News

Denmark could not stop EU’s fisheries agreement with Morocco, which is earning millions on the occupation of Western Sahara. Information (Denmark), 18 Feb 2011.

Published 18 February 2011
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"In my opinion, we cannot vote for an agreement that is in violation of international law", Swedish minister of agriculture, Eskil Erlandsson, stated in parliament this afternoon regarding tomorrow\'s vote in the Council of Ministers. More states are expected to follow, in trying to stop the continued illegal and unethical EU fisheries agreement in occupied Western Sahara.

Published 17 February 2011

Irish Larbour Party parliamentarian, and presidential candidate, Michael Higgins states that the lack of information from the Commisison regarding the EU illegal fisheries is outrageous. "There has been no consultation with the Saharawi people. Prolongation of the current arrangement is a flagrant violation of international law and the founding principles of the European treaties", Higgins state.

Published 17 February 2011

Continuing EU fisheries in occupied Western Sahara contributes to prolonging the conflict, states 7 parliamentarians in a letter to the Commissioner for Maritime Affairs. They refer to a resolution from the European Parliament urging Morocco to stop the plunder of the territory it occupied in 1975.

Published 17 February 2011
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The president of the Western Sahara republic urges UN Secretary General Ban ki-moon for assistance to stop the EU in the plundering of Western Sahara. The EU is considering prolonging the fisheries in the occupied territories in violation of central UN principles and a key UN legal opinion.

Published 17 February 2011
A group of leading Swedish experts on international law, from 4 Swedish universities, today issued a statement saying any further EU fisheries in Western Sahara would be in violation of international law.
Published 16 February 2011
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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

Today the European Commission has sent a recommendation to the European Council for renewing the fisheries in Western Sahara for one year. The Commission does not even mention that the fisheries take place in Western Sahara.

Published 11 February 2011
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The US firm Kosmos Energy has signed yet another prolongation of their illegal oil deal in Western Sahara. According to the UN, oil exploration in Western Sahara is in violation of international law.
Published 09 February 2011
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Next Friday, the European Commission will formally ask the EU-governments for a mandate to negotiate a 12-month extension of the EU-Moroccan fisheries agreement (FPA) on current terms. Read: one more year of paying Morocco to fish in non-Moroccan waters.

Published 09 February 2011

On Monday, the European Parliament's committee for International Trade decided to delay the ratification-process of the EU-Moroccan agricultural agreement due to legal ambiguities.

Published 08 February 2011
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The EU ambassador does not know which independent institutions he himself referred to in May last year, in support of the EU fisheries agreement in Western Sahara. Yesterday, 2 Swedish students met with the embassy in Rabat, and got an answer that the EU has so far not been willing to respond to.

Published 01 February 2011

According to Moroccan police, foreign visitors are not allowed to talk with Saharawi. Several foreign groups have been expelled from Western Sahara or Morocco the last weeks after meeting with local people. This student was kicked out few hours after meeting a network of Saharawi ladies whose sons have disappeared, on 29 January 2011.

Published 01 February 2011
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The proposed EU-Moroccan agricultural agreement lacks clarity on the issue of Western Sahara, according to a newly released legal opinion by the European Parliament’s legal services. The opinion suggests Parliament to examine this ambiguity before giving its consent.
Published 01 February 2011
Brian Cowen, acting Irish Minister of Foreign Affairs, expects Irish companies to have due regard to the principles of international law and the rights of the people of the territory of Western Sahara. Irish company San Leon is leading the way in the onshore exploration of oil and gas in occupied Western Sahara.
Published 28 January 2011
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The Spanish agrarian organisation COAG is convinced that the impending EU-Moroccan agricultural trade liberalisation agreement could be illegal for implicitly including Western Sahara. COAG has now condemned French company Azura’s presence in the occupied territories.

Published 18 January 2011
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For the third consecutive day, Saharawi fishermen have been protesting in the harbour of Boujdour, demanding the right to fish in their own waters. Since Monday, Moroccan police officers have been preventing the Saharawi from accessing their boats.

Published 12 January 2011
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A Spanish member of WSRW, Elena Pollán, was detained in her hotel in El Aaiún last Saturday, 8 January. Pollán and her two friends were forced to take a bus to Marrakech airport, accompanied by a plain-clothed police officer. Though no expulsion warrant was issued, they were involuntarily put on a flight to Madrid.
Published 11 January 2011
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Yesterday morning, 10 January, the Moroccan authorities forcefully prevented 70 young Saharawi fishermen from entering Boujdour’s harbour and the fish market.
Published 11 January 2011
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This is how wide you smile when you contribute to the continued illegal occupation of a country.

Published 04 January 2011