ZANKA, HUNGARY: The International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY), met in Zanka, Hungary at the World Youth Festival under the theme ‘Development for Freedom - Our War on Poverty’ from June 15th to 21st. SADR President Mohammed Abdelaziz was invited as a Guest of Honor and IUSY passed a statement on Western Sahara for the occasion.
WASHINGTON, July 27, 2009 - President Obama's nominee to be U.S. ambassador to Morocco seemed to confirm a U.S. policy shift on the Western Sahara in testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Norway is now doubling its support to the Sahrawi people, making NOK 11.9 million available in 2009. “The support is mainly intended to alleviate the very precarious humanitarian situation in the refugee camps,” said Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere.
See pictures and video here.
The Norwegian investor KLP has today announced that they have kicked out the Australian firm Incitec Pivot from its funds. The company imports phosphate rock from Western Sahara, which is occupied by Morocco. Norwatch, 2 June 2009.
A research fellow attached to the Norwegian Geological Survey has been working on an oil research project in the occupied Western Sahara. The Support Committee requests that a scientific geological journal temporarily suspend further publication of her research data. The research institute is itself sceptical of the research project.
The Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara demanded in a letter on 19 March 2009 to the scientific journal Tectonophysics, that research done by a PhD student at the Norwegian Geological Survey should not be published. The geological research in occupied Western Sahara is done in cooperation with Moroccan oil authorities, but without the consent of the Sahrawi people.
This statement was adopted by South Trøndelag Labour Party during the annual meeting, 14 and 15 March 2009
The US lawfirm Covington & Burling helps Morocco in the illegal plunder of phosphates from occupied Western Sahara. The Sahrawi student Senia Bachir Abderahman is trying to get answers from the lawfirm as to how they can defend the plunder of her homeland.
The National Union of Students in Norway (NSU), demands a stop to the oppression of Sahrawi students in a resolution from the 55th Landsting. The NSU counts close to 93.000 members and have been working for students rights since 1936.
The company Thor Offshore from the Faroe Islands participates in the plundering of occupied Western Sahara. The unethical business helps the Moroccan occupying power's illegal oil search in the territory, and contributes to strengthen the brutal occupation. News coverage in Faroese TV, Dagur & Vika, 26 January 2009
Student Peace Prize Ceremony, 2009, Olav Concert Hall, Trondheim, 27 February 2009.
A group of three Norwegian shipping companies have stated that they desist from future assignments in Western Sahara.
Two Sahrawi girls were stopped on the street and harassed by Moroccan police Sunday. One was the rape victim from February, the other was the sister of Elkouria Amidane, Maimouna.
Seminars and benefit concerts at Mount Holyoke, South Hadley.
The Norwegian Council for Africa wrote in February about the shipping company Atlantic RTI which transported fish from occupied Western Sahara. The company now says they will prevent their vessels from being used for such purposes in the future.
For a few days more you will still find tomatoes from occupied Western Sahara on the vegetable counters of the Norwegian grocery store Coop. On Wednesday they stopped the controversial import. Norwatch, 11 March 2009.
The Moroccan Navy was asked to support Fugro-Geoteams oil assignment outside occupied Western Sahara. This is shown by an internal Moroccan government document that Norwatch has obtained. Norwatch, 17 March 2009.
The Saharawi woman who was raped at the end of February has now reported the incident to the police. The Moroccan Ministry of Domestic Affairs denies that policemen have raped the woman.
When The Norwegian Council for Africa visited occupied Western Sahara between Christmas and New Year's Eve, we photographed a freighter that later turned out to be Norwegian. The shipping company Atlantic RTI confirmed the fish transport and said they dislike that their ship has been utilised in the occupied area.
The Sahrawi student Elkouria Amidane received the Students' Peace Prize 2009 on 27th February 2009. “A brave and worthy winner”, said Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister. Nobel peace prize laureates praised her work.
On 27 February 2009 the flag of the Saharawi Republic (SADR) has been raised on the Town Halls of Leichhardt (Sydney), Newcastle and in various cities and towns of Australia such as Melbourne, Perth, Hobart and Geelong. The flags are raised to mark the 33rd anniversary of the proclamation of the Saharawi republic.
Despite heavy snowfall, approximately two hundred people attended a torch march for the Students' Peace Prize 2009 laureate Elkouria Amidane, in Trondheim, Norway, 27 February 2009.
Op-ed by Thor Richard Isaksen, Leader of the Students' Peace Prize, and Ole Danbolt Mjøs, Committee Member, and former chairman of the Nobel Peace Prize committee, the Students' Peace Prize, 2009.
The Nordic Committee of Co-operating Social Democratic Youth Organisations (FNSU), consisting of organisations from all the Nordic and Baltic countries, adopted on its board meeting 13 February 2009 a statement demanding the termination of the occupation of Western Sahara.
Tuesday the mayor of Trondheim, Mrs. Rita Ottervik, and deputy mayor, Mr. Knut Fagerbakke, invited peace activists Shirin Ebadi and Elkouria Amidane for lunch and talks in city hall.
The 16-year-old was undressed and raped during interrogation.
Fertilizer producer Yara receives critisicm in Norway for its last year phosphate purchase from occupied Western Sahara. The company answers they hope Western Sahara "will be liberated one day, and then the inhabitants will benefit if we can receive their phosphate quickly".
The students of Red Cross Nordic United World College (RCNUWC) addressed a letter to the Norwegian company, Fugro Geoteam, to withdraw their vessel ‘Geo Caribbean’ from the occupied waters in Western Sahara. The letter was handed over by the Sahrawi student Basiri Mulay El-hasan.
In August Yara's plant on Herøya imported phosphate from occupied West Sahara, contrary to the advice of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Yara may have paid 4,3 million euros to a Moroccan state company for phosphate stolen from its occupied neighbour.
The Ministry of Trade and Industry knew about the transaction but did not try to stop the import of phosphate from Western Sahara. Norway may have broken international law.
Press Release from the Students' Peace Prize, Norway, 3 February 2009.
Click on photo for larger version. All photos can be used for free, provided each photo is credited as written in italic below each photo. Exception are photos by Ketil Blom.
The Sahrawi Malak Amidane lost her job after pressure from Moroccan authorities. Amidane had received a foreign delegation in Western Sahara.
Morocco has apparently launched a big onshore exploration programme in Western Sahara.
In 2002, the Rafto Prize was awarded to the Saharawi symbol of freedom and liberation, Sidi Mohammed Daddach. At the time, he had endured more years in prison than outside. Six years on, he finds himself under constant surveillance, and Western Sahara still under Moroccan occupation. Rafto Foundation, December 15, 2008.
On December 5th 2008, a petition letter signed by 426 organisations was sent to the EU commission demanding that occupied Western Sahara be kept outside of the Morocco-EU socalled Advanced Status cooperation. Do you wish your organisation had signed, but did not make the deadline?
No less than 426 organisations signed a petition letter, demanding from the EU Commission that occupied Western Sahara be kept clearly outside of the so- called Advanced Status cooperation that Morocco currently is being granted. The petition was sent to the EU Commission this morning. PRESS RELEASE December 5th 2008.
Amnesty International fears that Mustafa Abdel Dayem's conviction may have been intended to punish him for his public support for the right to self-determination for the people of Western Sahara. Reat statement 23rd of December 2008.
UK Minister of Defence clarifies error in recent news report regarding UK troops training in occupied Western Sahara. "The British armed forces do not conduct bi-lateral military activity in Western Sahara", minister said.
The fertilizer company Yara remains under investigation by Norwegian police after having purchased a shipload of phosphates from occupied Western Sahara.
The Executive Board of The Liberal Party of Norway demands that Western Sahara be excluded from EU's cooperation with Morocco.