Defeating illegal trade in Western Sahara: corporations under pressure from NGOs

The year 2001 marked the beginning of a new trading strategy to the benefit of Morocco following the accession to the throne of Mohammed VI in 1999. Less permissive than his father with regard to what was presumed or expected from his reign, the new sovereign has aimed to focus his regime's efforts on legitimising the country's occupation of Western Sahara by offering attractive deals to international corporations. In the absence of political condemnation from foreign countries, civil society and various solidarity movements outside the country have vowed to prevent the king and his government from trading away peace.