Yesterday evening, dozens of Saharawis gathered in Zaragoza, Spain, to protest against Kosmos Energy - the American oil company that has announced it will commence to drill for oil in occupied Western Sahara later this year.
The protesters held banners saying "Kosmos, Saharawi people don't want you in our occupied homeland", "Kosmos, get out of Western Sahara", "Cairn fuera del Sahara ocupado", "Kosmos want blood for oil in Western Sahara", etc.
Kosmos Energy want to start drilling in October or November this year. A drill rig to that purpose is expected to arrive in occupied Western Sahara in September. The rig is currently still at anchor in South Korea, where it was built by US company Atwood Oceanics. Kosmos will lease the rig for three years at a rate of 595,000 USD a day. Kosmos' partners in the undertaking are Scotland's Cairn Energy and Morocco's ONHYM (National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mining).
The UN Security Council's legal Counsel produced a legal opinion on oil exploration and exploitation in Western Sahara in 2002. The conclusion was unequivocal: any such activity is in violation of international law if not in accordance to the wishes and the interests of the Saharawi people.
The Saharawi people are clear: "Kosmos, get out of Western Sahara".
Kosmos Energy maintains propaganda site after Western Sahara exit
Kosmos Energy has decided to keep their website defending Western Sahara oil search - even after they have left the territory.
Studies continue on Kosmos Energy's block
Is Kosmos Energy undertaking a last survey on the Boujdour Maritime licence before it waves goodbye to occupied Western Sahara? Or has an unknown company taken over the licence? Last week, seabed petroleum surveys started at the place where Kosmos drilled in 2014.
Kosmos and Cairn have pulled out of Western Sahara
17 years of US private company engagement in exploring the oil potential of Western Sahara has come to an end.
Kosmos surveying oil potential near Dakhla again?
Over the past 24 hours, WSRW has observed a resumed seabed exploration north of Dakhla, in the block operated by American oil company Kosmos Energy in collaboration with Scotland's Cairn Energy.