After revelations on Swedish and Norwegian TV, Cognis terminates all purchases of fish oil from Western Sahara and Morocco.
An unknown number of Saharawis were injured when Moroccan police cracked down on a peaceful demonstration for self determination in occupied Western Sahara Monday night. Strong images.
Clear message from Sahrawi human rights defender Elkouria Amidane to the new EU Fisheries Commissioner, Maria Damanaki, on Swedish national TV today.
Here is the 11 page statement from the European Parliament's Legal Service which slams the European Commission. The statement - concluding that EU fisheries in occupied Western Sahara under its current shape is in violation of international law - has been kept from the public for 7 months.
The party congress of the Swedish Social Democratic Party demands that Sweden recognise the Western Sahara republic.
3 US Senators today sent a letter to Kind Mohamed VI, asking for the release of the 7 Sahrawis who were jailed for visiting their countrymen in the Sahrawi refugee camps.
Leading human rights activists from Western Sahara were last week subjected to serious violations of their rights by Moroccan authorities. 18 Norwegian organisations, including all 8 political youth parties, ask the Norwegian Minister for Foreign Affairs to protest.
Four Sahrawi students spoke before the UN committee for decolonisation this week. Read their talks here.
The Norwegian Government Pension Fund has invested billions of Norwegian kroners in companies that participate in the plunder of Western Sahara. An examination carried out by Norwatch shows that Pension Fund companies are behind two-thirds of all phosphate purchases in the occupied country. Norwatch, 06.10.2009.
The Norwegian seismic services company PGS has entered in on the ownership side of the Irish oil company San Leon Energy. The funds placed by PGS will help enable increased oil exploration in occupied Western Sahara.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees announced today that its annual Nansen Refugee Award will be awarded to the late Senator Edward Kennedy for his achievements as an unparalleled champion of refugee protection and assistance. For years Kennedy fought for the rights of the Saharawi people and refugees around the world. Press release, 15 Sept 2009.
