- The Saharawi President, Mohamed Abdelaziz, has called upon the UN Secretary General, to device a mechanism to ensure respect for the human rights in Western Sahara, the last African colony.
"UN has the absolute obligation to protect civilians and monitor the human rights situation through the mission of peacekeepers in the territory," President Abdelaziz wrote in his letter to Mr Ban Ki Moon.
The Saharawi president has expressed great concern over the human rights situation in the territories of Western Sahara occupied by Morocco for the past three decades.
“A systematic policy of terror by Morocco, repression, torture and, sometimes, murder in a vain attempt to crush the Saharawi people and to impose the repression of foreign occupation is long over due,” he said.
Morocco has annexed the former Spanish colony since 1976, leaving around one third of mostly uninhabited Saharawi lands, the interior part bordering Algeria and Mauritania on Polisario's hands.
"This situation that had mentioned in some of reports to the Security Council are even more worrying as it continues with impunity and in the eyes of MINURSO,” President Abdelaziz said.
The ad hoc delegation of the European Parliament who visited the region last January, has found the need to create mechanisms for the protection of human rights, arguing that a better monitoring of human rights is imperative and could be an advocate for mutual trust to facilitate negotiations between the warring parties.
The European Delegation concluded its report by suggesting that "the United Nations mandate should include the monitoring of the human rights situation in the region.
“To this end, the United Nations must provide unimpeded access to populations to collect any complaint concerning disrespect for human rights,” the mission said, further urging EU member states in the Security Council, to work towards the direction.
The Human Rights Watch report released in December 2008 found that MINURSO has no mechanism to protect human rights in the Western Sahara, also calling on both Morocco and Polisario to take specific steps to improve the human rights situation in the territories and on the United Nations Security Council to ensure regular human rights monitoring in both Western Sahara and Tindouf refugees camp in Algeria.
afrol News - It is called "financial inclusion", and it is a key government policy in Rwanda. The goal is that, by 2020, 90 percent of the population is to have and actively use bank accounts. And in only four years, financial inclusion has doubled in Rwanda.
afrol News - The UN's humanitarian agencies now warn about a devastating famine in Sudan and especially in South Sudan, where the situation is said to be "imploding". Relief officials are appealing to donors to urgently fund life-saving activities in the two countries.
afrol News - Fear is spreading all over West Africa after the health ministry in Guinea confirmed the first Ebola outbreak in this part of Africa. According to official numbers, at least 86 are infected and 59 are dead as a result of this very contagious disease.
afrol News - It is already a crime being homosexual in Ethiopia, but parliament is now making sure the anti-gay laws will be applied in practical life. No pardoning of gays will be allowed in future, but activist fear this only is a signal of further repression being prepared.
afrol News / Africa Renewal - Ethiopia's ambitious plan to build a US$ 4.2 billion dam in the Benishangul-Gumuz region, 40 km from its border with Sudan, is expected to provide 6,000 megawatts of electricity, enough for its population plus some excess it can sell to neighbouring countries.
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