Spanish construction group to develop occupied city

The Spanish construction group Secopsa has obtained a contract of 6.8 million € from the Moroccan government to redevelop an area of El Aaiun, the occupied capital of Western Sahara.

Published 21 January 2013

The Valencia-based group has been hired to redevelop the most important road in Western Sahara's capital city, involving demolition work and the construction of a new promenade, including street lighting and furniture, playgrounds, landscaping and irrigation network. 

Secopsa will commence work in the next couple of days and is expected to have completed its assignment by April 2014. 

According to a press release by the company, owned by the Prieto family, "this contract strengthens the group's presence in North Africa, with major projects in Morocco for the first time".

Secopsa is already on a stint in Libya, through its local subsidiary, Secopsa Libia. The company had been hired by the Gaddafi government to refurbish hotels owned by the regime. Their activities were thwarted by the Arab spring, and the group could return to Libya only recently.

"It is understandable that companies seek a way to survive the crisis which has hit Spain hard, but there is no excuse for engaging in business deals with an occupying power inside occupied land", says Javier Garcia Lachica, President of Western Sahara Resource Watch Spain. 

 

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