News
Two dozen Saharawi activists have been jailed for 6 years after demanding socio-economic rights. Join Amnesty's campaign demanding their release.
Published 01 September 2016
The US oil company Kosmos Energy is severely misrepresenting a joint-declaration which the OECD Contact Point in Norway mediated between the Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara and the fishing company Sjøvik AS.
Published 27 August 2016
The Norwegian student association SAIH just is_is_published a report on the need of a referendum on independence in Western Sahara.
Published 07 June 2016
Yet again, the Saharawi activist Sultana Khaya has been beaten by Moroccan police.
Published 14 May 2016
Published 13 May 2016
The Norwegian insurance company Storebrand has blacklisted both phosphate and oil companies involved in occupied Western Sahara. Among them are the French company Total, which are now back in from the cold after they withdrew from the territory.
Published 25 March 2016
20 February 2016, the student organisation of the European Peoples Party (EPP) passed a resolution calling for the right to self-determination in occupied Western Sahara.
Published 18 March 2016
The UN Special Rapporteur on torture is warmly welcome to Morocco. But only after October 2016, when he is leaving office.
Published 12 March 2016
Former chair of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, Mads Andenæs, calls the human rights situation in Western Sahara 'very depressing'.
Published 11 March 2016
Today, the Norwegian government pension fund excluded San Leon Energy Plc from its investment portfolios.
Published 05 March 2016
"I feel like I have been on a hybrid between the Roskilde Festival, a survival trip and Dancing with the Stars". Paid by the organisers, a Danish journalist travelled to occupied Western Sahara on business class for the 2015 edition of the controversial Crans Montana Forum.
Published 18 February 2016
Ali Salem Tamek, a well-known human rights defender from Western Sahara, is undertaking an open-ended hunger strike to demand his right to a university education something he claims the Moroccan government is barring him from.
Published 15 February 2016
All 9 Norwegian youth parties today met in front of the Moroccan embassy in Oslo, demanding a referendum on independence for Western Sahara.
Published 04 February 2016
The only foreigner who managed to not be expelled from Western Sahara this week, Kim Runar Gjelstenli, has today been expelled, after Moroccan police entered into the house in which he was hiding.
Published 20 January 2016
“Should we go over and talk to them?”
Published 19 January 2016
From Sunday noon to Wednesday afternoon, 68 foreign visitors to Western Sahara have either been detained after arrival to occupied Western Sahara or stopped upon trying to enter. All deported.
Published 19 January 2016
Tuesday afternoon, another four Norwegians were denied entry to Western Sahara. The total number of people expelled from Western Sahara - or denied access to the territory - has now reached 67. They received a peculiar explanation.
Published 19 January 2016
Ten Norwegians, including the vice-president of Norwegian Labour Youth, was few hours ago deported from South Morocco.
Published 18 January 2016
A Swedish and Norwegian citizen were this morning detained by Moroccan police in a check point near Guelmim in southern Morocco, on their way to occupied Western Sahara.
Published 18 January 2016
Eva Charlotte Berner from Progress Party Youth and Håvard Skogerbø from Changemaker were two of seven Norwegians who at 02:45 AM Monday morning were stopped by Moroccan police and deported northwards from South Morocco. The groups intended to visit occupied Western Sahara.
Published 18 January 2016
Urte Sniaukstaite with Lithuanian-Norwegian citzenship, and four other Norwegians, were this evening stopped in a police control on their way in to Western Sahara, and refused to drive any further. While the police has locked their car into a garage, the group is now located in a hotel in Tan Tan.
Published 18 January 2016
After several days as tourists in Dakhla, the students Kenneth Karijord and Håvard Saanum were expelled from the occupied Western Sahara this morning. Eight others were also expelled from Western Sahara today.
Published 18 January 2016
Nine Norwegians were expelled from Western Sahara this morning. Later today two young politicians from the Green Youth and two hobby photographers suffered the same fate. Of the four, three were Norwegians, one Polish citizen.
Published 17 January 2016
At noon today, nine Norwegians and one Dutch student were taken out of the buses they were travelling in, and deported from occupied Western Sahara by Moroccan police.
Published 17 January 2016
One of the biggest shipping companies in Norway calls the arrival of a vessel to occupied Western Sahara "an unfortunate mistake", and guarantees to media it will never happen again.
Published 31 December 2015
A series of articles in Norwegian media this year highlighted a controversial shipment from occupied Western Sahara on board a vessel owned by Bergen shipping company Spar Shipping.
Published 24 December 2015
The French multinational oil company has announced that it is no longer pursuing oil search offshore Western Sahara. "More good news for the Saharawi people. We urge the remaining oil companies to follow suit", stated WSRW.
Published 24 December 2015
Norway's minister for Foreign Affairs today stated that the UN's special envoy to Western Sahara must have freedom of movement. Few weeks ago, Moroccan authorities prevented the UN official access to Western Sahara.
Published 16 December 2015
Though a deal on social benefits was in reach after several tough rounds of negotiations, the Dutch government found Moroccos demand to have Western Sahara included in the agreement unacceptable.
Published 16 December 2015
The Norwegian investor KLP today announced it is ditching Swiss multinational Glencore for violating fundamental ethical norms in occupied Western Sahara.
Published 08 December 2015
Guidelines for leaving comments on The Support Committee's Facebook page.
Published 30 November 2015
The Norwegian government has decided to donate approx. 670.000 Euros in humanitarian aid to UN's work towards refugees from Western Sahara, following the flooding in the refugee camps.
Published 10 November 2015
Today marks the 40th 'anniversary' of the illegal Moroccan invasion of Western Sahara. The Friendship Group of Western Sahara in the Norwegian parliament marks the date.
Published 06 November 2015
The 2015 session of the Nordic Youth Council asked the Nordic countries to work for the independence of Western Sahara.
Published 02 November 2015
Massive numbers of Saharawi refugees gathered last weekend to send a clear message to Irish oil company San Leon Energy which is looking for oil in their occupied homeland: "San Leon: go home". Find high resolution footage of the protest, free of charge.
Published 16 October 2015
The UN operation in Western Sahara must be allowed to monitor human rights situation in Western Sahara. This was underlined by Norwegian youth delegates on behalf of Norway in the UN General Assembly this week.
Published 08 October 2015
The UNs committee on decolonization allows so-called petitioners to present their point of views on the conflict. An Icelandic lawfirm admits being paid by the Moroccan embassy in Oslo to do so.
Published 07 October 2015
Phosphate researcher Dana Cordell gave lecture at Norwegian University of Life Sciences.
Published 05 October 2015
Grief in Western Sahara as national symbol has passed away.
Published 22 August 2015
Article presented at the Norwegian peace negotiation conference Oslo Forum 2015.
Published 30 July 2015
Irish company is to drill for occupying power Morocco. Saharawi refugees who were forcibly displaced following the occupation, protest their plans.
Published 20 July 2015
A Saharawi human rights activists who has received several Norwegian delegations to occupied Western Sahara was severely injured from police beatings in Smara Friday night.
Published 20 April 2015
"Western Sahara must now have its independence", stated the congress of the Norwegian Labour Party today.
Published 17 April 2015
Moroccan police expelled before the week-end a Norwegian delegation who had travelled to Western Sahara to discuss with the Saharawi people the situation of Morocco's illegal oil industry in the territory.
Published 28 March 2015
The Norwegian Minister for Foreign Affairs this week discussed the mandate of the UN mission in Western Sahara with the French Minister of Foreign Affairs. It is France which every year prevents the UN force in the territory to monitor human rights.
Published 19 March 2015
Saharawis and Norwegians gathered last night in front of the offices of SeaBird in Oslo to protest against the company's oil exploration in occupied Western Sahara on behalf of Glencore and the Moroccan government.
Published 19 December 2014
A cross-party Group of Friends for Western Sahara was established today, first time ever, in the Norwegian Parliament. The groups goal is to contribute to defend the right to self-determination for the people of Western Sahara.
Published 18 December 2014
The Rafto Foundation for Human Rights is being followed by Moroccan police. On their hotel's own surveillance system, the Rafto delegation could see how the police followed them.
Published 11 December 2014
A delegation from the Rafto Fundation for Human Rights is now being escorted out of the Western Sahara capital city El Aaiun by Moroccan police. The group entered the occupied territories yesterday, and discussed the Norwegian seismic company SeaBird with local human rights activists.
Published 10 December 2014
The Norwegian seismi survey company SeaBird is currently shooting 2D images of the seabed in the El Aaiun-Tarfaya basis offshore occupied Western Sahara.
Published 08 December 2014
Here are the Norwegian groups expelled from Western Sahara and southern Morocco in 2014.
Published 04 December 2014
The Norwegian investor KLP has sold all its shares in Agrium for its imports of phosphate rock from occupied territory.
Published 01 December 2014
A demonstration against the Scottish company Cairn Energy took place yesterday in front of its offices in Stavanger, Norway.
Published 06 November 2014
Every month, we receive new videos of Moroccan police throwing stones in occupied Western Sahara. This one is from last night.
Published 01 July 2014
Most of the oil arriving the occupied territories of Western Sahara arrive on board Norwegian flagged vessel, new report reveals. Swedish and Norwegian national news have covered the topic this weekend.
Published 22 June 2014
With the Saharawi flag over his head, Salah Amaidan came in third at the 10 kilometer run in Tromsø yesterday.
Published 22 June 2014
WSRW has is_is_published a complete report listing all the clients, volumes, values and shipments relating to Morocco's exports of phosphate rock from occupied territory.
Published 20 June 2014
On Monday May 12th the Icelandic Parliament passed a resolution in support of the people of Western Sahara's right for self-determination.
Published 13 May 2014
The oil rig that this autumn will destroy the future of the Sahrawi population is not just equipped with components made by Norwegian company Aker Solutions. The rig is filled to the brim with equipment from National Oilwell Varcos Norwegian plants at a threefold greater value.
Published 12 May 2014
In total seven Norwegian citizens were today kicked out of occupied Western Sahara. The group travelled there to interview Saharawis regarding the plans of Kosmos Energy to carry out oil exploration in violation of the wishes of the people of the territory.
Published 05 May 2014
The Chairwoman of the Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara, and her Polish travel companion were expelled from South Morocco Friday evening.
Published 02 May 2014
Today, April 19, two students from the U.S. and UK have been detained at a checkpoint in El Aaiun.
Published 19 April 2014
On their way to visit the family of late Said Dambar tonight, a Norwegian group was told by police that they were not allowed to leave the hotel.
Published 17 April 2014
A large group of Nordic organizations sent a letter to the United Nations Security Council yesterday asking for the UN operation in Western Sahara to monitor the human rights situation in the territory. Among the signatories are all Norwegian youth parties.
Published 11 April 2014
The meeting of the Nordic Youth Council in Reykjavik 6 April 2014 demanded from the Nordic governments to take a joint initiative for Human Rights in the UN operation in Western Sahara. Particularly, they urge the Nordic governments to put pressure on Paris.
Published 09 April 2014
Published 06 March 2014
Four Saharawi activists were arrested Tuesday. «They have been living under constant surveillance by the Morrocan police» said Nina Bakke, who met two of them last December.
Published 16 February 2014
The Saharawi activist Leila Leili was on 10 February pulled by her hair by Moroccan police when she was demonstrating for the UN to report on human rights violations.
Published 14 February 2014
Norwegian Refugee Council has launched the report "Occupied Country, displaced people" on the conflict in Western Sahara.
Published 24 January 2014
Published 16 January 2014
A UN study completed this year investigated the nutritional status in the Western Sahara refugee camps in Algeria. The study found that 7,6 percent of children are acutely malnourished, 16,7 percent are underweight, and 25.2 suffer from stunting. [Updated article]
Published 24 November 2013