El Aaiun (Occupied Western Sahara), July 30, 2026 (SPS) – The Sahrawi Association for the Monitoring of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection in Western Sahara has condemned the U.S. government's funding of an investment project in occupied ElAaiun, describing the move as a dangerous escalation, a departure from international law, and an attempt to reinforce the policy of imposing a fait accompli in a territory that remains subject to the United Nations decolonization process.
In a statement, the Association strongly denounced the decision by the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) to finance the preliminary studies for a green ammonia production project being developed by ORNX in the occupied city of El Aaiun. It said the project represents the first direct U.S. government funding for an investment initiative in Western Sahara and constitutes "a serious escalation and a violation of the rules of international law."
The statement added that the funding cannot be viewed merely as economic support or an investment in clean energy. Rather, it represents "direct political and economic involvement in entrenching the Moroccan occupation" and sends the wrong message that the resources of a disputed territory can be exploited without the consent of its people. According to the Association, this contradicts the legal status of Western Sahara as a Non-Self-Governing Territory whose decolonization process has yet to be completed in accordance with the United Nations Charter and relevant UN General Assembly and Security Council resolutions.
The Association stressed that any economic projects, investments, or agreements concerning the natural resources, land, or infrastructure of Western Sahara carried out without the consent of the Sahrawi people lack any legal legitimacy and cannot create rights or obligations affecting the Territory's legal status. It noted that this principle has been affirmed in United Nations legal opinions and reinforced by judgments of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), which have emphasized that Western Sahara is a territory separate and distinct from the Kingdom of Morocco and that any economic activity relating to the Territory must be based on the consent of its people.
The statement called on the United Nations, its Special Committee on Decolonization (C-24), and the UN Human Rights Council to intervene urgently to halt the exploitation of Western Sahara's natural resources without the consent of the Sahrawi people.
It also urged international companies and financial institutions to refrain from investing in occupied Western Sahara in order to avoid involvement in activities that could expose them to legal accountability and liability under the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
The Association affirmed that it reserves the right to address UN mechanisms, international organizations, and competent judicial bodies, and to work with its international partners to document these violations and pursue them through all available legal means.
It concluded by stressing that genuine peace cannot be built on the exploitation of occupied territories or on investments in the resources of a people who have yet to exercise their right to self-determination. Likewise, it said, development cannot serve as a substitute for justice, nor can economic interests replace respect for the rules of international law.
