The faithful readers of the Web site of the Saharawi Journalists and Writers Union (UPES) have been surprised to see the Web page (
The Web site had apparently been victim to what Internet hackers call a “Denial of Service Attack”, which is an attack that targets the site traffic capacity and block it by over accessing it. That means that the page of UPES was intentionally targeted by a party that sees UPES as an enemy and a target to destroy, to quiet, and to eliminate. We did our best to discover who was behind such an attack.
According to many specialists in criminal sciences, a crime is usually committed by the party that is taking profit from it. And in the case of the UPES Web site, it must be the usual suspects who are behind such attacks: the Moroccan services, first because the UPES page has been very active in unveiling the criminal nature of the Moroccan colonial regime in the Western Sahara, because it has given a voice to the Saharawi victims to openly denounce their torturers, and because it has helped in the widespread efforts that aims to break the military and media siege imposed on the occupied zones of Western Sahara since its illegal invasion in 1975. But most significantly, we in UPES openly accuse the Moroccan services of orchestrating this attack because the Moroccan regime has always targeted the media and the free and courageous voices that speak against its crimes and policy, not only Saharawis but also Moroccan journalists. The most recent example is the attack against the Sahara Press Service (SPS), the official Web site of the SADR government, but they have also been carried out against honourable and honest Moroccan journalists such as Abubakr El Jamai of Le Journal Hebdo, Ali Lemrabet, and others.
Though the Moroccan services had undoubtedly violated our rights to the freedom of expression, especially since our Web site has always been one that truly reflects the voice of reason, moderation, and wisdom, and has always called for peace and peaceful struggle, despite the fact that the Saharawi people have a legitimate right to bear arms against the colonial occupation that refuses to respect their right to self-determination.
Despite the attack, the UPES site is now back online and has a number of improvements. We would like to thank the Moroccan security services for providing us with a forced vacation, which we used to prepare a new page with a new look and new services for our readers.
Finally, we have read at least two stories in two blogs that “celebrated” the “end” of UPES’s Web site and further invented stories about possible responsibility of the Saharawi government and the POLISARIO Front in what they described as the “ban” of UPES. Though we decided never to answer or react to such poor and ill-intentioned writings, we also decided to declare here that we have never had any kind of problems with the Saharawi authorities at any time, and we want to say to these “anonymous” voices that we are determined to continue struggling to defend our rights to the freedom of expression and to defend our people’s rights to independence and freedom, and that each attack against us will make us even more determined to broaden our struggle. While the Saharawis have holstered their weapons while the UN attempts to find a peaceful resolution that will allow for our self-determination, the diplomatic battle continues with the pen. UPES will maintain its position as the leaders of the war to produce accurate, independent news so that the international community can better understand the true nature of the Saharawi people and their struggle for self-determination.
Malainin Lakhal
Secretary General of the Saharawi Journalists and Writers Union
URL:
Saharawi refugee camps
[trad al espanol: http://saharaopinions.blogspot.com/2010/06/el-sitio-web-de-upes-de-nuevo-para.html]
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Por que no:)
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