EU court backs scrapping Morocco trade deals over Western Sahara

Fishermen transport their catch after docking in the main port in Dakhla city, Western Sahara, Monday, Dec. 21, 2020. (AP)
Short Url
Updated 04 October 2024
Follow

EU court backs scrapping Morocco trade deals over Western Sahara

  • The court said consent from a people does not always need to be explicit “where the agreement confers on that people a specific, tangible, substantial and verifiable benefit”

LUXEMBOURG: The EU’s top court has confirmed an earlier ruling canceling trade deals allowing Morocco to export fish and farm products to the bloc from the disputed Western Sahara region.
The Court of Justice of the European Union, or CJEU, rejected all appeals against the 2021 verdict in a victory for the Western Saharan independence movement, the Polisario Front.
While the fish agreement has expired, the agricultural product deal is still active.
The court said the protocol should stay in place for another 12 months “because of the serious negative consequences which its immediate annulment would entail for the external action” of the EU.
Morocco, an important trading partner with the 27-nation EU, views the Western Sahara as an integral part of its territory, but the Polisario, recognized internationally as the representative of the Sahrawi people, has long sought independence there.
The EU’s Court of Justice affirmed that the deals allowing exports from the former Spanish colony and the rest of Morocco “was concluded in breach of the principles of self-determination.”
The court said consent from a people does not always need to be explicit “where the agreement confers on that people a specific, tangible, substantial and verifiable benefit.”
But it added that “as the agreements at issue manifestly do not provide for such a benefit,” the court confirmed the annulment of the deals.
Morocco controls around 80 percent of Western Sahara and has offered autonomy, while insisting it must retain sovereignty.
At stake are an overland route to West African markets, plentiful phosphate resources and rich Atlantic fisheries along the territory’s 1,100-kilometer (680-mile) coastline.
The 2021 court ruling had been hailed as a “great victory” by the Polisario movement and was welcomed by Morocco’s regional rival Algeria.
Replying to the latest verdict on Friday, Morocco’s Foreign Ministry decried what it said were “obvious legal errors” but added it was not “in any way concerned” by the decision, as it was not a party to the case.
It called on the EU to take the necessary measures to respect its international commitments.
It warned that Rabat did not subscribe to agreements that did not respect its territorial integrity — a reference to its claims over Western Sahara.
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said the European Commission was analyzing the ruling and reiterated that the bloc highly valued its “long-standing, wide-ranging and deep” strategic partnership with Morocco.
“The EU firmly intends to preserve and continue strengthening close relations with Morocco,” she said in a joint statement with EU foreign affairs boss Josep Borrell.
The EU and Rabat signed an association deal in 1996, giving Morocco preferential tariffs, which was later extended in 2019 to include products from Western Sahara.
The main benefit for Rabat was lower costs of exporting agricultural goods to the bloc, while the EU received access to Atlantic fishing waters.
The fishing protocol had allowed up to 128 European ships to access Moroccan and Western Sahara fishing waters for four years.

 


UK MP Jeremy Corbyn announces ‘independent Gaza tribunal’

Updated 5 sec ago
Follow

UK MP Jeremy Corbyn announces ‘independent Gaza tribunal’

  • Veteran left-wing politician says inquiry will take place in September and probe British involvement in Israel’s military campaign
  • Corbyn previously failed to get support in parliament for an official public inquiry

LONDON: British MP Jeremy Corbyn has announced an independent “Gaza tribunal” to investigate the UK’s involvement in Israel’s military operation in the territory.

The former Labour Party leader, who now sits in parliament as an independent, has been one of the most prominent voices in the UK against Israel’s war.

He previously called for the government to set up an inquiry into British involvement in the conflict, but his bill was rejected at its second reading earlier this month.

Corbyn said on Thursday he would hold a Gaza tribunal in September because “the public deserves to know the full scale of their government’s complicity in genocide.

“Just like Iraq, the government is doing everything it can to protect itself from scrutiny,” he said, referring to the UK’s ill-fated decision to join the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. “Just like Iraq, it will not succeed in its attempts to suffocate the truth.”

The left-wing politician added: “We will bring about justice for the people of Palestine.”

The UK suspended 30 arms export licenses to Israel in September last year in response to its Gaza operations.

But Corbyn and pressure groups say the UK is still supplying other weapons, including parts for F-35 fighter jets.

The Royal Air Force is also accused of flying surveillance flights over Gaza and supplying Israel with intelligence.

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy told the International Development Committee on Wednesday that he was “very certain” no weapons were being used against civilians and aid workers in Gaza.

Corbyn said the tribunal would hear from expert witnesses including Palestinians in Gaza, journalists, and health and aid workers who have worked in the territory.

Legal experts and UN officials will also be called upon to provide evidence.

The tribunal will begin by outlining the scale of human suffering in Gaza, where more than 58,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023.

It will go on to outline Britain’s legal responsibilities under domestic and international law, and then probe Britain’s role in the campaign.

The British government has come under increasing pressure from MPs, including many from its own Labour Party, to take a tougher line against Israel.

Last week, almost 60 Labour MPs sent a letter to Lammy demanding the UK immediately recognize Palestine as a state.


South Sudan’s main opposition party rejects president’s call for dialogue to avoid civil war

Updated 58 sec ago
Follow

South Sudan’s main opposition party rejects president’s call for dialogue to avoid civil war

  • Kiir said: “The suffering of our people must not be prolonged by the continued rejection of dialogue”
  • Deng said Kiir’s appeal was “paradoxical and insincere” due to the arrests of opposition officials

JUBA: South Sudan ‘s main opposition party on Thursday dismissed a presidential call for dialogue to avoid the country slipping back into a civil war due to stalled peace talks.

Pal Mai Deng, a spokesperson for the opposition SPLM-IO, said President Salva Kiir “must release political and military leaders of the SPLM-IO who are in detention to show his seriousness about the dialogue.”

During the reopening of parliament on Wednesday, Kiir said there was a need for unity and national reconciliation, adding that the “doors of peace remain open.”

“The suffering of our people must not be prolonged by the continued rejection of dialogue,” he said.

The situation in South Sudan remains tense after Vice President Riek Machar — Kiir’s former rival — was placed under house arrest following an attack on army bases in March. Several members of the SPLM-IO opposition party have gone into exile fearing arrests.

South Sudan signed a peace agreement in 2018, ending a five-year civil war in which nearly 400,000 people died as forces loyal to Kiir and Machar clashed.

Deng told The Associated Press that Kiir’s appeal was “paradoxical and insincere” due to the arrests of opposition officials and army attacks on opposition forces.

“Before he (Kiir) urged the parties to resume dialogue, he needed to stop military campaigns against SPLM-IO forces and indiscriminate killing of Nuer civilians he considered anti-government,” said the exiled spokesperson.

The CEPO civil society group has warned that Machar’s detention has made the continuation of talks impractical.

“The absence of Machar in the function of the government in day-to-day business of the government is making the government of national unity unbalanced,” Edmund Yakani, Executive Director of CEPO, said.

The United Nation warned last month that a 2018 peace agreement was on the verge of collapse due to escalating violence, political repression, and foreign military involvement.

Yasmin Sooka, chairperson of the UN’s Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan, described the situation as a “crisis” adding that the peace agreement was at the “brink of irrelevance, threatening a total collapse.”


Kuwait incorporates Bayraktar TB2 combat drone into armed forces

Updated 9 min 22 sec ago
Follow

Kuwait incorporates Bayraktar TB2 combat drone into armed forces

  • Drone was unveiled during a ceremony attended by Minister of Defense Sheikh Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Sabah and top army generals
  • In 2023, Kuwait signed a $367-million contract with Turkish defense firm Baykar to purchase its TB2 war drones

LONDON: Kuwaiti armed forces incorporated the Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drone into their air combat fleet during a ceremony at Salem Al-Sabah Air Base on Thursday.

Minister of Defense Sheikh Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Sabah was joined by Major General Sabah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, deputy chief of staff of the Kuwaiti Army, Brig. Gen. Mohammad Al-Hamdan, the Air Force commander, as well as the commander of the Salem Al-Sabah Air Base and several air force officers.

In 2023, Kuwait signed a $367-million contract with Turkish defense firm Baykar to purchase its TB2 drones, which have been used in conflicts in Ukraine, Syria, Libya and Azerbaijan.

Sheikh Abdullah said that integrating drones aligned with Kuwait’s leadership vision to enhance military readiness and adopt cutting-edge defense technologies, according to the Kuwait News Agency. The ceremony featured a comprehensive technical presentation showcasing TB2 drone’s surveillance, reconnaissance and air-support capabilities.

In February, pilots and shooters from the Kuwaiti air force trained and tested the Bayraktar TB2 at the Baykar company training center in the Kisah region of Turkiye.

The defense minister emphasized the need to invest in local expertise and train personnel to operate advanced systems for protecting Kuwait’s airspace, borders and resources. The incorporation of TB2 marked a significant step in Kuwait’s defense modernization efforts, he added.


Turkish court postpones hearing over hotel fire

Updated 17 July 2025
Follow

Turkish court postpones hearing over hotel fire

  • The court is considering allegations that poor safety measures at the hotel contributed to the disaster
  • The different organizations under scrutiny denied responsibility

ISTANBUL: A Turkish court on Thursday adjourned the trial of 32 people over a fire January at a luxury ski resort hotel that killed 78 people, after 10 days of harrowing testimony.

Since the trial opened on July 7, survivors, many of them in tears, have told the court how they escaped the deadly blaze, whose victims included 36 children.

The fire swept through the Grand Kartal Hotel in the northern mountain resort of Kartalkaya on January 21.

As well as the 78 people killed in the fire, another 130 people were injured.

The court is considering allegations that poor safety measures at the hotel contributed to the disaster.

Among the defendants facing manslaughter charges are the hotel’s owner, managers, the deputy mayor of Bolu city and two fire department officials.

“Everyone including the employees and bosses lied in their initial statements,” said Yusuf Yaman, the private DHA news agency reported. Yaman lost his daughter and grand-daughter in the fire.

“We lost 78 lives. They’re all my children. If they (the suspects) had shown courage, if they had confessed everything, they would have had a clearer conscience,” he added.

After the fire, the different organizations under scrutiny denied responsibility, the tourism ministry and the local municipality run by the main opposition CHP party blaming each other.

At the end of the 10-day hearing, the hotel’s director and owner Emir Aras expressed regret. He told the judge he did not want to be released from detention, DHA reported.

The court postponed the hearing to September 22.


Jordan treats dozens of injured Palestinians from Gaza, sends more aid to territory

Updated 17 July 2025
Follow

Jordan treats dozens of injured Palestinians from Gaza, sends more aid to territory

  • Jordanian Medical Corridor initiative aims to assist Palestinians in Gaza and is carried out in cooperation with the Jordanian armed forces, Ministry of Health, and the World Health Organization
  • Since the initiative began in March, 112 injured and sick children, accompanied by 241 carers, have entered Jordan to receive treatment in private hospitals

LONDON: Jordanian associations dispatched 50 aid trucks to the Gaza Strip on Thursday and transferred dozens of Palestinian children to receive medical treatment in Jordan this week.

Dr. Fawzi Al-Hammouri, chairman of the Private Hospitals Association, confirmed that 35 sick and injured children from Gaza, accompanied by 72 carers, were admitted to several private hospitals in Jordan.

The initiative, part of the Jordanian Medical Corridor, aims to assist Palestinians in Gaza and is carried out in cooperation with the Jordanian armed forces, the Ministry of Health, and the World Health Organization.

Since the initiative began in March, 112 injured and sick children, accompanied by 241 guardians, have entered Jordan to receive treatment in private hospitals, according to Dr. Al-Hammouri.

On Thursday, the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization sent another humanitarian convoy of 50 trucks loaded with essential food supplies to the northern part of the Gaza coastal enclave. Northern Gaza is experiencing severe shortages of food and essential supplies due to disruptions in aid delivery and Israeli attacks.

Since late 2023, Jordan has delivered more than 7,815 aid trucks and 53 cargo planes through the Egyptian port of Arish, along with 102 helicopter sorties to deliver aid, to support Palestinians in Gaza.

Jordan was among the first countries to conduct airlift missions in the early days of the war, delivering relief to Gaza. More than 58,000 Palestinians have reportedly been killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza, which have been described as genocide by human rights groups and several heads of state.