Tensions are rising after the death of the leader-in-exile of Western Sahara, a province of Morocco that has been seeking independence for decades. The United Nations says more than 1,000 people have died in protests since March when Moroccan forces invaded and annexed the territory. Officials from the Department for Foreign Affairs were keen to the point out that the meeting was not an official recognition of the SADR state but rather that Mr. Abdelaziz represented the native people of Western Sahara. In recent years, the Saharawi people have accused Irish oil and gas exploration company, San Leon Energy, of exploiting the natural resources of their occupied country. The energy company strongly refutes any illegal activity.
Tensions are rising after the death of the leader-in-exile of Western Sahara, a province of Morocco that has been seeking independence for decades. The United Nations says more than 1,000 people have died in protests since March when Moroccan forces invaded and annexed the territory. In recent years, the Saharawi people have accused Irish oil and gas exploration company, San Leon Energy, of exploiting the natural resources of their occupied country. The energy company strongly refutes any illegal activity.