International firms accused of exploiting Western Sahara resources

A new investigative report by the British-based platform "Ethical Consumer" has identified major global corporations involved in the extraction and use of resources from occupied Western Sahara. The report highlights that these operations, spanning sectors such as renewable energy, fisheries, phosphate mining, and agriculture, are conducted without the consent of the Sahrawi people. German firm Siemens is cited for supplying wind energy technology to the Moroccan-owned company Nareva, despite international legal rulings emphasizing the distinct status of the territory. Furthermore, travel and transport companies, including Ryanair, Booking.com, and Expedia, are criticized for marketing tourism infrastructure in Dakhla as part of Morocco, a practice deemed misleading. Human rights groups are now pushing for regulatory action against these entities. The Polisario Front maintains that any commercial agreements regarding the territory's resources are invalid unless authorized by the legitimate representatives of the Sahrawi population.