News
The vessel Burhan Dizman 1 in the early hours of this morning arrived the Bulgarian city of Varna.
Published 07 October 2008
This letter was sent on 7th of October 2008 to the Bulgarian phosphate importer, Agropolychim.
Published 06 October 2008
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The Bulgarian fertiliser producer Agropolychim is in two days expecting a vessel with phosphates from occupied Western Sahara. The vessel could contain around 7.000 tonnes of phosphates. "Agropolychim must stop such imports and return the vessel to where it came from", demands Javier García Lachica, international coordinator of Western Sahara Resource Watch.
Read also: Letter from WSRW to Agropolychim, sent 7th of October 2008.
Update: The vessel has arrived Varna

Published 04 October 2008
The Louisiana based phosphate importer PCS Nitrogen has yet again imported phosphates from occupied Western Sahara.
Published 27 September 2008

 

Representatives of the Australian Western Sahara Association protested at the fertiliser company Incitec Pivot's Extraordinary General Assembly. See photos here of former democrat Senator, Lyn Allison, asking questions at the assembly. 

 

Published 06 September 2008
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"There's no such country called Western Sahara," Incitec Pivot said to Australian Associated Press today. The statement follows intervention by former Australian senator in the company's general assembly, protesting the trade. 

Read also press release: Australian Superphosphate not so super

Published 05 September 2008
Press release issued by the Australian Western Sahara Association, 5 September 2008.
Published 05 September 2008

A Western Saharan diplomat has condemned New Zealand’s purchases of the territory’s fertilisers from Morocco.
 

Published 23 August 2008

Written by Spanish Jesús Madre Casorrán, formerly employed in the mine.

Published 23 August 2008

What role does human rights play in the European Neighbourhood Policy? A thesis by Linde Lindqvist Gustavsson at Lund University, Sweden (2007), suggests that human rights issues might fall short when in dispute with Europe\'s self interest. The author compares the cases of Morocco and Turkey.

Published 19 August 2008
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And who will receive 3,7 tonnes of frozen fish?

Published 13 August 2008
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The Turkish shipping company Yasa Shipping is doing it again.

Published 11 August 2008
A new vessel has just discharged phosphates from occupied Western Sahara in Colombia. The country has so far this year imported illegally mined phosphates for 29 million USD.
Published 10 August 2008
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A Hong Kong company is linked to Morocco\'s brutal exploitation of Western Sahara. South China Morning Post, 10 August 2008.

Published 10 August 2008
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In 2005, the bulk vessel Furness Karumba got known in Australia, when she shipped phosphates - and 2 dead Moroccan stowaways - from occupied Western Sahara to Australia. Now the vessel is on its way again.
Published 10 August 2008
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The large Russian fishing vessel Zakhar Sorokin has spent a week trawling occupied waters.
Published 04 August 2008
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On the top left corner of this Florida harbour, a vessel unloaded phosphate from occupied Western Sahara in July.
Published 04 August 2008
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A report published earlier this year on ONHYM's homepages reveals that Morocco is looking for iron in the southern parts of occupied Western Sahara. The report suggests that iron could be found in the territory.

Published 01 August 2008
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Moroccan weekly newspaper Aujourd'hui le Maroc speculates that the Danish clarification on Western Sahara policy is due to energy cooperation with Algeria. A Moroccan government appointed institution demands boycott of Danish businesses in entire Morocco.

Published 30 July 2008
The activities of a South African-Namibian fishing company in occupied Western Sahara have been covered on SABC\'s radio news programme Tam Tam Express. Hear their programme \"A fishy business\" here.
Published 30 July 2008

Statement made by the Fertiliser Industry Federation of Australia (FIFA) regarding Western Sahara phosphate imports, 2008.

Published 29 July 2008
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Not even two weeks after a Moroccan police intervention brutally ended a Saharawi fishermen\'s demonstration, Dakhla is once again the scene for a horrific attack against Saharawi citizens.
Published 24 July 2008
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In approximately 30 years, as production from the world’s phosphate rock reserves reaches a maximum, Western Sahara’s geopolitical importance will become even more important. Australian researcher Dana Cordell investigates ‘peak phosphorus’.
Published 22 July 2008
The Namibian- South African company, Etosha Fishing Corp (Pty) Ltd, has been active in the occupied Western Saharan waters for nearly a year. Today, Western Sahara Resource Watch and the Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara sent Etosha a letter asking them to reconsider their engagement in the area.
Published 21 July 2008
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According to recent articles in African Energy and the Moroccan newspaper L\'Economiste, there\'s a realistic chance that Morocco might start drilling for oil in the occupied Western Sahara in the nearby future.
Published 21 July 2008
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Copenhagen (DanWatch) - Denmark is joining an increasing number of governments with official policies against trade in non-renewable resources from Western Sahara. The Danish position echoes the non-trade policies of fellow Scandinavian governments Sweden and Norway. Danwatch, 17 July 2008.

Published 17 July 2008
Letters sent to the Members of European Parliaement from civil society.
Published 17 July 2008

When representatives of the New Zealand government visited Morocco in January, Western Sahara Resource Watch sent 5 questions to the New Zealand government regarding how the government views trade with occupied Western Sahara. 5 months later, we are still waiting for an answer.

Published 17 July 2008
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Not many years ago, Namibia was occupied by neighbouring South Africa. At the time, the Security Council imposed legal sanctions on foreign investments and trade in occupied Namibia. On Thursday, South African SABC TV revealed that Namibians and South Africans are fishing in occupied Western Sahara.
Published 17 July 2008
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The details behind the energy project in occupied Western Sahara are public. Check them out here.

Published 15 July 2008

If the Western Sahara waters are considered high seas, why does the EU spend European taxpayers' money on paying Morocco to fish there? A group of MEPs this week asked a series of questions in the European Parliament.

Published 15 July 2008
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The last 3 years, Western Sahara Resource Watch has documented 6 shipments from occupied Western Sahara to the Australian Island island of Tasmania.
Published 15 July 2008
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Up to 6,000 people are employed in the tomato industry in the region of Dakhla, in occupied Western Sahara. Most of the employees are of Moroccan origin.
Published 14 July 2008
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9 Sahrawis injured after intervention from Moroccan police.
Published 13 July 2008

The EU is about to grant a so-called ‘advanced status’ for Morocco . The move will be made now under the French presidency. “No one seems to mind that Morocco is an illegal occupying power violating the most fundamental human rights”, said WSRW international coordinator.

Published 13 July 2008
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This fake beach on Madeira is made of sand from occupied Western Sahara. In May/June, the beach was fortified with another 2800 tonnes. Portuguese bloggers wonder why.
Published 12 July 2008
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Colombia has received 4 vessels with phosphates from occupied Western Sahara this year. The last one end of June 2008. This time, the vessel was Greek.
Published 11 July 2008
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Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Micheál Martin TD, hopes the Irish oil company Island Oil and Gas would respect international law. Island operates in Western Sahara, occupied by Morocco.
Published 10 July 2008
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The Spanish Boluda Group is looking to Dakhla and El Aaiun in occupied Western Sahara.

Published 10 July 2008
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The business magazine Petroleum Africa seems to have missed a central point.
Published 10 July 2008
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Moroccan national authorities wishes to build electricity infrastructure in Dakhla, occupied Western Sahara.

Published 09 July 2008
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The South African bank RMB has written to WSRW that they do no longer finance the operations of Island Oil and Gas. The Irish oil company Island has an agreement for oil exploration in occupied Western Sahara in violation of international law.
Published 09 July 2008
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One of the 2 importers of Western Sahara phosphates to New Zealand, Ballance Agri-Nutrients, have taken a political position in the question of Western Sahara. To the contrary of all states in the world, Ballance believes that Western Sahara is part of Morocco.
Published 03 July 2008
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The EU Commission has admitted that EU vessels fish in Western Sahara, occupied by Morocco. Western Sahara Resource Watch demands an immediate halt to the fishing, until the agreement has been corrected to clearly exclude the territory offshore Western Sahara.
Published 03 July 2008

"It is surprising that mainly Bergen-owned Gearbulk sails for the occupying power Morocco". Read here editorial in one of Norway's biggest newspapers, Bergens Tidende, 29th of June 2008.

Published 01 July 2008
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This photo, taken in Port of Lyttleton, New Zealand on June 20th, shows the vessel Pacific Victory offloading phosphates from occupied Western Sahara. 
Read also: Another Hong Kong vessel involved in plundering.

Published 01 July 2008

"EU - and Denmark - can not on the one hand support the UN\'s criticism on Marocco\'s illegal occupation of Western Sahara and simultanously, on the other hand, make a fisheries agreement with Marocco that totally ignores Western Sahara's rights to their own resources" states member of European Parliament\'s Development Committee, Socialist People’s Party's Margrete Auken.

Published 28 June 2008
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See photographs of the Gearbulk chartered vessel Simge Aksoy discharging phosphates from occupied Western Sahara in Port of Tauranga, New 23rd of June 2008.

Published 25 June 2008

Built to keep the Sahrawi from their own land, the berm that bisects Western Sahara is a potent symbol of Morocco's determination to hold on to Africa's last colony in the face of long-standing - but weak - international pressure. Ivan Broadhead reports. South China Morning Post, 11th of May, 2008.

Published 21 June 2008
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In May, the Hong Kong based company Jinhui Shipping regretted having carried out phosphate shipments from Western Shara, and said they would never do it again. Here is an other Hong Kong company caught red-handed.

Published 21 June 2008
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Irish Member of European Parliament, Kathy Sinnott, demands that the occupation of Western Sahara must end and that the Morocco-EU fisheries agreement be reviewed before the EU gives any so-called 'Advanced Status' to Morocco.

Published 21 June 2008

Western Saharan activists are targeting Australia\'s reliance on their homeland\'s richest natural resource. The region and its phosphate reserves were illegally annexed by neighbouring Morocco in 1975 and activists have travelled to Australia to raise awareness about the continuing occupation. See 7:30 report on Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 9 June 2008 here.

Published 20 June 2008
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PRESS RELEASE: 29 parliamentarians from UK, Norway and New Zealand this morning sent a letter to the shipping company Gearbulk, urging the company to stop their phosphate shipments from occupied Western Sahara.

Published 20 June 2008
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A statement was unanimously adopted at the Norwegian Socialist Left Party\'s National Board meeting today, 16th of june 2008, asking Gearbulk to terminate its engagement in Western Sahara. The Socialist Left Party is the second biggest party in the Norwegian coalition government. Read the statement here.
Published 16 June 2008
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Sahrawis in Norway are asking Bergen-owned Gearbulk shipping company to stop trading with Western Sahara. They believe such trade maintains the brutal occupation.

Published 16 June 2008
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Three Norwegian shipping companies have apologized and stopped their operations in occupied Western Sahara. However, the Bergen-owned company Gearbulk continues their controversial transports. Next week, yet another Gearbulk vessel is due to arrive in a New Zealand harbour with phosphates. The Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara argues that the Sahrawi population has suffered a financial loss amounting to 200 million USD, as a result of the shipments of this shipping company alone. Norwatch, 12 June 2008.
Published 15 June 2008
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3 stowaways -probably Moroccan- are now in police custody in Norway after arrving in port of Horten, Norway on 3rd of June. They had hidden in a vessel with fish meal from El Aaiun in occupied Western Sahara, and were discovered as the vessel discharged its cargo in Latvia.

Published 13 June 2008
Activists from the environmental group Greenpeace have hijacked a fishing vessel in the Swedish port of Gothenburg, which was to fish off Western Sahara. The Cook Island-registered vessel is accused of \"piracy\", environmental destruction and violating Swedish embargo on fishing off the occupied territory. Afrol News, 12 June 2008.
Published 13 June 2008
Press release, Greenpeace Sweden - Greenpeace is blocking a Swedish pirate vessel that is fishing illegally in the waters of Western Sahara. 20 Greenpeace activists are preventing the Nordic IV from leaving the port of Fiskebäck by blocking the quay and having activists in a rubber boat.

Read also: Afrol: Western Sahara-bound fishing vessel hijacked
Published 11 June 2008
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People from Greenpeace Wednesday afternoon prevented the fishing vessel Nordic IV to leave the harbour in Fiskebäck, Gothenburg, Sweden. Two activists have chained themselves to the vessel's anchoring poles. Gothenburg Post, 11 June 2008 

Published 11 June 2008
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Read more about Gearbulk's involvement in Western Sahara, and the vessel Simge Aksoy here. As of June 2008, the vessel can have transported phosphates from Western Sahara for more than 200,000 million US dollars.

Published 10 June 2008
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Check how the phosphate prices have increased almost eight-fold over the last 14 month period. Annual income from the Moroccan phosphate mines in occupied Western Sahara now approaches 1,2 billion USD.
Published 05 June 2008
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A third international shipping company has bowed into pressure to quit its assignments in ports in occupied Western Sahara. The Hong Kong-based shipping company Jinhui Shipping thus follows Norway\'s two shipping companies Arnesen Shipbrokers and R-Bulk, which have stopped shipping out phosphates from the territory. More are expected to follow. Afrol News, 5 june 2008.

Published 05 June 2008
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The third “Norwegian” shipping company in half a year says it will not longer visit ports in occupied Western Sahara. Jinhui Shipping, registered on Oslo Stock Exchange, says to South China Morning Post that it will not contract any more business in the country.

Published 05 June 2008

Last Friday, the Norwegian company R-Bulk said they will do their utmost to prevent further shipments from Western Sahara. Japan-Sahara Association has now sent a letter to the Japanese shipping company that rent their vessels.

Published 02 June 2008
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The Norwegian shipping company R-Bulk apologizes that one of their vessels has transported phosphates from Western Sahara, and say they will do their utmost to prevent it from happening again. The company is praised for its good corporate social responsibility.

Published 01 June 2008
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April this year, a vessel belonging to the Norwegian ship owner company R-Bulk, transported 15.000 tonnes of phosphate from occupied Western Sahara to Colombia. One of Norway's biggest trade unions, Industry and Energy, as well as the Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara and Western Sahara Resource Watch today protests the shipment. The phosphate industry in the occupied country takes place in violation of international law.

Published 30 May 2008
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This time, the vessel is Greek. Arriving Northport on May 30th 2008.

Published 22 May 2008
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The ninth meeting of the conference of the parties of the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) and the fourth meeting of the Conference of the parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (COP9 and MOP4) will both take place in May 2008. Delegates from all the 190 member states of the Convention will be on the conference hosted by Germany. Problems concerning biodiversity that result from “modern colonialism” will not be addressed.
Published 19 May 2008

"For now, and unlike its stance on East Timor, New Zealand prefers to cut deals with the occupying power that has long been denying the right of Africa’s last colony to full self determination under the UN Charter." Read article by Scoop journalist Gordon Campbell on the New Zealand participation in the Western Sahara resource plundering.

Published 19 May 2008
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Irish MEP, Kathy Sinnott, demands that Island Oil and Gas immediately stops their activities in occupied Western Sahara. \"The presence of your company undermines the illegitimacy of the Moroccan occupation.\", she writes in a letter to the company\'s CEO, Paul Griffiths.
Published 18 May 2008

The European Liberal Youth demands the termination of the controversial EU fisheries agreement with Morocco that lets European vessels fish in occupied Western Sahara. Read statement from the Liberal Youth's annual Lymec congress, Barcelona 1-4th May 2008.

Published 17 May 2008
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Kamal Fadel, Front Polisario's representative to Australia and New Zealand, has been interviewed on Adelaide Radio regarding the Moroccan fishing and phosphate industry in Western Sahara.

Published 12 May 2008
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And they say that if they stop purchasing the minerals from the occupied country, someone else will buy it instead.
Read also: Demands halt to Tasmanian phosphate imports
Published 12 May 2008
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How ironic that Sealord – half owned by Maori business interests - was being denounced on RNZ this morning by foreign human rights agencies for co-exploiting the fisheries resources of the indigenous people of Western Sahara.
Published 12 May 2008
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Following the revelations in New Zealand press that the fishing company Sealord is involved in marketing fish from occupied Western Sahara, the Maori Party now reacts. Sealord is half Maori owned. \"We encourage Maori shareholders to raise the issue with Sealord\'s directors and encourage them to review their investment decision accordingly\", Maori Party says.

Published 09 May 2008

A New Zealand company is involved in dealing fish from occupied Western Sahara. Hear story broadcasted on Radio New Zealand, May 8th 2008. 
 

Published 09 May 2008
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The Norwegian insurance company, Skuld, keeps insuring ships carrying controversial cargo. After the case of the ship carrying weapons to Zimbabwe, it has now been discovered that Skuld has ensured a ship carrying phosphate from occupied Western Sahara.

Published 07 May 2008
The Australian Western Sahara Association reacts to a new shipment of phosphate that this week-end arrived Tasmania. May 6th, they sent a letter to the company demanding the imports to stop.
Published 07 May 2008
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New Zealand, a country which already is a main ally to Morocco in buying the phosphates from the occupied Western Sahara, now also proves to be involved in the distribution of the territory’s fish resources. 
 

Published 07 May 2008
New Zealand\'s biggest fishing company is being criticised by a European human rights group for operating in disputed waters off Africa. Radio New Zealand, 8th May 2008.
Published 07 May 2008
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"Kosmos believes it has made the right bet as to which party will prevail", a presentation about the company stated.

Published 06 May 2008
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This is trawler Admiral Starikov out fishing offshore occupied Western Sahara during the whole month of April.
Published 02 May 2008
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A Turkey owned vessel is now transporting phosphates from occupied Western Sahara.

Published 28 April 2008
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More than 300 people demonstrated in the Spanish city of Huelva, in protest of the company FMC Foret's import of phosphates from Western Sahara. Carrying banners such as "Western Sahara is not for sale", the protesters demanded an immediate stop of the imports.

Published 20 April 2008
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The Norwegian NGO Western Sahara Resources Watch (WSRW) has written to the chief executive of the Rand Merchant Bank to ask that RMB refuse to bankroll the Irish company Island Oil & Gas which recently acquired a block in Western Sahara from Morocco's Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines (ONHYM). Africa Energy Intelligence, N° 46102/04/2008

Published 05 April 2008
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Pressure group Western Sahara Resource Watch has picked another target in its campaign to stop companies participating in oil exploration on Moroccan licences in and off Western Sahara, writes Barry Morgan. Upstream Online, 4 April 2008
Published 05 April 2008
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A South African Bank called RMB is the main financial backer of the Irish oil company Island Oil & Gas. Island is exploring for oil in the occupied Western Sahara in violation of international law. Today, Western Sahara Resource Watch sent a letter to RMB asking them to stop the flow of money to the Irishmen. Read the letter here.
Published 27 March 2008
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"The next mouthful of food you take after you read this may have an awful aftertaste. That's not necessarily because there\'s anything wrong with your food, but because of how it gets to your plate." Opinion in The Australian Financial Review, by Polisario's Australia representative, Mr. Kamal Fadel, 25 March 2008
 

Published 25 March 2008
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Giant crane from Italy located in El Aaiun harbour.
Published 24 March 2008
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Press release: WSRW welcomes the next round of peace talks between Morocco and Polisario, and urges the parties to discuss the current plundering of the occupied Western Sahara.

Published 10 March 2008
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United Arab Emirates investing in tourism in occupied Western Sahara, according to Maghreb Confidential.

Published 29 February 2008
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Western Sahara’s government in exile accuses the shipping company J. Lauritzen of contributing to theft of natural resources from the occupied parts of the country.

Published 27 February 2008
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Jinhui Shipping said Wednesday that it will take into consideration the analysis of Norwegian authorities regarding avoiding trade with phosphates from Western Sahara.

Published 27 February 2008
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An international delegation of trade union representatives were this week detained in occupied Western Sahara when visiting former Saharawi phosphate workers.

Published 21 February 2008
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See videos of the Australian mascot protesting against the phosphate trade. The camel was stopped by the police.

Published 21 February 2008
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Colombia has received 2 shipments of phosphates from occupied Western Sahara so far this year.
Published 20 February 2008
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Swedish prosecuting authorities starts investigating own companies involved in fishing in occupied Western Sahara.

Published 20 February 2008
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Jinhui, the Oslo Stock Exchange-registered dry bulk shipping company, will tomorrow unload its last tons of controversial phosphate in New Zealand. The phosphate originates from occupied Western Sahara and has been shipped out of the country despite advice to the contrary from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Norwatch has got photos and video footage of the unloading.

Published 16 February 2008