Background to the Western Sahara conflict
07/05/2005 | About Us
From 1884-1975 the Western Sahara was a Spanish colony. The people of the Western Sahara are called Sahrawis. Since 1975, Morocco has tried to annex the Western Sahara. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia El-Hamra and Rio De Oro (Polisario) has been fighting for self-determination since 1973. Today half of all native Western Saharans live in refugee camps in Algeria under Polisario protection. The Sahrawis living under Moroccan occupation have faced harsh repression and constant violations of their civil, political, economic, social and indigenous rights. International human rights organizations and other governments estimate that Morocco disappeared over 500 Sahrawis during the war with Polisario (1975-1991). Today Sahrawis are politically, socially and economically marginalized in their own land by the Moroccan settlers who outnumber the indigenous Sahrawis two-to-one. The United Nations defines the Western Sahara as a Non-Self-Governing Territory officially administered by Spain but under Moroccan occupation. Western Sahara is thus Africa’s last colony.
