Spring 2025 Newsletter

Spanish MEP's expelled from Morocco

The Moroccan state rules over the occupied Western Sahara with an iron fist mostly felt by

Saharawi people living under the occupation. However foreign politicians and journalists are also not free from this tyrannical behaviour. On February 3rd Spanish MEP’s were denied entry into Laayoune (Capital of Western Sahara). After landing in the airport and walking onto the tarmac, the MEP’s were violently forced back onto the plane, being denied access to the occupied zone.

The MEP’s were on an observation visit to check that the recent EU ruling which annulled the EU trade agreement with Morocco which included fish and farm products from Western Sahara being illegally included in a Moroccan trade deal. The MEP’s were there to check this ruling was being followed, Morocco did not want the truth to be revealed and so silenced and refused access to democratic representatives of the EU. 

The MEP’s were also their to try and monitor human rights and the lack of in the occupied zone. The same incident occurred to two independent journalists from Italy, who intended to monitor human rights in the occupied territory, Morocco expelled these journalists, clamping down on free press. 

Time and time again Morocco denies any accusations of human rights violations in Western Sahara, yet time and time again denies anyone the access to observe and record human rights. If the Moroccan state has nothing to hide then why are they refusing observers, journalists and democratically elected representatives. 

Please contact your local MP, asking for them to write to the foreign office raising the above, and calling for Morocco to respect the rights of free press and to allow both human rights observers and democratically elected officials into Western Sahara.

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Western Sahara Resource Watch AGM

On Saturday 26 April the Western Sahara Resource Watch AGM took place in Leuven, Belgium. WSRW has worked in solidarity with the people of Western Sahara since 2005, aiming to preserve the natural resources in occupied Western Sahara for the usage of its people, and break the link between the exploitation of natural resources and the funding of the Moroccan occupation of their territory.

We sent our Campaign Officer, Ollie, to attend the AGM and learn more about WSRW’s recent efforts and future plans. WSRW talked about campaign framework and comms strategy, the current state of play with the European Union, and upcoming reports that they have been working on. Regarding the EU Court of Justice’s (CJEU) landmark October 4 ruling, WSRW emphasised the importance of Polisario Frente being designated a legal person, confirming the distinct legal status of Western Sahara, and that Morocco has no sovereignty over the state. The CJEU also specified the distinction between the people of Western Sahara, and the population. This has important consequences for consent of the use of resources. The ruling also introduced the notion of explicit vs presumed consent, where consent can sometimes be presumed if it is clear that the people of Western Sahara receive benefit from the use of resources in the territory. Importantly however, WSRW emphasised that presumed consent is not any easy way out for the Moroccan regime to continue their exploitation of natural resources, as the resource rights were stated to belong to the people of Western Sahara.

Since the October 4 ruling, hearings have taken place for the European Parliament’s Committee on Fisheries (PECH), Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI), and International Trade (INTA), and in January 2025 the CJEU rejected the Commission’s request to redact sections of the October 4 ruling, to ensure that the distinct difference between the people and population of Western Sahara remain clear. In light of this, WSRW will continue to build outreach with EU member states, engage in dialogue with Polisario Frente, and approach importers on incorrect labelling of products from Western Sahara as Moroccan. Learn more about WSRW’s analysis of the ruling here. We then took part in a discussion of Morocco’s plans for further renewable energy projects in the Occupied Territory, with a status update and brainstorm around campaigns to draw attention to the issue and the companies involved. Morocco currently has wind farms installed to generate 755 MW, and plans for a further 1,000 MW+, including a wind-powered desalination plant that would enable an expansion of agricultural activities and exports from the Occupied Territory. 105 MW of solar farms have also been installed, with a further 350 MW planned for Boudjour, and rumours of plans for solar farms in Dakhla. However, developments for both wind and solar are fairly quiet, as most of the attention is being turned towards the development of Green Hydrogen, ammonia and jet fuels.

Morocco has allocated a large share of ‘public land’ in Western Sahara as part of a finance bill issued in 2023. Whilst no agreements with foreign investors have been signed at present, WSRW reported that talks are very close to achieving this. WSRW emphasised that these plans influence the effects of climate injustice facing the Saharawi people, where Morocco is able to present itself as a leader in the fight against climate change, whilst exposing the Saharawis to its worst effects, and effectively blocking it from climate talks, funding mechanisms and relief support.

On Sunday 27 April, the group discussed the upcoming P for Plunder 2025 report, and WSRW’s activities campaigning to contact certification companies in the UK, France, Spain, Germany and other countries. Export companies can benefit from receiving food standards, sustainability and other certifications, as it misleads consumers into believing that goods exported from Western Sahara adhere to a particular set of standards. WSRW is campaigning to prevent this flawed perception that companies are respecting a set of rules, and raising awareness that companies set up to prevent food fraud are actively certifying cases of food fraud by those failing to consider the applicable laws. WSRW also presented their upcoming Sand report, which looks into cases of Western Sahara sand being exported illegally to maintain beaches in the Canary Isles.

Following this AGM, we will look into ways to support WSRW’s campaign efforts, and draw further attention to the illegal expropriation of resources, to prevent the plunder of Western Sahara.

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2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara

Sadly the world commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara this year in 2025. When the occupation began the international community in unison condemned this illegal move. Sadly the cries from the international community have remained cries, no action has been taken and Morocco have been allowed to run rampant on the lives and prospects of the hundreds of thousands of Saharawi condemned to a life in exile, with no permanent infrastructure and living off the donations from the World Food Programme. Those who live in the occupied territory are condemned to a life under a brutal and tyrannical regime. The occupied territories consistently rank in the bottom 10 in the world for human rights conditions. With no right to assembly, freedom of speech or freedom from torture, and the list would go on and on for violations of the Saharawis human rights. 

To mark the half century anniversary of an occupation is never a good thing and sits in many as a sombre reflection of an international community who in the majority do not care enough to speak out or risk economic benefits that Morocco can provide. 

With Donald Trump back in the White House, and France and Spain throwing their weight behind the autonomy plan, the need for pressure on the British government has never been needed more. The Labour government has sadly not followed through on many of its promises and their attitude towards the situation in Israel and Palestine. Keir Starmer does not appear to be honouring the Labour Party’s history of solidarity for international movements. The Labour government must call for self determination for the Saharawi, and anything less is nothing short of a betrayal of Africa’s last colony. 

If you haven’t done so already Please write to your MP now and ask them to write to the Foreign Secretary David Lammy MP, copied to Hamish Falconer MP, Under-Secretary of State, FCDO.

Use your own words in these communications if possible to maximize your impact.

For guidance, you can consider the following points.

The UK government should uphold international law, by

• maintaining a focus on self-determination, which is the legal right of the Saharawi people

• confirming the UK’s commitment to upholding all the obligations of the UN Charter

• resisting efforts to impose a political settlement that affects sovereignty without consulting the Saharawi people. This would go against the fundamental principles of democracy and self-determination and would not produce lasting peace by excluding the people whose consent is necessary to ensure a sustainable peace

• setting a date for a free and fair referendum to be carried out in Western Sahara with an option for independence.

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Front line Defenders dedicate their 2025 calendar to the Gdeim Izik prisoners

Front Line Defenders (FLD) is an incredible organisation based in Dublin, Ireland. They were founded in 2001, with the specific goal of defending and protecting Human Rights Defenders (HDRs) throughout the globe.  FLD offers support to HDRs, in the way of: grants, 24hr emergency help lines, media outreach and training, as well as much more. Their sole aim is to defend those who defend others.

They often produce calendars based around a certain human rights organisation and topic. This year they have dedicated their calendar to the tireless work of Saharawi HDRs. The calendar aims to help educate and spread awareness of often forgotten issues, and in this case to spread awareness about Western Sahara. 

The main focus of this calendar is the sad reality of the Gdeim Izik protest camp from 2010, often seen as the beginning of the Arab Spring, yet sadly often not remembered or given its deserved recognition as a powerful event which shook the globe. 

The calendar can be downloaded for free here and please see below our article on Gdeim Izik and the horrors that unfurled.

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Freedom march calls for the release of the Gdeim Izik prisoners

Not many have heard of Western Sahara and fewer have heard of the Gdeim Izik protest. In October 2010 a group of Saharawi activists set up Gdeim Izik protest camp, just 12 km south east of El Aaiun (Laayoune), Morocco's administrative capital in the occupied Western Sahara. The numbers of protesters quickly grew from a few hundred to a few thousand in the first few weeks.

Naom Chomsky often claimed the Arab Spring did not begin in Tunisia but began in Gdeim Izik. The number of protesters quickly grew to 5,000 strong with many calling for human rights protections and even for an independent Western Sahara. On the 8th November, 1 month after its construction, the Moroccan army and police stormed the camp and dismantled it. 3,000 Saharawi were arrested, 36 Saharawi were murdered by Moroccan forces and a further 1,200 were injured, Morocco obviously dispute these figures and offer much lower numbers. 19 of those illegally arrested in 2010 still remain in Moroccan prisons. 

Their convictions were only conceived through “confessions” , which were gained through horrific acts of torture that are too graphic to describe here. 19 prisoners still remain in Moroccan jails, with little to no access to their Human Rights. They have no access to the judicial system, visitations or even medical care, and are still subject to horrific beatings and uses of torture. Their crime? Protesting and asking for their right to be able to determine their own status and country, as the UN recognises is the right of the Saharawi. Morocco has no care for their human rights, if they could their acts of violence would be even more horrendous. Mariem Hassan an amazing musician and activist from Western Sahara who is often seen as the mother of all Saharawi produced a beautiful song about the protest camp which you can view here. Unfortunately she passed away in 2015 due to bone cancer having never seen a free Western Sahara.

Right now in Spain a solidarity march has been walking from France, calling for the release of all illegally kept Saharawi prisoners, and for the implementation and respect for their human rights which should not be a privilege. 

Please write to your MP and ask for them to call on the foreign office to demand that Morocco releases the last 19 prisoners from Gdeim Izik: Abdallahi Elouali Lakhfaouni, Ahmed Elbachir Sbai, El Houssein Boujmaa Lmahjoub Zaoui, Mohamed Elbachir Allali Boutanguiza, Naama Abdi Asfari, Hassan Sidi Raddi Eddah, Abdeljalil Kamal Laaroussi, Elbachir Laabd Lmehdar Khadda, Mohamed Lamine Abidine Haddi, Sidi Abdellahi Ahmed Sidi Abbahah, Mohamed Hassana Ahmed Salem Bourial, Mohamed Mbarek Ali Salem Lefkir, Mohamed Ahnini Erouh Bani, Sidi Ahmed Faraji Iich Lamjayed, Brahim Daddi Ismaili, Mohamed Ambito Andela Tahlil, Abdoulah Ahmed Elhafed Toubali, Chaikh Lkaouri Banga and Mohamed Khouna Eddih Bobit. 

The UK has the luxury of being a permanent member of the United Nations security council, what use is this position if we do not call for justice for all. We must demand their release and the release of all illegally detained Saharawi.