Ces propositionssont accompagnées d'un document de travail des services de la Commission sous le titre : « Rapport sur les bénéfices pour la population du Sahara occidental, et sur la consultation de cette population, de l'extension de préférences tarifaires aux produits originaires duSahara occidental » (SWD(2018) 346 final du 11.6 . The United Nations considers the Polisario Front to be the legitimate representative of the Sahrawi people, and maintains that the Sahrawis have a right to self-determination.[10][11]. In 1991, the United Nations approved a Settlement Plan, agreed to by the two parties on the conflict, Morocco and the Polisario Front, to put an end to the war and organise a referendum of self-determination. Lexington Books, 2015, most sparsely populated territories in the world, United Nations list of non-self-governing territories, Mediterranean acacia-argania dry woodlands and succulent thickets, Royal Advisory Council for Saharan Affairs, Morocco establishing relations with Israel, Foreign relations of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Moroccan-controlled parts of Western Sahara, International Federation for Human Rights, United Nations Security Council Resolution 1979, President of the Polisario proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Museum of the Sahrawi People's Liberation Army, Outline of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, List of national border changes since World War I, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, "Resolutions Adopted by the General Assembly During Its Twentieth Session – Resolution 2072 (XX) – Question of Ifni and Spanish Sahara", "Milestones in the Western Sahara conflict", "Documento de Trabajo núm. After arguing for a process of decolonization to be guided by the United Nations, the Algerian government under Houari Boumédiènne in 1975 committed to assisting the Polisario Front, which opposed both Moroccan and Mauritanian claims and demanded full independence of Western Sahara. Some of the films were made by the refugees themselves. «Nous . The European Union fishing agreements with Morocco include Western Sahara. Instead, the African Union participates with the United Nations mission, in order to maintain a ceasefire and reach a peace agreement between its two members. Frontera entre Mauritania y el Sahara Occidental en la zona de Guerguerat en 1995.jpg After Spain’s withdrawal in 1976, Morocco and Mauritania formalized the partition of the territory. A few days before, on 31 October, Moroccan troops invaded Western Sahara from the north. [85], A number of former Polisario officials who have defected to Morocco accuse the organization of abuse of human rights and sequestration of the population in Tindouf.[86][87]. ", This page was last edited on 3 November 2021, at 19:41. It is one of the most sparsely populated territories in the world, mainly consisting of desert flatlands. The Grand Erg Occidental and Oriental cover most of Algeria; the Selima Erg blankets . Three Moroccan regions are within or partly within Western Sahara: Morocco controls territory to the west of the berm (border wall) while the Sahrawi Republic controls territory to the east (see map on right). Vol. Western Sahara is an area on the west coast of North Africa. In December 1999, the United Nations' MINURSO mission announced that it had identified 86,425 eligible voters for the referendum that was supposed to be held under the 1991 Settlement plan and the 1997 Houston accords. Sahara occidental الصحراء الغربية (ar) (As-Ṣaḥrā' al-Ġarbiyah) (ar) Administration Pays Maroc République arabe sahraouie démocratique Statut politique classé territoire non autonome par l' ONU Démographie Population 603 253 hab. Une trentaine de personnes et de nombreuses autres organisations sociales, politiques, syndicales et des médias indépendants ont souscrit au manifeste de la création de la Plateforme Valencienne de Solidarité avec le Peuple Sahraoui (PVSPS), annoncée au centre culturel Octubre de Valencia. The indigenous population of Western Sahara is usually known in Western media as Sahrawis, but they are also referred to in Morocco as "Southerners" or "Southern Berbers". Among the responsibilities women had were setting up, repairing, and moving the tents of the camp, and participating in major tribal decisions. These numbers cover only Sahrawis 'indigenous' to Western Sahara during the Spanish colonial period, not the total number of "ethnic" Sahrawis (i.e., members of Sahrawi tribal groupings), who also extend into Mauritania, Morocco and Algeria. Surrounding territories were generally under French colonial rule. The Western Sahara is a territory bordered by Morocco in the north, Algeria on east, Mauritania on the south and east, and Spain in the west. It is bathed by both the Mediterranean Sea to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The programme of the visit had been fully agreed with the Moroccan authorities, who accompanied us alongside a fleet of 'official journalists' to every single meeting (Photo: United Nations) Brussels, 11. Spanish in the Refugee Camps of Tindouf. [90], Despite this, the area is traveled and inhabited by many Sahrawi nomads from the Tindouf refugee camps of Algeria and the Sahrawi communities in Mauritania. [33] This appeared to abandon Polisario's previous position of only negotiating based on the standards of voter identification from 1991 (i.e. 6 T. Kabbaj, L'Affaire du Sahara Occidental, Abidjan, 1981, 342-344. [39] The protest coincided with a fresh round of negotiations at the UN. Moroccan officials said five security personnel had been killed in the unrest. Main town Laayoune . Morocco has been repeatedly criticized for its actions in Western Sahara by international human rights organizations including: The POLISARIO has received criticism from the French organisation France Libertes on its treatment of Moroccan prisoners of war,[80] and on its general behaviour in the Tindouf refugee camps in reports by the Belgian commercial counseling society ESISC. ", Mohamed Elyazghi au Matin du Sahara: Solution politique au Sahara et refondation de nos relations avec Alger, "Amnesty International | Working to Protect Human Rights", "Western Sahara – Sahara Occidental – Akhbar Es-Sahra 2", Morocco's Memorandum to UN unveils Algiers' responsibility in Sahara conflict, political parties, "Morocco/Western Sahara: Broken Promises: The Equity and Reconciliation Commission and its Follow-up", "Morocco/Western Sahara: No more half measures: Addressing enforced disappearances in Morocco and Western Sahara", "Morocco/ Western Sahara: Further Information on UA 16/08 – Fear of unfair imprisonment/ Prisoners of conscience/ Health concern", "Morocco/ Western Sahara: Three years' imprisonment for putting a profile of Prince Moulay Rachid on Facebook", "Morocco/Western Sahara: New arrests and allegations of torture of Sahrawi human rights defenders", "Morocco/Western Sahara: Justice must begin with torture inquiries", "Morocco/Western Sahara: Torture of detainees must end", "Morocco/Western Sahara: Torture in the "anti-terrorism" campaign – the case of Témara detention centre", "Morocco/Western Sahara: Briefing to the Committee against torture (November 2003)", "Morocco/Western Sahara: reports of secret detention and torture on the rise", "Morocco and Western Sahara Human Rights", "Morocco/Western Sahara: Activists Need Fair Trial", "Western Sahara: Keeping It Secret – The United Nations Operation in the Western Sahara", "Swedish photographer expelled from Western Sahara a day after his arrest", "Journalist assaulted in the name of Moroccan control of Western Sahara", "Journalists working in Western Sahara face assaults, arrests and harassment", "Western Sahara, government corruption and palace life are all off-limits for the press", "Two Norwegian journalists threatened with expulsion", "Morocco puts US censorship busting site Anonymizer.com on its black list", "Appeal court upholds exorbitant damages award against Journal Hebdomadaire", "Report of the OHCHR to Western Sahara & the refugee camps in Tindouf 2006", "Human rights in Morocco & Western Sahara", "Morocco: Protect And Preserve Mass Grave Sites", "Western Sahara: UPDATE – Human rights defenders on hunger strike in protest at continued arbitrary detention", "Western Sahara: Severe beating of human rights defender, Mr Mohammed al-Tahleel by security forces", "Western Sahara: Torture and solitary confinement of human rights defender Mr Yahya Mohamed el Hafed Aaza", "Western Sahara: Systematic repression of human rights defenders", "Sahara occidental : Arrestation de M. Duihi Hassan - MAR 001 / 0210 / OBS 024", "Harcèlement à l'encontre de Mme Elghalia Dijim et M. Duihi Hassan - MAR 003 / 1109 / OBS 166", "Détentions arbitraires – Poursuites judiciaires – Mauvais traitements", "Nouvelle condamnation d'un militant sahraoui", "Après l'interdiction de trois hebdomadaires au Maroc, RSF et la FIDH dénoncent une décision inique et inacceptable", "EU ignores violations of human rights in Morocco", "Occupied Country, Displaced People [Updated]", "The Conditions of Detentions of the Moroccan POWs Detained in Tindouf (Algeria)", "The Polisario Front and the IRA – Two approaches to the process of negotiation", a Brussels-based commercial firm in the domain of counselling, Western Sahara and the United States' geographical imaginings, "Quatrème Commission: Le Maroc rest attaché au plan de règlement et a la tenue d'un référendum transparent au Sahara Occidental", "Report: Clan wars and unavoidable scission in Tindouf, defectors", "CIA: The World Factbook: 2006. Mali completely landlocked and is bordered by Mauritania, Senegal, Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Niamey, and Algeria.It is the 8th largest nation in Africa.Calculated with the 2019 population of 19,768,861 citizens, the . Morocco was also allowed to keep its army in the area and retain control over all security issues during both the autonomy years and the election. According to Baker's draft, tens of thousands of post-annexation immigrants from Morocco proper (viewed by Polisario as settlers but by Morocco as legitimate inhabitants of the area) would be granted the vote in the Sahrawi independence referendum, and the ballot would be split three ways by the inclusion of an unspecified "autonomy", further undermining the independence camp. [120] During Spanish colonial rule, Sahrawi women actively provided financial and physical support to the resistance movements during the 1930s, 1950s, and the late 1960s. [109], Similarly, the exploitation of phosphate mines in Bou Craa has led to charges of international law violations and divestment from several European states.[110]. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. The accords were based on a bipartite administration, and Morocco and Mauritania each moved to annex the territories, with Morocco taking control of the northern two-thirds of Western Sahara as its Southern Provinces, and Mauritania taking control of the southern third as Tiris al-Gharbiyya. Sayad's work tells a consistent story, one that draws on his experience of protracted conflict and a life under Moroccan occupation. [120] The NUSW was structured at the local, regional, and national levels and concentrated on four areas: the occupied territories and emigration, information and culture, political and professional development, and foreign affairs. Morocco was readmitted in the African Union on 30 January 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. The occupying power profits the riches of the territory (fisheries, phosphates, sand, and greenhouse agriculture). It is mainly covered with large desert areas (Sahara) and mountains (Atlas). During the joint Moroccan–Mauritanian control of the area, the Mauritanian-controlled part, roughly corresponding to Saquia el-Hamra, was known as Tiris al-Gharbiyya. [46] The Moroccan government views it as a no-man's land patrolled by UN troops. Le Polisario est soutenu et armé depuis le départ par l'Algérie, il sera aidé aussi par la Libye. As time went by, Spanish colonial rule began to unravel with the general wave of decolonization after World War II; former North African and sub-Saharan African possessions and protectorates gained independence from European powers. Le Sahara occidental est un territoire de 266 000 km2 situé sur la côte atlantique et bordé par le Maroc, la Mauritanie et l'Algérie. Vol. Pro-independence Sahrawi sources, including the Polisario, have given these demonstrations the name "Independence Intifada", while most sources have tended to see the events as being of limited importance. By 1999 the UN had identified about 85,000 voters, with nearly half of them in the Moroccan-controlled parts of Western Sahara or Southern Morocco, and the others scattered between the Tindouf refugee camps, Mauritania and other places of exile. 26 No. The population of the territory thus possessed the right of self-determination. One such exchange program to Spain is Vacaciones en Paz (Vacations in Peace), which is an annual holiday program that was created in 1988 and is organized by the Union of Sahrawi Youth (UJSARIO) in collaboration with 300 other associations throughout Spain. Sahara Occidental: Nomine original: الصحراء الغربية: Classe: disputed territory[*], United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories[*]: Pais: Imperio Hispanic, United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories[*], Spanish West Africa[*], Spanish Sahara[*]: Population: 582 000: Area: 266 000 Kilometro quadrate [120], FiSahara International Film Festival is an annual film festival that takes place in one of the southwestern refugee camps in Algeria. [81][82] Social anthropologist of the Sahara Desert, Konstantina Isidoros, said that in both 2005 and 2008, ESISC issued two near-identical reports proclaiming distorted truths that Polisario is evolving to new fears terrorism,[clarification needed] radical Islamism or international crime. [107], In December 2014, it became known that Seabird Exploration operated controversial seismic surveys offshore Western Sahara, in violation of the 2002 Hans Corell legal opinion.[108]. This event led to the introduction of graffiti art to the camps, and popular graffiti artists have come to the workshop to work with refugees. 11,349,000 people (2017) Morocco is a North African state located in the Maghreb. Sovereignty over Western Sahara is contested between Morocco and the Polisario Front and its legal status remains unresolved. These negotiations would define the exact limits of a Western Sahara autonomy under Moroccan rule but only after Morocco's "inalienable right" to the territory was recognized as a precondition to the talks.