The Western Sahara is a disputed territory in North Africa, currently controlled by the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Its governance is disputed, and the United States Department of State no longer issues separate travel advice for the region. The Western Sahara is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean between Mauritania and Morocco. The region is known for its craggy coastline, which is both dangerous and beneficial for the fishery.
There are no COVID-19 testing or vaccination requirements for travelers entering the Western Sahara. Passport validity requirements must be valid for the proposed entry. Travel along Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara (west of the Berm) is easy and safe, with only a few military checkpoints. However, non-essential travel to the region is advised due to the threat of terrorism and unexploded landmines.
The Government of Canada offers consular services to travelers. The Western Sahara on the Moroccan side is not dangerous to cross, but venturing into the desert part may be difficult. Passport Health provides top-notch vaccination services to help keep travelers safe at home or abroad.
Unexploded landmines are an ongoing risk in the Western Sahara, with higher risks within 30km of the Berm and closer inland. To protect yourself, stay aware of your surroundings, stay healthy, respect, and contact local authorities.
📹 Understanding Western Sahara
The complex situation of the disputed territory of Western Sahara explained. Music: Frozen Star Kevin MacLeod …
Is Western Sahara safe for tourists?
Terrorism is expected to strike Western Sahara, with attacks potentially indiscriminate, even in foreign-visited areas. The region is part of a UN-mediated dispute, with MINURSO, the UN Peacekeeping mission, operating since 1991. A ceasefire between Morocco and the Polisario Front broke down in 2020, causing irregular skirmishes and civilian casualties. Most of Western Sahara is under Moroccan administration, which closely monitors and controls access to the territory. It is advised to avoid political gatherings and demonstrations. Staying informed about local media reports and following local authorities is crucial.
Can you holiday in the Western Sahara?
Travel without a visa is allowed for up to 90 days in Moroccan-administered parts of Western Sahara and Morocco, with restrictions. Organised groups are generally permitted, but independent travelers may be turned back at the border. British citizens with a full UK passport can enter Western Sahara without a visa, but entry rules are set and enforced by Moroccan authorities. There are no COVID-19 testing or vaccination requirements for travelers entering Western Sahara.
Is it safe to live in Western Sahara?
In September 2021, Western Sahara faced concerns of a new conflict zone due to the Polisario’s declaration of war on Morocco. The FAA warned that the Polisario had access to anti-aircraft weaponry, potentially posing a risk to civil aircraft. The GCCC/Canarias FIR issued a Notam warning to avoid using airways over Western Sahara below FL200. However, hostilities have remained relatively limited, with no new warnings issued and the Canarias Notam withdrawn in November 2021.
Is it possible to go to Western Sahara?
SADR-controlled areas are off-limits to visitors due to the heavily guarded Berm, closed land border with Algeria, and no legal border crossings from Mauritania. The only international airport is in El Aaiun, with flights from the Canary Islands, Morocco, and Spain. Other airports are in Dakhla and Smara. There are no regular trains from El Aaiún to Marrakech, but a line is planned, and no train service between Agadir and Al Ayun.
Is it safe to travel to Morocco at the moment?
The UK Foreign Office advises against travelling to Morocco, stating that terrorists are highly likely to carry out attacks. Morocco is a three-hour flight away, offering a variety of travel options with minimal jetlag. Tourists can enjoy Arabic architecture in cities like Marrakesh and Rabat, as well as the bohemian west coast of Essaouira, where surfers and budget travelers can find reliable waves and affordable hotels.
The Atlas Mountains, which were briefly closed to tourism after an earthquake in September 2023, have reopened. However, violent crime and the likelihood of terrorist attacks in Morocco are high, particularly due to the increasing number of Moroccans sympathetic to Daesh and other extremist groups.
Is it safe to travel to the Sahara Desert?
The Western Sahara is a dangerous region with a high risk of terrorism and unexploded landmines. The Canadian government’s consular services are limited in this area. The Berm, a militarized boundary, separates the Moroccan-controlled part of Western Sahara from the rest of the Saharan territory, which borders Algeria and Mauritania. Unexploded ordnance fatalities occur in this zone annually.
Does anyone live in Western Sahara?
The Western Sahara’s population as of September 7, 2024, is estimated at 590, 506 people, equivalent to 0. 01 of the total world population. The region ranks 171 in the list of countries and dependencies by population. The population density is 2 per Km2, with 96. 6 of the population being urban. The median age in Western Sahara is 32. 3 years. The total land area is 266, 000 Km2, and the median age is 32. 3 years. The main cities in Western Sahara include boroughs, districts, and urban agglomerations.
Is Morocco safe in 2024?
Morocco has a low crime rate, but it’s important to stay alert and watch your valuables. Avoid poorly lit areas, travel alone at night, and flash valuables. Be cautious at beaches, crowded places, and tourist attractions. Stay in populated areas and watch traffic. Con artists target tourists, pretending to be friendly, and steal valuables.
Why does Morocco want Western Sahara?
The Polisario Front claims that Morocco’s position in Western Sahara is influenced by economic interests and political reasons, such as stability of the king’s position and the deployment of most of the Moroccan Army in the region. The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic was proclaimed in Western Sahara on 27 February 1976. Claims on Western Sahara have been ongoing since the 1960s, with Mauritanian President Moktar Ould Daddah leading the invasions.
In April 1976, Mauritania and Morocco partitioned the country into three parts, with Mauritania receiving the southern part, Tiris al-Gharbiyya. Mauritania waged four years of war against Polisario guerrillas, leading to a coup d’état that deposed Ould Daddah. In 1979, Mauritania withdrew after signing the Algiers Agreement with the Polisario Front, recognizing the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination and renouncing Western Sahara claims.
Is Algiers safe for American tourists?
Algeria is advised to exercise high caution due to the threat of terrorism and kidnapping. Travel to border areas within 200 km of the Mali, Mauritania, and Niger borders, and 50 km of the Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia borders, is advised to avoid all travel.
Is Western Sahara a war zone?
The Western Sahara conflict is a ongoing conflict between the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) and the Kingdom of Morocco. It began with 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. The conflict escalated after Spain’s withdrawal from the Spanish Sahara in accordance with the Madrid Accords.
The Polisario Front, backed by Algeria, waged a 16-year-long war for independence against Mauritania and Morocco. In 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 several other states.
The UN addressed the conflict via a resolution reaffirming the right to self-determination of the Sahrawi people. In 1977, France intervened as the conflict reached its peak intensity. In 1979, Mauritania withdrew from the conflict and territories, leading to a stalemate through most of the 1980s. After several engagements between 1989 and 1991, a cease-fire agreement was reached between the Polisario Front and the Moroccan government.
Despite multiple peace initiatives through the 1990s and early 2000s, the conflict reemerged as the “Independence Intifada” in 2005, a series of disturbances, demonstrations, and riots that broke out in Moroccan-held portions of Western Sahara. The protests were initially peaceful but later marked by clashes between civilians and security forces, resulting in dozens of casualties.
📹 What is WESTERN SAHARA? (Morocco?)
My Top 10 Favorite Youtube Tools MUSIC (No Copyright – Epidemic Sound) – https://share.epidemicsound.com/eashgi …
I’m of half North African descent as I have an Algerian mother. My mothers maternal grandfather was an ethnic Sahraoui, however his family have been in Algeria within recent generations. When asked about his origin he said where from “Western Sahara in Morocco”. Those who wanna call themselves Western Saharan are Western Saharan. Those who call themselves Moroccan are Moroccan. I personally say my family are mixed Algerian and Sahraoui but Moroccan Sahraoui as the term just means one from the desert. There are sahraoui’s from Algeria, Morocco, Libya, Egypt. So on a national level my mothers maternal side of the family are Moroccan sahraouis when being specific as sahraouis also exist in Algeria. And culturally Western Sahara and Morocco are linked. Both were taken over by Beni Hassan maqil tribes from Yemen and both trace descent to Sanhaja berbers. But personally I couldn’t care less if there western Saharan, Moroccan, Algerian, Tunisian. I’m sure France and Spain are having a nice time perusal us fight each other. I also don’t see a point in an area that numbers just over 500,000 operating as a country. Don’t know if it’s strong enough to even operate. We don’t need another failed Arab state. I may be wrong. My Algerian family say they have Moroccan blood. Not western Saharan. But then again identify as you wish. I don’t know why the Algerian government got involved. The Algerian and Moroccan people love each other. I see it in my own bloodline. Stop all these negative and nationalistic comments.
It would cool of you to do a article on the full extent of the Axis Powers. Its interesting and kind of scary how much territory they gained and how they sort of planned to conquer the world. Also, don’t worry about adding a few more opinions, though few enough that the articles can stand up in class rooms. Love the articles, so keep them coming.
I’m from Western Sahara my whole family indentifies as Moroccans, the only reason the king can’t do much for us is because we’re in the middle of the desert so we move to urban cities and get free housing,only 30,000 western Saharas want to separate and be Polisario search it up and if they don’t want to be part f our county they can leave😂
I’m from Sahara layoon, So For Now, 10 country’s open them consulates in Moroccan Sahara and Algeria lose them wealths for the polisario, Because Algeria wants to reach the Moroccan Atlantic Ocean and Sahara part, but it cannot because the Moroccan diplomacy is strong. The only solution is the autonomy of the Sahara with Moroccan control The flag, the slogan, and the autonomy proposed by Morocco have received significant support from America and Europe. Morocco is strong with his history on his Sahara, diplomacy and the Moroccan Sahara culture. The people of the Sahara 80% of them are on Moroccan soil and love their Moroccan kingdom.
I’m Moroccan living in dakhla city in the south of Morocco, and I just knew about dispute of western Sahara recently, I’m interested to know more about it because here we live normally like every other place in Morocco, the Saharawis who want the independence of western Sahara are very rare, bcs the separatists actually exist in South of Algeria, we can’t accept to be separated from Morocco, we are safe and we have everything we need as a Moroccan ppl, why would we want independence??
By recognizing Morocco’s proprietary right to Western Sahara, President Trump has shown great leadership and remarkable insight into the region’s political history. Historians as well as anthropologists know only too well that the ethnic minority from whom the Polisario separatist group descends, namely Banu Hassan, did not set foot in Western Sahara until 15th century, long after so many other Berber and Arab nomadic tribes had marked their presence in the region. This explains why the Polisario are both ethnically and linguistically different from native Berbers, and why they have more in common with the Yamanis of the Arabian Peninsula than any other North African native tribe. The Polisario should be grateful to Morocco for offering them a home and allowing them equal access to the region’s natural resources, and perhaps more grateful now than ever to be offered partial autonomy. Encouraging them to claim independence is synonymous to inveigling North African communities of France to fight for an independent state of their own in the heart of Europe, which no European of sound mind would ever tolerate. From a legal perspective, the Polisario’s claim to Western Sahara, a land which formed part of Morocco prior to its occupation by Spain, is void ab initio under Public International Law, for it is based on fraudulent misrepresentation. President Trump knows that there has never existed a contract of allegiance between the Kings of Morocco and the Polisario. Any ties of such allegiance as referred to by the International Court of Justice were between successive Moroccan monarchs and the region’s tribal leaders of of whom the Polisario constituted no part.
In early 1975, both Morocco and Mauritania agreed to abide by the decision of the International Court of Justice on the status of the Spanish Sahara, but when the court ruled in October 1975 that neither country was entitled to claim sovereignty over the territory, both governments chose to ignore the decision. In November 1975, they concluded the Madrid Agreements with Spain under which Morocco acquired the northern two-thirds of the territory, while Mauritania acquired the southern third. The agreement also included the proviso that Spain would retain shares in the Bu Craa mining enterprise. Mauritania acquiesced to the agreements under the assumption
It’s funny how all that Europeans have to do is draw a line in the sand and the people living there automatically adopt that “national identity”. Even journalist Robert Fisk made the observation of how ironic it is that all those “colonized” peoples eagerly adopted the colonizer’s borders. What exactly is “Western Saharan national identity” except that which Spain gave them? In fact, why are Western Sahara, Morocco, and Algeria even separate countries at all? Seems silly to complain about European colonialism when you eagerly adopt that same colonialism’s legacy.
There is nothing called Western Sahara. That’s Berber land. Berbers live in North Africa from Canary islands up to Sina in Egypt. Berbers are very welcoming people. They opened doors to Jewish people, to sub Sahara people then Arabs. When Arabs immigrated, chased by wars, bloodshed, starvation, they don’t want to integrate but want to now establish a country in the land that’s not theirs. Imagine Pakistanis in UK want to establish a state in England, or Turkish in Germany.. that’s out of question. They should integrate or go back to their middle East. To be honest, Berbers are nice but don’t want terrorism, racism, hatred.. coming from these Arab immigrants
Whether Western Sahara wants to stay with Morocco or not, I don’t care. But the people must have the right to self-determination. Self-determination is, for me, one of the most important rights a nation can have. I’ve seen in my own country how this lack of self-determination leads to war and conflict, and I don’t want it happening in Western Sahara I have no problem with Morocco, in fact, I kind of like it in general. But they must give Western Sahara the right to self-determination, or else they’re no better than the French and the Spanish during the years of occupation The Moroccans who supported the war of independence of Muslim Mindanao (Bangsamoro) in the Philippines, are probably the same who believe that Western Sahara belongs to them, even if they aren’t from there. The Bangsamoro is now autonomous, and they voted for it to be so, but my country never gave them the choice of independence. Luckily, most people of the Bangsamoro seem satisfied with the current agreement of autonomy, but it may not be so for the Sahrawi
I have a dream of being the President of the USA one day. And I am against US involvement in wars that do not concern us. Except for Western Sahara. See, the Arabs of Western Sahara are an oppressed group, persecuted for their dream of independence. I’m an Irishmen, and we Irish know all about oppression (glares at the British) I live in Northern Ireland, and know what oppression is. (fragging Protestants) I feel for the people of Western Sahara. From one oppressed minority to another.
The Moroccan Sahara is a disputed territory located in the Western Sahara region of North Africa. It has been the subject of a long-standing conflict between Morocco and the Polisario Front, which seeks independence for the territory. Morocco claims sovereignty over the region and has established a government presence there, while the Polisario Front maintains control over some parts of the territory. The conflict has been ongoing since the 1970s and has involved military clashes, political negotiations, and international mediation efforts. Currently, the United Nations maintains a peacekeeping mission in the region known as MINURSO, which is tasked with monitoring a ceasefire that was agreed to in 1991. There have been some recent diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict, but it remains unresolved.
I love your articles! And keep sprinkling in the thought bubble humor 🙂 I have to admit, I have this compulsion to want to improve things. When competing with the entire internet short, concise, and memorable information tends to win. The Minute Physics and Minute Earth websites are good examples. I feel like these articles get bogged down in too much detail, much of which I won’t remember. articles that are concise obviously skip over a lot of the detail, but they help me better process and remember what I am told. It also caters to the impatient world youtube and technology has fostered. If these articles were more concise, I’d remember and watch more of them. When I do have the patience, I do enjoy perusal them. You clearly put a lot of time and effort into the research and I really do appreciate the knowledge and information you present. And I love your accent! (a bit of an inappropriate quote, but … as Chris Hardwick put it: Tim Minchin on the Green Room Part 2 )
am Moroccan and i say its Moroccan Sahara we invest Alot of money building the cities and everything for years and Algeria was behind the conflict supporting terrorist with latest weapons to attack morocco they don’t even have exist until Algeria started this to prevent morocco from asking for stolen land that was taken by France and this still a question mark
Algerians Military complex, Throughout French colonization of Algeria and then Morocco, the Moroccan territory shrunk as the Algerian territory expanded. On 1956 Morocco achieved its independence and France offered to Morocco their territories back and mark new border and requested to stop supporting Algerian. Morocco refused France’ offer, continued to support the Algerian fight and had an agreement with Algeria government then to resolve the disputed territories once they obtain their independence. Algeria betrayed Morocco, refused to return its territory and created Polisario. On 1975, The Algerian regime expelled some 45,000 Moroccan families, about 300,000 people who have been residing legally in Algeria for decade, including many who fought the Algerian war of independence. They stole their homes, stole their businesses, separated families (kids, spouses, etc), and kidnapped people. Algeria and Libyen leader Gafafi have created and sponsored Polisario. This agression has been forced on Morocco since 1973. Algeria does not want to provide an appropriate climate for Morocco to resolve the matter in its favour. Algiers and Spain want the issue to remain unresolved to divert their population from their internal affairs and keep Morocco weak and occupied. Moroccan Sahara (AKA Western) is an integral part of Moroccan territory and we will never allow anyone to change our historical and legitimate right. You are ungrateful and uncultured regime who thrives on war and instability.
This article answered one of the big questions I have in life. Thanks a lot. What I wonder is what resources made this place special, because to be wanted for 3 other countries and a big territory that is saying a lot. Btw my country recognizes the Sahrawi Arab Republic because when there was a change of president, Their leader was an honorary guest. Too bad for the people which do not make the million but what can you expect if you do not follow the rules completely and many circunstances make a bigger discussion. Thanks and you should do one based on Somalia or Africa as a whole. Because is a place where it is really hard to understand. Good luck in your flight :D
Western Sahara: *exists* *Spain has joined the chat* *UN Decolonization has joined the chat* *Morocco has joined the chat* *French Mauritania has joined the chat* *Non-French Mauritania has joined the chat* *Polisario Front has joined the chat* *Algeria Support has joined the chat* *Pressure has joined the chat* *Spain has left the chat* *Mauritania has left the chat* Morocco: MEIN MEIN MEIN
Don’t forget that Roosevelt promised Morocco its full independence with the control of today’s Mauritania, the so-called Western Sahara and the eastern side of Algeria known as Tindouf (where the Polisario reside) in exchange for using the Moroccan coastlines during WW2. Unfortunately Roosevelt died before fulfilling his promise.
Olá, eu sou do Brasil, se vc puder colocar legendas por favor, pois eu não sei inglês e gosto muito de seus vídeos. E quando você coloca as legendas mesmo sendo inglês, existe a opção de traduzir as legendas para o português. Desde já agradeço !! Hello, I’m from Brazil, if u can please put subtitles because I do not know English and I really like your articles. And when you put English subtitles even though there is the option to translate the subtitles for the Portuguese. Thanks in advance!
Really nice article, the single thing you forgot to mention is that Spain is still holds the legal ownership over the territorry until an agreement is made, as aproved by the UN. Though Spain doesn’t really control the territory it does control the airports and ports in the region as well as Sapanish citizens are alloud to travel to the region without a visa, just as if they were travellimg anywhere else in their country.
Morocco in its deserts and desert in Morocco … 😊👉 I mean desert the Moroccan since ever and forever May god protect him ours the Commander of the Faithful and Our King Dear On hearts Moroccans… We do not we injustice anyone, but we will not be merciful with who has injustice us 😍👇🇲🇦 He who says that is not, Moroccan desert You have to go to read history 👉🇲🇦 Our unity Our earth is a red line…. 🌸 We are the sons of Tarek Ibn Ziad 🌸 I am Moroccan and I am proud 😘🇲🇦 God 💗 homeland 💗 King 💗
I’m from Laayoune the biggest city in the Western Sahara. Just wanna say that the sahara has always been Moroccan. We the people born and raised here recognize it as moroccan, while some mercenaries are claiming that we are colonised and they want to free us. Armed terrorist mercenaries (aka Polisario) living in the sand and committing human rights crimes, want to free us, the ones who actually belong to the sahara and live in western like developped cities.
There are 2 seperate (though connected) issues here and they should be solved seperately. Attempting to solve them together will only prolong the suffering of the Saharawi people indefinitely. The two issues are: 1.The displacement of the Saharawis into Algeria 2.The political status of the Western Sahara Of the two issues above, by far the more pressing is the displacement of the Saharawis. This is the result of a military action that happened in the 1970s. It is not justified to keep them displaced from their own country and living in a refugee camp after so long. Therefore, all efforts should be made to enable them to return back home. Furthermore, this is the easier issue to solve because there is no fundamental objection to this by any party. Once the first issue is solved, and the Saharawi refugees have returned to Western Sahara, then the Saharawis will be in the same position as other people who are living in a disputed territory. More political dialogue and negotiation will be required to solve that issue, which may take time. However, in the meantime, the Saharawis will be able to live a normal life in their own country, even if under Moroccan rule, which is far preferable to living in a refugee camp in the middle of the desert. There are other disputed territories in the World today, but we wouldn’t deem it necessary for people to remain displaced from them, even if they disagreed with the terms of occupation. For example, it would be absurd if the Irish Nationalist (Catholic) population of Northern Ireland were to live in a refugee camp for decades because they didn’t like British rule.
1) the region was occupied by spain not france . And they sticked to the borders to not enter each other zones that is clearly shows that their was a clear map . Maybe not 100% accurate but still clear . 2) polizario front did not fight for nothing they will gain their independence . 3) moroco tried occupating algeria with the same reason shortly after the independence . Tried to occupy tindofe and bechar . 4) algeria fought for their lands . Even though they had more casualties but they retook their land . 5) they seeked peace for a while . But Morocco did not stick to it . So algeria closed the borders . 6) most western sahara people live in algeria . 7) moritania retreated early cause they knew they will get losses after they knew they are fighting ex_fighters of the algerien révolution army ( expérience) and that algerien gov fund them . 8) no algeria dont want fosfor from Sahariens nor acces to ocean . Cause they dont even have free open market . 9) reasons why i mainly support closed borders is : – moroco is a large drugs exporter – they have to give polisario their land Ps : i am algerien of course .
I don’t know if this one will end up being solved by giving independence to the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic🇪🇭. However, I once would’ve said give the sovereignty to Morocco🇲🇦 but with a lot of autonomy to Western Sahara, yet I don’t think it would work given the situation in Hong Kong and Macau because the most populous part of the country has every so often removed powers and freedoms agreed to earlier with almost no repercussions to the latter. A possible solution could be the way Malaysia federated; Malaysian Borneo and Peninsular Malaysian states each have migration controls against each other, yet Sabah and Sarawak are both states just like those other states that make up peninsular Malaysia; however, the reason this works for them it’s clearly that both parts of Malaysia are separated by water, something that isn’t the reality of Morocco and Western Sahara. Another solution would be restructuring the Kingdom of Morocco into a federal state that makes Morocco and Western Sahara equal parts of the federation, instead of giving autonomy to Western Sahara within the kingdom, that way both have checks on each other in some sort of Senate, but in the lower chamber, the population discrepancy would be represented (in addition Western Sahara should have more than token representation in the cabinet of the Prime Minister), which would also mean that foreign affairs wouldn’t single-highhandedly be a Moroccan thing. I might be inclined to also allow Western Sahara to be able to participate individually in some international organizations, as it does now in the African Union, just like Hong Kong does today especially sporting ones like the Olympics.
Update. The Polisario is finished now that the Moroccan Sahrawis born before 1976 qualify for Spanish citizenship. The only Polisario that will be left in Algeria are those that have no ties to the Moroccan Sahara. Morocco should start a new dossier about returning the Tindouf region that was given to Algeria during colonial times and help the Kabyle people fight for the occupied Kabyli lands in Algeria.
Morocco wasn’t included in the spartition of Africa of 1880s, it became a french protectorate in 1911, and western sahara was part of morocco before the spanish invasion, the moroccan sahraoui are moroccans, and the majority of sahraoui people lives in northern morocco, the polizario front is a rogue militia financed by algeria’s military, you should check your information, and the difference between zone of influence and colony
The Western Sahara has been brutally occupied by Morocco on the same day the Spanish left it to its fate ! The Sahrawi people had absolutely no means of defending themselves. Thousands were brutally massacred and many thousands fled their homes and took refuge in neighbouring Algeria. The UN is unable to do anything as the Security Council is blocking any solution to the conflict, as France and to some extent the US continue to support the Moroccan occupation, thus prolonging the suffering and the oppression of the Sahrawi people. But this is unsustainable as sooner or later the Sahrawis will gain their independence.
مات القذافي مدموما و الصحراء مغربية،ومات بومدين مسموما و الصحراء مغربية ومات عبد العزيز المراكشي مقهورا و الصحراء مغربية ومات كاسترو معزولا و الصحراء مغربية ومات القايد صالح مغبونا والصحراء مغربية ولازال بو تفليقة مشلولا والصحراء مغربية ولازال التبون مفقودا والصحراء مغربية أنتم ترفضون و نحن نرفض و القافلة تسير و الكلاب تنبح إلى أن يرت الله الارض ومن عليها و الصحراء في مغربها و مرتزقة البولزاريو الإرهابية في قصرهم قصر المرادية
Shame on you.. Why you don’t talk abour Farahat Abbas, who has sighned a teaty whith the Moroccan king to get back all Moroccan territory token by france and given to algeria, by the colonial force, and then Houari Boumedien… Read the history man, before talk about this conflict, cuz it’s more complicated than the Palestinian one !!
There are a whopping 22 Arab countries already exiting in the world for a total population of 420 millions. In comparison, there are 1.4 billion Chinese and 1.3 billion Indians. Yet each people only have one country. The truth is no ethnic group on the planet is endowed with as many countries as the Arab. What a stunning contrast it is to the hundreds of stateless peoples who don’t have any sovereign governments directly representing them in the world. For example, Kurds have a population of 37millions – more than the population of any of the 21 out of the 22 Arab countries (only Algeria has more people). Yet the world has no independent Kurdish state. Are the Arabs so superior as to deserve 22 sovereign representatives in the global community while all other peoples have less? What extraordinary merits the Arab could possibly claim to justify so weighty a political clout it wields in the UN and other international bodies – a clout that way exceeds that of all other ethnic groups on Earth? Are the Arabs really more virtuous and talented than all the other human ethnicities? How many world class scientists, inventors, entrepreneurs, artists, etc. has the Arab world produced? (A case in point: Jews, with a global population of only 15 millions, have so far produced 208 Nobel Price Laureates. The Arabs, numbered 420 millions, produced 6.) The truth is that Arabs are NOT that superior. Having 22 Arab countries in the world is already an outrageous excess most unfair to the other peoples, many of whom don’t even have a single nation.
There is nothing to understand but European colonial powers want to redefine traditional borders in Africa. Western Saharan tribes were under the dominion of the Moroccan empire and gave allegiance to the throne even the world court in The Hague reiterated that. Governor was appointed in the City of Smara in the 1900. But that doesn’t matter to European colonialist minds and wanting to create new countries to weaken traditional centers of power. Most current people think that Morocco invaded the Sahara, which is not the case. The Green March liberated that territory from Spanish colonialism just like the Ifni and Tarfaya regions were liberated from Spain through négociations.
It is a really interesting and complex topic but I consider that one of the most worrying aspects is the violation of Human Rights of the Saharawi people by Morocco in the occupied area since 1975, where there have been a large number of abuses that attempt against human life and dignity. Western Sahara deserves more for its population. By adhering more to international law and the recommendations made by the UN, independence could be achieved and so many injustices would end. It shouldn´t be forgotten that we´re all human beings and we must live in equality conditions where our rights are respected and we can have free development.
There are countless small countries in Africa that are basically failed countries. Adding one more won’t improve anyone’s life. Polisario couldn’t govern even a small piece of land and keep people in tents for decads, so sure let’s give them a bigger area and more people to create another failed state so Africa has to depend on Europe. Look at just Sudan, the US pushed for dividing it, and South Sudan is now even worse, and the only ones suffering are the people. Europ and the US are not even worried about it anymore once another failed state is created in Africa
Funny fact, Morocco was an empire, and it did not contest the french post-colonial borderlines, thus, we adopted a peaceful attitudes with the freshly independent republic of Algeria, but they’ve got deceived thinking that with the victory over french in a guerrilla of attrition, the balance of power shifted in their favou, the ambiguity of this situation had led to a Conflict with Algeria before the African Union intervened, the pro-USSR socialist nation could not stand to be bordering a Liberal monarchy with multipartism and an access to two coastlines. thereby our neighbour held up the flag of hostility toward us, financing the Polisario and equipping them, just to try to weakening Morocco, and to compromise its economy
Western Sahara is the land of the Sahrawi people there is no contesting that. In 1975 it was the Sahrawi Polsario that liberated the region from the Spanish Moroccans did not fight to take back Western Sahara and left the fight to the indigenous Bedouin Sahrawi because they knew it was the land of the Sahrawi. It is contradictory that the government of Morocco has repressed the freedoms and rights of self determination of the Sahrawi people on the pretext of reasserting their national claims, while seemingly turning a blind eye to the Spanish occupation of Melilla and Ceuta. Two cities in de-jure Morocco that by all rights are in fact Moroccan unlike SADR (Sahrawi Democratic Republic). I have many Moroccan friends who disagree with the Moroccan Government occupation of SADR and many more who wholeheartedly believe it is in fact Morocco, so I appreciate the divergence of opinion when it comes to this topic. Politics are never clear cut, and hard truths cut both ways. Under the reign of Hassan II the Berbers (which are a vast ethnic majority in Morocco) were terribly persecuted and their attempts at gaining a level of autonomy for El Hoceima were dashed. We could go further and point out the hypocrisy of the Moroccan government in its active participation in both Gulf wars in Iraq in 1992, it is not the people but those that govern that have turned Morocco into a country full of contradictions and lacking in moral integrity. Long Live The Sahrawi Democratic Republic And Long live a Better Morocco without the authoritarianism of the Aloauite Kings.
Yeah yeah sure, go ahead and support a bunch of child recruiting kidnappers . Fun fact: the polisario “itself” isn’t actually something, it’s just Algeria in disguise, to try and have a reach to the atlantic ocean and all, and for all the minerals in the region, cause literally Algeria spends money on the polisario more than the algerian people itself, like Algeria wouldn’t do that out of mere care and love ? Well I’m not gonna lie and claim that Morocco isn’t interested in all the riches in the region, besides seeking its territorial integrity, 70% of the worlds phosphate reserve is no joke. So what I do think is that Algeria doesn’t have to be too greedy and mind its own business, and what about the “poor sahrawi people” ? In case of so called independence they literally live in camps and have no basic requirements of a country or whatsoever, so autonomy under Moroccan rule is its best choice. *Feel free to change my mind.
@WonderWhy I wonder why you start your article in colonial time. Why don’t you say that Morocco was an already existing state prior the Berlin conference, which had relations with the British empire? And that Western Sahara, and Mauritania were a part of the Moroccan Kingdom? That’s the problem with whitesplaining. They always start everything from a Western point of view. Spain and France ganged-up on the Moroccan kingdom and torn in apart. France created Mauritania as an artificial state to break Morocco. Morocco finally got a tiny part of it’s original territory.
At the Berlin Conference: Britian:Dibs on South Africa! Portugal: I’m taking Mozambique! Germany: Guys I’m taking Namibia… People in the past were so violent, this goes on both sides.. The colonisers thought Africa was free land. I wish that kind of hate stays in the past where it should be. Racism is not cool.
Questions worth asking: Who are Sahrawi people and where do they originate from? Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania, Mali, Yemen, etc. Who are the Polisario? Who created Polisario? Who are the leaders of Polisario past and present? Who sponsor Polisario and why? What was Moroccan map looked like prior the French and Spanich Colonization? What is the Moroccan historical relationship with the southern province ( aka Moroccan/western Sahrawi)? How many Sahrawi population run away to the Moroccan north provinces as a result of spanich invasion? How did Sahrawi population end up in Algeria? Look into cases of kidnapping, abductions and false imprisonments. Why Does Algerian Army surround the Polisario camps and prevent Sahrawi from leaving? Who are the beneficiaries of the unchanged status quo? What has happened to the international funding and disappearance of it? Check the black markets in Mauritania and Mali. Investigate the disappearance of food fundings, follow the money from the international companies, Algeria, Polisario, black market. Look into cases of brainwashing and the affect of false imprisonment on human psyche . The Sahrawi population in the Algerians’ camps have been a subject of the indoctrination and siege since 70th. Where are the Sahrawi population educated and the relationship and the intentions of these countries toward Morocco? Cold War era. Algeria, Cuba, venezuela and Spain.
Before the Spanish fascist occupied it. the area was never called western sahara at that time. Those fascists from Spain want to divide Morocco so it will be weake and smaller than them. But they forgot the true size of Morocco. The true size of Morocco is from the city of Nouakchott to above the mountains of the pyrenees.
the fact that it is 2/3 morrocan and the Fact that morroco controls the vast majority of the territory means that it is pretty much morroco. Weather or not it should be is a different story I also think it is funny you can go from western sahara who resents territorial control from morroco who resents territory controlled by Spain who in term resents that it has territory controlled by the british
I was thinking about how nobody is in the right, I’d say the thing the Polisario did wrong was denying the fact that both Mauritania and Morocco would rule over theyr land but it’s pretty foolish to say a country is in the wrong for guarding theyr own land. Respect to Mauritania tho. Spain obviously ruled the land as a former colonial power and kept rule over Western Sahara but Spain has to let go of alot of things. So does Morocco with the whole border situations they have where Spain owns tiny amounts of coast land of Morocco. It’s just silly.