Photo: Kosmos Energy is not welcome in Western Sahara. As company officials will visit Western Sahara this week, it can rest assure it will not see demonstrations. They take indoors, as here in Boujdour. Demonstrations and associations are not allowed.

Last week of May, two US representatives of Kosmos Energy, one of which was called "John", were reported to have visited El Aaiun, Boujdour and Dakhla. During that trip, in all three locations, they were given lists from the Moroccan administration of "associations" that claim to be representing the civil society of the territory.

From what WSRW understands, senior figures of the company this week-end arrived Rabat. In the coming days, the delegation will visit the occupied territory of Western Sahara, probably to hook up with the groups that the Moroccan government had identifed for them in May.

Western Sahara Resource Watch condemns Kosmos Energy's plans to drill in the Western Sahara and their fake "consultation process" currently starting up.

"Kosmos Energy aggressive plans to drill in the occupied territory - for the first in Western Sahara's history - is severely undermining UN peace efforts and international law and order", stated Erik Hagen, chair of Western Sahara Resource Watch (WSRW).

"It gives no meaning for Kosmos to seek the consent from groups that are puppets of the Moroccan government, and identifed by the Moroccan government. Kosmos must listen to voices that are representing the Saharawi people. The company's failure to follow international law in Western Sahara is setting the lives of the people of the territory in danger. The only way for Saharawis to demand their legitimate rights is by setting their own safety in jeopardy", stated Hagen.

The UN legal office has stated that any further oil exploration in Western Sahara would be in violation of international law if the people don't consent to it. Morocco prohibits any civil society organisations that seek selfdetermination over the territory, in line with the over 100 UN resolutions stating that right. Morocco's refusal to accept registering of such associations was stated black on white in the UN Human Rights Council in 2012. There would thus be impossible for Kosmos to seek the consent of any registered Saharawi association based in the occupied territory. The only groups left are the sham associations controlled and identified by the Moroccan government. Concerns from the Western Sahara exile government have been ignored by the company.

There are increasing demonstrations in Western Sahara against Kosmos. Since demonstrations are not allowed, the anti-Kosmos sentiments have lately taken shape of single individuals holding banners in public. Read the stories of a one-man-demonstration done by handicap school director Alouat, who was attacked by police equipped with razor blades, and of 18 year old Elfayya who was beaten up by a group of policemen for trying to film her friends trying to carry an anti-Kosmos banner. These demonstrations have lasted in average some 30 seconds before police interfers.

WSRW has never heard that Kosmos has made contact with a single civil society group in Western Sahara which defends the Western Sahara people's right to self-determination.