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.
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.
The 16-year-old was undressed and raped during interrogation.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Press Release from the Students' Peace Prize, Norway, 3 February 2009.
The Sahrawi Malak Amidane lost her job after pressure from Moroccan authorities. Amidane had received a foreign delegation in Western Sahara.
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Morocco has apparently launched a big onshore exploration programme in Western Sahara.
