As the Moroccan authorities prohibit Saharawi from leaving the towns in order to prevent them from building protest camps in the desert, these five protesters have started a peaceful sit-in in front of their home on 7 July 2011. They call for the right to benefit from their homeland's abundant natural resources.
Three fishermen associations registered in Dakhla, occupied Western Sahara, say they've not seen any benefits stemming from investments and projects at the local harbour. Ironically, their statement comes only a few days after the EU Member States' split vote approval of the much debated one-year extension of the EU Morocco fish pact – claiming the investments under the agreement are beneficial to the local population.
Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs underlines that the wishes of the Sahrawis must be taken into account upon undertaking business in the territory of Western Sahara.
An upcoming explanation of vote from the German government indicates that Germany might have been misled as they considered their position on the EU-Morocco fisheries agreement in occupied Western Sahara.
In a strange turnaround, Germany appears to be contemplating a reversal of its previous opposition to the proposed one-year extension of the embattled Fisheries Partnership Agreement (FPA) between the EU and Morocco, regarded by legal experts worldwide as illegal for failing to benefit the people of Western Sahara.
On Wednesday, the Ambassadors of the EU Member States could not agree on the one-year prolongation of the divisive EU-Morocco fisheries agreement. Several Member States have requested more time to consider the proposal and its impact on Western Sahara.
Another demonstration in the capital of occupied Western Sahara took place yesterday. Moroccan police prevented people from joining the protesters.
2 Swedish students insist that the EU ambassador to Rabat had no reason to claim that "independent institutions" have supported the EU fisheries in Western Sahara, as he claimed in a press conference last year. Their correspondence with the EU delegation to Morocco reveals that the ambassador was only refering to the EU itself.
While the UN hosted peace talks between Morocco and Polisario in the US last week, a large load of illegally excavated Saharawi phosphates was being discharged in Louisiana. The peace talks covered the management of natural resources of occupied Western Sahara. The UN says such trade is in violation of international law, but PotashCorp defends Morocco\'s claims to the territory.
Spanish fish food company Jealsa Rianxeira receives ever more critisicm for its engagement in occupied Western Sahara.
Russian media reports today that an agreement has been signed between Moscow and Rabat for catch of 100.000 tonnes of fish offshore Morocco. Most of the fisheries, however, will not take place in Morocco.
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A politically divisive fishing pact between Morocco and the European Union has been costing Europe millions of euros a year and could deplete Morocco's fish stocks, according to a confidential report seen by Reuters.
UPDATE - The hunger strike was ended on Saturday 18 June 2011.
Since 12 April, six Saharawi citizens in Guelmim in Southern Morocco have been on hunger strike to condemn the EU’s fisheries in occupied Western Sahara and the involvement of US phosphate importer PCS and Irish oil company San Leon in the plunder of the territory.
The most heavily involved foreign firm in occupied Western Sahara, US-Canadian fertiliser company PotashCorp, has published a statement on its trade and on how it interprets the Western Sahara conflict. Read their erroneous text, and WSRW’s comments.
