Bir Lehlou (Sahrawi Republic) 17 July 2026 (SPS) – The Sahrawi Working Group on Natural Resources and Related Legal Issues strongly condemned the involvement of foreign companies in Morocco's economic activities in the occupied territories of the Sahrawi Republic, singling out the French multinational, Engie, for its direct role in facilitating projects that enable the exploitation of natural resources and the expansion of Moroccan settlements in occupied Western Sahara.
In a press release issued on Thursday, the Working Group reacted to Morocco's latest decision to allocate more than 1,090 hectares of agricultural land in occupied Western Sahara through a new public tender. According to the Group, the new allocation represents another stage in Morocco's systematic colonial policy, made possible by the energy infrastructure that Engie has developed in the occupied territory.
The statement explains that the new agricultural expansion is driven by the “Dakhla” seawater desalination project, which relies entirely on renewable energy infrastructure developed by the French company. "By enabling the transformation of arid land into export-oriented farmland, Engie is directly facilitating Morocco's ongoing exploitation of the occupied territory and its natural resources without the consent of the Sahrawi people," the Group stated.
The Working Group noted that this is the third round of land allocations linked to the desalination project, following similar tenders in 2022 and 2024. The initiative forms part of a wider 5,000-hectare irrigation scheme designed to support intensive commercial agriculture and further integrate occupied Western Sahara into Morocco's agricultural economy.
Beyond the unlawful exploitation of natural resources, the Group warned of the serious demographic and political implications of these projects, stressing that they contribute to expanding Moroccan colonial settlements in the occupied territory.
"These projects encourage the expansion of Moroccan colonial settlements in the occupied territory, further entrenching an occupation that has repeatedly been condemned under international law," the statement said.
The Working Group also denounced the continued involvement of European companies in occupied Western Sahara, arguing that the conduct of Engie and similar companies demonstrates "a troubling disregard for international and European legal obligations and corporate responsibility."
By investing in infrastructure that enables Morocco's economic exploitation of occupied Western Sahara, the statement added, such companies contribute to sustaining an illegal occupation and undermine the Sahrawi people's inalienable right to permanent sovereignty over their natural resources and to self-determination.
The Group further stressed that the timing of Morocco's latest tender is particularly alarming, as it coincides with the European Union's efforts to redefine its trade relations with Morocco following the landmark judgments of the Court of Justice of the European Union. Those rulings unequivocally confirmed that EU-Morocco agreements cannot lawfully apply to Western Sahara without the free and genuine consent of the Sahrawi people through their legitimate and sole representative, the Polisario Front.
In conclusion, the Sahrawi Working Group called upon the European Union, its Member States and all competent national authorities to ensure that European companies fully comply with international law and immediately cease all activities that contribute to the illegal exploitation of Western Sahara or support Morocco's settlement enterprise. It also urged investors, financial institutions and business partners to withdraw from projects that expose them to serious legal, financial and reputational risks.
Reaffirming that the Sahrawi people have never consented to the exploitation of their land and natural resources under occupation, the Group pledged to continue documenting these violations and to pursue all available legal and advocacy measures to hold both Morocco and its corporate partners accountable until international law is respected and the rights of the Sahrawi people are fully upheld. (SPS)
090/500/60 (SPS)
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