New Zealand guilty of receiving stolen goods

5 June 2008
Media Release:

New Zealand is guilty of receiving stolen goods with the arrival this week of the cargo ship Cake from Morocco.

The ship is delivering a cargo of phosphate stolen from the Saharawi people of Western Sahara by the Moroccan government.

Western Sahara has been under military occupation by 120,000 Moroccan troops for the past 30 years in defiance of repeated appeals for it to withdraw and allow self determination to the local population. Instead the Moroccan army has driven hundreds of thousands into exile and constructed a 2,700 km wall to keep out those fighting for freedom and independence.

The United Nations has called for an independence vote but this has been thwarted at all turns by Morocco which occupies the land for the purpose of exploiting the resources – most notably phosphate for the manufacture of fertiliser.

The United Nations has pointed out that the exploitation of Western Saharan minerals without the support for the local people is contrary to the principles of international law and that the interests of the inhabitants of non-self-governing territories must be paramount.

However Trade Minister Phil Goff ignores the United Nations position and turns a blind eye to the theft of phosphate despite its violation of the United Nations charter.

Earlier this year Phil Goff and Foreign Minister Winston Peters were in Morocco to promote trade deals. The oppression of the Saharawi people living in refugee camps in Algeria were not on the agenda.

The Cake is scheduled to arrive in Christchurch on Saturday with its stolen cargo.

John Minto Mike Treen
Spokesperson Spokesperson
Ph (09) 8463173 (H) Ph 0295254744
(09) 8469496 (W)