Africa Business Columns Headlines International Morocco Opinions

Polisario Experiences Bitter Taste of Legal Maneuvers against Morocco

The Polisario has incurred a new setback in its legal maneuvers against Morocco after the Kingdom’s phosphate company, OCP, restored ownership of a 55,000 tons of phosphates rock unlawfully held in South Africa following a legal challenge by the Polisario. The cargo on board Cherry Blossom was seized in South Africa since May 2017 after […]

Africa Algeria Business Headlines International Morocco

Cherry Blossom Seizure Ends with the Victory of OCP

Cherry Blossom vessel, loaded with 55,000 tons of Moroccan phosphates, which has been illegally seized by South African authorities since May 1, last year, has just left the South African territorial waters and her cargo has been returned to its legitimate owner, Morocco’s phosphates company, OCP. It all started last May, when a South African […]

Africa Headlines International Morocco

South African Court Puts Politics above Justice in Sahara Phosphate Verdict

As was expected, a high court in South Africa delivered a politicized verdict giving ownership of the 50,000-ton Phosphate cargo on board bulk carrier Cherry Blossom to the Polisario separatists. Bound for New Zealand, the ship was held in Port Elizabeth for almost a year after the Polisario challenged the legality of the transaction in […]

Americas Headlines International Morocco

After Panama, Uruguay dismisses Polisario’s complaint about Moroccan Phosphates

The Algeria-backed Polisario separatists have once again failed to practice their “political piracy” as they did in South Africa last May. Last week, it was in Latin America, precisely in Uruguay, that the Polisario attempted to incite a Uruguayan court to order the seizure of a 300-ton shipment of Moroccan phosphate. But, although Uruguay backs […]

Africa Americas International Morocco

In Detaining OCP Vessel, South Africa Puts Ideology before Justice- American Enterprise Institute

In detaining a vessel loaded with Sahara phosphates bound for New Zealand, the ruling party in South Africa, the ANC, is reconnecting with its anachronistic populist marxist ideology, putting politics above justice in a hostile action that threatens to derail a peace process led by the UN, said the US public policy think tank, The […]

Africa Headlines International Morocco

OCP Denounces South Africa’s ‘Political Piracy’

Morocco’s phosphates company, OCP, denounced the “political piracy’” practiced by South Africa, which has been detaining the vessel Cherry Blossom loaded with 55,000 tons of Moroccan Sahara phosphates bound for New Zealand for more than 70 days, in a hostile act revealing the striking partiality of Pretoria’s justice system. In a statement, the OCP and […]

Africa Headlines International Morocco

Morocco Rejects South Africa’s Seizure of Sahara Phosphate Cargo

The Moroccan government described the South African court decision to maintain seizure of a vessel carrying Sahara phosphates bound for New Zealand as a “violation of international law”. In a statement to the press, Spokesperson for the Moroccan government Mustapha El Khalfi condemned in the strongest terms the ruling by South African court on June […]

Africa Headlines International Morocco

South Africa’s Seizure of Moroccan Phosphate, ‘Political Matter Disguised as Legal Claim’

A South African court ruled on June 15 to maintain the seizure of Cherry Blossom, a ship carrying 55,000 tons of Moroccan Sahara phosphates bound for New Zealand, in a hostile action reflecting the use of the justice system in South Africa by the separatists to settle political matters with Morocco. The court decided that […]