Photo: Boujdour harbour

This week, while the Saharawis are demonstrating in Boujdour against Kosmos Energy's plans to drill offshore the territory, the oil company is increasing its presence in town.

The news service Upstream Online today published information that Kosmos would open a "supply chain base" in Boujdour to serve its offshore operation.

“The interests and the wishes of the Sahrawi people cannot be ascertained except via a referendum on self-determination or through consultation with SADR-Polisario, and neither Kosmos nor its partners have done this,” Polisario's Kamal Fadel stated to Upstream.

“Any exploration and production carried out by Kosmos, Cairn and Atwood can only serve to entrench Morocco’s occupation, and serve as pretext for seemingly normal commercial activity", he stated.