Zo kan het ook

In Nederland wordt laf en benepen gezwegen over de illegale bezetting
van West Sahara door Marokko. Kritiek op de Koning van Marokko hoort
men hier niet, en er wordt helemaal beleefd gezwegen als men op bezoek
is in Marokko. Delegaties van kamerleden, artiesten op werkbezoek,
leden van het koninklijke huis of draaideur-crimineeltjes op re-
socialisatiebezoek; niemand peinst erover om Marokkanen te vertellen
dat de bezetting van West Sahara illegaal is en dat er een einde aan
moet komen.
In het buitenland doet men dat anders!

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Jagland will raise the issue of Western Sahara

During his five day long official visit to Morocco, the president of
the Norwegian parliament, Mr. Thorbjorn Jagland, will raise the human
rights situation in Western Sahara with the Moroccan authorities.
Jagland will exert pressure on the Moroccan authorities to allow a
Nordic delegation into the occupied area, and he believes the
controversial Royal Council for Saharan affairs is to be considered a
part of Morocco's occupation policy.

By Per Kristian C. Nielsen (Marrakech, Morocco)

Verdensmagasinet X, Norway

2. April 2007

For a number of years Thorbjorn Jagland has been a driving force in
Norwegian policy regarding the Palestinian issue. He is now on a five
day official visit to Morocco. In a meeting with Morocco's Foreign
Minister Mohammed Benaïssa tomorrow Mr. Jagland will raise the less
known conflict in Western Sahara.

- I have long been concerned about this conflict, says Jagland. - But
it hasn't been that visible in the public domain since the press
wishes to focus on more violent conflicts.

In addition to the meeting with Benaïssa tomorrow the President of
Norwegian parliament (the Storting) will meet Prime Minister Driss
Jettou later in the week. In the meetings he wishes to raise the human
rights situation of the population of Western Sahara, the Sahrawis.

- Do you see any parallells between the situation of the Sahrawis and
that of the Palestinians?

- It is difficult to draw any clear parallels between the two
conflicts. Both nations demand a greater say over their own affairs
but the Sahrawis who live in the refugee camps probably live under
tougher conditions than most Palestinians, Mr. Jagland said to
Verdensmagasinet X.

It is probable that during his meetings with the ministers Mr. Jagland
will be presented with Morocco's new autonomy proposal for Western
Sahara. The proposal is not yet publicly known but several governments
have so far been informed of its main characteristics. The plan, which
will be presented to the United Nations Security Council in April,
entails the annexation of the territory into Morocco. Morocco thereby
rejects the UN demand for a referendum.

- A part of the occupation policy
Later in the week Mr Jagland will also meet the president of Corcas -
the Royal Council for Saharan Affairs- appointed by the Moroccan king,
Mohammed VI. The council has been controversial because it has been
seen as a part of Morocco's strategic occupation policy. Jagland now
says he agrees with this criticism.

- Does such a council have any real legitimacy in a matter like this?

- Whether or not it has legitimacy is a matter of definition. It is
possible that the Sahrawis feel that Corcas acts in a partisan way,
but the council has nevertheless started a process. What remains
clear, however, is that the council is a part of the Moroccan
occupation policy, says Jagland.

In a separate interview with the channel TV2 Nyhetskanalen later the
same day Mr. Jagland added that any proposal has to be based on
respect for international law.

Rejected delegations
On two occasions over the last few years the Moroccan authorities have
refused to allow delegations from the Nordic embassies in Rabat into
the occupied areas to meet Sahrawi representatives. This is also
something that the President of the Parliament wishes to raise with
the Moroccan ministers.

- Will you raise the repeated Norwegian attempts to send an embassy
delegation into the occupied areas to talk to Sahrawi representatives?

- We're working on sending a Nordic embassy delegation. I will discuss
this with our ambassador in Rabat this coming Wednesday, Mr. Jagland
says to Verdensmagasinet X.

Five Norwegian journalists have been thrown out of Western Sahara and
Morocco while wishing to cover the Western Sahara affair. While
Morocco has blocked access to Western Sahara for many Norwegian and
other foreign delegations, Amnesty International reports widespread
violations against the civilian population in the territory.