This is the third time in two years that WSRW uncovers that the Turkish company Yasa Holding is shipping phosphates from Western Sahara.
'Yasa Gulten' is scheduled to arrive Northport on 26th of December 2008, departuring on the 27th, then arriving Tauranga on the 8th, continuing towards Bluff on the 31st, where she will on 2nd of January 2009, leaving on the 5th.
New Zealand's massive imports of phospahte rock from Western Sahara is in violation of international law, and in support of the illegal Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara.
WSRW has previously urged the New Zealand government to support the UN efforts to solve the conflict, by terminating its trade with the phosphate rock.
Morocco occupies the major part of its neighbouring country, Western Sahara. Entering into business deals with Moroccan companies or authorities in the occupied territories gives an impression of political legitimacy to the occupation. It also gives job opportunities to Moroccan settlers and income to the Moroccan government. Western Sahara Resource Watch demands foreign companies leave Western Sahara until a solution to the conflict is found.
It's not easy keeping up with all the different legal proceedings relating to Western Sahara. For the sake of clarity, here's an overview of the five different cases at the Court of Justice of the European Union.
Leading activists from Western Sahara are condemned to sentences ranging from 20 years to life imprisonment in connection to a mass protest in 2010 denouncing the Saharawi people’s social and economic marginalization in their occupied land; the Gdeim Izik protest camp.
At COP22, beware of what you read about Morocco’s renewable energy efforts. An increasing part of the projects take place in the occupied territory of Western Sahara and is used for mineral plunder, new WSRW report documents.
