A subsidiary of the Swiss multinational company Glencore Exstrata has achieved two oil licences offshore Western Sahara, a territory under Moroccan occupation.

The two licences were both awarded by the Moroccan government in 2013 and 2014, completely under the radar of international media and of the people of the territory.

The deal is signed in violation of a UN legal opinion in 2002, which stated that any further exploration cannot take place unless it is in accordance with the wishes of the people of the territory. No one has sought the consent of the Saharawi people, the sole inhabitants of the territory prior to the Moroccan invasion of Western Sahara in 1975.

Tags: Glencore Exstrata