Western Sahara, resources, and international accountability

March 19, 2024

The illegality of facilitating the exploitation of natural resources by an occupying power in nonself-governing territories is well-established in international law, yet – as in such cases as Namibia and East Timor – the legal principles are often overlooked by foreign corporations and their governments. The resource-rich territory of Western Sahara, under Moroccan occupation since 1975, is no exception, as European, North American, and Australian companies have sought to take advantage of lucrative fishing grounds or mineral deposits.

While some have tried to claim that such resource extraction is legal since Morocco reinvests the money it receives into the territory through ambitious development programs, the benefits of such ‘development’ have largely gone to Moroccan settlers and occupation authorities, not the indigenous population. As with Namibia and East Timor, it may fall to global civil society topressure such companies, through boycotts and divestment campaigns, to en their illegal exploitation of Western Sahara’s natural resources.