sahrawi independence movement

[citation needed], In April 2007, the government of Morocco suggested that a self-governing entity, through the Royal Advisory Council for Saharan Affairs (CORCAS), should govern the territory with some degree of autonomy for Western Sahara. Despite the agreement between Morocco and the Polisario Front, the MINURSO mandate has been extended 47 times since 1991. Of these, 39 have since "frozen" or "withdrawn" recognition for a number of reasons. No replacement plan exists, however, and worries persist that the political vacuum will result in renewed fighting. However, in early 1975, Morocco expressed its total opposition to the independence of the country, despite the fact that a UN special mission to the territories disputed reconfirmed the right to self-determination of the Sahrawi people. The claimed capital city of the SADR is El-Aain (Laayoune) (the former capital of Western Sahara). The Western Sahara, given its name in 1975 by the UN, is the last African colonial state still to declare its independence. In 1884, Spain set up a colony on the Rio de Oro bay (Villa Cisneros, current day Dakhla). In Western Sahara itself, by the end of 1957, the Sahrawi contingent of the guerilla movement forced the Spanish army to retreat near Sidi Ifni. TINDOUF, Algeria Since Moroccan authorities expelled United Nations personnel in March, a 25-year cease-fire has grown tenuous and the Sahrawi people seem to have lost hope for a peaceful resolution to their quest for independence.. Report of the Secretary-General on the situation concerning Western Sahara. [44], Morocco has argued that the Polisario Front receives support from Hezbollah, Iran, and al-Qaida. Among key points, the head of state is constitutionally the Secretary General of the Polisario Front during what is referred to as the "pre-independence phase", with provision in the constitution that on independence, Polisario is supposed to be dismantled or separated completely from the government structure. During this time-lapse, the region was disputed by four parties: Spain, Morocco, Mauritania, and the Polisario Front ( Frente Popular de Liberacin de Saguia el Hamra y Ro de Oro), founded in 1973 with the main goal to obtain the recognition of the right to self-determination and independence of the indigenous Sahrawi people. [73], In April 2020, the Polisario Front publicly condemned the state of the on-going peace talks stating that its inaction legitimized the encroachment of Morocco into the territory. The refugee camps are located in Algeria and the country has armed, trained, and financed the Polisario for more than thirty years. [3], Still in 1975, Morocco, Mauritania, and Spain signed the Madrid Accords, which divided Western Saharas territory between Morocco (northern two-third) and Mauritania (southern one-third). It was endorsed by the UN in 2003. President of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic: Brahim Ghali. Biden decided not to reverse Trumps recognition of Moroccos sovereignty over Western Sahara. Today the government in Rabat rejects all solutions that are intended to establish the area under Moroccan sovereignty. It marked the beginning of a Moroccan illegal invasion, occupation, and annexation, which has continued since then with the tacit support of the United States and the EU countries. Unlike the Organization of African Unity which has strongly backed Western Sahara's right to self-determination, the Arab League has shown little interest in the area. With most refugees still living in the camps, the refugee situation is among the most protracted worldwide. A stalemate over the Moroccan proposal led the UN, in an April 2007 "Report of the UN Secretary-General", to ask the parties to enter into direct and unconditional negotiations to reach a mutually accepted political solution.[44]. However, the plan could not be implemented, due to Moroccos demands for voters lists that favoured its grip on power. The seat of the SADR government is in the Sahrawi refugee camps in Tindouf, Algeria. In 2018 the United Nations Security Counsel announced that peace talks regarding the Western Sahara territory would resume and delegates of the Polisario Front, Morocco, Algeria, and Mauritania would all be present. 3802 Convention on Rights and Duties of States Adopted by the Seventh International Conference of American States. The SADR maintains diplomatic relations with 45 United Nations states, and is a full member of the African Union. After attempting in vain to gain backing from several Arab governments, including both Algeria and Morocco itself, the movement only succeeded in obtaining support from Libya and Mauritania. May 12, 2021. Provisions are detailed for a transitory phase beginning with independence, in which the present SADR is supposed to act as Western Sahara's government, ending with a constitutional reform and eventual establishment of a state along the lines specified in the constitution. The Sahara Press Service later said that Polisario fighters had attacked Moroccan positions along different parts of the frontline, which stretches hundreds of miles across the desert. Morocco was readmitted to the African Union only in 2017, by ensuring that the conflicting claims between Morocco and the SADR would be solved peacefully and stopping the extension of its exclusive military control by building additional walls. Calvary Chapel Golden Springs | Diamond Bar CA Wagner Group News | Western Sahara What is Western Sahara and why does Morocco claim sovereignty over it? Share Facebook Further attempts have since been made to resolve the conflict, but no lasting resolution has been achieved to date. Such statements are interpreted as a method of implied recognition. While the protests were initially peaceful, they were later marked by clashes between civilians and security forces, resulting in dozens of casualties on both sides. The Baker Plan (formally, Peace Plan for Self-Determination of the People of Western Sahara) was a United Nations initiative led by James Baker to grant self-determination to Western Sahara, and was formulated in the year 2000. [16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27] On the other hand, some states which had "withdrawn" or "frozen" recognition later resumed it (most recently Colombia and South Sudan). Despite considering the entire territory of current-day Western Sahara as its possession, beyond a handful of coastal settlements, Spain did not have effective control over the desert hinterland due to its harsh climatic conditions and the presence of small, nomadic groups, among whom intertribal conflicts were frequent. Morocco, however, claims that it will still abide by the ceasefire and alleges that the army was simply trying to re-open the road to traffic. The SADR government is based in the, 75% to 80% of the claimed territory is de facto, This page was last edited on 6 July 2023, at 15:00. The Sahrawi People's Liberation Army is the defence force of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic and previously served as the armed wing of the Polisario Front prior to the foundation of the Republic. The Polisario, a socialist guerrilla movement formed in 1973, waged a war for independence and established the self-declared Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic that received recognition from. Western Sahara: Why Africa's last colony can't break free Ten days after its founding, the Polisario Front launched a guerilla war against the Spanish. The wave of independence witnessed across the world, particularly in Africa, in the 1950s and 1960s seems to have never finished. Most of the Sahrawi refugees live in very precarious conditions in refugee camps in the Tindouf region of Algeria, a barren, arid, windswept and desolate portion of the Sahara Desert, entirely dependent on humanitarian assistance, as stated by the Danish Refugee Council. The rebellious territory was finally subdued in 1934, after joint Spanish and French forces destroyed Smara for a second time. The Gdeim Izik protest camp was established in Western Sahara on 9 October 2010 and lasted into November, with related incidents occurring in the aftermath of its dismantlement on 8 November 2010. Polisario calls the territories under its control the Liberated Territories or the Free Zone, while Morocco controls and administers the rest of the disputed territory and calls these lands its Southern Provinces. 1965 - The UN calls for the decolonisation of Western Sahara. Brahim Ghali was elected leader of the Polisario Front and president of the SADR in July 2016 following the death of long-term president Mohamed Abdelaziz Ezzedine. Before the 1884-85 Berlin Conference, which was later denominated the scramble for Africa and which signaled the beginning of the colonial era, Europeans had only made a few incursions into the African continent, with trading posts mainly centered around the coasts and an economy revolving around the slave trade. Delegations, including parliamentarians, ambassadors, NGOs and activists from many countries participated in this event.[42][43]. Indeed, Morocco had joined the growing list of predominantly Arab countries to establish open diplomatic relations with Israel (the other countries belonging to the Arab League that did the same are Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Sudan). Moroccan authorities rebutted the condemnation saying Al-Batal had crashed into a police car and resisted arrest, however these claims were disputed in an investigation on the incident published by The Washington Post. The Status of Western Sahara: A Forgotten Conflict - Qantara.de Between 1884 and 1975, Western Sahara was known as Spanish Sahara, a Spanish colony (later an overseas province). 1957 - Newly-independent Morocco lays centuries-old claim to Western Sahara. [32] Some third parties have called for both Morocco and Algeria to negotiate directly to find a solution for the conflict. However, India withdrew its recognition in 2000. Foreign Minister of Chile reported 30 November 1999 by official letter to Sahrawi Chancellor the decision of the President of Chile to recognize the SADR. [13] Armed conflict continued to break out until a 1991 ceasefire. [77] On 15 January 2022, de Mistura, met with Polisario's head of political organization, Khatri Addouh, in Shahid Al Hafed. A Forgotten Conflict. The plan of territorial integrity is favoured by the Arab League, which does not recognize the SADR. Although it is not recognised by the UN, the SADR has held full membership of the African Union (AU, formerly the Organisation of African Unity, OAU) since 1982. After several more engagements between 1989 and 1991, a cease-fire agreement was reached between the Polisario Front and the Moroccan government. On 27 February 2008, the provisional capital was formally moved to Tifariti. Spains bull run tackles sexual assaults head on, How a murder in Canada fuelled tensions with India, The US military revives an idea for stealthy sea power, 'Nerve-shredding' film explores perils of freediving. According to Human Rights Watch, the Moroccan security forces moved to dismantle the Gdeim Izik tent camp. There have been also many instances of human rights violations and serious breaches of the Geneva convention committed by the Moroccan Government, the Polisario Front, and the Algerian government. It separated the Moroccan-annexed areas from the Polisario-controlled areas. [86], As early as 1979, the idea of a defensive wall has been an obvious one for the Moroccan authorities. [53] Although the Polisario Front was not involved in the negotiations, the SFPA explicitly allows for European Vessels to fish in the disputed coast of the Western Sahara territory. A total of 29 UN states maintain an embassy from the SADR, with Vietnam being the only nation not hosting an embassy but only sending their own mission[24] [Sahrawi embassies exist in 18 states]. 71,619 were here. [note 2] SADR has, at some point in time, been recognised by 43.5% of United Nations (UN) member states, 38 out of the other 54 (70%) African Union (AU) member states, 18 out of 57 (32%) Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states, and 5 out of 22 (23%) Arab League (AL) member states. Diplomatic relations were frozen 22 April 2000. While the claimed capital is the former Western Sahara capital El-Aain (which is in Moroccan-controlled territory), the proclamation was made in the government-in-exile's provisional capital, Bir Lehlou, which remained in Polisario-held territory under the 1991 ceasefire (see Settlement Plan). (s/2001/613 Paragraph 54)", "Sahara Marathon: Host Interview Transcript", "US Ambassador urges dialogue between Morocco and Algeria", "The Polisario Front Credible Negotiations Partner or After Effect of the Cold War and Obstacle to a Political Solution in Western Sahara? AU, OIC; Recognition withdrawn 2 April 1997. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. The SADR government considers the Moroccan-held territory occupied territory, while Morocco considers the much smaller SADR held territory to be a buffer zone. [83] Women have been "responsible for much of the administration of the camps. I love travelling, discovering new cultures, and having fun. This was attested by pro-Polisario demonstrations in many locations that the United Nations mission visited. The formal recognition of the disputed territory has been carried out in a moment when the Trump administration has prioritized strengthening Israels diplomatic position in the Middle East. At the time, most of the Western Sahara territory remained under Moroccan control, while the Polisario controlled some 20% of the territory in its capacity as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, with additional pockets of control in the Sahrawi refugee camps along the Algerian border. on 4 December 2018 Moroccan forces arrested Nezha El Khalidi under Article 381 for live-streaming a Sahrawi protest and subsequently failing to meet the qualifications of a journalist. [78], The Polisario controls about 2025% of the Western Sahara territory,[79] as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), and claim sovereignty over the entire territory of Western Sahara. Polisario Front | Conflict, History, Movement, & Rebel Group There was conflicting information on Vietnam's position. Political status of Western Sahara and extended the MINURSO mission until 31 October 2007. Weekly quiz: Which Hollywood star was in the driving seat? Masters Programs in Migration and Diaspora Studies, The Global Indian Diasporas: Literary, Cultural and Socio-Economic Perspectives in the 21st Century, Essential Resources to Support Struggling Migrant Workers, Dominant Approaches in Counter Trafficking: A Constructive Critique in the Indian Context, 4th International E-Conference on Migration, Governance and COVID-19: Session on Internal Migration in India, Artificial Unintelligence: How Computers Misunderstand the World by Meredith Broussard, We Are Displaced My Journey and Stories from Refugee Girls Around the World, I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up For Education And Changed The World. Constructed in six stages, from 1980 to 1987, five 'breaches' along the wall allow Moroccan troops the right of pursuit. In February 1976, the Polisario Front declared the establishment of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, which was not admitted into the United Nations, but won limited recognition by a number of other states. [81][82] Most affairs and camp life organization is run by the refugees themselves, with little outside interference. [15][16] Day-to-day business, however, is conducted in the Sahrawi refugee camps in Tindouf Province, Algeria, which house most of the Sahrawi exile community. [13], Seeking to chance the status quo, the Polisario Front blocked the Western Saharan city of Guerguerat, a key trade route between Morocco and Mauritania in 2020. The questions of mutual recognition, establishment of a possible Sahrawi state and the large numbers of Sahrawi refugees displaced by the conflict are among the key issues of the ongoing Western Sahara peace process. Sahrawi nationalism (Arabic: ) is a political ideology that seeks self-determination of the Sahrawi people, the indigenous population of Western Sahara. [94] Spanish news agency Europa Press later criticized Moroccan authorities for expelling international observers from the public trail.[95]. [1], In 1957, Sahrawis began to enrol in the Moroccan Army of Liberation and launched attacks against French positions in southwestern Algeria and the extreme north of Mauritania, capitalising on Western Saharas strategic location. [57], The Obama administration disassociated itself from the Moroccan autonomy plan in 2009, however, reversing the Bush-backed support of the Moroccan plan, and returning to a pre-Bush position, wherein the option of an independent Western Sahara is on the table again. This home is currently off market - it last sold on June 12, 2003 for $310,000. Eleven security officers and at least two civilians were killed, by official count. ", In March 2020, Liberia opened a consulate in, Although Guatemala does not recognize the SADR as a state, it does recognize, In 2021, Morocco's Minister of Foreign Affairs, International recognition of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, States whose parliaments have voted to recognize SADR, According to international law regarding recognition of states, contained in article 6 of the, The information in this column is taken from. Human Rights Watch called for the release of the political prisoners reporting that they had been held in harsh conditions and tortured to sign confessions, a direct violation of international law. But some states support the Moroccan autonomy plan that aims at integrating the whole Western Sahara territory within its borders. A 16-year-long insurgency ended with a UN-brokered truce in 1991 and the promise of a referendum on independence which has yet to take place. The Polisario Front has also been accused of suppressing media freedoms within its territories. 173", "Morocco severs ties with Iran, accusing it of backing Polisario Front", "Morocco Flexes Its Muscles Over Western Sahara: An Analysis of Rabat's Standoff With Tehran", "Pourquoi le Maroc a rompu ses relations avec l'Iran", "The EU, Morocco, and the Western Sahara: a chance for justice", "The Republic of Liberia Opens Consulate General in Dakhla", "New African consulates cause trouble for Western Sahara | DW | 31 March 2020", "MEPs adopt new Fisheries Partnership with Morocco including Western Sahara | News | European Parliament", "MEPs: Seek European Court's Opinion on EU-Morocco Fisheries Agreement's Compatibility with International Law", "98 Saharawi groups call on European Parliament to reject fish deal - wsrw.org", "EU-Morocco Fisheries Agreement: Polisario Front to file complaint before CJEU", "Morocco adds Western Sahara waters to its maritime borders | AW staff", "Obama reverses Bush-backed Morocco plan in favor of Polisario state", "U.S. proposes U.N. Western Sahara rights monitor; Morocco warns of "missteps", Moroccos autonomy proposal "cant be the only basis in these negotiations," says Samuel L. Kaplan, "Trump announces Israel and Morocco will normalize relations", "Israel and Morocco agree to normalise relations in latest Trump-brokered deal", "Proclamation on Recognizing The Sovereignty Of The Kingdom Of Morocco Over The Western Sahara", "TIMELINE: Western Sahara, a 50-year-old dispute", http://moroccanamericanpolicy.com/MoroccanCompromiseSolution041107.pdf, "Morocco and Polisario Front to hold second meeting to resolve 32-year dispute", "Western Sahara: UN-led talks end with parties pledging to step up negotiations", "Secretary-General appoints Peter van Walsum of the Netherlands as Personal Envoy for Western Sahara", "First Western Sahara talks at UN in six years, begin in Geneva", "Le Front Polisario dplore l'"inaction" et "le silence" du Conseil de scurit", "Search for New UN Personal Envoy for Western Sahara is Ongoing", "Secretary-General Appoints Staffan de Mistura of Italy Personal Envoy for Western Sahara | Meetings Coverage and Press Releases", "UN envoy starts new effort to broker deal on Western Sahara", "UN should seek peaceful settlement based on failure of past approaches", "Numerous reports from the Official Portal of the Government of Morocco refer to the area as a "buffer zone", "FMO Research Guide, Western Sahara. The Polisario gradually gained control over large swaths of the Western Saharan desert, and its power grew steadily after early 1975 when the Tropas Nomadas began deserting en masse to the Polisario Front, bringing their weapons and training with them. [4] In 1991, the UN established the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), which paved the way for a cease-fire agreement between Morocco and the SADR. In response, Spain stalled and postponed the long-planned self-determination referendum, which caused dismay among the Sahrawi population, especially the youth. The Polisario Front, backed by Algeria and Libya, desiring instead the establishment an independent Sahrawi state in the territory, fought both Mauritania and Morocco in quick succession, in an attempt to drive their forces out of the region. [80], In addition, the Polisario Front has a full autonomous control of the Sahrawi refugee camps. [47][48][49][50], In March 2020 Liberia opened a consulate for Morocco in the city of Dakhla,[51] becoming the 10th African country to establish a diplomatic mission to Morocco in Western Sahara effectively recognizing the Moroccan mission in the region. Movement for the Liberation of Saguia el Hamra and Wadi el Dhahab Polisario Front Sahrawi National Union Party Madrid Accords Partition agreement Regions Saguia el-Hamra Ro de Oro Southern Provinces Tiris al-Gharbiyya Free Zone Politics Annexation of Western Sahara Political status of Western Sahara Foreign relations of Morocco Makhzen [126][127], The MFA of South Ossetia issued a statement to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the SADR expressing its "greetings on the occasion of 35 anniversary of the Declaration of Independence Day of SADR". Human Right Watch has reported the abuses committed by the Moroccan government against Sahrawi people: The government bans peaceful demonstrations and refuses legal recognition to human rights organizations; the security forces arbitrarily arrest demonstrators and suspected Sahrawi activists, beat them and subject them to torture, and force them to sign incriminating police statements, all with virtual impunity; and the courts convict and imprison them after unfair trials. Institutions parallel to government structures also have arisen within the Polisario Front, which is fused with the SADR's governing apparatus, and with operational competences overlapping between these party and governmental institutions and offices. The conflict originated from an insurgency by the Polisario Front against Spanish colonial forces from 1973 to 1975 and the subsequent Western Sahara War against Morocco between 1975 and 1991. [41], On 27 February 2011, the 35th anniversary of the proclamation of SADR was held in Tifariti, Western Sahara. The Sahrawi government-in-exile based in Algeria has called on President Biden to reverse his predecessors decision to accept Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara. By Jenn Abelson Globe Staff,June 16, 2013, 12:00 a.m.. The Algerian-backed Polisario Front wants an independent state in the Western Sahara, a vast stretch of mineral-rich desert which Morocco considers part of its own . Hollywood actors walk out over pay and AI worries, 'I saw bodies dumped from lorry into mass grave', India set to launch historic Moon mission, Inside El Salvadors secretive mega-jail. Region has been claimed by both Morocco and Polisario Front, an independence movement. After the passing of the agreement a petition signed by leading Saharawi activist organizations in the region was penned to the EU condemning the decision,[55] and the Polisario Front announced it will challenge the vote in the European Court of Justice stating it was in clear violation of international law. In a note to Morocco on 4 October 2019, Lesotho stated that it had decided to "suspend all statements and decisions related to the status of Western Sahara and 'SADR' pending the outcome of the United Nations Process". Walad Bujama, 21, joined the Polisario Front in 2015. Morocco accomplished this task in exchange for the United States support of Moroccos claim over Western Sahara. [citation needed], Since August 1982, the highest office of the republic has been the President of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, a post held by the secretary-general of the Polisario Front, presently Brahim Ghali,[18] who appoints the Prime Minister, presently Bouchraya Hammoudi Bayoun. [86], The Western Sahara conflict has resulted in severe human rights abuses, most notably the aerial bombardments with napalm and white phosphorus of the Sahrawi refugee camps,[87] the exodus of tens of thousands of Sahrawi civilians from the country, and the forced expropriation and expulsion of tens of thousands of Moroccan expatriate civilians by the Algerian government in reaction to the Green March. Several international human rights organizations have accused the Moroccan government of imposing a media blackout in the region by targeting protestors and journalists. AU; Recognition withdrawn 28 September 2018. [37][unreliable source? On 20 May he led the Khanga raid, the Polisario's first armed action,[21] in which a Spanish post manned by a team of Tropas Nomadas (Sahrawi-staffed auxiliary forces) was overrun and a cache of rifles seized. After the events of the Zemla Intifada in 1970, when Spanish police forcibly disbanded the organization and "disappeared" its founder, Muhammad Bassiri, Sahrawi nationalism again swung towards militarism.
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