Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic [image by Ieljko Heimer, 01 Jan 2004]
Posted on 05/23/2011 8:40:24 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
A mainly desert territory in north-west Africa, Western Sahara is the subject of a decades-long dispute between Morocco and the Algerian-backed Polisario Front.
The territory is phosphate-rich and believed to have offshore oil deposits. Most of it has been under Moroccan control since 1976.
Western Sahara fell under Spanish rule in 1884, becoming a Spanish province in 1934. Nationalism emerged in the 1960s, as nomadic Saharans, or Saharawis, settled in the region.
Polisario was set up on 10 May 1973 and established itself as the sole representative of the Saharan people. Some 100,000 refugees still live in Polisario's camps in Algeria.
Madrid AgreementIn October 1975 the International Court of Justice rejected territorial claims by Morocco and Mauritania. The court recognised the Saharawis' right to self-determination and Spain agreed to organise a referendum.
But in November 1975, Moroccan King Hassan II ordered a "Green March" of over 300,000 Moroccans into the territory. Spain backed down and negotiated a settlement with Morocco and Mauritania, known as the Madrid Agreement.
Signed on 14 November 1975, the deal partitioned the region. Morocco acquired two-thirds in the north and Mauritania the remaining third. Spain agreed to end colonial rule.
Polisario declared the Saharan Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) on 27 February 1976 and announced its first government on 4 March.
The current SADR president, Mohamed Abdelaziz, was elected Polisario secretary-general in August 1976.
In August 1978, one month after a coup, a new Mauritanian government signed a peace deal with Polisario and renounced all territorial claims.
Morocco moved to occupy areas allocated to Mauritania. Algeria in turn allowed refugees to settle in its southern town of Tindouf, where Polisario still has its main base.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic [image by Ieljko Heimer, 01 Jan 2004]
Another racist ersatz republic.
It's images like this that remind me that most of the non-Judeo Christian world really has more in common with cavemen than they do the civilized world.
How wonderful for you that you had the wisdom and good judgement to be born here. It must mean that god loves you and that everyone else sucks.
Quite the opposite. Split the Arabs into their different subgroups. Same with Muslims. No Caliphate.
I wouldn’t stand in that doorway for too long. Looks like it’ll collapse any moment.
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