In view of the incredibly harsh verdicts in the Gdeim Izik trial, which failed to meet the international standards for a fair trial, Western Sahara Resource Watch has appealed to the European Commission to put ongoing discussions for increased trade with Morocco on hold.
Western Sahara Resource Watch has received this photo of the Geo Service I, the offshore supply ship accompanying the vessel BGP Prospector that is carrying out seismic seabed research for French oil giant Total.
LATEST: Tripoliven clarifies it does not import from Western Sahara.
The military court in Rabat has convicted 25 Saharawi activists to shockingly tough sentences. All were arrested in relation to the Gdeim Izik protest camp; a peaceful manifestation disputing the Saharawi people’s continual marginalisation in their occupied country.
Swedish minister for trade clarifies that no states in the EU recognise Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, and that therefore products made in the territory cannot be given trade preference under the EU-Morocco trade agreements.
Negotiations between the European Commission and Morocco in Rabat were aborted yesterday. New talks are to take place before the end of February.
Unemployed Saharawis call for an end to discrimination in fisheries industry.
This is the press release that was sent out by Siemens on 30 January 2012.
The Spanish construction group Secopsa has obtained a contract of 6.8 million € from the Moroccan government to redevelop an area of El Aaiun, the occupied capital of Western Sahara.
No agreement was reached during the third round of talks between the EU and Morocco, yesterday in Rabat. The parties have agreed to meet again at the end of the month.
The planned drilling of a well on the Zag block in - most probably - occupied Western Sahara has now been set to first half of 2014.
WSRW has received the statement below (in English and Arabic) form Saharawi fishermen in Dakhla, regarding their protest against discriminatory employment practices and destructive marine management, on Friday 11 January 2013.
The US company FMC has stated that they have ended all Western Sahara imports, and that this also applies to its subsidiaries.
This morning, Saharawi fishermen gathered in front of the Delegation of Fisheries in Dakhla, to protest against discriminating employment practices and destructive marine management.
Shipping company Seatrade has again sent a vessel to transport frozen fish out of occupied Western Sahara.
A new industry is emerging in occupied Western Sahara: mining and exports of salt.
After a short Christmas break, the controversial French-Chinese oil exploration offshore occupied Western Sahara has resumed.
Two vessels are about to arrive New Zealand with phosphates from occupied Western Sahara.
The Swedish organisation Emmaus Stockholm has decided to support the work of WSRW for 2013.
A subsidiary of China's national oil company seems these days to do seismographic studies on Total's block in occupied Western Sahara. WSRW today protested against the operations.
The controversial 'Desertec' solar energy project, which was planned to cross the occupied territory of Western Sahara, might not be carried out due to lack of funds.
24 and 26 October, the trial against two Swedish fishermen took place in a court of Gothenburg. The two are accused of illegal fisheries in Western Sahara.
Without first having obtained consent from the Saharawi people in Western Sahara, the EU will next week try to conclude the talks on EU-Morocco fish deal offshore the occupied territory, under same terms as the one that was rejected by the European Parliament in 2011.
A video posted on Youtube this week shows a private Swedish company fishing in occupied Western Sahara.
"As a European I feel embarrassed", stated the former UN legal chief regarding the EU's fisheries activities in the waters of occupied Western Sahara, taking place in violation of international law. New trade agreements between Morocco and the EU - which Morocco is applying in Western Sahara - are entering info force in October 2012. WSRW questions the award of the Nobel peace prize to Morocco's important ally.
The Australian company Wesfarmers stated in its annual report that it for the coming production year, it will avoid phosphates from Western Sahara. It's fertiliser subsidiary company, CSBP has been a main importer of the controversial resource from the occupied territory.
This letter is meant as a suggestion as to how to first contact a supermarket if you see a product from "Morocco"
In protest of unemployment and the plunder of their natural resources, 7 Saharawi youth occupied the UN offices of Smara, Western Sahara, this week. The protest took place on the same place where Morocco is currently looking for gas.
The extraction and export of phosphoric rock from the Bou Craa mines at El Aaiun, Western Sahara, is increasing day by day.
Western Sahara Resource Watch (WSRW) continues to monitor phosphate rock exports from occupied Western Sahara. This update report provides details of exports and vessels involved in the trade over the period from 1 June until 31 August 2012 (the Observation Period).
Spokespersons of two Swedish political parties urge the Swedish government to ensure that Morocco does not misuse the UN climate mechanism CDM to uphold the occupation of Western Sahara.
The vessel 'Alycia' arrived on Tuesday 7 August 2012 at Risdon dock in Hobart, ready to discharge its controversial cargo of phosphate from occupied Western Sahara for the local fertilizer producer Impact Fertilisers.
The African Union summit in July formally adopted a policy document calling for the halt of mineral plunder on the continent.
Several Moroccan environmental projects in occupied Western Sahara are being considered by the UN. Published in Norwegian news service Bistandsaktuelt, 17 July 2012.
Norwegian company DNV, certified by the UN Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) to evaluate projects seeking CDM-funding, has issued a negative opinion on the Moroccan King’s envisioned windfarm project in occupied Western Sahara – precisely for taking place in a politically controversial area.
The UN considers the development of the natural resources in Western Sahara to be in violation of international law unless its people consent to and benefiting from it. Yet, Morocco is planning more applications to the UN to fund for its mineral resources plunder. “The UN’s Clean Development Mechanism must not support Morocco in Western Sahara”, stated WSRW.
The UN's Clean Development Mechanism is looking into endorsing a windfarm project, owned by the Moroccan king, in occupied Western Sahara. The Saharawi refugees don't want to see that happening.
The WSRW report on EU-Morocco relations was largely discussed in the large political event of Almedalen, Sweden.
“We hope to see more investors join us in urging companies linked to the territory to act responsibly and helping Western Sahara get the attention it needs”, said Finish investor Ilmarinen.
Due to Morocco’s tardiness in ratifying the EU-Morocco agricultural agreement, the accord is now expected to enter into force early October. Not coincidentally coinciding with the start of Morocco’s export-season to the EU.
While the EU is in the process of negotiating a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement with Morocco, 31 Saharawi NGOs recommend the EU to respect international law by excluding their occupied homeland. The organisations represent the vast majority of Saharawi civil society groups in the occupied territories of Western Sahara and in the refugee camps in south-west Algeria.
The UN’s Clean Development Mechanism has been considering supporting the work of the Moroccan King in occupied Western Sahara, in partnership with German company Siemens. WSRW asks the UN to reconsider.
WRSW has asked German multinational Siemens to withdraw from supplying wind turbines and related technical assistance for the construction of the Foum el Oued windfarm project in occupied Western Sahara. Siemens' partner in the project is NAREVA holding, a Moroccan company owned personally by King Mohammed VI.
Who benefits from the booming agricultural industry in occupied Western Sahara? Surely not the Saharawis.
The WSRW report ‘Label and Liability’ documents how produce from the controversial agro-industry in the occupied territory, ends up in the baskets of unaware EU customers.
When an unofficial delegation from the European Parliament visited Dakhla city in occupied Western Sahara, the Moroccan government pulled the foreign flagged European fleet out of the harbour. After hiding 8 km offshore Dakhla for a day, the vessels returned.
WSRW has asked the European Commission what is being done to prevent that Western Sahara produce is being falsely labelled as 'Moroccan' as they reach the EU market.
While Canary imports of stolen Saharawi sand continue with impunity, a group of Spanish and Saharawi activists – including a member of WSRW - is still facing penal sanction, precisely for denouncing the illegal trade.
As the European Commission excerted pressure on the European Parliament to approve a controversial EU trade agreement with Morocco earlier this year, they claimed the agri-industry in Western Sahara was practically inexistant. The Commission has now stated it is twice the size as they said in February.
While the UN Human Rights Council is gearing up to review Morocco’s human rights slate, WSRW urges the international community to give due attention to the rights of the Saharawi people.
Update: WSRW is pleased to note that several countries did raise the issue of Western Sahara during Morocco's UPR-session. Transcripts of those statements are available here.
A Resolution passed in the EU Parliament today backs the EU's Trade for Change policy vis-à-vis its southern neighbours, but turns a blind eye to the singular obstacle to peace and development in the region: Morocco's continued brutal occupation of Western Sahara.