In December 2015, the US United Methodist Church announced it had divested from 39 companies. Five of those are involved in occupied Western Sahara.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has confirmed that it will not provide financial support to projects located in occupied Western Sahara.
Here's what happens to peaceful demonstrations demanding basic rights to work and a decent living in Western Sahara. As protests spread from El Aaiun to other towns, the Moroccan police responded with the usual ferocity.
As protests against Morocco's denial of the Saharawis' social and economic human rights have become daily news in occupied Western Sahara, eye-witnesses report a police siege targeting the hunger striking Saharawi graduates.
An American and a Canadian citizen were today kicked out of occupied Western Sahara. The two wanted to interview Saharawis regarding the US-Canadian exploitation of natural resources in the territory.
A New Year's gift of an estimated US $3,7 million. That's what Australia's Incitec Pivot paid the Moroccan government for its first 2016 shipment of phosphate rock sourced in occupied Western Sahara.
A heated start of the New Year in occupied Western Sahara, as unemployed Saharawi graduates step up their protest against Morocco's discriminatory employment practices by starting a hunger strike.
The French multinational oil company has announced that it is no longer pursuing oil search offshore Western Sahara. "More good news for the Saharawi people. We urge the remaining oil companies to follow suit", stated WSRW.
Danish-German Siemens Wind Power and Italian Enel Green Power have won the tender to construct five wind farms in Morocco. Only, two of planned farms are located outside of Morocco, and inside occupied Western Sahara. WSRW had warned them from taking part in the tender.
The European Union has appealed the judgement from the EU Court of Justice.
The decision to annul the trade agreement between the EU and Morocco was this week-end welcomed by the AU. "An important step in the global efforts aimed at ensuring that the natural resources of Western Sahara, as non-self-governing territory, are protected for the benefit of its own people", stated the AU.
Several Saharawis were allegedly injured in a demonstration in El Aaiun yesterday, in which youth demanded employment opportunities on their own land. Among them a 34 year old law graduate.
The EU-Moroccan agreement that was annulled by the Court of Justice of the EU yesterday was highly controversial even at the time when it was approved in 2012. Here is the story behind that approval.
The European Court of Justice has this morning ordered the annulment of a trade agreement between Morocco and the European Union since it includes the territory of Western Sahara. "A landmark decision in the history of the occupation of Western Sahara", states WSRW. Press conference in Brussels, Friday.
Former UN officials and Danish civil society strongly critical to the plans of Vestas to bid for controversial energy projects in occupied Western Sahara.
At the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Morocco’s invasion into Western Sahara, the Moroccan king delivered a speech that leaves no doubt about his colonial intentions. Major lucrative projects are planned, and those who oppose them “will have to assume the responsibilities for their decisions”.
This common element in the discourse of all involved oil companies hinges on a misinterpretation of international law, and of the Makhzen control over economical activities in Morocco.
Even though the Saharawi people have an internationally recognized right to self-determination – the right to decide about the land and its resources – oil companies have become quite creative in completely ignoring that right, while making it appear as if they’re doing the opposite.
The companies that are involved in Morocco’s oil quest in occupied Western Sahara and their hired lobbyists have developed their own unique discourse to divert attention from the obvious fact that their activities are manifestly illegal and immoral. We decode the most common lies for you in this section. A crash-course in interpretative translation of Blood Oil Talk.
WSRW has received images of fish being dumped in the desert near the town of Dakhla to hide over-fishing. The pictures were taken two days ago.
In refering the case on the questionable legality of UK imports from Western Saharan products to the European Court of Justice, the UK Judge stated that "there is an arguable case of a manifest error by the [European] Commission in understanding and applying international law relevant to these agreements.”
WSRW has received footage of Saharawis protesting in front of digging machines, supposedly owned by the Moroccan state owned phosphate company OCP. The Saharawis claim that Morocco is confiscating their land to allow more foreign investments in the occupied territory.
... and finds the ongoing exploration and exploitation of the territory's resources in violation of international law.
A UN Treaty Body has, for the first time, issued a set of strong recommendations pertaining to Western Sahara while reviewing Morocco's compliance with the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
LATEST (16.10.2015): Morocco rejects UN recommendations.
Massive numbers of Saharawi refugees gathered last weekend to send a clear message to Irish oil company San Leon Energy which is looking for oil in their occupied homeland: "San Leon: go home". Find high resolution footage of the protest, free of charge.
The journal Global Change, Peace & Security last week published a series of articles on natural resources in Western Sahara.
WSRW has received footage of the drilling operation to take place in the territory under Moroccan occupation.
Amid Saharawi protests, San Leon Energy has begun to drill an onshore well in occupied Western Sahara on 21 August.
Saharawis in the occupied parts of Western Sahara continue to speak out against Irish/UK company San Leon Energy's plans to drill for oil in their homeland. "Stop supporting brutal occupation of Western Sahara", they say.