Israel takes in first shipment of conflict minerals from occupied Western Sahara
623f37c1296c2_Keremcan_Oba_26.03.2022

Parallel to the Moroccan government's participation in a summit in Israel, a first ever export of phosphate rock from occupied Western Sahara to Israel is about to be completed. 

28 March 2022

Update, 29.03.2022, the vessel docked at Ashdod port in the morning of 29 March. 

The first ever recorded transport of phosphate rock from occupied Western Sahara to Israel is about to be completed. 

Around four kilometers outside of the port of Ashdod, Israel, the tiny bulk carrier Keremcan Oba is filled to the rim with phosphate rock from Western Sahara. It is currently stuck in an endless queue of vessels waiting to enter the port to offload. 

The incident happens 15 months after Morocco and Israel established full diplomatic relations. The Moroccan minister of foreign affairs Nasser Bourita is at present in Israel, attending a high level summit on 27 and 28 March. 

The cargo departed the occupied territory on 17 February. It arrived at Ashdod already around 1 March, and it has been waiting to offload ever since. On 24 March at 16:00 in the afternoon, the vessel made a quick trip into the docks, but without offloading, only to be sent back out to anchor. The vessel is normally having a 6,8 meters maximum draught, but is now going 6,9 meters deep. 

The Panama-flagged ship is one of the smallest vessels ever recorded to be carrying out a phosphate shipment from occupied Western Sahara, containing perhaps around 5000 tonnes of rock - only 10% of what constitutes an average shipment from the territory. 

It is not known to Western Sahara Resource Watch which company in Ashdod is behind the imports. 

In December 2020, Morocco announced that it had re-established full diplomatic relations with Israel. 

In October 2021, the news emerged that the Israeli petroleum company Ratio Petroleum had entered into a hydrocarbon exploration agreement for the waters offshore Western Sahara. Such exploration is in violation of international law, as it takes place without taking into account the wishes and intersts of the people of the territory. Ratio is the only company with an agreement for hydrocarbon exploration in Western Sahara today. The company consistently refers to the territory as “Morocco”.

 

Since you're here....
WSRW’s work is being read and used more than ever. We work totally independently and to a large extent voluntarily. Our work takes time, dedication and diligence. But we do it because we believe it matters – and we hope you do too. We look for more monthly donors to support our work. If you'd like to contribute to our work – 3€, 5€, 8€ monthly… what you can spare – the future of WSRW would be much more secure. You can set up a monthly donation to WSRW quickly here.

COWI abandons future projects in Western Sahara

After undertaking work for the Moroccan state phosphate company in Western Sahara, the Danish consultancy giant COWI states that it “will not engage in further projects" in the occupied territory.

11 March 2024

With Suez closed, Morocco reopens abandoned route

Morocco has for six years avoided directing plunder vessels via South Africa, whose courts have ruled the phosphate plunder of occupied Western Sahara to be illegal. First test is taking place now. 

28 December 2023

Bomb destroys phosphate conveyor belt

Morocco's illegal exports of phosphate rock through a controversial conveyor belt has been targeted by what is claimed to be a bomb.

26 May 2023

The conflict phosphates - four decades of plunder

For over 40 years, a Moroccan state-owned company has exported phosphate rock from occupied Western Sahara.  

11 May 2023