TERRY BATCHERA number of disputes and conflicts are threatening directly or indirectly peace, and stability around the world. In fact some of these conflicts deserve the international community full attention in order to solve them, whereas others are simply unfounded, but unfortunately continue to exist for some reasons or others, draining out financial resources, as well as putting tremendous pressure on the international community. As to the Western Sahara conflict, it is a result of regional politics in the North African area during the seventies and particularly between the two most powerful countries in the region i.e.: Morocco and Algeria. Vital economic and strategic interests where undoubtedly behind the three decade crisis over Western Sahara. Reading some articles and reports about western Sahara being the last African colony is in fact a pure misunderstanding in some cases, and a total ignorance in others of the history of the region, that is why iam inviting my fellow European and other researchers, writers, observers, and journalists to read and understand the history of the region and the relationship of different Moroccan Sultans with the inhabitants of the Sahara region. |
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HASSAN MASIKY
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 Washington, 12/21/09-- The case of the Western Sahara separatist Aminattou Haidar ended by her return to Morocco. Rabat reversed its position refusing to allow Haidar to fly back to the Moroccan city of Laayoun in the Sahara. Morocco’s change of heart came amid a barrage of criticism of its treatment of the Polisario activist, and in the middle of a continuous fierce campaign aimed at tarnishing the standing of the Kingdom on the international scene. Clearly, the plan to derail Morocco’s effort to publicize its Local Autonomy Plan for the Western Sahara was a success.
With the Moroccan diplomacy looking bruised and disheveled, the public in Morocco is questioning the manner in which the Moroccan Foreign Ministry handled the crisis. Even supports of the current government have doubts about the competency of the Moroccan diplomacy, the qualification of Moroccan diplomats and the health of the Moroccan position on the Western Sahara dossier.
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Anouar Boukhars
The security order in the Maghreb region of North Africa is under stress due to a number of challenges. Foremost among them are terrorist attacks that have diversified in regional reach and dramatically increased in number by more than 400 percent since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
The Maghreb is also afflicted by an escalating arms race and rising political tensions between Algeria and Morocco over grievances crystallized around the three-decades-long conflict over Western Sahara. The hostility and distrust between these two power houses, which together account for over two-thirds of the region's GDP and three-quarters of its population, has been so destructive that it has dragged the whole region into a vicious circle of collective suspicion, counterproductive rivalries, and self-defeating policies. As a consequence, all Maghrebi countries (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Mauritania, and Libya) find themselves ill-prepared at this critical juncture to confront the manifold and complex challenges that have made the region, in the words of United Nations Counter-Terrorism Chief Mike Smith, "the world's most worrying security hotspot." |
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NEWS
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Dallas, TX, December 18, 2009 — Moroccan Recipes, a portal dedicated to Moroccan cuisine of the North African country, has found itself in the midst of a political turmoil.
It all started when Aminatou Haidar staged a PR stunt to sabotage the UN backed conflict resolution process. Aminatou Haidar is a pro-Polisario separatist group who enjoyed the Soviet Union and communist Algeria’s support during the cold war. In November 2009, Aminatou Haidar, using a Moroccan passport, entered the country using “Western Sahara” (part of Morocco) as a country of destination and explicitly renouncing to her Moroccan citizenship. Moroccan port authorities, applying existing laws and procedures, deported her to the country of departure. |
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NEWS
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the Western Sahara polisario separatist, Aminatou Haidar, who was on hunger strike for a month was allowed to fly back home to the Southern Moroccan city of Layoun.
Aminatou Haidar was flown out of Lanzarote island airport in the Canary Islands after 10:30 p.m. bound for Layoun. Aminatou Haidar was taken to a hospital earlier on Wednesday for weakness.
Her return caps, for now, a charged and emotional struggle between Spain and Morocco.
An announcement by French President's Nicolas Sarkozy said Morocco will return Haidar's confiscated passport and thereby allowing her return home to her family.
A statement issued by French Government stated that French president Sarkosy "has welcomed Morocco's autonomy proposal within the framework of a political solution under the auspices of the United Nations. In anticipation of this solution, Moroccan law applies"
Ms. Aminatou Haidar, who had listed “Sahrawi” as her nationality and “Western Sahara” as her country of origin was denied entry to Morocco, last Nov 14th, and was deported to Spain where she initiated a month long hunger strike. |
 Washington, 12/15/09- In a rebuke to Spain’s attempts to further internationalize the case of the Western Sahara Polisario activist Aminatou Haidar, the United State Secretary of State Hilary Clinton deliberately avoided to address the situation in the Canary Islands during her conference with Spain’s foreign Minister in Washington. Mr. Miguel Angel Moratinos, who is in visit to the United States, was hoping to get the US government involved adding more pressure on the Moroccan government to take back the Sahrawi Separatist on hunger strike in the Canary Island.
Washington’s position of impartiality boosts Morocco’s stance refusing the return of Haidar. The United States considers the case a matter of internal politics in Morocco. Haidar who renounced her Moroccan citizenship forfeited her rights to return to Morocco under the current circumstances.
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MOSTAPHA SAOUT
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 The stance that the Spaniards exhibit toward Moroccans and the old Spanish xenophobia toward neighboring Morocco is evident in the current Haidar imbroglio .
The acidity of Spanish-Moroccan relations cannot only be explained by the controversy over the Western Sahara affair. Any visitor to Spain who raises the issue of Moroccan immigration will hear comments about the Muslim conquest of Spain, the Christian reconquest, a denigration and demonization of Islam and muslims. History dies hard in Spain. Portraying Muslims as indolent, fanatical, violent, cruel, and lascivious is as common in present-day Spain as it is in the pages of spain's History books.
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 December-09- A whopping 57.5 % of Swiss voters approved a referendum to ban the construction of new minarets across Switzerland. The Swiss ban came as a surprise to observers across Europe and the Muslim world. Reactions of astonishments, indignations and condemnations continue to pour from the around the globe. Religious groups, human rights organizations and political personalities rush to explain and contain the outcry over the Swiss decision. However, a direct referendum by the people of Switzerland is a clear demonstration of the feeling of the Swiss people toward their Muslim community.
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ZAK ETTAMYMY
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 The clemency granted to the self-proclaimed “Gandhi of the Sahara” is another failure of the Moroccan diplomats and Sahara specialists, people who claim to have all the tools to help defend Morocco’s rightful claim to its territories.
We watched with great dismay the disarray and confusion these diplomats express with their action and inaction, their ignorance of the reality and the history of this conflict, their disconnect with the Moroccan person, the real defender of the Moroccan land and a true patriot worthy of respect for his sacrifices liberating this land. |
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HOUWARI DJILALI
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 Aminatou Haidar has been occupying the centre stage in the new chapter on the Western Sahara Conflict. Of note is the Algerian complete silence on the issue – which is rather typical.
Morocco’s main strategy is to advance the idea that the conflict is a made up one – and that Algeria is the real adversary. The view is partly correct: Algeria does fund and give political and territorial support for Western Sahara Separatist Polisario Group, and the western Sahara issue is the only issue they spend money on lobbying in Washington. Aminatou Haidar’s hunger strike, as embarrassing as it is for Morocco and as perturbing as it is for Spain, is a convenient perfect argument for Algeria to counter the strategy of Morocco – they need not say a word and the saga will continue to be a public relations nightmare for both countries and a point for Algeria, as it moves the focus of the conflict from the Moroccan-Algerian Axis to the Moroccan-Polisario axis, or even more conveniently, to the Moroccan-Spanish Axis. The more adversaries in the conflict the better – while they are at it, bring in human rights organizations if possible. |
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YOUNES TIHM
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 The Western Sahara conflict is one of the longest conflicts in Africa. For more than 30 years claims over the territory have been advanced by the different parties involved in the dispute. In the midst of different stages at which the level of conflict intensity changed in response to different political realities taking place, the people residing in Western Sahara have been the ultimate and most direct victims. Those people are still in a situation where their choices are very limited and the prospect of them being expanded primarily rests in the hands of political leaders who can either agree to bring the conflict to an end, or make it a lingering pain. The conflict has for the past three decades had negative impacts on the overall development of the Maghreb region, and caused diplomatic ties of many states to be jeopardized.
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NEWS
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Travis Andersen
A scene from Tiznit. |
Mayor Joseph Curtatone is in Tiznit, Morocco, to establish a sister city relationship with the leaders of that community.
Curtatone is traveling at his own expense with several local business leaders and artists, city spokesman Tom Champion said, adding that Tiznit representatives contacted Somerville, since the city has ties to the University of the Middle East campus in Boston.
Before Tiznit becomes Somerville's third sister city, a delegation has to visit Somerville, and both cities' legislative bodies must pass resolutions. |
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NEWS
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 A Washington based Moroccan American Community Association, Washington Moroccan Club, has issued an open letter to the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights to protest its biased position on the Aminatou Haidar - "Western" Sahara Affair and is asking for a more balanced position from the RFK Center and an open dialogue with the Moroccan American Community. |
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HASSAN MASIKY
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 Washington, Dec. 15, 09- Morocco for an independent Catalonia! As Spain continues to pressure Morocco to take back the Polisario sympathizer, Aminatou Haidar, who has been on a hunger strike in the Canary Islands for almost a month, the Catalan region overwhelmingly voted for an independent Catalan state. An impressive 94 percent of those who voted on Sunday’s unofficial referendum back a democratic and independent Catalan state.
Spain’s’ rigorous campaign on behalf of the separatist Haidar is in contrast to Madrid official reaction disapproving of the latest attempt by the Catalan people to achieve their legal, historical, and democratic right to self-determination. Haidar, an advocate for self-determination for the people of the “Western Sahara”, has been solidly supported by the Spanish civil society. |
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L'Houssaine Oulbaz
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 The way to embrace fame is, first of all, get rid of your consigns, then take advantage of your host's generosity, travel around the world with the money that you have taken from poor refugees and most importantly, I advise you to make use of your tears, and why not pretend to starve your stomach by observing a hunger strike. If you are unable to follow this formula, then you don’t stand a chance, unless you get in touch with Ms. Aminatou Haidar for advice.
The latter broke the record by betraying her own Country, Morocco. She was using a Moroccan passport to travel from one country to another in order to try, without success, and tarnish the image of a country, her country until November 14th, 2009, by accusing it of human rights violations. How dare she bite the hand that has been feeding her? Listen to her speeches, they are full of contradictions, but still she does not blush or feel embarrassed. |
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HASSAN MASIKY
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 Baltimore MD, Dec.09- Finally! The Algerian people have had a chance to witness the true feelings of millions of Moroccans harbor toward their neighbors to the east. Moroccans’ celebrations of the historic win of the Algerian soccer team against Egypt were heartwarming. The spontaneous explosions of joy by thousands of Moroccans celebrating a well deserving Algerian team were unprecedented considering the tense relations between Rabat and Algiers over the Western Sahara conflict. Moroccans, holding Algerian flags, streamed into the streets of several Moroccan cities including Casablanca, Rabat, and the border town of Oujda rejoicing along with the Algerian public across the “closed” borders.
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