A new Canadian company accounts for half the purchases of conflict minerals from occupied Western Sahara. WSRW calls on investors to immediately blacklist the new company for breach of basic ethics.

While the highest Court of the EU has stipulated that no trade arrangement with Morocco can be applied to Western Sahara, the EU Commission this month visited the occupied territory to update the list of companies authorised to export their products to the EU.

Morocco and Siemens press on with their plans to generate energy in the human rights black-spot that is Western Sahara: the first controversial wind farm near Boujdour is expected to be operational in December 2018, built by a UK company.

"Seeking to circumvent the ECJ’s ruling, directly challenges the credibility of the EU, and significantly damages the potential for progress through the UN-led negotiation process", Saharawi groups qualify the EU's talks with Morocco regarding Western Sahara trade, in their letter to the EU's Foreign Affairs Chief.

Verdict comes after years of accusations that the trials were politically motivated, imprisoning activists who stood up against Morocco's social and economic deprivation of Saharawis.

“We call on the EU to abide by the judgment of its own Supreme Court, and to cease all trade talks regarding Western Sahara with the occupying state, Morocco. As a champion for rule of law and human rights, the EU should respect the rights of the Saharawi people and negotiate trade in goods from Western Sahara with their representatives, the Polisario Front.” 

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For the second time this month, a vessel carrying conflict minerals from occupied Western Sahara has been detained by a national court. This time: the Danish vessel Ultra Innovation heading to Canada.

The South African court that is deciding on the ownership of a detained phosphate rock shipment from occupied Western Sahara, has set a date for its judgment.

The Italian renewable energy corporation Enel Green Energy evades questions by civil society about its operations on occupied land.

Last week, a group of around 60 unemployed Saharawis hi-jacked a bus from Phosboucraa, to voice their protest against the Moroccan-owned company's exploitation of occupied Western Sahara's phosphate mine.

A note sent from French government to the French parliamentarians in Brussels today casts doubts on whether France has studied the judgment at all. Debate on live TV takes place now.

The Spanish government in a statement yesterday confirmed the EU court's judgement that Western Sahara goods are not covered by the EU-Morocco trade deal. Spain states it is up to France to make sure the controversial trade of fish oil from 'Key Bay' vessel was properly tariffed.