Forbes
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businessenergymoroccogate: Corruption and blood renewables in the western sahara
elias ferrer breda
Nov 26, 2023
saharawi men hold up a polisario front flag in the [+]afp via getty images
we have heard of “wars for oil” and corrupt deals between oil giants and politicians. But could we imagine conflict, human rights abuses, and bribes over some solar panels and wind turbines? It seems it was not the nature of slick crude that corrupted hearts. Morocco’s occupation of the western sahara shows that.
Since the 1970s, the moroccan monarchy has been fighting tooth and nail for a patch of desert, against unreasonable natives wanting self-determination, and against an inhospitable terrain. Surprisingly, it is one with hardly any black gold—totalenergies has been looking time and time again, in vain.
In the budget for 2024, morocco’s government presents gargantuan plans for green energy production. It includes provisions for wind, green hydrogen and ammonia. However, around 81% of the land allocated for such projects will be outside morocco in territories under military occupation, says the ngo western sahara resource watch.
elias ferrer breda
Nov 26, 2023
saharawi men hold up a polisario front flag in the [+]afp via getty images
we have heard of “wars for oil” and corrupt deals between oil giants and politicians. But could we imagine conflict, human rights abuses, and bribes over some solar panels and wind turbines? It seems it was not the nature of slick crude that corrupted hearts. Morocco’s occupation of the western sahara shows that.
Since the 1970s, the moroccan monarchy has been fighting tooth and nail for a patch of desert, against unreasonable natives wanting self-determination, and against an inhospitable terrain. Surprisingly, it is one with hardly any black gold—totalenergies has been looking time and time again, in vain.
In the budget for 2024, morocco’s government presents gargantuan plans for green energy production. It includes provisions for wind, green hydrogen and ammonia. However, around 81% of the land allocated for such projects will be outside morocco in territories under military occupation, says the ngo western sahara resource watch.
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