Poemario por un Sahara Libre 04-08

"BYE, BAKER" by Khatry Beirouk James Baker resigns as UN Secretary General Personal Envoy to Western Sahara James Baker tendered his resignation to the United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan, reported today EFE, the Spanish news agency. Kofi Annan will inform the Security Council of Baker's decision to leave the job he held for seven years. During that period, the former US Secretary of State had tried, unsuccessfully, to settle the long-standing dispute in Western Sahara, between Morocco and the Polisario Front. The United Nations General Assembly has consistently considered the issue of Western Sahara as one of decolonization and self-determination. In 1980, it adopted a resolution that reaffirmed "the inalienable right of the people of Western Sahara to self-determination and independence," and "urged Morocco to join in the peace process and to terminate the occupation of the Territory of Western Sahara." On September 14-16, 1997, James A. Baker led the fourth round of talks to settle that conflict. The three days of talks, held at the Baker Institute, resulted in a significant step forward, with agreement reached for the first time on a proposed code of conduct for the Referendum on the Western Sahara, guidelines for the role of the United Nations during the transition period, and the principles that will govern the process of identifying voters who can participate in the referendum. The negotiations included high-level delegations from the United Nations, Morocco, and the Polisario, with additional delegates from Algeria and Mauritania serving as observers. The agreement between the parties was dubbed Houston Agreement or Houston Accords. However, over three years after the "Houston Agreement", and in one of his bleakest reports on the Western Sahara, the Secretary-General, Koffi Annan, stated "that the relations between the two parties had deteriorated [...] due to the tensions around the January 2001 Paris-Dakar rally into Western Sahara." Annan said that he could not report any progress towards overcoming the obstacles to the implementation of the Settlement Plan, or towards determining whether the Government of Morocco, as administrative Power in Western Sahara, is prepared to offer or support some devolution of authority for all inhabitants and former inhabitants of the Territory that is genuine, substantial and in keeping with international norms. In 2001, Baker presented his "Framework Agreement" [ also known as "Baker Plan I"], as an alternative to the existing Peace Plan. Under these framework proposals, the existing UN Settlement Plan for a referendum enabling the Saharawi people to determine the future of Western Sahara, would be replaced with a vote on limited autonomy. If it were implemented, the Framework Agreement would ignore the basic principles that have informed UN action in the area of decolonization, allowing a question of self-determination to be settled under the guidance of the colonial power, with the UN seal of approval. "Baker Plan I" was immediately accepted by the Moroccan government as "a framework for negotiations" while it was rejected by Polisario Front. Many observers considered that the plan had actually been a Moroccan proposition. After much restance from all parties but Morocco, Baker came back two years later with another plan [known as "Peace plan for self-determination of the people of Western Sahara" or "Baker Plan II")]. It provides for a referendum in four to five years time. This would offer the inhabitants of the territory a choice between independence, autonomy within Morocco or complete integration with Morocco. The plan was accepted by Polisario and was approved by the UN Security Council, but Morocco rejected it. In his latest report, Annan said recent confidence-building measures between Morocco and the Polisario, should allow UN-supervised family visits between refugees at camps in western Algeria and their relatives back home to begin. The UN refugee agency UNHCR recently established a free telephone service for 165,000 Western Sahara refugees living in camps in Western Algeria to phone relatives still living in the Moroccan occupied territory. However, Annan warned that more relief aid was needed to ensure the refugees do not run short of food. Western Sahara remains an issue of decolonization and the people of Western Sahara have a legal right to self-determination. The holding of a referendum is the best possible way for the people of Western Sahara to exercise their right which is at the center of the 1991 UN settlement plan. However, over thirteen years have passed and it has not been possible to hold the referendum. But the reason a referendum has not been held is because of obstacles created by Morocco, which has sought to pack the voter roll. Morocco has intentionally torpedoed Houston (Accords), the Settlement Plan, and any political solution involving a possible independent Saharawi state. By allowing a referendum, the King of Morocco would be both doing the right thing and advancing his standing internationally. He might have trouble convincing his generals, for whom Western Sahara has been training school, business enterprise and killing-field. But he could at least try, and the world has a responsibility to help, not encourage the occupation. More than 165,000 Saharawi refugees still bake in the desert since 1975. Countless people have been tortured. Everyone has known fear. Spain, and hence the European Union of which it is a member, has a duty to help make amends. It is time to bring to an end one of the sorriest episodes in Africa's history. Even if Baker calls it quits, the referendum should not remain elusive. "BYE, BAKER" by Khatry Beirouk James Baker resigns as UN Secretary General Personal Envoy to Western Sahara James Baker tendered his resignation to the United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan, reported today EFE, the Spanish news agency. Kofi Annan will inform the Security Council of Baker's decision to leave the job he held for seven years. During that period, the former US Secretary of State had tried, unsuccessfully, to settle the long-standing dispute in Western Sahara, between Morocco and the Polisario Front. The United Nations General Assembly has consistently considered the issue of Western Sahara as one of decolonization and self-determination. In 1980, it adopted a resolution that reaffirmed "the inalienable right of the people of Western Sahara to self-determination and independence," and "urged Morocco to join in the peace process and to terminate the occupation of the Territory of Western Sahara." On September 14-16, 1997, James A. Baker led the fourth round of talks to settle that conflict. The three days of talks, held at the Baker Institute, resulted in a significant step forward, with agreement reached for the first time on a proposed code of conduct for the Referendum on the Western Sahara, guidelines for the role of the United Nations during the transition period, and the principles that will govern the process of identifying voters who can participate in the referendum. The negotiations included high-level delegations from the United Nations, Morocco, and the Polisario, with additional delegates from Algeria and Mauritania serving as observers. The agreement between the parties was dubbed Houston Agreement or Houston Accords. However, over three years after the "Houston Agreement", and in one of his bleakest reports on the Western Sahara, the Secretary-General, Koffi Annan, stated "that the relations between the two parties had deteriorated [...] due to the tensions around the January 2001 Paris-Dakar rally into Western Sahara." Annan said that he could not report any progress towards overcoming the obstacles to the implementation of the Settlement Plan, or towards determining whether the Government of Morocco, as administrative Power in Western Sahara, is prepared to offer or support some devolution of authority for all inhabitants and former inhabitants of the Territory that is genuine, substantial and in keeping with international norms. In 2001, Baker presented his "Framework Agreement" [ also known as "Baker Plan I"], as an alternative to the existing Peace Plan. Under these framework proposals, the existing UN Settlement Plan for a referendum enabling the Saharawi people to determine the future of Western Sahara, would be replaced with a vote on limited autonomy. If it were implemented, the Framework Agreement would ignore the basic principles that have informed UN action in the area of decolonization, allowing a question of self-determination to be settled under the guidance of the colonial power, with the UN seal of approval. "Baker Plan I" was immediately accepted by the Moroccan government as "a framework for negotiations" while it was rejected by Polisario Front. Many observers considered that the plan had actually been a Moroccan proposition. After much restance from all parties but Morocco, Baker came back two years later with another plan [known as "Peace plan for self-determination of the people of Western Sahara" or "Baker Plan II")]. It provides for a referendum in four to five years time. This would offer the inhabitants of the territory a choice between independence, autonomy within Morocco or complete integration with Morocco. The plan was accepted by Polisario and was approved by the UN Security Council, but Morocco rejected it. In his latest report, Annan said recent confidence-building measures between Morocco and the Polisario, should allow UN-supervised family visits between refugees at camps in western Algeria and their relatives back home to begin. The UN refugee agency UNHCR recently established a free telephone service for 165,000 Western Sahara refugees living in camps in Western Algeria to phone relatives still living in the Moroccan occupied territory. However, Annan warned that more relief aid was needed to ensure the refugees do not run short of food. Western Sahara remains an issue of decolonization and the people of Western Sahara have a legal right to self-determination. The holding of a referendum is the best possible way for the people of Western Sahara to exercise their right which is at the center of the 1991 UN settlement plan. However, over thirteen years have passed and it has not been possible to hold the referendum. But the reason a referendum has not been held is because of obstacles created by Morocco, which has sought to pack the voter roll. Morocco has intentionally torpedoed Houston (Accords), the Settlement Plan, and any political solution involving a possible independent Saharawi state. By allowing a referendum, the King of Morocco would be both doing the right thing and advancing his standing internationally. He might have trouble convincing his generals, for whom Western Sahara has been training school, business enterprise and killing-field. But he could at least try, and the world has a responsibility to help, not encourage the occupation. More than 165,000 Saharawi refugees still bake in the desert since 1975. Countless people have been tortured. Everyone has known fear. Spain, and hence the European Union of which it is a member, has a duty to help make amends. It is time to bring to an end one of the sorriest episodes in Africa's history. Even if Baker calls it quits, the referendum should not remain elusive.