Paris — Several associations, trade unions and French political parties, denounced Friday the contract signed by the company Total and Morocco for oil exploration in the occupied territories of Western Sahara.

In a statement, associations, trade unions and political parties asked French Total "to reconsider immediately its presence in this territory."

They also recalled the situation colony of Western Sahara by Morocco partially occupied militarily for 37 years.

In this sense, they emphasize that total in 2001 signed a similar agreement that prompted the UN Security Council to request for legal opinion on the legality of the agreement.

The opinion concluded that any development or exploration of the natural resources of Western Sahara violates international law if does not take into account the Saharawi people and their legitimate representative, the Polisario Front. (SPS)