Photo: Saharawis have been protesting against the oil industry in Western Sahara for months on end. They demand UN intervention to protect their rights.

This letter was sent on 15 April 2015 to the President of the UN Security Council, HE Dina Kawar, Ambassador of Jordan to the United Nations, with a request for circulation among the Members of the Council.


No oil drilling in Western Sahara

We, the undersigned organizations, urge the UN Security Council to immediately condemn Morocco’s current oil development program in Western Sahara, and to call on Morocco to follow through on its commitment under the 1988 settlement plan to allow the organization of a referendum in Western Sahara.

A UN Legal Opinion of January 2002, delivered at the request of the Security Council, concluded that oil exploration or exploitation in the Non-Self Governing Territory of Western Sahara is in violation of international law if not in accordance with the wishes and the interests of the people of the territory.

In blatant disrespect for the UN’s crystal clear Legal Opinion, Morocco has to date awarded seven oil and gas licenses in the territory. The US oil firm Kosmos Energy Ltd in collaboration with Scottish firm Cairn Energy Plc has finished the first ever test-well drilling in the territorial waters of Western Sahara in February this year. Companies such as Total SA, Glencore Plc and others are likely to follow suit.

All involved companies have teamed up with the Moroccan government’s state owned oil company ONHYM outside of Morocco's internationally recognized borders - in Western Sahara. They ignore the numerous protests of the Saharawi people, the sole original people of the territory at the time of Morocco’s invasion in 1975, and of their internationally acknowledged political representatives, the Frente Polisario. 

No government in the world recognizes Morocco’s self-proclaimed sovereignty over Western Sahara, and the International Court of Justice has stated that Morocco’s claims to the territory are unfounded. The UN considers Western Sahara to be a Non-Self-Governing Territory; a colony. The Saharawi people have an internationally recognized right to self-determination; the right to determine the future status of their land and its resources. But Morocco maintains an untenable hold over large parts of the territory and subjects the Saharawi people under its control to grave and serious human rights violations, while half the Saharawi people is living as refugees in one of the most inhospitable parts of the Algerian desert.

The oil companies' activities in Western Sahara through a deal with the Moroccan government will give Morocco even less incentive to engage in peace talks and fulfill its duties under international law. It furthermore undermines the Saharawi people’s faith in peaceful negotiations. As such, Morocco’s oil development undercuts the UN’s efforts to negotiate a just and lasting solution to the conflict.

Neither Morocco, nor the oil companies involved in the exploration work in Western Sahara, have the right to override the Saharawi people’s right to self-determination. No oil drilling should take place in the territory until the Saharawis have had the chance to exercise their right to self-determination and have freely and fairly decided the political status of their homeland.


Signed,

Mr Erik Hagen, for Western Sahara Resource Watch, Belgium
Ms Né Eme, for A Voz do Sahara, Portugal
Ms Mercedes Garayalde Catarain, for Abogadas, Spain
Mr Sidi Ahmed Fadel, for Adala UK, United Kingdom
Ms Veye Tatah, for Africa Positive, Germany
Mr Morten Nielsen, for Afrika Kontakt, Denmark
Mr Calle Sundstedt, for Afrikagrupperna, Sweden
Mr Henry Fred, for Agencia de Idiomas, Spain
Mr Leocadio Fernández García, for Agrupación Local del PCA en Huelma (Jaén), Spain
Mr Adolfo Rueda Vega, for Ajuda Als Pobles, Spain
Mr Michael Franke, for Aktionsgemeinschaft Solidarische Welt e.V., Germany
Ms Lídia Senra Rodríguez, for Alternativa Galega de Esquerda en Europa, Spain
Ms Maria Asun, for Amal, Spain
Mr Juan Manuel Morató, for Amel l'Alcúdia, Spain
Mr Juan Donaire, for Amigos de la Tierra La Rioja, Spain
Mr José López, for Amigos del Pueblo Saharaui Basel, Switzerland
Ms Sophie Valente, for Amis du Peuple du Sahara Occidental (APSO), France
Mr Andreas J. Graf, for ANTHILLS - The Independent Think Tank and Pilot Factory, Switzerland
Mr Mohino Lopez, for Aps Madraza, Spain
Mr Gilles Lucas, for APSO 35 Bretagne, France
Mr Mani Hussaini, for Arbeidernes Ungdomsfylking, Norway
Ms Rosa Fernández Garcia, for Area de cooperación de IU de Asturias, Spain
Mr Javier Pintado, for Asamblea por la Paz, Spain
Mr Jésus Garay, for Asociaciación de Amigos y Amigas de la RASD de Álava/ Arabako SEADen Lagunen Elkartea, Spain
Ms Elene Hidalgo García, for Asociación Amigos del Pueblo Saharaui de Alcobendas y San Sebastián de los Reyes, Spain
Ms Mónica Cavagna, for Asociación Argentina Pro Derechos Humanos , Spain
Mr Hmatu Sidhum, for Asociación Beni Hassan, Spain
Mr Koldobike Velasco Vázquez, for Asociación Canaria de Economía Alternativa, Spain
Mr Agustín Domínguez, for Asociación Cultural Canaria Gran Angular, Spain
Ms Catalina Rosselló, for Asociación de Amigos del Pueblo Saharaui, Spain
Mr Javier Moratalla Mata, for Asociación de Amigos del Pueblo Saharaui de Segovia (Maksra), Spain
Mr Serafin Pazo Estefanía, for Asociación de Amigos y Amigas de la R.A.S.D. de Bizkaia, Spain
Mr Víctor Rodríguez, for Infiesta - Asociación de Estudios Culturales Hispano Franceses (A-ECHF), Spain
Mr Abdeslam Omar Lahsen, for Asociación de Familiares de Presos y Desaparecidos (AFAPREDESA), Western Sahara
Mr Ali Buya Payah, for Asociacion de Ingenieros Saharauis, Western Sahara (Saharawi Refugee Camps, Algeria)
Mr Ignacio Landeta Tierra, for Asociación Ecologista Kima Berdea, Spain
Ms Olga Leibar Mendarte, for Asociación El Watan, Amigos del Sahara de Oiartzun, Spain
Mr Daniel Cuesta Gonzalo, for Asociación Grupo Scout 217 Matterhorn, Spain
Ms Yolanda Chavarri, for Asociación humanitaria de Paiporta (APAHU), Spain
Mr Christopher Dews, for Asociacion Ibiza Ecologic, Spain
Ms Cristina Redondo Bernabé, for Asociación Juvenil Esperteyu, Spain
Ms Isabel González Cobo, for Asociación Malgueña de Amistad con el Pueblo Saharaui , Spain
Ms Rosa M. Alonso, for Asociacion Rimal – Sahara, Spain
Mr Gabriel Yanguas Sanz, for Asociación Riojana de Amig@s de la RASD, Spain
Mr Aziz Haidar, for Asociación Saharaui de Víctimas de Minas (ASAVIM), Western Sahara
Mr Brahim Dahane, for Asociación Saharaui de Víctimas de Violaciones Graves de los Derechos Humanos Cometidas por el Estado Marroquí (ASVDH), Western Sahara
Mr Baba Abdallahi, for Asociación Saharaui en Valencia, Spain
Mr Juan Carlos Bujalance, for Asociación Sambasur, Spain
Mr José Miguel Pardo, for Asociación Soriana de Amigos del Pueblo Saharaui, Spain
Ms Madalina Cimpoies, for Asociatia Dalia, Romania
Mr Trifon Daniel, for Asociatia Tinerilor Masaryk, Romania
Ms Jelena Vicentic, for Assistance Advocacy Access, Serbia
Mr Manuel Ferreira Dias, Ms Maria da Luz Fialho and António Pinto, for Associação de Amizade Portugal Sahara Ocidental (AAPSO), Portugal
Ms Pilar Palacín Navarro, for Associació Catalana d'Amics del Poble Sahrauí - Wilaia Alt Penedès, Spain
Mr Dionisio Garcia Ordiales, for Associació comarcal d'Ajuda al Poble Saharaui - Marina Alta, Spain
Ms Catalina Rosselló Nadal, for Associació d'Amics del Poble Sahrauí de les Illes Balears, Spain
Mr Martí Carbonell Salom, for Associació d'Amics i Amigues del Poble Sahrauí de Menorca, Spain
Mr Francisco Moreno Campos, for Associació Terrassaharaui, Spain
Mr Hassan Boutzegart, for Association Culture Sahara, France
Ms Fatna Laaouissid, for Association Culturelle Franco-Sahrauie (ACFS), France
Mr Philippe Leclercq, for Association de Solidarité avec le Peuple Sahraoui (ASPS), France
Ms Regine Villemon, for Association des Amis de la RASD (AARASD), France
Mr Didi Ahmed, for Association des Ingenieurs Sahraouis pour le Developpement, Western Sahara
Mr Salah Amaidan, for Association des Réfugiés Sahraouis en France (ARSF), France
Mr Lahcen Dalil, for Association for the Monitoring of the Natural Resources and for the Protection of the Environment in Western Sahara, Western Sahara
Mr Jean Paul Escoffier, for Association Française d'Amitié et de Solidarité avec les Peuples d'Afrique (AFASPA), France
Mr Emmanuel Martinoli, for Association pour un Référendum Libre et Régulier au Sahara Occidental, Switzerland
Mr Mohamed Jamal, for Association Sportive Sahraouie en France (ASSF), France
Ms Lyn Allison, for Australia Western Sahara Association, Australia
Mr Rob Wesley-Smith, for Australians for a Free East Timor, Australia
Mr Luis Mariano César Martínez, for AVEPRENCO, Spain
Mr Lanny Göransson, for Bjärred-Lommas väl, Sweden
Ms Maria Peña, for Bucraalmenara, Spain
Mr Christian Viret, for Bureau International pour le Respect des Droits de l'Homme au Sahara Occidental (BIRDHSO), Switzerland
Ms Paula Klingemann, for Bürgerinitiative Hamburg für die Elbe, Germany
Mr Andreas Oestreicher, for Casal Rioja, Spain
Mr Francisco González Navarrete, for Caum Club Amigos UNESCO Madrid, Spain
Mr Guy Aurenche, for CCFD-Terre solidaire, France
Ms Hanna Wagenius, for Centerpartiets Ungdomsförbund, Sweden
Ms Carmen Salavert, for Centro de Documentación y Solidaridad con América Latina y África (CEDSALA), Spain
Ms Lilián Cabrera, for Centro Humanista de las Culturas, Spain
Mr Hodei Alberdi, for CGT-LKN Bizkaia, Spain
Ms Hanne Sofie Lindahl, for Changemaker, Norway
Mr Boaz Waruku, for Civil Society Education Fund, Kenya
Ms Betty Sharon, for Coast Women In Development, Kenya
Ms Ana M. Cano, for Colectivo de Solidaridad por la Justicia y Dignidad de los Pueblos, Coliche, Spain
Mr David Martín, for Colectivo Sur Cacarica, Spain
Ms Isabelle Campagne, for Collectif Midi Pyrénées pour le Sahara Occidental (COMIPSO), France
Ms Aminatou Haidar, for Collective of Saharawi Human Rights Defenders (CODESA), Western Sahara
Mr Daniel Dekkers, for Comité Belge de Soutien au Peuple Sahraoui, Belgium
Ms Bernadette Siqueira Abrão, for Comitê Brasileiro de Defesa dos Direitos do Povo Palestino, Brasil
Mr Najem Sidi, for Comité d'Action et de Réflexion pour l'Avenir du Sahara Occidental (CARASO), France
Ms Nora Podestá, for Comité de Amistad con el Pueblo Saharaui de La Plata, Argentina
Mr Sidahmed Lemjiyed, for Comité de Apoyo al Plan de Resolución de Naciones Unidas y la Protección de los Recursos Naturales del Sahara Occidental (CSPRON), Western Sahara
Mr Hamad Hammad, for Comité de Defensa del Derecho de Autodeterminación del Pueblo Saharaui (CODAPSO), Western Sahara
Mr Manuel Adame Moldes, for Comité Oscar Romero de Vigo, Spain
Mr Damien Millet, for Comité pour l'Annulation de la Dette du Tiers Monde (CADTM), France
Ms Claude Mangin, for Comité pour le Respect des Libertés et des Droits Humains au Sahara Occidental (CORELSO), France
Mr Fakou Lebeihi, for Comité Saharaui para la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos en Smara, Western Sahara
Ms Berthier Perregaux, for Comité Suisse de Soutien au Peuple Sahrauoui, Switzerland
Mr Billy Hayes, for Communication Workers Union, United Kingdom
Mr Abdellahi Athman Ahmed, for Comunidad Saharaui Residente en Asturias, Spain
Confederacion Intersindical, Spain
Confédération Nationale du Travail, France
Mr Francisco Perea, for Cooperación Alternativa y Acción Solidaria, Spain
Mr Lahbib Salhi, for Coordinadora de Gdeim Izik, Western Sahara
Coordinadora de Solidaridad con Cuba de Madrid, Spain
Mr Juan Jose Lasa Martinez, for Coordinadora Euskadi-Saharaa "27 DE FEBRERO", Spain
Mr Samuel Fernández, for Corriente Sindical d'Izquierda, Spain
Ms Rosa María Cid López, for Deméter.Asociación Asturiana de Historia de las Mujeres, Spain
Mr Jörg Sommer, for Deutsche Umweltstiftung, Germany
Mr Benji de Levie, for Diensten en Onderzoek Centrum Palestina (docP), Netherlands
Ms Eveline Zill, for Donaustädter Sozial- und Entwicklungshilfe, Austria
Ms Concha Hernani Alcalde, for Ecologistas en Acción - La Rioja, Spain
Mr Alberto Mayor Barahona, for Ecologistas en Acción Guadalajara, Spain
Mr Bahia MH Awah, for EIC Poemario Sahara Libre, Western Sahara
Mr Monzer El-Sabini, for Emmaus Björkå, Sweden
Ms Julia Finér, for Emmaus Stockholm, Sweden
Mr Ahmed Ettanji, for Equipe media, Western Sahara
Mr Alfred Fritschi, for Erklärung von Bern, Switzerland
Mr Lorenzo Barón Ciprés, for Estudios en Paz, Spain
Ethical Development Action, Ireland
Ms Núria Salamé Real, for Federació ACAPS (Associacions Catakanes Amigues del Poble Sahrauí), Spain
Ms Dolors Claramunt Soriano, for Federació d'Associacions de Solidaritat amb el Poble Sahrauí del país Valencià, Spain
Mr Javier Chinchón Alvarez, for Federación Asturiana Memoria y República (FAMYR), Spain
Mr Alan McLean, for Fire Brigades Union, United Kingdom
Ms Natasa Mirosavic, for Föreningen Västsahara, Sweden
Mr Jose Camara, for Foro Social de Segovia, Spain
Ms Soukaina Elidrissi, for Forum pour l'Avenir de la Femme Sahraouie (FAFESA), Western Sahara
Ms Endie van Binsbergen, for Free East Timor Foundation, The Netherlands
Ms Tanja Brodtmann, for Freiheit für die Westsahara e.V., Germany
Mr Jose Nascimento, for Friends of Western Sahara, South Africa
Ms Inmaculada González-Carbajal García, for Fundación El Pájaro Azul, Spain
Ms Angela Pazos, for Fundación Somiadors Solidaris, Spain
Dr Nicholas Brooks, for Garama 3C Ltd, United Kingdom
Mr Wolfgang Dihanits, for Gemeinnützige Entwicklungszusammenarbeit GmbH (GEZA), Austria
Ms Karin Kruse, for Global Publications Foundation, Sweden
Ms Mary Turner, for GMB (trade union), United Kingdom
Ms Magda Rasmusson & Mr Lorentz Tovatt, for Grön Ungdom, Sweden
Mr Carlos Cespedes, for IDEAS.S.COOP.AND, Spain
Mr Carne Ross, for Independent Diplomat, United States of America
Mr Leif Sande, for Industri Energi, Norway
Dr. Roland Drubig, for Institut für angewandte Kulturforschung e.V., Germany
Mr Ales Skornsek-Ples, for Institut za Studije Zahodne Sahare, Slovenia
Mr Pedro Pinto Leite, for International Platform of Jurists for East Timor, the Netherlands
Mr Vicent Maurí, for Intersindical Valenciana, Spain
Mr Tom Hyland, for Ireland East Timor Friendship Group, Ireland
Ms Cayo Lara, for Izquierda Unida Majadahonda, Spain
Ms Anna Rovira i Pau Planelles, for Joves d'Esquerra Verda, Spain
Dr Vacy Vlazna, for Justice for Palestine Matters, Australia
Mr Tony Mboyo, for Kenya-Western Sahara Friendship Society, Kenya
Mr Ulli Trebeß, for Khaima e.V., Germany
Mr Jalihenna Mohamed, for Kosmos Enough, Western Sahara
Mr Adilson da Costa Junior, for La'o Hamutuk, East Timor
Mr Michael Schmid, for Lebenshaus Schwäbische Alb - Gemeinschaft für soziale Gerechtigkeit, Frieden und Ökologie, Germany
Mr Carlos Ruiz Fernandez, for Lembarki, Spain
Ms Linda Nordlund, for Liberala Ungdomsförbundet, Sweden
Mr Juan Barrio Iglesias, for Lurra Nafarroa, Spain
Ms Sophie Ogutu, for Mamma Afrika Community Centre, Kenya
Ms Josevi Alamar, for Marfull Accio Ecologista Agro, Spain
Mr Thomas Gebauer, for Medico International, Germany
Mr Mbarek Ayach, for Militantes para la Justicia y la Libertad al Pueblo Saharaui (MJLPS), Western Sahara
Mr Jan Strömdahl, for MoK, Left party Stockholm, Sweden
Mr Gabriel Chaves, for Movement for Peace in Colombia, United States of America
Mr João Pedro Stédile, for Movimiento de los Trabajadores Rurales Sin Tierra – MST, Brasil
Mr Iñaki Markiegi, for MunduBat, Spain
Mr Max Hyde, for National Union of Teachers, United Kingdom
Mr Erik Hagen, for Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara, Norway
Mr Sheikh Ahmadi Ramadhan, for Nubian Human Rights Forum, Kenya
Ms Fatimatou Barra, for Observatoire Sahraoui pour Enfant et Femme , Western Sahara
Mr Santiago Jiménez Gómez, for Observatorio Galego para o Sáhara Occidental de la Universidad de Santiago de Compostela (O.G.S.O.), Spain
Mr Malainin Lakhal, for Observatorio Saharaui de Recursos Naturales (OSRN), Western Sahara (Saharawi Refugee Camps, Algeria)
Ökologische Plattform bei DER LINKEN, Germany
Mr Jens Orback, for Olof Palme International Centre, Sweden
Mr Gachbar Taleb, for Organisation Française pour la Solidarité avec le Peuple Sahraoui (OF2PS) , France
Mr El Mami Amar Salem, for Organización Saharaui contra la Tortura, Western Sahara
Ms Myriam Vandecan, for Palestina Solidariteit, Belgium
Mr Iván Prado, for Pallasos en Rebeldía, Spain
Ms Mildred Janrjies, for PanAfrican Organisation Southern Africa, Namibia
Mr Jean Garnier, for PARTENIA, France
Mr Raymond Combaz, for Parti Communiste Français de Givors-Grigny-Ozon, France
Dr Basirat Nahibi, for Peace Actualization Movement in Africa, Nigeria
Mr Stephan Doempke, for People and Nature e.V., Germany
Mr Jean-Paul Lemarec, for Plateforme pour la Solidarité avec le Peuple du Sahara Occidental, France
Mr Mika Minio-Paluello, for Platform London, United Kingdom
Ms Andrea Sjøvoll, for Press, Save the Children Youth, Norway
Ms Tanja Siedelmann, for Projektgruppe Westsahara, Germany
Ms Solveig Moldrheim, for Rafto Foundation for Human Rights, Norway
Mr Mohamed Salem Laabeid, for RASD-TV, Western Sahara
Mr Gaici Nah, for Red de Estudios sobre Efectos de Minas Terrestres en el Sahara Occidental (REMMSO), Western Sahara
Ms Linn-Elise Øhn Meheln, for Red Youth, Norway
Mr Reinhard Behrend, for Rettet den Regenwald, Germany
Ms Sultana Khaya, for Saharawi Association for the Protection of Natural Resources and Human Rights, Western Sahara
Mr Mohamed Dchira, for Saharawi Club for Media and Documentation, Western Sahara
Mr Manfred Schuster, for Schutzgemeinschaft ländlicher Raum Nord-West e.V., Germany
Ms Elisabeth Bäschlin, for Schweiz. Unterstützungskomitee für die Sahraouis, Switzerland
Mr Erling Laugsand, for Senterungdommen, Norway
Mr Rafael Medina, for Sindicato Comisiones de Base de Canarias, Spain
Mr Marco Antonio Valverde Cabot, for Sindicato Ferroviario Intersindical de Sevilla, Spain
Ms Maria Cruces Maximiano, for Smara-La Vall d'Uixó, Spain
Mr Christoph Wiedmer, for Society for Threatened Peoples, Switzerland
Ms Ana A Ablanedo, for Soldepaz.Pachakuti, Spain
Ms Marie-Jo Fressard, for Solidarité Maroc 05, France
Mr Tim Vanbrabant, for Solidariteitsgroep Westelijke Sahara, Belgium
Ms Fennie Stavast, for Stichting Zelfbeschikking West-Sahara, the Netherlands
Mr Sheikh Ahmadi Ramadhan, for Super Ethnic Minorities Rights Forum, Kenya
Mr Fabrice Tarrit, for Survie, France
Ms Ellinor Eriksson, for Swedish Social Democratic Youth League, Sweden
Mr Sören Lindh, for Swedish Western Sahara Action, Sweden
Ms Sofia Walan, for SweFOR, Sweden
Mr Samuel Pérez, for Tareas Solidarias, Spain
Mr Peter D Jones, for Tasmania Quaker Peace & Justice Committee, Australia
Mr Stefan Studer, tdh Terre des Hommes Schweiz, Switzerland
Mr Albert Recknagel, for Terre des Hommes Deutschland, Germany
Ms Sonja Gardefjord, for the Committee for the Women of Western Sahara, Sweden
Mr Magnus Flacké, for Norwegian Council for Africa, Norway
Mr Jørn Wichne Pedersen, for the Norwegian Students' and Academics' International Assistance Fund (SAIH), Norway
Mr Abel Pires da Silva, for Timor Leste ICT Organisation (ICT-TL), East Timor
Mr Owen Tudor, for Trades Union Congress, United Kingdom
Ms Brienne Daniels, for Tx advocacy For Families, United States of America
Mr Joseba Andoni Irastorza Berrospe, for Txingudi Sahararekin Tadamum Elkartea, Spain
Mr Stefan Lindborg, for Ung Vänster, Sweden
Mr Tord Hustveit, for Unge Venstre, Norway
Mr Mouly Emhamed Brahim, for Unión de Estudiantes de Saguía el Hamra y Río de Oro (UESARIO), Western Sahara (Saharawi Refugee Camps, Algeria)
Mr Abba Elhaissan, for Union de Juristas Saharauis (UJS), Western Sahara (Saharawi Refugee Camps, Algeria)
Mr Zain mohamed Sidahmad, for Unión de la Juventud de Saguía el Hamra y Río de Oro (UJSARIO), Western Sahara (Saharawi Refugee Camps, Algeria)
Mr Mohamed Cheikh Lehbib, for Union General de Trabajadores de Saguia el Hamra y Río de Oro (UGTSARIO), Western Sahara (Saharawi Refugee Camps, Algeria)
Ms Fatma Mehdi, for Unión Nacional de Mujeres Saharauis (UNMS), Western Sahara (Saharawi Refugee Camps, Algeria)
Mr Mario Amador Amador, for Union por la Tercera República (U3R-Tenerife), Spain
Mr Robin Kahn, Mr Kirby Gookin and Mr Charles Liebling, for United States Citizens for Western Sahara, United States of America
Ms Cristina Rodríguez, for VerdsEquo del País Valencià, Spain
Mr El Mahjoub Maliha, for Vereniging van de Saharawi Gemeenschap in België, Belgium
Vredesactie, Belgium
vzw Climaxi, Belgium
Ms NG Maluleke, for Waele, South Africa
Mr Theo Fink, for Waiwhetu Lower Hutt Peace Group, New Zealand
Mr John Hilary, for War on Want, United Kingdom
Mr Mark Luetchford, for Western Sahara Action Forum, United Kingdom
Mr John Gurr, for Western Sahara Campaign, United Kingdom
Dr Basirat Nahibi, for Women Advancement for Economic and Leadership Empowerment in Africa (WAELE/ARCLFA), Nigeria
Mr Emil André Erstad, for Young Christian Democrats, Norway
Mr Lage Nøst and Ms Anna Kvam, for Young Greens of Norway, Norway
Mr Lorentz Tovatt, for Young Greens of Sweden, Sweden