaoui and if you don't love your face, to whom you will be able to love someday? -From the film Caribbean Sahara

What is the first impression of a Bedouin in a Caribbean Island? On his visit, blogger Ali Salem Iselmu shared the experience on a lovely story called "A Bedouin in the Caribbean ":

Era de noche y se veía en medio de la oscuridad aquel precioso poblado de casas de madera de color blanco y rojo. El ambiente a fiesta y carnaval era total, la música a todo volumen y la gente bailando salsa y sudando, nosotros lo único que hicimos a pesar del cansancio que teníamos era incorporarnos a la fiesta.

Cuando llegamos a la plaza de Banes después de bajar del autobús comprobamos con nuestros ojos aquella famosa frase que dice "con una lata y un palo bailan los cubanos" porque la naturaleza del Caribe y su alma son bien distintas a aquella sobriedad que a un nómada beduino, reconvertido en caribeño a través de los ritmos que marca la humedad de la noche.

It was night and one could see through the darkness the precious village with houses made of white and red wood. The party and carnival-like ambiance was complete with loud music and people dancing and sweating. We were really tired but had no choice but join to the party.

When we arrive to the Plaza de Banes, after getting off the bus, we could see with our own eyes the famous phrase that says "with just a metal can and a stick Cubans can dance" because Caribbean nature and their souls are very different from the sobriety that fills a Bedouin nomad, who has become a Caribbean thanks to the rhythms of the night, felt with a hint of the humidity.

Cuban - Western Sahara cooperation is an early example of international aid. For example, back in the late seventies, 99 girls were chosen to study and improve their life conditions through education in Cuba, as Hernan Zin tells in "Saharaui Women" . One of the girls was Maima Mahamud from Dajla:

Permaneció en la isla caribeña el resto de su infancia y toda la adolescencia, estudiando, preparándose para el futuro, con la idea insoslayable, a pesar de su corta de edad, de que volvería al Sáhara para luchar por la independencia de su pueblo.

She remained in the Caribbean island her entire childhood and her adolescence, studying, preparing for the future, with the fixed idea, even when she was so young, that she would return to the Sahara in the future to fight for her people's independence.

And she returned home as an educated woman, and created the Dajla School for Women to improve education and possibilities for girls in her homeland. This is a admirable action promoted by educated women, as according to the latest UNESCO report, it utilizes the resources of the country with the best educational standards in Latin America to counteract a country with a 50% literacy rate.

The bilateral cooperation is still active in spite of precarious situation in the island, as blogger El Porvenir del Sahara shows, with pictures of saharauis sipping tea in Cuba and Cubans dancing in Western Sahara. Ebnu, another blogger that shared his experience arriving together with other children from Argel to Cuba, brings us back to those days on 1978 when he arrived as a child to the Caribbean:

Aquellos primeros días los recuerdo con esa sensación triste y amarga. De estar perplejo ante una experiencia que apenas comenzaba y la curiosidad por descubrir un mundo nuevo lleno de ilusiones y sorpresas.

El mango, la guayaba, el mamey ¡Qué delicia!, la "Pelota", el Baseball, "¿cómo es posible que jueguen una cosa así, es que no conocen el fútbol o qué?" El contraste entre lo dulce y lo salado. Lo dulce y era muy dulce y lo salado muy salado. ¿Cómo comer arroz todos los días, día y noche? Si a mí no me gusta el arroz.

I recall those first days with a sad, bitter sensation. With the perplexity and the curiosity of a new experience that was just starting, a different world full of expectations and surprises.

Mango , guayaba , mamey .. Delicious!, the "ball", the baseball How can they play such game? Do they ever know football?. The contrast with sweet and salted. The sweets were too sweet, the salty food was too salty. How can someone eat rice every day, day and night? When I do not like rice…

If you like to see a movie about it, bloggers recommend Caribbean of the Sahara . The next time you meet a Bedouin dancing with rhythm or a Cuban offering you three cups of tea then you will know the reason.

Western Sahara: Controversy Over McDonald's Maps

Jillian C. York — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 13:54:09 +0000

The Moroccan McDonald's franchise faced controversy last week after it released a children's “Happy Meal” toy which included a map of Morocco. The borders on the map separated Western Sahara from Morocco; the Western Sahara is a disputed territory between Morocco and the Algerian-backed Polisario Front. The controversy ended with the Moroccan franchise issuing an apology to the citizens of Morocco.

Although Moroccan bloggers were mute about the issue, the Western Saharan blogosphere and its friends commented on the story. Nick Brooks, whose blog Sand and Dust focuses primarily on the region, wrote of the apology:

I guess this is understandable - small considerations such as respect for international law and UN resolutions, and squeamishness about territorial aggression, occupation of neighbouring territories, and widespread human rights abuses obviously take a back seat when it comes to the important business of selling burgers and making lots of money.

Goufia, a diaspora blogger residing in Canada, calls for a boycott of McDonald's along with several other bloggers:

We learned from the press (01.12.08) that McDonalds Moroccan subsidiary has withdrawn some ‘Happy Meal' toys including a map with the legally recognized borders between Western Sahara (WS) and Morocco, pretending to replace them with other toys with a map including WS inside Moroccan borders. This would mean a clear violation of International Law.As you are surely aware, WS is a Non-Self-Governing Territory as declared by the UN, militarily invaded and occupied by force by Morocco, whose sovereignty is recognized neither by UN nor by any country in the world. Morocco systematically violates human rights of Saharawi citizens, refusing to accept several UN resolutions and preventing their right to self-determination. This attitude of McDonalds Moroccan subsidiary discredits McDonalds image and reputation.We urge McDonalds to take the necessary actions to ensure that their Moroccan subsidiary respects and does not violate International Law on behalf of McDonalds…

French and Spanish text regarding the boycott can be found in the Sahara Resiste blog. A UN map of Morocco and Western Sahara can be found here.