News

The Saharawi government has declared that it now considers "the entire territory of the Sahrawi Republic, including its terrestrial, maritime and air spaces, a war zone", advising all countries and economic operators to steer away from the territory.

Published 19 November 2020

WSRW submits that Morocco's violation of the ceasefire in occupied Western Sahara, plunging the territory into war and putting lives of Saharawi civilians at risk, is a violation of the EU-Morocco fish deal's human rights clause.

Published 18 November 2020

The EU Commission has clarified that Western Sahara is not covered by any EU aviation agreement, and that it does not seek to include it in the EU-Morocco aviation deal. Yet some EU airlines are still offering flights into the territory - now effectively a war zone.

Published 17 November 2020

The entry gates to factories of Ravensdown and Ballance Agri-Nutrients around New Zealand were today blocked by pro-Saharawi actitivists denouncing the imports of conflict minerals from occupied Western Sahara.

Published 16 November 2020

Tension in Western Sahara has not been this high for years.

Published 13 November 2020

19 Members of the EU Parliament today urged the EU to warn the two companies Enel and Siemens about the legal and ethical risk that they run in partnering with Morocco for operations on occupied land.

Published 13 November 2020

Swedish company Azelio will not clarify whether its deal with the Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy also covers renewable projects in occupied Western Sahara. The details appear in a WSRW report published today.

Published 06 November 2020

The Norwegian certification company DNV GL today stated that it is will phase out its participation in Soluna's controversial bitcoin project in occupied Western Sahara

Published 05 November 2020

"We condemn Siemens Gamesa for its lack of respect for basic human rights", stated Western Sahara Resource Watch, calling on investors to terminate ongoing engagement processes and exclude the company from their portfolios. The company has yet again signed a large contract for what it refers to as "Southern Morocco".

Published 02 November 2020

The large Russian trawl fleet that normally zig-zags the waters off occupied Western Sahara at this time of year is nowhere to be found.

Published 12 October 2020

The Swedish mining equipment company Epiroc has announced that it will no longer supply the controversial Bou Craa phosphate mine in occupied Western Sahara. German company Continental should follow the example, WSRW comments.  

Published 05 October 2020

The Board of Deutsche Post AG completely missed the opportunity to explain its controversial activities in occupied Western Sahara.

Published 08 September 2020

Western Sahara Resource Watch calls for immediate and unconditional release of the group of leading Saharawi activists who were arrested in 2010 for advocating for socio-economic rights of the Saharawi people.

Published 08 September 2020

Information has surfaced on Morocco's plans for a third solar plant in occupied Western Sahara, to be constructed in close proximity to the agri-business in Dakhla.

Published 24 August 2020

The French company plans to commence construction later this year.

Published 10 August 2020

As the company will not respond to questions about the activities of its subsidiary DHL in occupied Western Sahara, WSRW asks shareholders to raise the matter at the upcoming AGM.

Published 28 July 2020

While Continental’s controversial supply contract in occupied Western Sahara has expired, the company remains silent on a potential renewal - even in the face of shareholders' questions.

Published 27 July 2020

The Indian engineering giant Larsen & Toubro erects large energy infrastructure in occupied Western Sahara.

Published 27 July 2020

The blockchain computing company Soluna set on building a 900 MW wind farm in occupied Western Sahara, does not respond to questions from civil society.

Published 22 July 2020

Siemens has created a new company that will inherit its operations on occupied land in Western Sahara, but still refuses to clarify whether the people of the territory have actually consented to those operations.

Published 19 July 2020

In the UN Human Right Council today, Spain failed to assume responsibility with regard to the exploitation of occupied Western Sahara's natural resources. Namibia is not having it.

Published 16 July 2020

The Swiss trade statistics reveal that 2019 was the first year without any imports of fruits and vegetables from occupied Western Sahara.

Published 03 July 2020

The German cement giant HeidelbergCement states that the company's operations in occupied Western Sahara are perfectly lawful according to a due diligence audit carried out by... HeidelbergCement.

Published 03 July 2020

The German government has released data of trade with fishmeal from plants located in occupied Western Sahara that confirms figures previously released by authorities in Bremen.

Published 02 July 2020

The value of the fishmeal exports from occupied Western Sahara to Turkey in 2019 may have been larger than the entire phosphate trade from the occupied territory.

Published 26 June 2020

Western Sahara Resource Watch presents all vessels that transported petroleum products into the occupied Western Sahara last year.

Published 25 June 2020
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The pressure is mounting on the New Zealand importers of phosphate rock from occupied Western Sahara. Today protesters in Christchurch erected roadblocks to stop trucks from transporting the conflict minerals into the local Ravensdown fertiliser factory. 
 

Published 23 June 2020
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Continental’s controversial contract in occupied Western Sahara is two weeks away from expiration. If renewed, WSRW asks owners to raise the matter at upcoming AGM.

Published 13 June 2020
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A vessel transporting Norwegian gas was supposed to arrrive in occupied Western Sahara tomorrow, but has now steered away last minute, as ordered by the exporter in Norway.

Published 06 June 2020
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The World Bank has yesterday removed erroneous maps of Morocco that mistakenly included the non-self-governing territory of Western Sahara. 

See also: World Bank in discordance with the UN on Western Sahara.

Published 28 May 2020
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Russian and Moroccan representatives recently met to further discuss a new fisheries agreement covering the waters offshore occupied Western Sahara, but a new deal seems still pending.

Published 27 May 2020
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The World Bank seems to assist Morocco in promoting renewable energy projects in the occupied Western Sahara, as it fails to distinguish between the territory of Morocco and the Non-Self-Governing Territory.

Read also: World Bank removed erroneous maps

Published 27 May 2020
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Two months after gas from a terminal in Sweden was exported into occupied Western Sahara, the Austrian company behind the shipment promises it will never happen again.

Published 26 May 2020
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Germany's state-owned development bank will not finance projects in Western Sahara.

Published 13 May 2020
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Last week, the German multinational acquired another cement factory in occupied Western Sahara.

Published 11 May 2020
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The Norwegian state-controlled energy company Equinor ‘regrets’ exports of gas into Western Sahara and promises to never do it again.
Published 10 May 2020
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While other companies internationally have managed to find alternative sources of phosphate - and in spite of a request of the New Zealand government that they do the same - the Kiwi fertilizer industry seems unwilling to drop its imports from occupied Western Sahara.

Published 09 May 2020
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An analysis of the legal aspects of the conflict in Western Sahara has led the research department of the German parliament to conclude that there are substantiated violations of the Fourth Geneva Convention by Morocco, that is to be considered an occupying power.

Published 08 May 2020
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Trucks of the US company Caterpillar transport phosphate rock in occupied Western Sahara.

Published 07 May 2020
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50,000 tonnes of liquified gas arrived in occupied Western Sahara last year, according to our first overview of this key trade.

Published 04 May 2020
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The Portuguese company Gesto has been contracted by Morocco to explore the geothermal potential of occupied Western Sahara - but chooses to refer to the territory as Morocco.

Published 08 April 2020
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Western Sahara Resource Watch for the first time presents an overview of the transports of frozen fish from occupied Western Sahara. Near all of it ends up in West African harbours.

Published 30 March 2020
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As Continental renegotiates its contract with Morocco's national phosphate company, it is still not clear whether the German group intends to limit its operations to Morocco proper or extend them into occupied Western Sahara.

Published 26 March 2020
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What is EU's position on labelling of products from occupied Western Sahara? The EU Commission has now for the third time published a response to a parliamentary question on the matter, but the latest version fails to address the question.

Published 18 March 2020
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The multinational company that facilitates the controversial phosphate exports in Western Sahara receives criticism from a group of German organisations.

Published 16 March 2020
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Tomorrow, the European Parliament is scheduled to vote on an amendment to the EU-Morocco Aviation Agreement - without any clarifications from the EU Commission as to how the proposal aligns with the 2018 Ruling of EU Court of Justice, invalidating the application of that very Agreement to Western Sahara.

Update: the European Parliament has postponed all votes scheduled to take place on 10 March to a later date, due to the COVID-19-crisis.

Published 09 March 2020
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The UK Government is in the final stages of entering into a new trade agreement with Morocco including the territory of Western Sahara, without consideration of recent EU and British court rulings, or of the people of the occupied land.

Published 08 March 2020
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New Zealand’s national pension fund invests in Ravensdown and Ballance Agri-Nutrients – which both import phosphate rock from occupied Western Sahara. That does not align with its statutory obligation to safeguard the country’s reputation, Polisario official says.

Published 05 March 2020
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Before voting on the new EU-Morocco fish deal in 2018, extending into occupied Western Sahara, several EU Member States asked for legal advice that would determine their vote. WSRW today publishes that influential legal opinion, which appears to miss the ball entirely.
Published 05 March 2020
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The export of phosphate rock from occupied Western Sahara has never been lower than in 2019. This is revealed in the new WSRW report P for Plunder, published today.

Published 24 February 2020
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A clarification by the EU Commission on labelling of products from Western Sahara was published, then removed, then published again and has now been removed again from EU websites. 

Published 21 February 2020
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Two weeks ago, the EU Commission announced that products from Western Sahara should be labelled accordingly, only to withdraw that statement the very next day. Today, the Commission reaffirms its original position.

Published 19 February 2020
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On 5 February 2020, the EU Commission announced that products from Western Sahara should be labelled accordingly. But about 24 hours later, all traces to that statement had been removed from EU websites.

Published 10 February 2020
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Morocco has launched a tender for the construction of solar plants at nine different sites, including in occupied Western Sahara.

Published 10 February 2020
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For the fourth consecutive year, the German engineering company dodges questions at its Annual Shareholders Meeting as to whether it has obtained the consent of the people of Western Sahara to operate on their land.

Published 07 February 2020
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The European Commission said yesterday that products originating from Western Sahara must be labelled as from Western Sahara, not Morocco.

Published 06 February 2020
In response to WSRW's letter to EuroChem of 3 December 2019, the company responded not to have imported in 2019 and having no plans to do so in the future.
Published 04 February 2020
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Namibia and East-Timor have today recommended Spain to respect the Saharawi people's right to free, prior and informed consent with regard to the exploitation of Western Sahara's natural resources.

Published 22 January 2020
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The contract of German engineering company Continental that covers maintenance work on the phosphate conveyor belt in occupied Western Sahara expires in five months.

Published 13 January 2020

The WSRW report P for Plunder 2020 to be published in February 2020 will contain information on all 20 vessels that departed occupied Western Sahara from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2019.

Published 09 January 2020
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In 2010, the Dutch company Fugro promised to never again undertake operations in occupied Western Sahara. On Christmas Eve 2019, their vessels returned.

Published 24 December 2019
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Next month, Spain’s human rights track record will be reviewed by the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. WSRW asks UN Member States to raise the rights of the people of Western Sahara, for whom Spain continues to bear responsibility.
 

Published 10 December 2019

A Japanese-Canadian vessel that transported conflict phosphate from occupied Western Sahara was yesterday received by a floating protest in New Zealand. 
 

Published 10 December 2019

The construction work on the controversial beach of Mogán in Gran Canary started 2 December.

Published 04 December 2019
EuroChem's reply of 28 March 2018 to WSRW, stating they "have no plans to purchase supplies from Western Sahara". EuroChem's subsidiary Lifosa AB received its last shipment of the conflict mineral in October 2016, despite earlier statements they'd halt all further imports from the territory.
Published 03 December 2019
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For the second time in less than two months’ time, the very same oil tanker has made the direct voyage from occupied Western Sahara to the port of Rotterdam. The Dutch government clarifies the content of the ship.

Published 02 December 2019
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This morning, the New Zealand Rail and Maritime Transport Union issued a statement saying that they will "consider our options around refusing to berth the ship" if phosphate importer Ravensdown does not allow port workers to register their protest with the captain of the ship.

Published 02 December 2019
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The bay of Mogán at Gran Canary Island will next week be covered in conflict sand from occupied Western Sahara.

Published 01 December 2019
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With the operationalization of the Paris Agreement as key-point on the agenda of COP25, will the UN Climate Change Conference finally clarify whether States can help combat climate change by violating the Geneva Convention and the UN Charter?

Published 28 November 2019
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The 300 MW farm is the first of the two wind farms that Italian company Enel Green Power and Germany's Siemens will build together on occupied land. Construction starts in 2021.

Published 27 November 2019
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Ravensdown is "risking potentially disruptive direct action by refusing to allow port workers to register their protest at the importing of Blood Phosphate from the Western Sahara", says the New Zealand Rail and Maritime Transport Union.

Published 21 November 2019

The former Legal Counsel to the UN Security Counsel, Mr. Hans Corell, comments on the EU's fisheries activities in Western Sahara.

Published 20 November 2019

Polisario Front has announced its intention to subscribe to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) - a global standard for good governance of oil, gas and mineral resources.

Published 18 November 2019

Turkey has become the leading importer of fishmeal from occupied Western Sahara. The aquaculture company Gümüşdoğa turns the meal into valuable fisheries products for the European market.

Published 10 November 2019
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A French-Norwegian seismic survey vessel has entered Saharawi waters four times. The company behind the exploration blames its Dutch client.

Published 08 November 2019
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The UK company GeoEx is now trying to sell the seismic data it collected of the seafloor of occupied Western Sahara. WSRW warns possible clients to stay away.

Published 16 October 2019
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WSRW has reason to assume that a shipment of fish oil from occupied Western Sahara was discharged this afternoon in the Netherlands.

Published 15 October 2019
The French company Total paid the Moroccan government near 4 million US dollars for the Anzarane exploration licence offshore Western Sahara, under illegal occupation.
Published 08 October 2019
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Tenders are expected to be launched before the end of the year.

Published 04 October 2019
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And another vessel is on its way.

Published 12 September 2019
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The representative organisation of Spain's farming sector, COAG, cautions that Morocco is working to increase agricultural exports from occupied Western Sahara into the European Union.

Published 09 September 2019
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German and Irish law organisations demand that Messe Berlin ceases to accept the controversial French tomato producer Azura.

Published 09 September 2019
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Protesters blocked two trucks at Ravensdown's plants and approached New Zealand's Prime Minister on the country's dependency on illegally exploited conflict minerals from occupied Western Sahara.

Published 08 September 2019
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Protesters target Ravensdown over its continued purchases of illegally exploited phosphate rock from the last colony in Africa: occupied Western Sahara.

Published 03 September 2019
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The Swedish industrial group that in recent years has refused to answer questions on its participation in Morocco's phosphate plunder in Western Sahara now claims the exploitation of the conflict mineral is legal.

Published 21 May 2019
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Are you casting your vote for the EU elections? Find here a complete overview of MEP candidates who have supported the Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara in previous controversial votes. Choose wisely.
 

Published 17 May 2019
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The Bremen port authorities have now confirmed WSRW’s hypothesis that a shipment of fishmeal from Western Sahara arrived in Bremen (Germany) two weeks ago – though they erroneously locate the town of origin, El Aaiun, in “Morocco”.

Published 16 May 2019
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When requesting answers on human rights from HeidelbergCement with regard to its operations in occupied Western Sahara, Saharawi Khadja Bedati was told that the company "deliberately makes social sponsoring of various sports clubs".

Published 10 May 2019
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On Tuesday, a cargo vessel arrived at the port of Bremen with a new probable cargo of conflict meal.

Published 02 May 2019
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At last week's annual meeting, the German company Continental failed to answer questions relating to the firm's controversial agreement in occupied Western Sahara.

Published 01 May 2019
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Incentivized by Morocco's plans to construct another port to accommodate its exports of conflict minerals from occupied Western Sahara, port construction firm Archirodon Group NV opens a subsidiary in the last colony of Africa.

Published 01 May 2019
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The representation of the people of Western Sahara has today initiated legal proceedings against the EU Council over their decision to conclude a trade agreement for occupied Western Sahara with Morocco.

Published 30 April 2019

The New Zealand farmer cooperative Ravensown is one of the main importers of phosphate rock from occupied Western Sahara.

Published 09 April 2019
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Morocco shipped 1.93 million tonnes of phosphate out of occupied Western Sahara in 2018, worth an estimated $164 million, new report shows. Here is all you need to know about the volume, values, vessels and clients.

Published 08 April 2019

The UK Court has concluded that the UK government has acted unlawfully in granting preferential tariff treatment to products from Western Sahara through a deal with Morocco, and in granting fisheries quota's for fishing in Western Sahara under a fish deal with Morocco.

Published 28 March 2019

OCP, Morocco's state-owned phosphate company which exploits the phosphate reserves of occupied Western Sahara, is registered on both the Irish Stock Exchange and on the Casablanca Stock Exchange. As such, it regularly submits Prospectuses, a detailed overview of activites for investors. Find OCP's publicly available Prospectuses here.

Published 21 March 2019
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The contract of German manufacturing giant Continental AG for the Bou Craa mine expires in 15 months from now.

Published 21 March 2019