Western Sahara Conflict History

• In 1975, at the call of King Hassan II, 350,000 Moroccans marched into Spanish Sahara holding Moroccan flags to pressure Spain to leave the colony and negotiate its future.
• The conflict in Western Sahara has been ongoing for almost 50 years.

Historical Context

• Northwest Africa was originally populated by Berber tribes and conquered by Arabs in the 7th century, who introduced Islam.
• The Sahara served as a natural border and was crossed by nomadic Berber tribes facilitating trade between north and south.
• Kingdoms and empires were formed with varying borders based on subjugated tribes.
• The Alawi dynasty established the Sharifian Empire in the mid-17th century.
• The Spanish occupied coastal trading posts since the 15th century.
• Spain captured Tetouan in 1859 and acquired a new trading post called Santa Cruz de la Mar Pequena.

European Colonization

• European powers became interested in Africa's resources due to the Industrial Revolution leading to competition and colonization.
• The Berlin Conference regulated colonization, allowing powers to claim territories if occupied.
• Spain gained recognition for the Rio de Oro colony.
• In the early 20th century, Spain and France defined borders between their colonies, with France establishing a protectorate over Morocco in 1912.
• Spain obtained protectorates over the Rif and Cape Juby, separate from Saguia el-Hamra and Rio de Oro, and founded El Aaiun in 1938 after discovering water.
• Following the Spanish Civil War, General Franco formed Spanish West Africa which grouped together its southern territories.

Independence Movements and Territorial Claims

• Post-WWII, independence movements emerged, with France authorizing Moroccan independence and Spain ceding the northern part of its protectorate.
• Morocco claimed territories of the former Sharifian Empire which formed what it called Greater Morocco.
• Mauritanian independentists also wanted to integrate the Spanish colonies.
• The Army of Liberation crossed the border to support independence movements, leading to a joint counter-offensive by Spain and France.
• Spain ceded Cape Juby to Morocco and reunified Spanish Sahara.
• Algeria gained independence in 1962 but refused to cede territory to Morocco, leading to the Sand War.

UN Intervention and the Polisario Front

• The UN and the Organization of African Unity pressured Spain to end colonization.
• The Spanish Sahara was added to the UN list of non-self-governing territories, with resolutions for a referendum on self-determination
• Spain ceded Ifni to Morocco but exploited phosphate deposits in Spanish Sahara.
• The Polisario Front was created in 1973, initiating armed struggle for Saharan independence.
• In 1974, Spain announced a referendum on self-determination, opposed by Morocco, and the International Court of Justice ruled that the referendum should not be obstructed, a ruling rejected by Hassan II, who organized the Green March.

The Green March and Partition

• 350,000 Moroccans marched into the Spanish Sahara in 1975, leading to negotiations and Spain ceding the northern part to Morocco and the southern part to Mauritania.
• The Polisario Front opposed the agreement, attacking Moroccan and Mauritanian forces.
• A large part of the population fled to Tindouf, Algeria, and Algeria supported the Polisario Front.
• Spain completed its withdrawal in 1976, and the Polisario Front proclaimed the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.

War and the Sand Wall

• From 1976, The Saharawi fighters organized raids against Moroccan and Mauritanian forces, and Tindouf became their rear base.
• Mauritania signed a peace agreement with the Polisario Front in 1978 and abandoned its claims with Morocco annexing the Mauritanian part and built a wall/ berm to block Polisario Front incursions.
• The Organization of African Unity accepted the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic as a member in 1982.
• By 1987, Morocco finalized a 2720 km Sand Wall, controlling 80% of the territory.

Ceasefire and Stalled Referendum

• A ceasefire in 1991 led to a UN mission (Minurso) in Laâyoune to organize a referendum on the future of the territory, which never happened.
• After a terrorist attack in Marrakech 1994, Algeria closed its land border with Morocco.
• In 2007, Morocco proposed autonomy for Western Sahara under Moroccan sovereignty, with negotiations failing due to irreconcilable positions.

Renewed Conflict and Diplomatic Maneuvering

• In 2020, Moroccan forces violated the 1991 agreements, leading the Polisario Front to end the ceasefire and resume fighting.
• The U.S. recognized Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara in exchange for normalized relations between Morocco and Israel.
• Morocco took a more aggressive stance against Polisario Front supporters.
• After the Polisario Front leader was admitted to Spain for Covid-19 treatment, Morocco relaxed border surveillance, leading to a migrant crisis in Ceuta.
• Algeria broke off diplomatic relations, closed airspace, and cut off gas supplies to Morocco.
• Tensions escalated further when 3 Algerian truckers were killed in Western Sahara.

Current Situation

• Morocco controls 80% of the territory and defends its autonomy plan, supported by 59 countries.
• 38 countries recognize the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, which is a member of the African Union.
• Western Sahara remains on the UN list of non-autonomous territories, with Minurso responsible for organizing a referendum.
• Approximately 173,000 Sahrawi refugees reside in camps near Tindouf.