News
65e0d7668957c_signal-2024-02-28-194630_005

The occupying power Morocco, which sabotages the work of the UN Human Rights Council in occupied Western Sahara, has begun its first session after being elected to preside the Council.  

Published 29 February 2024
659ecc2c4fdae_signal-2024-01-10-155552_003

Today, Morocco was elected to chair the UN Human Rights Council. The result generated strong reactions.

Published 10 January 2024
659ba94b55eb3_demomay2013_510

"The credibility of the UN system is at stake", says the Norwegian Support Committee about this week's election of a new presidency of the Human Rights Council. Norwegian organizations are critical of the candidacy.

Published 08 January 2024
6576fa80557c6_Screenshot 2023-12-11 at 12.49.51

A Saharawi activist in Moroccan prison last week initiated an open hunger strike. 

Published 11 December 2023
6448caca040df_dakh

A new report reveals that there is a large-scale export of old Norwegian fishing vessels to vulnerable waters along the African coast. 8 ended up outside occupied Western Sahara.

Published 26 April 2023
6406f11c103ed_60ddded55be84_sultana

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

Published 07 March 2023
618e40a88492d_smara_demo_12.01.05

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.

Published 14 December 2022
637fdc3671221_Smara_14.04.2016

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

Published 24 November 2022
63553f2bd5dc3_Camps_Asria

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.

Published 23 October 2022
630d1442844d6_Side 8 - UNHCR

As a consequence of the increased global food prices, a nutrition crisis is already developing among Saharawi children in Algeria. 

Published 30 August 2022
62bec8750d9ad_GI_Andenæs2

A group of Saharawi political prisoners today filed a legal complaint against Morocco in to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. 

Published 01 July 2022
62a2137eba13a_Mohamed2022

The Saharawi student activist Mohammed Layichi has been on hunger strike for almost a month. 

Published 09 June 2022
62972523edf21_Vennegruppe

A group of friends for Western Sahara consisting of representatives from all nine political parties was established today in the Norwegian parliament

Published 01 June 2022
628c903739c7c_SIDE16_ElliLorz_IMG_0980

What is being done to prevent that Norwegian salmon production undermines food security in West Africa? The Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara has challenged Norway's 40 largest aquaculture companies. 

Published 24 May 2022
626bd5fe3fe4e_HassanMohammed

Two well-known Saharawi student activists were this week arrested in Agadir. A trial is expected to start today.  

Published 29 April 2022
gdeim_izik_trial_510

Since 1 April, two Saharawi political prisoners have been on hunger strike, in protest of the deplorable conditions they are living under.   

Published 20 April 2022
630a17b696bbc_Plunder2021

Of the 26 shipments that transported phosphate rock from occupied Western Sahara last year, three were insured by Norwegian maritime insurance companies, new report shows. 

Published 06 April 2022
Published 06 April 2022
622b92d246d22_yahya

So far, Yahya Mohamed Elhafed Iaazza has spent 14 years in Moroccan jails.

Published 11 March 2022
622b19a43c103_Finansavisen_11.03.2022

"A regrettable situation", says the director of the shipping company Belships, calling for a ban from the Norwegian authorities.

Published 11 March 2022
6172b074c2689_Mahfouda

We have talked to human rights activist Mahfouda, who recently was sentenced to six months in a Moroccan prison for reprimanding a judge.  

Published 02 November 2021
616579f8d22c8_CJEU

On 29 September, the European Court of Justice struck down the EU's trade and fisheries agreements with Morocco in occupied Western Sahara, deemed to be in breach of international law.

Published 12 October 2021
60ddded55be84_sultana

Morocco must stop targeting human rights defenders and journalists standing up for human rights in Western Sahara, and allow them to work without reprisals, UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, said today.

Published 01 July 2021

In an early morning raid today, masked agents terrorized and assaulted the home of the Saharawi human rights defender Sultana Khaya, stole belongings and took three activists to an undisclosed location.

Published 10 May 2021

On 7 June 2019, videos began to circulate showing Moroccan police brutally beating up a Saharawi journalist in occupied Western Sahara. Today, a UN opinion calling for his release from prison was made public. 

Published 07 February 2021
khaya1_509

The Saharawi activist Sultana Khaya and her family has for almost 10 weeks been harrassed by Moroccan police when leaving or entering their home in occupied Western Sahara. Help us to denounce. 

Published 26 January 2021
5fe3971854ee5_elh

The political prisoner Elhafed Iaazza is no longer missing in jail, but remains in total isolation, on the 10th week. “I will kill you”, prison director told him today. 

Published 23 December 2020
5fd8fa5940742_Søreide

In a letter to Norwegian civil society today, the Norwegian minister of foreign affairs expressed that self-determination for the people of Western Sahara must constitute the basis for the solution to the conflict. 

Published 15 December 2020

The Saharawi human rights defender Ali Saadouni was illegally imprisoned, unlawfully judged and tortured by Moroccan authorities for putting up Western Sahara flags in a roundabout. This is the conclusion of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in a decision published today. 

Published 11 December 2020

Sahrawi journalists reporting on the massive crackdown against civilians in occupied Western Sahara are themselves facing repression and arbitrary arrest by Moroccan forces, according to a report and public appeal by four organisations.

Published 04 December 2020

53 Norwegian civil society organisations today sent a joint letter to the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs asking the Norwegian government to support the rights of the Saharawi people as Norway is to take a seat in the UN Security Council from 1 January. 

Published 01 December 2020

Pressure is intensifying on journalists in occupied Western Sahara. Yesterday evening, Moroccan authorities crashed and harassed a wedding party between two journalist colleagues.

Published 22 November 2020

War has broken out in Western Sahara. A Norwegian gas transport may be on its way into the territory.

Published 20 November 2020

The human rights violations taking place right now in occupied Western Sahara need to be denounced. Here are some suggestions on how to do that.

Published 20 November 2020

"The Gdeim Izik events in October 2020 until the Guerguerat demonstration in 2020 can be read as a sign of the UN's lack of orientation", writes Saharawi political prisoner Naama Asfari from his prison cell.  

Published 17 November 2020

The Norwegian certification company DNV GL today stated that it is will phase out its participation in Soluna's controversial bitcoin project in occupied Western Sahara.

Published 05 November 2020

Four days after telling his daughter that he had shared cell with a probable covid-19 patient, Elhafed disappeared. For three weeks, no one has heard from the Saharawi political prisoner.

Published 03 November 2020

On 21 July 2020, a joint communication was issued by five UN mandate holders into the case of the 21-year-old Saharawi activist Khatri Dadda, currently serving a 20-year sentence in a Moroccan jail. 

Published 27 October 2020

The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention today recalled its request to Morocco to immediately release a group of imprisoned Saharawi students. 

Published 21 September 2020

A Saharawi student who was deported from Spain to Morocco without having his asylum application considered is next week facing trial in Moroccan court. The UN recently pronounced its concerns. 

Published 18 September 2020

After strict measures for several month, the pandemic has now arrived the vulnerable Saharawi refugee camps in Algeria. 

Published 24 July 2020

“Try to Visit Western Sahara”…

Published 10 July 2020

We compile the latest news about the corona crisis in occupied Western Sahara and in the refugee camps. LATEST: The corona virus has arrived the refugee camps in Algeria. 

Published 07 July 2020

After Moroccan settlers in the fisheries industry returned from Morocco to occupied Western Sahara, the number of positive corona patients in the territory has increased with 8250 percent in less than a week. 

Published 26 June 2020

“A prison is normally filled with constant noise from all the prisoners. But not Ait Melloul. In Ait Melloul the silence is terrorizing you and only broken by the screams of prisoners getting tortured.” Our new report tells the story of a group of prisoners that the UN asks to be released. 

Published 10 June 2020

A vessel transporting Norwegian gas was supposed to arrrive in occupied Western Sahara tomorrow, but has now steered away last minute, as ordered by the exporter in Norway.

Published 06 June 2020

Saharawi activists are calling for the investigation of the murder of a student activist, which took place two years ago.  

Published 19 May 2020

The Norwegian state-controlled energy company Equinor ‘regrets’ exports of gas into Western Sahara and promises to never do it again. 

Published 10 May 2020

This version of www.vest-sahara.no became operational just few days ago. Be patient with us. Until we do the formal launch approx 15 May, things on this site will not necessarily work. Thanks for reporting stuff that don't.

Published 30 April 2020

26 Saharawi associations ask for an immediate release of all Saharawi political prisoners, in view of the corona crisis that is hitting Moroccan jails. The appeal includes 230 pages of UN statements on the currently imprisoned activists.

Published 24 April 2020