Saharawi protest EU violating their rights
Article image

The UN states that Saharawi must consent - but the EU doesn't seem to care. Saharawi in occupied Western Sahara protest the EU's violation of international law in their territory, as the European Commission works to continue the unethical fisheries offshore their coast.

Published 16 February 2011

Photo above can be downloaded here. 

According to the UN, the Saharawi must give its consent regarding natural resource activity in their territory.

However, the EU ignores to take into account the UN opinion on the issue. Particularly the Spanish government refuses to give the Saharawi people the right that the UN demands, and has pushed the Commission to work for a continuation of the EU fisheries in Western Sahara, despite the wishes even of the Fisheries Commissioner herself. 

After 4 years of continuous fisheries, not a single piece of evidence has been made public as to whether the EU's fisheries is to any benefit for the Saharawi. All information presented by the Saharawi themselves, point to the opposite: the millions of Euros that the EU pays to Morocco for fishing in the non-Moroccan waters offshore Western Sahara are used to cement the illegal and brutal occupation. 

This week, Saharawi small-scale fishermen in Western Sahara have continued the demonstrations against the marginalisation they experience from access to their own waters. "Where is our right in fishing treaty", one of the banners read. Only few weeks ago, dozens of fishermen were refused entry to the Saharan port of Boujdour.

Licenses are in stead given to the EU fleet, and to Moroccan settlers. The photos of this demonstration were taken this week in El Aaiun, inside the territory. Among the demonstrators were also victims of other human rights abuses committed recently by Moroccan government, following the social protests last year, in which a substantial part of the Saharawi people took to the streets against the marginalisation they experience in their own country. 
 

Download

 

Download


 

Here is the EU Council's legal advice on fishing in occupied waters

Before voting on the new EU-Morocco fish deal in 2018, extending into occupied Western Sahara, several EU Member States asked for legal advice that would determine their vote. WSRW today publishes that influential legal opinion, which appears to miss the ball entirely.
05 March 2020

Hans Corell criticizes EU fisheries in Western Sahara

The former Legal Counsel to the UN Security Counsel, Mr. Hans Corell, comments on the EU's fisheries activities in Western Sahara.

20 November 2019

EU Court reaffirms position on Western Sahara

Polisario has a case, but it should be pursued when the time is right, Court implies.

28 February 2019

European Parliament disregards Court and adopts Morocco fish deal

Notwithstanding four consecutive rulings of the EU's highest Court calling such a practice illegal, the European Parliament has just now voted in favour of the EU-Morocco Fisheries Agreement that will be applied to the waters of occupied Western Sahara.

12 February 2019