Chahid Elhafed (Sahrawi Republic) 5 July 2025 (SPS) – The Sahrawi Observatory for Natural Resources and Enviromental Protection (SONREP) issued a Press Release today strongly condemning the involvement of the Israeli company NewMed Energy in illegal oil exploration activities in the territorial waters of Western Sahara. The Observatory warned of the dangerous entanglement between the systems of occupation in both Palestine and Western Sahara.
In its Press Release, the Observatory expressed deep concern over revelations made in a report by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Ms. Francesca Albanese, which indicated that Moroccan occupation authorities had unlawfully granted a license to NewMed Energy—a subsidiary of the Israeli Delek Group—to explore for oil off the coast of the occupied territory.
The Observatory emphasized that such licenses constitute a blatant violation of international law, given that Morocco has neither sovereignty nor legal authority over Western Sahara. It reiterated that any exploitation of natural resources in the region is only lawful if carried out with the consent of the Sahrawi people, represented by the Polisario Front, in accordance with United Nations resolutions, the 1975 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, and the jurisprudence of the European Court of Justice.
The statement highlighted that the involvement of an Israeli company in unlawful economic activities in the territory reflects a dual colonial complicity between the occupying powers in Palestine and Western Sahara—using natural resources as a tool to entrench an illegal reality and enable systems of occupation to escape accountability.
In light of the UN report, the Sahrawi Observatory called on the United Nations, particularly the Human Rights Council, to launch a formal investigation into the activities of NewMed Energy and all other companies involved in the illegal exploitation of Western Sahara’s resources, and to hold accountable all parties implicated in these violations.
SONREP also stressed the imperative for the international community, especially EU member states, not to recognize or support any economic activity conducted in the territory without the consent of the Sahrawi people, as the sole sovereign and legitimate representative entitled to decide its destiny and manage its resources.
It issued a firm warning to all economic actors, including states and multinational companies, about the legal and ethical risks of entering into partnerships or agreements with Moroccan occupation authorities concerning Western Sahara’s resources, reminding them that civil and criminal liability for such actions does not expire over time.
The Observatory urged international media and human rights organizations to shed light on the colonial dimension and systematic plunder of the territory’s wealth, stressing that these activities undermine UN decolonization efforts and constitute a dual violation of environmental justice and human rights., reinforcing a climate of impunity. (SPS)
090/500/60 (SPS)
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