The American company General Electric has communicated to WSRW that they are no longer participating in the tender to construct two wind farms in occupied Western Sahara.
"After checking with our colleagues, we have determined that GE is not participating in the tender that is the subject of your email", stated the GE’s Corporate Ombudsperson’s’ Office on behalf of GE's Board of Directors.
The statement yesterday evening came as a reply to a letter WSRW sent to the company earlier that day. The letter outlined the organisation's concerns on GE's participation in a tender by the Moroccan government to construct five wind farms - two of which were located not in Morocco, but in the occupied territory of Western Sahara; in El Aaiun and in Boujdour.
With GE pulling out, there now remain 15 companies that are contending to win the bid. WSRW has on 2 and 3 July 2013 contacted all of them, asking them to refrain from building infrastructure on occupied land.
One of the richest coastlines in the world
The fish stocks of occupied Western Sahara have not only attracted the interest of the Moroccan fleet: other foreign interests are also fishing in the occupied waters through arrangements with Moroccan counterparts. Along the Western Saharan coastline, a processing industry has emerged.
The CJEU Court Cases
Keeping track of the many legal proceedings relating to Western Sahara is not easy. This page offers an overview of the cases concerning the territory that have been before the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).
Tūhana human rights advisors ignore human rights
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MEPs from across the political spectrum sharply criticised the European Commission over its handling of EU-Morocco trade relations covering occupied Western Sahara, raising concerns over legality, transparency and an apparent disregard for Parliament’s role.