While
Envoy Ross in
W. Sahara, UN
"Has Nothing"
on Beatings
of
Demonstrators
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
November 4 --
When people
long promised
by the UN a
referendum on
independence
are reportedly
beaten right
in front of
the UN's
envoy, one
might expect
the UN when
asked to
confirm or
deny
the beating.
But as regards
Western
Sahara, this
has not
happened.
In
the interim,
Inner City
Press has asked UN
system
Rapporteur
Juan Mendez
about Western
Sahara, here,
and covered sexual abuse
by a member of
a UN mission
MINURSO, click
here for that.
On
November 2,
Inner City
Press asked
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon's
deputy
spokesman
Eduardo Del
Buey
Inner
City Press: in
Western
Sahara,
Christopher
Ross’s visit,
there are
reports of
banning
protests and
even violence
against
protesters,
the
Personal Envoy
of the
Secretary-General,
did he observe
that? Do you
have any
statement on
it? Do you
think his trip
was as free
and fair
as it should
have been?
Deputy
Spokesperson:
Well, what I
have on
Ambassador
Ross’s trip to
North
Africa is that
the Personal
Envoy of the
Secretary-General
began his
visit to North
Africa and
Europe in
Rabat, where
he met His
Majesty
King Mohammed
VI and a wide
range of
interlocutors,
including
senior
Government
officials,
political
party leaders
and civil
society
representatives.
On 31 October,
he arrived in
Western
Sahara, where
he has been
holding
similar
meetings and
visiting
MINURSO
[United
Nations
Mission for
the Referendum
in Western
Sahara] in
Laayoune and
at two field
team sites.
The Personal
Envoy will be
continuing his
trip with
visits to
Algeria,
Mauritania and
the refugee
camps near
Tindouf, where
he will meet
with the
Polisario
leadership and
Sahrawi
personalities.
At the end of
his trip, he
will hold
consultations
in
Madrid and
Paris. Upon
his return to
New York, he
will report to
the
Secretary-General
and brief the
Security
Council.
Inner
City Press: I
am looking at
very detailed
report that on
1 November,
yesterday at 5
p.m., there
was a
crackdown, a
beating of
protesters
right in front
of him. And I
am wondering,
it’s not in
the
readout, is
there some way
we can find
out if it is
true?
Deputy
Spokesperson:
I have nothing
on that. We’ll
try and find
out.
But
more than 48
hours later,
nothing. And
since then
there were
reports
of more
beatings, in
Smara,
injuring the
following
people: Said
Hayan, Fadala
Banahi, Jawda
Al-Ouali, Ali
Belkhair,
Al-Ouali
Banahi
Dahi, Said
Mohamed
Hmadnah,
Hjeiba Banahi
and Bouha
Tagaiwa.
These
are detailed
reports one
would expect
the UN to
confirm or
deny. But
given 48
hours, they
have not done
so. Watch this
site.
, 
