Western Sahara Resource Watch

Discrimination over the right to housing in OCP, local workers say

Moroccan workers of the state-owned phosphate company, Office Chérifien des Phosphates (OCP), benefit from housing programmes. Their Saharawi colleagues say they don’t.

Published 05 April 2012

WSRW: Saharawi’s rights must be addressed

Next month, Morocco’s human rights track record will be reviewed by the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. Western Sahara Resource Watch asks the international community to raise the Saharawi people's rights.

Published 02 April 2012

ONHYM continues to market uranium potential of Western Sahara

The Moroccan state-owned oil company ONHYM continues to promote the uranium potential of occupied Western Sahara. WSRW believes that the Romanian geophysical research company Prospectiuni is involved in the ground work.

Published 21 March 2012

Danwatch: Siemens’s Danish Division Signs Contract to Occupied Land

Siemens’s African division in Denmark has signed a contract for delivery of wind turbines to Morocco-occupied Western Sahara. The indigenous population has not been consulted, as prescribed by the UN. Danwatch, 4 March 2012.

Published 05 March 2012

Here is the evaluation report of the Morocco fish deal

In June 2011, WSRW - together with other organisations - issued a first request to the European Commission, soliciting the independent evaluation report of the EU-Morocco Fisheries Partnership Agreement become part of the public domain. The Commission has now agreed to release the report. Read it here.

Published 05 March 2012

San Leon publishes exact location of seismic in occupied territory

The Irish company San Leon Energy has published a map on its webpages showing how they carried out oil search on occupied land.

Published 22 February 2012

European Parliament approves Morocco agricultural agreement

Today, the European Parliament backed a revision of the Moroccan Free Trade Agreement, allowing for further liberalisation of Moroccan agricultural and fisheries products. The agreement fails to specify that it does not apply to Western Sahara.

Published 16 February 2012

Siemens launches controversial project in occupied Western Sahara

Siemens Energy has initiated a dangerous path for its internationalization strategy. Beginning of February, the company secured its first wind turbine orders on land occupied by Morocco.

Read also: Danwatch: Siemens’s Danish Division Signs Contract to Occupied Land

Published 15 February 2012

WSRW report reveals massive agri-industry in occupied Western Sahara

The new WSRW report ‘Conflict Tomatoes’, launched today, reveals massive growth in the Moroccan agriculture industry in occupied Western Sahara and its trade to the EU.

Published 14 February 2012

Bové: "We'll do everything to stop the agri-agreement with Morocco"

French farmer and parliamentarian, José Bové states in an interview with Moroccan newspaper L'économiste that he will work hard to stop the agreement, which he calls "a disaster for the agriculture".

Published 02 February 2012

Spanish farmers demand no imports of occupation tomatoes

The EU agriculture agreement must be stopped, according to Spanish farmers’ association.

Published 30 January 2012

Monster fishing vessels entered Western Sahara waters

The world’s biggest trawler and fish factory vessel have been operating in Western Sahara’s waters.

Published 30 January 2012

King of Morocco to be biggest benefactor of EU trade agreement

A new EU trade agreement that is set to boost the personal fortune of King Mohamed VI of Morocco is facing opposition because it promotes the exploitation of disputed territory of the Western Sahara. Source: The Telegraph, 29 Jan 2012.

Published 29 January 2012

UN: natural resources new front for Western Sahara talks

UN special envoy to Western Sahara states how the natural resources are currently the main topic of peace talks between Morocco and Polisario.

Published 29 January 2012

Morocco opens wind farms tender on occupied land

The Moroccan state electricity company has launched a tender for the construction of 5 wind farms. Two of those farms will be located in occupied Western Sahara.

Published 27 January 2012

San Leon completes conflict seismic

The Irish oil firm stated today that it had completed its seismic services in "Morocco". The release fails to mention that the exploration was in fact done in occupied Western Sahara. The UN states such search to be in violation of international law.

Published 24 January 2012

Trial against Saharawi natural resource coordinator postponed

The leader of the Saharawi committee for protection of natural resources has spent 14 months in jail, as trial against him was postponed on January 13. Demonstrations and police violence erupt in Western Sahara following the decision.

Published 23 January 2012

Asked K&L Gates lobbyists to stop Western Sahara lobby

The US lobby firm K&L Gates has for a year and a half been lobbying the issue of Western Sahara on behalf of a US-Mexican company that imports phosphates from the occupied territory.

Published 23 January 2012

European Commission seeks new fish deal with Morocco

On 5 January, the European Commission issued a request to the EU Member States, seeking their support to conduct negotiations with Morocco in order to achieve a new, long-term fisheries protocol. The fishing zones covered by the envisioned accord also include Western Saharan waters.

Published 17 January 2012

Danish vessel ships illegal phosphate from Western Sahara

During the days before Christmas, a vessel owned by the Danish shipping company Lauritzen set off from Western Sahara, occupied by Morocco. According to the UN, the Moroccan phosphate exploitation is illegal. By DanWatch, 30 Dec 2011.

Published 30 December 2011