Morocco expels 13 European from Western Sahara

Moroccan authorities today expelled 13 foreigners (4 Norwegians and 9 Spanish) from Western Sahara on the day the colonizing country celebrates the 37th anniversary of the “Green March", the launch of Morocco’s military entry in Western Sahara.



The Norwegians, Kristine Halling, Henriksen Pål, Gunnar Kaus and Vegard Tjørhom arrived in occupied El Aaiun on Tuesday morning to meet Saharawis to discuss the EU-Morocco fisheries partnership agreement. This agreement which is currently being negotiated had been denounced and cancelled previously because it did not exclude the waters of Western Sahara and allowed European ships to come and fish off the Western Sahara coast, which is illegal. 

The waters of Western Sahara can only be exploited by Saharawi fishermen or by foreigners on condition that Saharawis have been consulted and are in agreement, which is not the case. 

The young Norwegian MPs were put under house arrest by the Moroccan police in their hotel and forbidden to meet with Saharawis, then they were driven out of town by Moroccan police officers, with no alternative other than to leave for Agadir. 

As for the Spanish, 6 left wing activists were arrested at the Supratour bus station in El Aaiun as they were preparing to leave the occupied town. They had managed to meet human rights organizations the day before. 

Security officers in the police force drove the six Spanish young people to the check point in the north of the town and asked them to pay for a taxi to go to Agadir, preventing them from getting a bus. 

Two members of Sahara Thwara and one from a coordinating organisation in solidarity with the Saharawi people were expelled in the same way. 



Media Team

Occupied territories

Western Sahara

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