“There’s a knock on the door here now,” commented Maja Rønningsbakk (26) from Orkdal and Kevin Fossnes (27) from Grimstad from occupied Western Sahara at 2:30 p.m. Norwegian time today.

Rønningsbakk and Fossnes, who are representatives of the youth committee of the Norwegian trade union Styrke, traveled to occupied Western Sahara to meet with local human rights defenders. They wanted to learn about Morocco's controversial wind and solar energy programs being implemented in the occupied territory. But then Moroccan police arrived to deport them.

The two began their meeting at 1:45 p.m. today. By 2:15 p.m., people began gathering outside the door, and just 45 short minutes after they arrived at the home of local Sahrawis, the police knocked on the door. At 3:00 p.m., the Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara received a the video below (download, 2 MB) showing them leaving the house where they had been staying and being escorted into a waiting car.

“There were a total of 34 police officers around the house,” Rønningsbakk explained.

This is the second time in only two days that Morocco has deported a Norwegian delegation from occupied Western Sahara. Yesterday, two other Norwegians were also expelled from the territory - for the same reason: the illegal “green” energy programs. One of them had even written a master’s thesis on the topic.

Fossnes and Rønningsbakk were particularly interested in hearing about projects conducted by Siemens Gamesa, a Spanish-German energy company heavily involved in supplying wind turbines to the occupied areas. Morocco is developing supposedly “green” projects in occupied Western Sahara, in violation of the Sahrawis’ right to self-determination.

The two traveled as representatives from the youth committee of the Norwegian trade union Styrke. For 20 years, the union has collaborated with the Support Committee for Western Sahara to bring attention to the occupation.

The Norwegians visited the home of Mina Baali. 

The video below shows a conversation that human rights activist Mina Baali had with the Moroccan deputy governor in a blue uniform at 2:30 p.m. The video can be downloaded here

Translation from the Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara below: 

The Moroccan in blue suit: The Norwegians which you have inside. Tell them to step up out. They are here illegally.

Mina (Saharawi) voice in the background: Illegally? In which base. Do you have an evidence? Something written?

Hassana (Saharawi) in Black: Judicial evidence?

Mina (Saharawi): They entered legally via checkpoints.

Mina and Hassana: I will not kick them out of my house. But you are very welcome to enter the house. Welcome. Come inside and get them out yourself.

[…Not audible …]

The man with blue sweater with moving hands: You have foreigners in your house. The first thing you do is to DECLARE that.

Mina: Now that you are here. We are telling you that. These people didn’t enter illegally. They didn’t fall from the sky. These people entered via the checkpoint. We are free to receive people in our houses. These are our houses.

Hassana: You are very welcome. Come in. but we will not kick them out our house.

Mina: You are used to enter this house without even permission before. You entered the house early and late. So come in. we will not kick out our guests. Come in and do it yourself. Or you can wait until they leave, and you can take them wherever you want. This is how you behave normally (meaning that they normally will just break in in their house) Bring be legal document

The man in blue suit: we are filming you, and just wait. (meaning a threat, according to translator) You have no right to film. This is illegal

Mina: I have right to film. I am human right defender.

The picture on the top of the article can be downloaded here for higher resolution.