In 2026 we will once again express our solidarity with the people of Western Sahara with Action Weeks from 31st of October to 14th of November. We invite you to join us and organize your own film screenings, information, discussion and cultural events, flyer and poster actions, rallies or other creative and powerful actions that address the situation and the struggle of the people in the occupied territories and in exile.
You can contact us via:
INSTAGRAM: @free_westernsahara_actions
TELEGRAM: t.me/free_Westernsahara_actions
EMAIL: freewesternsahara@systemli.org
BLUESKY: @free-westernsahara.bsky.social
Western Sahara, the last African colony has been occupied by the Moroccan kingdom for 51 years.
While the majority of the original population has been violently expelled from their homeland and continues to be stuck in the Algerian desert under extremely harsh conditions, the Moroccan state claims to be the owner of their land and paints a delusive picture of Green Energy and luxury tourism. A picture cheerfully adopted by the Western Hemisphere, which continues to deny their responsibility to decolonize the area. Despite that it still officially carries the status of a “non self-governing territory”.
UNITED NATIONS CONTINUED FAILURE
For more than 30 years the UN didn’t accomplish the task to conduct a referendum, which should provide the opportunity for the original Sahrawi population to vote democratically about their future and their land. On the contrary, in October 2025 the UN Security Council resolution (2797) suggested “that genuine autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty could constitute a most feasible solution”, while at the same time ambiguously stating the Sahrawi’s right to self-determination. This resolution was based on an initiative by the US-government and its now closest ally in the Maghreb, Morocco. Most recently, Morocco interests are more and more being taken into consideration by global powers as it functions as a partner of military and economic cooperation. Meanwhile, not only the colonised Sahrawi people suffer from that development, but it’s to the detriment of the Moroccan people as well, as they lose valuable resources necessary for their own sustainment1 and even their sovereignty as there are new foreign military bases being built on Moroccan ground.
“AUTONOMY” PLAN PURSUES COLONIALISM
Meanwhile, the Moroccan so-called “autonomy plan” needs to be sharply criticised, as it’s just another term for entrenching the illegal colonisation and it is clear that it would under no circumstances ensure any autonomy regarding Sahrawi cultural freedom or human rights. During his first term as President of the United States, Donald Trump recognized Morocco’s claim over Western Sahara. In his second term, growing international support for Morocco’s autonomy plan from several Western governments has further strengthened its legitimacy and demonstrating the massive impact of US imperial policy.
Sadly, Western media and governments as well as the UN resolution mentioned above describe the autonomy plan as the “most practical,” “easiest,” and “most realistic” solution for the conflict. This approach denies any possibly democratic and just path for the region and is simply reaffirming the colonial situation, meaning: to maintain the illegal occupation is being presented as the “easiest” of all options.
SITUATION OF SAHRAWI PEOPLE
The Sahrawis who have been ousted from their country have been struggling to survive in makeshift camps for over five decades. While the Moroccan state is using and selling their resources, the Sahrawi are suffering under extreme heat and water scarcity or regular floods that endanger their existence. In March 2026 1500 families in Dakhla Camp were once more afflicted by a huge flood. The severe humanitarian situation is worsening because of climate change but also because of changes in world politics: The already malnourished refugees rely on international food programmes, which have been constantly cut down in recent years.
While the Sahrawis are drying out and suffer heavy health issues due to food deprivation, the Moroccan state invites tourists to the occupied Western Sahara to enjoy the beach and do kite surfing. While the Sahrawis withstand sandstorms that burst into their camps, the Moroccan state advertises itself as a pioneer of Wind energy in North Africa from the occupied Western Sahara. While the Sahrawis don’t have enough water to drink, the Moroccan state occupies their coast and exports their fish from the sea.
GERMANY IS ACTIVELY INVOLVED
The exploitation of Western Sahara wouldn’t be as profitable if Morocco wouldn’t be supported by numerous companies and enterprises who smell the money and in exchange ignore moral and judicial restraints. German companies among others keep being involved in this wheel of injustice: Siemens Energy supplied four out of five wind farms in the occupied territory until now and there are plans to further expand the cooperation. Hence the company is a willful supporting pillar for Morocco’s strategy of green-washing their colonial project. Heidelberg Materials operates two cement grinding plants and a ready-mix concrete plant in occupied Western Sahara. It does so by using its subcompany Ciments du Maroc. By providing concrete, the company is furthermore substantially supporting infrastructure for the occupation, for example for the construction of a new harbor in El Aaiún. Both Siemens Energy and Heidelberg Materials indicate to increase their involvement in Western Sahara. Fishmeal is being transported to Europe by Hamburg-based Köster Marine Proteins GmbH and the insurance company Allianz is not only continuously active in Western Sahara, but has also been prominently advertising the occupation by congratulating the Moroccan state for grabbing the territory. In the past ThyssenKrupp was involved in the phosphate mine of Bou Craa and the construction of the cement factory. Also DHL – which is affiliated with Deutsche Post – keeps being present in the area.
INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY
All of these connections denote colonial continuity. In the name of profit the Sahrawi population is being robbed of their land, the people oppressed and left to starve, while international corporations shake hands with the local oppressors. Supporting the Sahrawi struggle is part of taking a stance as an internationalist anticolonial movement. We salute the Sahrawi resistance in the camps and the occupied territory and express our revulsion of the racist normalisation of colonial violence. Every day Moroccan drones kill civilians and the public doesn’t take any notice of it. But if once there’s an act of resistance from the Sahrawi side, it is widely being condemned throughout media and institutions with a wagging finger. We oppose this hypocrisy and work to shed light into the widely unknown circumstances of this conflict.
We demand:
- decolonise Western Sahara, reject autonomy plan, hand it over to the rightful owners and their representatives under no conditions.
- acknowledge the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic and their structures.
- boycott products, companies and tourism offers involved in or based on the occupation.
We look forward to see you at the Action Weeks! Message us if you want to organise an event, preferably until September 26.
For further information about Western Sahara, check out:
https://solidarityrising.com/resources/ and https://wsrw.org
- “6.4 percent of the population in Morocco (2,358 thousand people in 2021) is multidimensionally poor while an additional 10.9 percent is classified as vulnerable to multidimensional poverty (4,028 thousand people in 2021).” Briefing note for countries on the 2023 Multidimensional Poverty Index, United Nations Development Program ↩︎