News

"We have still time to influence so that the waters offshore Western Sahara are left outside of the agreement", writes columnist Helena Olsson in Finland's largest newspaper, Helsingin Sanomat, on the unethical EU fisheries.

Published 04 January 2011
Phosphate mining 400 meters under the sea could start replacing New Zealand imports of Western Sahara phosphate rock already in 2013.
Published 03 January 2011
Image

Morocco keeps exploring and marketing its uranium potential in Western Sahara, despite the fact it is in violation of international law.

Published 02 January 2010
Image

In December 2010, the long term agreement between the Mexican phosphate importer Innophos and the Moroccan phosphate company OCP expired. The trade has been going on for 18 years, and it is not known whether arrangements have been made to continue the cooperation. The firm has not yet responded to questions WSRW sent in October regarding the unethical purchases from the occupied territory.

Published 01 January 2010
Image
Sidahmed Lemjiyed, President of the Saharawi Committee for Protection of Natural Resources (CSPRON) was arrested on Dec. 25 in El Aaiun, based on arrest orders issued by the General Prosecutor in November 2010. Lemjiyed Sidahmed has been referred to the Military Tribunal.
Published 01 January 2010
The leading importer of phosphates from occupied Western Sahara, US/Canadian firm PCS, has received yet another vessel.
Published 01 January 2010
These documents are collected from Russian webpages linked to government and fisheries news services, documenting the 2010 renewal of the Moroccan-Russian fisheries cooperation.
Published 01 January 2010
Image
WSRW has this autumn monitored the Russian fishing vessels in Western Sahara. But the Russian government holds no fisheries agreement for those waters.
Published 01 January 2010
Image
28 high profile personalities in Portuguese society ask its own government to prevent a renewed EU fisheries agreement in the occupied Western Sahara, and to defend international law, as it did with the case of decolonisation of East Timor.
Published 31 December 2010
Image

The firm Ballance Agri-Nutrients is busy this Christmas plundering the phosphate resources of the Sahrawi people.

Published 30 December 2010

Members of the European Parliament in Brussels who defend the illegal fisheries agreement offshore Western Sahara, did not want to explain their position to Swedish national radio.

Published 29 December 2010
Image
The Moroccan government’s new “Plan Halieutis” envisages big investments in Western Sahara. No reference is made as to whether the plan is according to the wishes of the Sahrawi people.
Published 29 December 2010
Image
Chief Executive of Moroccan state phosphate company in occupied Western Sahara claims his company is not working to gain profits.
Published 28 December 2010
Image

The bulk vessel Orient Dream, in far right corner, is currently waiting to offload its cargo of phosphates from occupied Western Sahara. Photo was taken in Tasmania, Australia, two days ago.

Published 28 December 2010
Image

The Norwegian fish oil producer GC Rieber clarifies that their refinery Maromega in TanTan in South Morocco has stopped all purchases from Western Sahara.

Published 27 December 2010
The firms Etosha/Oceana keep fishing offhore occupied Western Sahara on controversial Moroccan licences.
Published 25 December 2010
Image

"Which fish ends up at the Christmas table? Against a new fishery agreement between the EU and Morocco”. December 19th 2010, demonstrators gathered in front of the German foreign office and the French embassy in protest over the EU plundering of occupied Western Sahara.

Published 24 December 2010

The Spanish embassy in Oslo does not wish to respond to the question whether the word “wishes” is mentioned in the conclusion of the UN 2002 legal opinion. In order to get an answer of how Spain interprets the UN document, a national Norwegian student organisation was referred to the Saharawi delegation in Madrid.

Published 23 December 2010

The European Commission earlier this year asked the Moroccan government of a report on how the Saharawis benefit from the EU fisheries. “This position is simply not acceptable”, writes former UN Legal Counsel Hans Corell in an article.

Published 22 December 2010

“I believe that one has misinterpreted my legal opinion to the Security Council in a very astonishing way”, stated former UN legal counsel, Hans Corell, in Swedish Radio today. “It is important that Europe does not act in such a way that it puts obstacles in the way for the UN to find a solution to the conflict”, he stated regarding the EU fisheries in the territory.

Published 22 December 2010