News

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Published 16 December 2020

To convince Morocco to recognise Israel, Trump not only recognised Morocco's claim to Western Sahara, but allegedly also promised investments in the Moroccan king's personal energy firm which operates in the occupied land with Siemens.

Published 11 December 2020

US president Donald Trump issued a statement today in which he backs Morocco's occupation of Western Sahara and the opening of a consulate in Dakhla, "to promote economic and business opportunities".

Published 10 December 2020

Through the deal, Russian trawlers will fish exclusively in the waters off occupied Western Sahara.

Published 07 December 2020
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Four years have passed since the EU Court of Justice ruled that products from occupied Western Sahara cannot be part of EU’s trade agreements with Morocco. Today, WSRW presents an extensive report showing the efforts that the EU is taking to politically undercut the ruling.

Published 03 December 2020

The Moroccan Court of Cassation yesterday confirmed the harsh sentences rendered against the so-called Gdeim Izik prisoners. The group took part in the mass protest on socio-economic marginalisation in Western Sahara in 2010.

Published 26 November 2020

The Saharawi government has declared that it now considers "the entire territory of the Sahrawi Republic, including its terrestrial, maritime and air spaces, a war zone", advising all countries and economic operators to steer away from the territory.

Published 19 November 2020

WSRW submits that Morocco's violation of the ceasefire in occupied Western Sahara, plunging the territory into war and putting lives of Saharawi civilians at risk, is a violation of the EU-Morocco fish deal's human rights clause.

Published 18 November 2020

The EU Commission has clarified that Western Sahara is not covered by any EU aviation agreement, and that it does not seek to include it in the EU-Morocco aviation deal. Yet some EU airlines are still offering flights into the territory - now effectively a war zone.

Published 17 November 2020

The entry gates to factories of Ravensdown and Ballance Agri-Nutrients around New Zealand were today blocked by pro-Saharawi actitivists denouncing the imports of conflict minerals from occupied Western Sahara.

Published 16 November 2020

Tension in Western Sahara has not been this high for years.

Published 13 November 2020

19 Members of the EU Parliament today urged the EU to warn the two companies Enel and Siemens about the legal and ethical risk that they run in partnering with Morocco for operations on occupied land.

Published 13 November 2020

Swedish company Azelio will not clarify whether its deal with the Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy also covers renewable projects in occupied Western Sahara. The details appear in a WSRW report published today.

Published 06 November 2020

The Norwegian certification company DNV GL today stated that it is will phase out its participation in Soluna's controversial bitcoin project in occupied Western Sahara

Published 05 November 2020

"We condemn Siemens Gamesa for its lack of respect for basic human rights", stated Western Sahara Resource Watch, calling on investors to terminate ongoing engagement processes and exclude the company from their portfolios. The company has yet again signed a large contract for what it refers to as "Southern Morocco".

Published 02 November 2020

The large Russian trawl fleet that normally zig-zags the waters off occupied Western Sahara at this time of year is nowhere to be found.

Published 12 October 2020

The Swedish mining equipment company Epiroc has announced that it will no longer supply the controversial Bou Craa phosphate mine in occupied Western Sahara. German company Continental should follow the example, WSRW comments.  

Published 05 October 2020

The Board of Deutsche Post AG completely missed the opportunity to explain its controversial activities in occupied Western Sahara.

Published 08 September 2020

Western Sahara Resource Watch calls for immediate and unconditional release of the group of leading Saharawi activists who were arrested in 2010 for advocating for socio-economic rights of the Saharawi people.

Published 08 September 2020

Information has surfaced on Morocco's plans for a third solar plant in occupied Western Sahara, to be constructed in close proximity to the agri-business in Dakhla.

Published 24 August 2020

The French company plans to commence construction later this year.

Published 10 August 2020

As the company will not respond to questions about the activities of its subsidiary DHL in occupied Western Sahara, WSRW asks shareholders to raise the matter at the upcoming AGM.

Published 28 July 2020

While Continental’s controversial supply contract in occupied Western Sahara has expired, the company remains silent on a potential renewal - even in the face of shareholders' questions.

Published 27 July 2020

The Indian engineering giant Larsen & Toubro erects large energy infrastructure in occupied Western Sahara.

Published 27 July 2020

The blockchain computing company Soluna set on building a 900 MW wind farm in occupied Western Sahara, does not respond to questions from civil society.

Published 22 July 2020

Siemens has created a new company that will inherit its operations on occupied land in Western Sahara, but still refuses to clarify whether the people of the territory have actually consented to those operations.

Published 19 July 2020

In the UN Human Right Council today, Spain failed to assume responsibility with regard to the exploitation of occupied Western Sahara's natural resources. Namibia is not having it.

Published 16 July 2020

The Swiss trade statistics reveal that 2019 was the first year without any imports of fruits and vegetables from occupied Western Sahara.

Published 03 July 2020

The German cement giant HeidelbergCement states that the company's operations in occupied Western Sahara are perfectly lawful according to a due diligence audit carried out by... HeidelbergCement.

Published 03 July 2020

The German government has released data of trade with fishmeal from plants located in occupied Western Sahara that confirms figures previously released by authorities in Bremen.

Published 02 July 2020

The value of the fishmeal exports from occupied Western Sahara to Turkey in 2019 may have been larger than the entire phosphate trade from the occupied territory.

Published 26 June 2020

Western Sahara Resource Watch presents all vessels that transported petroleum products into the occupied Western Sahara last year.

Published 25 June 2020
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The pressure is mounting on the New Zealand importers of phosphate rock from occupied Western Sahara. Today protesters in Christchurch erected roadblocks to stop trucks from transporting the conflict minerals into the local Ravensdown fertiliser factory. 
 

Published 23 June 2020
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Continental’s controversial contract in occupied Western Sahara is two weeks away from expiration. If renewed, WSRW asks owners to raise the matter at upcoming AGM.

Published 13 June 2020
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A vessel transporting Norwegian gas was supposed to arrrive in occupied Western Sahara tomorrow, but has now steered away last minute, as ordered by the exporter in Norway.

Published 06 June 2020
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The World Bank has yesterday removed erroneous maps of Morocco that mistakenly included the non-self-governing territory of Western Sahara. 

See also: World Bank in discordance with the UN on Western Sahara.

Published 28 May 2020
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The World Bank seems to assist Morocco in promoting renewable energy projects in the occupied Western Sahara, as it fails to distinguish between the territory of Morocco and the Non-Self-Governing Territory.

Read also: World Bank removed erroneous maps

Published 27 May 2020
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Russian and Moroccan representatives recently met to further discuss a new fisheries agreement covering the waters offshore occupied Western Sahara, but a new deal seems still pending.

Published 27 May 2020
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Two months after gas from a terminal in Sweden was exported into occupied Western Sahara, the Austrian company behind the shipment promises it will never happen again.

Published 26 May 2020
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Germany's state-owned development bank will not finance projects in Western Sahara.

Published 13 May 2020
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Last week, the German multinational acquired another cement factory in occupied Western Sahara.

Published 11 May 2020
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The Norwegian state-controlled energy company Equinor ‘regrets’ exports of gas into Western Sahara and promises to never do it again.
Published 10 May 2020
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While other companies internationally have managed to find alternative sources of phosphate - and in spite of a request of the New Zealand government that they do the same - the Kiwi fertilizer industry seems unwilling to drop its imports from occupied Western Sahara.

Published 09 May 2020
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An analysis of the legal aspects of the conflict in Western Sahara has led the research department of the German parliament to conclude that there are substantiated violations of the Fourth Geneva Convention by Morocco, that is to be considered an occupying power.

Published 08 May 2020
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Trucks of the US company Caterpillar transport phosphate rock in occupied Western Sahara.

Published 07 May 2020
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50,000 tonnes of liquified gas arrived in occupied Western Sahara last year, according to our first overview of this key trade.

Published 04 May 2020
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The Portuguese company Gesto has been contracted by Morocco to explore the geothermal potential of occupied Western Sahara - but chooses to refer to the territory as Morocco.

Published 08 April 2020
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Western Sahara Resource Watch for the first time presents an overview of the transports of frozen fish from occupied Western Sahara. Near all of it ends up in West African harbours.

Published 30 March 2020
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As Continental renegotiates its contract with Morocco's national phosphate company, it is still not clear whether the German group intends to limit its operations to Morocco proper or extend them into occupied Western Sahara.

Published 26 March 2020
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What is EU's position on labelling of products from occupied Western Sahara? The EU Commission has now for the third time published a response to a parliamentary question on the matter, but the latest version fails to address the question.

Published 18 March 2020