1.2.96: The continuing row between Algeria and Morocco over Western Sahara leads to the postponement of a planned meeting of North African Foreign Ministers.
1.2.96: South African Foreign Minister Alfred Nzo cancels a planned visit to Morocco which aimed to arbitrate between Morocco and Algeria.
1.2.96: Bachir Mustapha Sayed, Saharawi Co-ordinator with the UN Mission for Western Sahara (MINURSO) declares that the Polisario Front is ready for dialogue with Morocco but adds that "Even the word 'dialogue' seems taboo in the minds of the Moroccan authorities". Meanwhile, Morocco's Ambassador to the UN says that his country "had sufficiently shown the whole world its sincere and deep desire to see this referendum succeed".
3.2.96: US Ambassador to the UN Madelaine Albright states continuing US support for a free and fair referendum on the future of Western Sahara, but says that Morocco and Polisario must take action to try and establish mutual confidence.
4.2.96: Spanish Premier Felipe Gonzalez arrives in Morocco for a two day summit. Main items on the agenda include: the recent Spanish/Moroccan fisheries dispute; a planned fixed link across the Straits of Gibraltar; and an agreement by Spain to grant $1.2 billion in soft credits to Morocco up to the year 2000.
5.2.96: Following his meeting with Algerian President Liamine Zeroual, the Algerian media reports that Alfred Nzo has offered his countries good offices to try and solve the Western Sahara conflict. Nzo leaves Algiers for a meeting with the Polisario leadership at Tindouf.
6.2.96: Spanish Premier Gonzalez says that Spain respects and supports UN resolutions on the Western Sahara, but also indicates that his country has continuing differences with Morocco over the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, which Spain has held since the 16th Century.
6.2.96: Alfred Nzo concludes his meetings with Polisario and leaves for Morocco.
7.2.96: A communique from the Information Ministry of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) states that Alfred Nzo offered South African support for a free and fair referendum on Western Sahara based on respect for the right of the Saharawi people to self-determination.
8.2.96: At the end of Nzo's two day visit to Morocco, during which time he meets with Moroccan Premier Filali and King Hassan, a joint statement is issued by South Africa and Morocco appealing to the international community for increased aid to Africa. A joint statement also commits Morocco and South Africa to increase trade - bilateral trade between the two countries was $50 million in 1994, up from $12 million in 1993. Asked by the Moroccan press why he had visited the Polisario leadership, Nzo replies "Because we know them. We have known them for a long time". He denies, however, that he has offered to mediate in the Western Sahara conflict: "We did not come here to for mediation of any sort. We came here to discuss bilateral relations".
12.2.96: A French tourist is killed and another wounded by a mine explosion on the border between Mauritania and Western Sahara. According to the US State Department, there are an estimated 10,000 live mines in the soil of Western Sahara, although the German newspaper Frankfurter Rundschau put the number at 1.2 million in 1995.
12.2.96: During a visit to Italy, Saharawi Minister for Foreign Affairs and Co-operation, Malainine Saddik says that Polisario is ready for direct negotiations with Morocco and asks the Italian Government, currently holding the Presidency of the European Union, to intervene in an appropriate way to support direct negotiations.
14.2.96: Jeune Afrique reveals that South African Foreign Minister paid a 'secret' visit to Tunisia on the 6th February and that South Africa had also been present at another secret meeting between Morocco and Saharawi representatives in Lisbon last summer.
19.2.96: Separate meetings take place between the UN secretary general's special representative, Erik Jensen and the Saharawi and Moroccan authorities.
19.2.96: The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) reports that since the official UN cease-fire in 1991, France, Spain Denmark, Italy and the USA have given arms to Morocco. The US supplied 320 tanks.
19.2.96: Le Monde reports that more than 200 people have been arrested by the Moroccan authorities after the launch of an anti-corruption campaign. The Moroccan human rights organisation OMDH says that there has been severe brutality and violence during police interrogations.
20.2.96: The Moroccan human rights organisation AMDH denounces the deteriorating human rights situation in Morocco in its annual report. According to the AMDH, torture and misuse of power are commonplace and lists the cases of thirteen suspect deaths in custody.
24/26.2.96: The Third Congress of the National Union of Saharawi Women takes place in the Saharawi refugee camps. It is dedicated to the memory of El Batoul Sidi Ali who died in a Moroccan prison following torture because of her support for Saharawi independence. In an appeal to the international community, the Congress asks for concerted pressure on Morocco to cease human rights violations of Saharawis in the occupied territory of Western Sahara.
26.2.96: In his report to the Ministerial Meeting of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), OAU secretary general Dr. Salim Ahmed Salim expresses the organisation's deep concern over the lack of tangible progress in holding the referendum on the future of Western Sahara. He stresses the need to examine every possible way and take every effort to overcome the differences between Morocco and Polisario over the implementation of the UN settlement plan. Salim adds that he believes that “it is important to promote dialogue between Morocco and Polisario.
26.2.96: The UN announces that General Jose Garcia Leandro (Portugal) is to be the new military commander of MINURSO.
26.2.96: The SADR announces the symbolic circulation of the Saharawi Peseta "in order to complete the attributes of the Saharawi state".
27.2.96: The Libyan news agency JANA reports that South African President Mandela has met with Libyan leader Gaddafi to discuss the Western Sahara conflict. According to Jeune Afrique, Mandela has also written to Tunisian President Ben Ali to express his concern about Western Sahara.
27.2.96: In a speech to mark the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the declaration of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) the President of the SADR and general secretary of Polisario, Mohamed Abdelaziz says that he believes that the Saharawi people are near to achieving the end of their struggle. He denounces a new Moroccan military build-up in Western Sahara and reiterates the need for direct negotiations. He also reaffirms the willingness of the Polisario front to try and overcome the current impasse over voter identification for the Western Sahara referendum.
27.2.96: The Saharawi representative to MINURSO, Bachir Mustapha Sayed outlines significant troop movements by Morocco in Western Sahara during the previous six weeks. According to Sayed, Morocco has built an "enormous" new airfield at Zak some 80 kilometres from the Saharawi refugee camps in Algeria. Armoured divisions and elite troops have also been brought to the border with Algeria (the Third and Sixth Divisions of the Moroccan Army).
28.2.96: The Algerian newspaper Liberte, reports that the Moroccan army is surrounding key towns in Western Sahara. The paper asks "Why does Morocco take these measures? Are they prompted by the internal Moroccan situation or do they reflect the King's willingness to resume the war with the Polisario Front?"
29.2.96: Previewing the 35th anniversary of the accession of King Hassan to the throne, Reuter quotes diplomatic sources which cast doubt on any ceding of powers by Hassan to his son, Crown Prince Sidi Mohammed. There have been recent rumours suggesting a transfer of powers due to the King's health problems. According to Reuter, analysts specialising in Morocco believe that there would be no shift in power while the Western Sahara issue is unresolved.
This edition of Western Sahara News Digest has been prepared by Martin Hughes of the Western Sahara Campaign. For further information, please contact him on 01280 821184 (+44 1280 821184)