Sidi Mohamed Aloat, the director of a school for handicapped in El Aaiun, occupied Western Sahara, took to the street on June 10 to show his objection towards US oil company Kosmos Energy.
Yet, a drilling rig is soon on its way into the occupied territory.
Kosmos has not lifted a finger to seek the consent of the Saharawi people. More and more demonstrations have lately taken place against Kosmos Energy's plans.
Morocco is brutally occupying the territory in violation of international law, and cracks down on all demonstrations of this kind. Political parties and civil society organisations that call for the right of the self-determination are illegal.
More than 100 UN resolutions call for the right to self-determination to be respected, and Morocco's claims to the territory have been rejected by the International court of justice. Kosmos Energy's partnership with Morocco is heavily condemned by the people of Western Sahara.
Alouat is leader of the school Ibsar Elkhair, and is himself physically handicapped. He was attacked by a group of policemen, one equipped with a razor blade, as he presented the banners against Kosmos.
One of the banners stated (in Spanish) that Kosmos Energy must not drill in the territory.
WSRW wrote in April of a similar incident. 18 year old Elfayda Khayya was beaten up by the police for trying to film her friends who tried to rise a similar poster. Khayya wrote to the company "How should we protest against your presence in our country?" The company has not yet presented ideas to Khayya as how the people should express their objection to the company's plans.
Download the original videos in high resolution here, Video 1 (27 Mb), Video 2 (72Mb).
Morocco occupies the major part of its neighbouring country, Western Sahara. Entering into business deals with Moroccan companies or authorities in the occupied territories gives an impression of political legitimacy to the occupation. It also gives job opportunities to Moroccan settlers and income to the Moroccan government. Western Sahara Resource Watch demands foreign companies leave Western Sahara until a solution to the conflict is found.
It's not easy keeping up with all the different legal proceedings relating to Western Sahara. For the sake of clarity, here's an overview of the three different cases at the Court of Justice of the European Union.
Leading activists from Western Sahara are condemned to sentences ranging from 20 years to life imprisonment in connection to a mass protest in 2010 denouncing the Saharawi people’s social and economic marginalization in their occupied land; the Gdeim Izik protest camp.
At COP22, beware of what you read about Morocco’s renewable energy efforts. An increasing part of the projects take place in the occupied territory of Western Sahara and is used for mineral plunder, new WSRW report documents.
