News

An impact assessment ordered by the EU Commission on the effects of the envisioned EU-Morocco DCFTA confirms that Western Sahara is part of the deal's scope. But the people with the sovereign rights to the land, the Saharawis, will not even be heard as a stakeholder to the process.

Published 17 October 2013
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Agrium Inc, a Canadian agro-business, is expecting its first shipment of phosphate rock from occupied Western Sahara by the end of the month. The matter has attracted media attention in Canada, stating that "it could be the first import of conflict minerals coming directly into Canada since the apartheid era in South Africa".

Published 16 October 2013
Questions in the Moroccan Parliament regarding the identities of the beneficiaries of fishing licences were denied an answer by the Moroccan government. But leaks in the media indicate that it is mainly Moroccan army generals and defected Saharawis who are on the receiving end.
Published 16 October 2013

In its statement to the United Nations’ Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee), Western Sahara Resource Watch drew attention to companies trading in phosphate rock from occupied Western Sahara and Groupe Total's unethical seabed oil exploration in the adjacent waters.

Published 11 October 2013

The EU-Commission’s newly proposed and controversial Fisheries Partnership Agreement (FPA) with Morocco has failed to gain support from the Danish Government and a broad majority in the Danish Parliament.

Published 08 October 2013
Former UN Legal Counsel Hans Corell states to Swedish media that the legal opinion made for the Security Council in 2002 has been misused by both the EU and investors in the oil sector.
Published 06 October 2013
The European Parliament discussed the resumption of EU illegal fisheries offshore occupied Western Sahara on 3 October.

Published 06 October 2013
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A reading of the newly public, proposed EU-Morocco fisheries protocol reveals that the Commission has failed in its efforts to take into account an important demand from the European Parliament and Council: A clause on human rights.

Published 01 October 2013
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Morocco’s tomato export season starts today. But some of the ‘Moroccan’ tomatoes you’ll soon find in your shop have been grown illegally in a territory under military occupation. Have you spotted dirty tomatoes? Help us to identify them in your local store!

Published 01 October 2013
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The US/Canadian company PotashCorp and Australian company Incitec Pivot have been kicked out of the Swedish government´s pension funds due to imports from occupied Western Sahara.

Published 30 September 2013
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The European Commission has just released the official translation of the draft EU-Morocco Fisheries Protocol. The text, still requiring Parliament and Council's consent, fails to exclude the waters of occupied Western Sahara. Read the contentious document here.
Published 25 September 2013
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One year ago, a wind farm project that Morocco is undertaking in occupied Western Sahara was turned down when seeking to obtain UN-sponsored carbon credits. Now, that same project has been approved by another, private credit issuing agency.

Published 23 September 2013

In July, Total finished one year of seismic exploration offshore Western Sahara. A new video shows the vessels at Las Palmas harbour, just after their assigment had ended. 

Published 20 September 2013
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Western Sahara Resource Watch today launched a report on the French oil company Total’s irresponsible comeback in occupied Western Sahara. The company carries out exploration in the territory despite the UN legal office stating it would be in violation of international law.
Published 02 September 2013
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In the coming months, the European Union will decide whether or not to agree to the newly proposed fisheries accord with Morocco, allowing EU vessels to access Western Sahara's waters. The Saharawi fishermen speak out against the deal: “The agreement is an act of theft and a serious threat to the environment”. Read their official statement here.

Published 30 August 2013
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L'associazione Western Sahara Resource Watch ha pubblicato oggi stesso un rapporto che descrive come il Marocco intenda costruire impanti di energia rinnovabile di più di 1000 MW (megawatt) nel Sahara Occidentale, un territorio che il Marocco occupa parzialmente.

Published 29 August 2013
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Western Sahara Resource Watch has today launched a report detailing how Morocco intends to build over 1000 MW (megawatts) of renewable energy plants in Western Sahara, a territory that Morocco partially occupies.

Published 28 August 2013
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The Lithuanian fertilizer company Lifosa has received at least seven bulk shipments so far in 2013. WSRW asks them to terminate its voluminous imports.
Published 27 August 2013
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WSRW has received photos of the vessel 'Trio Vega' loading sand in the harbour of El Aaiun, the capital of occupied Western Sahara.

Published 27 August 2013

In early July, WSRW contacted the energy companies that are pre-qualified to build windmills in occupied Western Sahara. The response has been meager.

Published 06 August 2013