Yearly Archives: 2015

WSRW 20/10/2015 – UK Court refers Western Sahara imports case to EU Court

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Western Sahara Resource Watch, 20 October 2015

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.”

Western Sahara Resource Watch article >>

African Union publishes Legal Opinion on Western Sahara plunder

Western Sahara Resource Watch, 19 October 2015 16:10

The African Union has found the ongoing exploration and exploitation of the territory’s resources in violation of international law. A legal opinion that has been circulating the last weeks has been published on the AU website on 14 October 2015. The Opinion contains strong language and unambiguous conclusions with regard to the legality of Morocco’s exploration and exploitation of Western Sahara’s natural resources.

WSRW report >>

Morocco “denounces and rejects” UN recommendations

Western Sahara Resource Watch, 16 October 2015

Morocco reacts furiously to a UN Treaty Body recommending the country to respect the Saharawi people’s rights to self-determination and natural resources.

Earlier this week, the UN Committee for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights had published its conclusions after having reviewed Morocco’s compliance with those rights.

WSRW report >>

Irish company San Leon Energy has discovered gas in the disputed territory of the Western Sahara

October 2015

Irish company San Leon Energy has discovered gas in the disputed territory of the Western Sahara, violating international legal principles. The Western Sahara is the subject of a decades-long dispute between Morocco and the Polisario Front. RFI’s Daniel Finnan has more…

Listen to Daniel Finnan’s report >>

Students Protests for Western Sahara Independence Draw Crackdowns

Sahrawi with flag. Credit: Creative Commons

Sahrawi with flag. Credit: Creative Commons

Al Fanar News and Opinion about Arabic Higher Education
Brennan Weiss / 06 Oct 2015

AGADIR, Morocco–In a small, dilapidated apartment in Agadir, in southern Morocco, student activists are meeting in secret. In defiance of the country’s authorities, they are planning protests for the independence of a disputed territory claimed by Morocco that is commonly called the Western Sahara.(cont.)

Al Fanar News and Opinion article>>

HRW issues statement on Morocco’s demand for HRW to cease activities in their country

Human Rights Watch, October 2, 2015
Statement Regarding Human Rights Watch Activities in Morocco
(Tunis) – Human Rights Watch issued the following statement on October 2, 2015, in response to a demand from the Moroccan government to suspend Human Rights Watch activities in the country:

“Human Rights Watch is disappointed with the demand from the Morocco government’s spokesman in a letter dated September 23, 2015, that Human Rights Watch suspend its activities in the country, and with the letter’s unspecified accusations of bias. (cont.)

HRW Statement >>

African Union Statement, 26 September 2015

The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), 547th meeting 26 September 2015,

The Peace and Security Council at the level of Heads of State and Government, adopted the following decision on the situation in Western Sahara:
Council,
1. Takes note of the briefing given by the Commission on the situation in Western Sahara, as well as of the statement made by the representative of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR);
2. Recalls its earlier pronouncements on the situation in Western Sahara,

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Mona Khizam was the guest speaker at the Annual General Meeting of the Australia Western Sahara Association (Victoria)

DSC02877The Annual General Meeting of the Australia Western Sahara Association (Victoria) was held on 1 October in Melbourne.

Mona Khizam’s talk, entitled “Sahara Libre – Camp Notes” was based on experiences during a visit in 2009 with a Swedish study group from the Jakobsbergs Folkhôgskola to the Saharawi Refugee Camps. Mona showed the audience items illustrating Saharawi culture, including an incense burner, some jewellery, a leather tobacco pouch etc.
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Hillary Clinton, Phosphates and Western Sahara

Professor Stephen Zunes, The Huffington Post 30 September 2015

Stephen Zunes writes of Morocco’s continuing violation of the UN codification of the rights of non-self-governing people to control their own natural resources. This longstanding international legal principle involves the nation of Western Sahara, the former Spanish colony invaded, occupied, and annexed by Morocco in 1975. (…cont.)

Professor Stephen Zunes report >>