News
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In May 2009, Western Sahara Resource Watch demanded from the Russian government and the Murmansk Trawl Fleet to halt all fisheries in occupied Western Sahara. While we still await reply, the Russian giants keep trawling.
Published 16 August 2009
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The Turkish vessel Yasa Gulten is soon to arrive New Zealand with phosphates from occupied Western Sahara. It will be the second time in less than a year.

Published 13 August 2009
WSRW seeks logo for a campaign against the illegal and unethical EU-Moroccan fisheries cooperation. The winner design will be used for an EU-wide campaign and get great exposure! Deadline postponed till 29 August 2009.
Published 13 August 2009
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The news that Irish oil firms Island Oil & Gas, Longreach and San Leon have obtained a full exploration licence for an area near occupied Smara, has triggered a response from the native inhabitants of the territory. And it\'s not a welcoming one.

Published 24 July 2009

Both San Leon and Island Oil & Gas have announced that the Zag Reconnaissance Licence has been upgraded to a full Exploration Licence. The Zag basin is located near Smara, occupied Western Sahara.

Published 23 July 2009

While under peace talks, Morocco is speeding up its plans for illegal oil search in occupied Western Sahara. The provocation has led Polisario to protest Morocco's actions to the UN Security Council. Read letter dated 6 July 2009 here.

Published 08 July 2009
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Australian agribusiness magazine Landmark in its latest issue elaborates on the world depleting phosphates deposits, and Australia's dependency on phosphate rock from occupied Western Sahara.

Published 07 July 2009

WSRW, together with Dr. Werner Ruf, professor for international relations at University of Kassel, demand that the German shipping company stops future shipments from Western Sahara.

Published 03 July 2009
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This week-end, German shipping company Doehle\'s vessel \'Sagitta\' arrived Colombia with phosphates from occupied Western Sahara.
Published 26 June 2009

1 July 2009, Sweden will take on the presidency of the European Council. Western Sahara Resource Watch urges in a letter today the Swedish government to raise the issue of the legality of the EU-Moroccco fisheries agreement.

Published 25 June 2009

2 vessels, one Spanish and one Cape Verdean, have been detained by the Moroccan coastguard after illegal fishing in Western Sahara.

Published 25 June 2009
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Published 22 June 2009
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Despite protests, the New Zealand fertilizer companies Ravensdown and Ballance Agri-Nutrients keep up their unethical imports of phosphates from occupied Western Sahara. Ballance received a shipment last month, while Ravensdown is expecting its next cargo mid-July.
Published 22 June 2009

Up to 524 square kilometres of Island Oil and Gas acreage are missing in Western Sahara/Morocco.

Published 22 June 2009
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Irish oil firms will explore for oil in the Smara area in complete violation of international law.

Published 22 June 2009
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The oil tanker Purple Gem is said to have carried a Saharawi flag upon entering the port of El Aaiun this week. Then the Moroccan police intervened.

Published 21 June 2009
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A special report in Forbes Magazine 17 June 2009 covered the Moroccan monarch\'s income from the phosphate industry. King Mohamed\'s wealth increased with 1 billion dollars in 2008, after sky-high global phosphate prices. Much of the industry is taking place in occupied Western Sahara. King Mohamed is one of the richest monarchs in the world.
Published 20 June 2009
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Western Sahara has been treated by the UN as a decolonisation issue since the 1960s. 16 June 2009, the plundering was discussed in the committee.
Published 17 June 2009

Email sent from WSRW Florida to Mosaic Co, 12 June 2009.

Published 12 June 2009

Press release from the Western Sahara Campaign UK today, announces that a delegation of MP’s, High Commissioners and representatives of the exiled Western Saharan government today will go to 10 Downing Street to call on the British government to take the lead in resolving the Western Sahara conflict. 
 

Published 12 June 2009
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The Western Sahara group on the British parliament, consisting of 20 parliamentarians from all political parties, call on Prime Minister Gordon Brown to take immediate steps to resolve the crisis in Western Sahara. Today, the group handed over letter to the government, urging the UK to take a lead in the Security Council, and to work for the halt of the resource plundering in the occupied territory.
Published 12 June 2009
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In 2005, USTDA stated that it "has not and would not support any activities in Western Sahara”. On 4 June 2009, Western Sahara Resource Watch and the US based Defense Forum Foundation sent a letter to the agency asking how this policy will be followed, considering the grants which are now being given to infrastructure projects for Morocccan fisheries. WSRW points to the fact that most of the Moroccan fisheries is taking place in Western Sahara.

Published 11 June 2009
And the captain of the vessel died while in port of El Aaiun.
Published 06 June 2009
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"Future MEPs from Europe Ecologie will work to put an end to the natural resources plundering of Western Sahara", stated the French party in a letter to WSRW. Europe Ecologie is France\'s third largest political party in front of the European Elections on June 7th.

Published 04 June 2009

"During the preparatory work on the agreement, which was decided through qualified vote, Finland and certain other states, pointed to the fact than the Western Sahara territorial waters not had specifically been excluded from the agreement’s area of application. Also for years to come, Finland finds it important that international law be respected upon the exploitation of natural resources in Western Sahara", stated Finland's minister of Foreign Affairs in Finnish parliament, 8 May 2009.

Published 04 June 2009
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Published 03 June 2009
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Refugees from Western Sahara demonstrated this week against a Norwegian company which is fishing in the country’s waters. According to the Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara, the company is violating international law.

Published 03 June 2009
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The Norwegian investor KLP has today announced that they have kicked out the Australian firm Incitec Pivot from its funds. The company imports phosphate rock from Western Sahara, which is occupied by Morocco. Norwatch, 2 June 2009.

Published 02 June 2009

Find here details on the articles published as part of the Ifremer-Total studies in Dakhla, Western Sahara.

Published 02 June 2009
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Morocco plans to carry out exploration drilling onshore occupied Western Sahara.
Published 01 June 2009

Sahrawi refugees on the Canary Islands on 27 May demonstrated against a Norwegian fishing vessel which was docked in Las Palmas harbour.

Published 31 May 2009
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Western Sahara Resource Watch demands Murmansk Trawl Fleet to immediate terminate fisheries in occupied Western Sahara.

Published 31 May 2009

Vessel with phosphates from occupied Western Sahara is here arriving Tasmania, Australia.
Published 28 May 2009
Western Sahara Resource Watch asked today the government of Russia to halt fisheries offshore occupied Western Sahara, and make sure that their up-coming fisheries agreement with Morocco specifically excludes the occupied territory. WSRW has repeatedly found Russian fishing vessels in the disputed waters.
Published 26 May 2009
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Western Sahara Resource Watch demanded in a letter on 19 March 2009 to the scientific journal Tectonophysics, that research done by a PhD student at the Norwegian Geological Survey should not be published. The geological research in occupied Western Sahara is done in cooperation with Moroccan oil authorities, but without the consent of the Sahrawi people.

Published 21 May 2009
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A research fellow attached to the Norwegian Geological Survey has been working on an oil research project in the occupied Western Sahara. Western Sahara Resource Watch requests that a scientific geological journal temporarily suspend further publication of her research data. The research institute is itself sceptical of the research project.

Published 21 May 2009
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Morocco and Russia want a new agreement in place before September 2009.
Published 07 May 2009
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The Irish oil company Island Oil and Gas is now negotiating an oil exploration permit in occupied Western Sahara. The unethical talks are done against the interest of the people of Western Sahara, and contribute to violate international law as described by the UN in 2002.
Published 03 May 2009

Sahrawi student Senia Bachir Abderahman asks Washington lawfirm Covington & Burling to tell her how they can claim phosphate plunder in occupied Western Sahara is to the benefit of the Sahrawis.

Published 03 May 2009
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The controversial tomatoes from occupied Western Sahara that a Norwegian importer has refused to import, have reached the US. Requirements from US government that tomatoes from Dakhla need to be certified by Western Sahara authorities seem to have been altered.
Published 02 May 2009
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The Norwegian seismic company Fugro-Geoteam has completed its controversial exploration offshore occupied Western Sahara. Their employer’s plans to become established on the Canary Islands have aroused strong reactions. Norwatch, 15 April 2009.

Published 02 May 2009

The Danish organisation Afrika Kontakt demands that the Danish government do not support Morocco's occupation through the EU cooperation.

Published 30 April 2009

The US lawfirm Covington & Burling helps Morocco in the illegal plunder of phosphates from occupied Western Sahara. The Sahrawi student Senia Bachir Abderahman is trying to get answers from the lawfirm as to how they can defend the plunder of her homeland.

Published 24 April 2009

Western Sahara Resource Watch today sent letter to the members of the UN Security Council, requesting them to demand a halt of plundering of occupied Western Sahara.

Published 21 April 2009
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The EEZ declaration of the Western Sahara republic has been officially received by the UN. The claim was mentioned in the Secretary-General\'s background report from last week.
Published 20 April 2009

On 8th April 2008, Polisario sent a letter to the Security Council protesting the plundering of Western Sahara. The letter has now been published as an official document of both the General Assembly (A/63/871) and the Security Council (S/2009/198).

Published 20 April 2009

Is an oil war about to erupt in the middle of the Atlantic, with the Canary Islands embroiled right in the middle of the conflict? Tenerife News, 16 April 2009.

Published 19 April 2009
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New cargo of stolen goods has arrived Australia. Wesfarmers seem to be responsible, again.
Published 17 April 2009

In January, the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic claimed their Exclusive Economic Zone offshore Western Sahara. Here is the SADR legislation.

Published 17 April 2009
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The company Prospectiuni from Romania are specialists on geological surveys.

Published 17 April 2009
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Two Swedish fishermen have been charged with illegal fishing off Western Sahara. Their allegedly illegal catches have been worth 1,9 million euros.
Published 16 April 2009
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Now they plan building a first phosphate processing plant inside occupied Western Sahara.
Published 16 April 2009
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Hundreds of foreign activists attend special conference on Western Saharan natural resources in the refugee camps in Algeria. UPES, 10 April 2009.

Download presentation here by Polisario representative Lih Beiruk.
Published 11 April 2009
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A Thai owned, Danish operated vessel has recently arrived Colombia with phosphates from occupied Western Sahara.

Published 10 April 2009
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The Swedish tour operator Ving has removed information from their homepages claiming that the occupation of Western Sahara in 1975 took place in a peaceful manner.

Published 02 April 2009
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A group of three Norwegian shipping companies have stated that they desist from future assignments in Western Sahara.
Published 24 March 2009

Statement from Western Sahara Resource Watch, 24 March 2009.

Published 24 March 2009
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The Norwegian Council for Africa wrote in February about the shipping company Atlantic RTI which transported fish from occupied Western Sahara. The company now says they will prevent their vessels from being used for such purposes in the future.

Published 21 March 2009

Faroe Islands national TV ran the Sahrawi demonstration against oil industry in Western Sahara as main story on its evening news 17 March 2009.

Published 20 March 2009
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The Irish oil company Island Oil and Gas, which illegally explores for oil in occupied Western Sahara, has produced new maps.
Published 20 March 2009

France Libertés: Fondation Danielle Mitterrand - an NGO with special consultative status in the Human Rights Council - has submitted a written statement to the council denouncing the plundering of Western Sahara.

Published 20 March 2009
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Sahrawi refugees on the Canary Islands yesterday protested against the Norwegian oil search in occupied Western Sahara. They demanded that the project be stopped.

Published 18 March 2009
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For a few days more you will still find tomatoes from occupied Western Sahara on the vegetable counters of the Norwegian grocery store Coop. On Wednesday they stopped the controversial import. Norwatch, 11 March 2009.

Published 18 March 2009
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The Moroccan Navy was asked to support Fugro-Geoteam’s oil assignment outside occupied Western Sahara. This is shown by an internal Moroccan government document that Norwatch has obtained. Norwatch, 17 March 2009.
Published 18 March 2009

Morocco has hired key lobbyists in the US to promote its illegal phosphate sales. While selling legitimate phosphate from Morocco, their government owned phosphate company OCP also exports phosphate from occupied Western Sahara to the US. Such trade is in violation of international law.

Published 16 March 2009
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Norwegian Council for Africa: When The Norwegian Council for Africa visited occupied Western Sahara between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, we photographed a freighter that later turned out to be Norwegian. The shipping company Atlantic RTI confirmed the fish transport and said they dislike that their ship has been utilised in the occupied area.

Published 03 March 2009

BASF is member of UN\'s corporate social responsibility initiative Global Compact. But to Inner City Press, the company still refuses to disclose their "expert opinion" as to why they believe their imports of phosphates from occupied Western Sahara is legal. See video from the UN.

Published 02 March 2009
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Former chairman of the Nobel Committee, and yesterday’s laureate of Student Peace Prize 2009 criticise the Norwegian-Dutch involvement in oil search in occupied Western Sahara.

Published 28 February 2009
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The Nordic Committee of Co-operating Social Democratic Youth Organisations (FNSU), consisting of organisations from all the Nordic and Baltic countries, demands renegotiation of EU-Morocco fisheries agreement to exclude occupied Western Sahara.

Published 25 February 2009
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The Irish oil company Island Oil and Gas - and their partners in San Leon - today announced their intention to upgrade their licence in occupied Western Sahara from a frontier licence to an exploration licence.

Published 25 February 2009
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"WSRW believes it is time for the Saharawi people to settle the question of how they wish to be governed through the referendum which the UN calls for. Then it will be clear to companies with whom to deal", writes WSRW in letters to the editor in the petroleum journals Upstream and Petroleum Africa.

Published 23 February 2009
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The Moroccan state electricity company ONE last year launched a tender to find a company to take on the construction of power plants in occupied Western Sahara. WSRW has got the lists of the 21 companies which are prequalified. The companies, from a dozen countries worldwide, are these days being contacted by WSRW, with an appeal to withdraw from the tender.
Published 15 February 2009
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Fertilizer producer Yara receives critisicm in Norway for its 2008 phosphate purchase from occupied Western Sahara. The company answers they hope Western Sahara "will be liberated one day, and then the inhabitants will benefit if we can receive their phosphate quickly".

Published 15 February 2009
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The students of Red Cross Nordic United World College (RCNUWC) addressed a letter to the Norwegian company, Fugro Geoteam, to withdraw their vessel “Geo Caribbean” from the occupied waters in Western Sahara. The letter was handed over by the Sahrawi student Basiri Mulay El-hasan.
Published 11 February 2009

The Ministry of Trade and Industry knew about the transaction but did not try to stop the import of phosphate from Western Sahara. Norway may have broken international law.

Published 09 February 2009
In August Yara’s plant on Herøya imported phosphate from occupied West Sahara, contrary to the advice of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Yara may have paid 4,3 million euros to a Moroccan state company for phosphate stolen from its occupied neighbour.
Published 09 February 2009

The vessel Ennerdale with link to El Aaiún, 2008.

Published 09 February 2009
News coverage in Faroese newspaper Dimmalætting, 12th and 13th of January 2009.
Published 09 February 2009
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The New Zealand fertilizer producer confirms that they have a long term delivery contract with Moroccan state phosphate company OCP. The highly unethical agreement was signed in 1999.
Published 09 February 2009

Download Afroil, 20 January 2009, covering the oil industry in Western Sahara.

Published 09 February 2009
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The government of the Faroe Islands supports the Western Sahara people\'s right to self-determination over its natural resources.

Published 07 February 2009
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Irishmen Bryan Benitz and and Paul Griffiths are leading a company that is planning to profit from an occupation.

Published 02 February 2009
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Morocco has apparently launched a big onshore exploration programme in Western Sahara.

Published 29 January 2009
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Sahrawi students at the University of Agadir on 22 January 2009 protested Fugro-Geoteam\'s engagement for Moroccan authorities in occupied Western Sahara.
Published 29 January 2009
Arrived 12th of January 2009 with phosphates from occupied Western Sahara.
Published 29 January 2009

LONDON, Jan 22 (Reuters) - The Western Sahara independence movement Polisario said on Thursday the European Union must stop boats fishing off the disputed territory's coast and announced a legal framework to back up its claim to the area's resources.

Published 28 January 2009
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Uranium, diamonds, gold, niobium. ONHYM's mining programme in southern parts of occupied Western Sahara is speeding up. See where their projects are here. 

Published 28 January 2009
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Rumours of Libyan state oil company Tamoil having entered occupied Western Sahara were in 2007 emphanitcally denied by the company. Now, the rumours resurface in Spanish media.
Published 27 January 2009

WESTERN Sahara's Petroleum Authority has accused Kosmos Energy of violating international law by awarding Fugro-Geoteam a contract for a major seismic survey in Morocco's Southern Provinces, writes Barry Morgan. Upstream, 23 January 2009.

Published 27 January 2009
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President Abdelaziz calls on EU to cease illegal fishing in Western Sahara’s waters. Press release from SADR, 22 Jan 2009.
Published 22 January 2009
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Sahrawi Arabic Democratic Republic sent 15 January 2009 a letter to Kosmos Energy demanding the company to terminates its operations in occupied Western Sahara. On 13 January 2009 a similar letter was sent to Dutch-Norwegian seismic survey company Fugro-Geoteam, which started its exploration for Kosmos in January.
Published 16 January 2009
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Western Sahara Resource Watch demands that Fugro-Geoteam terminate their profoundly unethical activities, and immediately withdraw their vessel "Geo Caribbean" from the Western Saharan waters. Fugro works in occupied Western Sahara on behalf of Moroccan authorities. Read open letter to Fugro, 12 January 2009.

Published 13 January 2009

A huge Norwegian research vessel has in secret travelled to the coast of occupied Western Sahara. This weekend the Norwegian company Fugro-Geoteam started a controversial operation to carry out oil exploration, in defiance of the advice of the UN and the Norwegian government. Norwatch, 12 January 2009.

Published 12 January 2009
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From this port, in El Aaiun, Western Sahara, the international phosphate plundering is taken place.

Published 07 January 2009

Gas tanker 'Lingegas' has visited occupied Western Sahara.

Published 07 January 2009
In 2006, the EU fisheries commissioner used the 2002 UN legal opinion on natural resources in Western Sahara to legitimise an illegal fisheries agreement. The author of the legal opinion says Borg must have been "ill advised". See Borg's bizarre reading of the UN text.
Published 06 January 2009
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According to the Moroccan newspaper TelQuel, the King of Morocco has ownership in the tomato industry in occupied Western Sahara.
Published 01 January 2009