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Sahrawi association hails US firm decision to suspend phosphate imports

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El-Aaiun (Occupied Territories), July 23, 2018 (SPS) – The Association for Resource Monitoring and the Protection of the Environment in Western Sahara (AMRPENWS) welcomed the decision of the US firm -Innophos Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: IPHS) to suspend its phosphate import operations from Western Sahara, dubbing it a new victory for the Sahrawi question.
Based on information published by website www.businesswire.com, the Association said in a statement that "as part of the achievements made so far by the Sahrawi cause at both the continental and International level, the US company "Innophos Holdings, Inc", listed on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, announced its decision to permanently suspend the phosphate import from Western Sahara.”
This decision is part of the company’s “commitment to overall social responsibility and good corporate stewardship."
The AMRPENWS said that the American company has followed the example of a Canadian firm, its main phosphate supplier, involved in the import of half of the Sahrawi phosphate since 2013.
Under pressure, it decided stop its participation in the plundering of the Sahrawi resources.
The Association recently called on the UN and the Security Council to urgently intervene to stop the looting of Sahrawi phosphate, estimated at more than 61,000 tonnes.
A total of 6 companies from 5 countries have imported phosphate from Western Sahara in 2017, and around 70 companies worldwide have been identified as owning or operating the vessels that transport the product. (SPS)
062/SPS/APS