W.Sahara: Demonstration in Oslo against illegal Spanish fisheries
Article image

Some 30 Sahrawis and Norwegians carried out a demonstration in front of the Spanish embassy in Oslo today to protest the Spanish government's undermining of the Sahrawi people’s rights. Spain is currently pushing the EU to try to renew an illegal fisheries agreement covering the waters offshore the occupied territories.

Published 22 November 2010

“We do not accept that Spanish fisheries industry should be prioritised before the human rights of the Saharawi people”, stated the Association of Saharawis in Norway in a letter to the Spanish ambassador to Oslo earlier this morning. 

On their banners, the crowd had written “Galicians go home!” and “Spain, stop bullying the European Commission!”. 

The EU is currently fishing offshore the occupied territory, in a deal signed with the occupation power, Morocco. The agreement is set to expire in March 2011, and the Spanish government and fisheries industry is now putting intense pressure on the Commission to renew the agreement. The agreement, if prolonged, will be the strongest sign of support to the illegal occupation. 

“Why can't the Spanish fishing boats just fish in their own waters? Why do they have to steal the fish of the Saharawis in cooperation with the regime that kill our people?”, asked the Association of Sahrawis in Norway in the letter.

The Saharawis have right to self-determination over its land and resources, but this right has traditionally been ignored by the EU, after Spanish pressure. When Morocco occupied Western Sahara in 1975, Spain was given rights to the fisheries resources in the former Spanish Sahara. After Spain entered into the EU in 1986, Spain took their Moroccan fisheries agreement with it.

The last month, several Sahrawis were killed by Moroccan security forces. The killed Sahrawis took part in a protest against the impoverishment and unemployment in Western Sahara. The territory is wealthy on fisheries resources, but practically all jobs go to Moroccan settlers. 

Neither Spain nor the EU have consulted the Saharawis whether they want the agreement. The Norwegian government urges all its firms to stay away from Western Sahara, and has clearly stated that its trade relations with Morocco do not cover the territory of Western Sahara. This year, a Norwegian fish oil importer was fined by the Norwegian government for trying to include Western Sahara products into the Norwegian-Moroccan trade agreement. 


Click on photos below for high resolution. 

 

demo_oslo35_509.jpg



 

demo_oslo4_509.jpg



 

demo_oslo5_509.jpg



 

demo_oslo6_509.jpg



 

demo_oslo7_509.jpg



 

demo_oslo8_509.jpg



 

demo_oslo8_509.jpg



 

demo_oslo11_509.jpg



 

demo_oslo12_509.jpg



 

demo_oslo13_509.jpg



 

demo_oslo15_509.jpg



 

demo_oslo17_509.jpg



 

demo_oslo18_509.jpg



 

e06fdemo_oslo16_509.jpg



 

demo_oslo19_509.jpg



 

demo_oslo20_509.jpg



 

demo_oslo21_509.jpg



 

demo_oslo22_509.jpg



 

demo_oslo23_509.jpg



 

demo_oslo24_509.jpg



 

demo_oslo25_509.jpg



 

demo_oslo26_509.jpg



 

demo_oslo27_509.jpg



 

demo_oslo28_509.jpg



 

demo_oslo29_509.jpg



 

demo_oslo30_509.jpg



 

demo_oslo31_509.jpg



 

demo_oslo32_509.jpg



 

demo_oslo33_509.jpg



 

demo_oslo34_509.jpg



 

demo_oslo39_509.jpg



 

demo_oslo39_509.jpg



 

demo_oslo2_509.jpg


 

UN body deemed Sultana's house arrest arbitrary

The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has ruled in favour of the two Saharawi sisters Sultana and Luara Khaya. 

07 March 2023

Complaint submitted against Morocco on behalf of 10 imprisoned Saharawi students

The torture and detention of 10 Saharawi students by Moroccan authorities must be investigated and denounced. This is the demand in a complaint submitted today to the UN Special Procedures.

14 December 2022

End violence against Saharawi women!

A 16 day-long campaign will shed light on violence committed against women in occupied Western Sahara.  

24 November 2022

10 reasons why to attend the most authentic film festival around

One film festival in the world is different from all others. Read Asria Taleb's encounter with a festival audience in the Saharawi refugee camps in Algeria - including her connection with a complete stranger.

23 October 2022