World History
History of Western Sahara. This is a history of one of the largest pieces of disputed real estate in the world. Western Sahara is not a nation and never has been. It was formerly a Spanish colony. When Spain withdrew in 1975, Morocco promptly attempted to annex the area.
To this day, the sovereignty of the Western Sahara remains the subject of a dispute between Morocco and the Polisario Front (Popular Front for the Liberation of the Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro).
In 1991, a cease fire was agreed to with the understanding that their would be a referendum on the status of Western Sahara with a choice between annexation to Morocco or independence. The election was never held. In 2003, Morocco noted that it will no longer accept independence as one of the ballot options.
It is unfortunate that this matter is not in the news much. This matter should be put on the ballot with the people of Western Sahara being able to determine their own fate. A clear vote would end this dispute one way or the other. (And maybe that is why Morocco will not allow a vote?)
From the site:
In 1975, the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion on the status of the Western Sahara. The Court held that while some of the region's tribes had historical ties to Morocco, the ties were insufficient to establish "any tie of territorial sovereignty" between the Western Sahara and the Kingdom of Morocco. The Court added that it had not found "legal ties" that might affect the applicable U.N. General Assembly resolution regarding the decolonization of the territory, and, in particular, the principle of self-determination for its people. Most Sahrawis (as the majority of persons living in the territory are called) live in the area controlled by Morocco, but there is a sizable refugee population near the border with Morocco in Algeria, and, to a lesser extent, in Mauritania. The majority of the Sahrawi population lives within the area delineated by a Moroccan-constructed berm, which encloses most of the territory.
On November 6, 1975 the so-called Green March into Western Sahara began when 300,000 unarmed Moroccans converged on the southern city of Tarfaya and waited for a signal from King Hassan II of Morocco to cross into Western Sahara. As a result, Spain abandoned Western Sahara on November 14, 1975, repatriating even the Spanish corpses from its cemeteries. Morocco later virtually annexed the northern two-thirds of Western Sahara (formerly Spanish Sahara) in 1976, and the rest of the territory in 1979, following Mauritania's withdrawal.
On February 27, 1976, the Polisario Front formally proclaimed the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), and set up a government in exile.
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World History
History of Western Sahara
History of Western Sahara. This is a history of one of the largest pieces of disputed real estate in the world. Western Sahara is not a nation and never has been. It was formerly a Spanish colony. When Spain withdrew in 1975, Morocco promptly attempted to annex the area.
To this day, the sovereignty of the Western Sahara remains the subject of a dispute between Morocco and the Polisario Front (Popular Front for the Liberation of the Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro).
In 1991, a cease fire was agreed to with the understanding that their would be a referendum on the status of Western Sahara with a choice between annexation to Morocco or independence. The election was never held. In 2003, Morocco noted that it will no longer accept independence as one of the ballot options.
It is unfortunate that this matter is not in the news much. This matter should be put on the ballot with the people of Western Sahara being able to determine their own fate. A clear vote would end this dispute one way or the other. (And maybe that is why Morocco will not allow a vote?)
From the site:
In 1975, the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion on the status of the Western Sahara. The Court held that while some of the region's tribes had historical ties to Morocco, the ties were insufficient to establish "any tie of territorial sovereignty" between the Western Sahara and the Kingdom of Morocco. The Court added that it had not found "legal ties" that might affect the applicable U.N. General Assembly resolution regarding the decolonization of the territory, and, in particular, the principle of self-determination for its people. Most Sahrawis (as the majority of persons living in the territory are called) live in the area controlled by Morocco, but there is a sizable refugee population near the border with Morocco in Algeria, and, to a lesser extent, in Mauritania. The majority of the Sahrawi population lives within the area delineated by a Moroccan-constructed berm, which encloses most of the territory.
On November 6, 1975 the so-called Green March into Western Sahara began when 300,000 unarmed Moroccans converged on the southern city of Tarfaya and waited for a signal from King Hassan II of Morocco to cross into Western Sahara. As a result, Spain abandoned Western Sahara on November 14, 1975, repatriating even the Spanish corpses from its cemeteries. Morocco later virtually annexed the northern two-thirds of Western Sahara (formerly Spanish Sahara) in 1976, and the rest of the territory in 1979, following Mauritania's withdrawal.
On February 27, 1976, the Polisario Front formally proclaimed the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), and set up a government in exile.
- Berbers
Tariq ibn al-Ziyad, a berber commander The Berbers are the earliest known inhabitants of northwestern Africa’s Mediterranean coast, plains, and mountain ranges. Living as nomadic herders or farmers in Morocco’s Atlas and Rif mountain ranges,...
- Kingdoms Of Gold And Salt
Kingdoms of Gold and Salt For those who knew how to survive it, the Sahara was not an impenetrable desert as much as it was a vast, navigable ocean. Like ships on the ocean, large camel caravans have crossed vast distances on waves of sand for centuries,...
- Almoravid Empire
Almoravid Empire North Africa’s Berber tribes began converting to Islam with the commencement of the Arab conquests during the second half of the seventh century under the al-Rashidun and Umayyad Caliphates. Although Berber Muslims were active...
- Alawi Dynasty In Morocco
Alawi Dynasty in MoroccoThe Alawi dynasty of Morocco, also known as Filalis or Filalians, first appeared in Morocco sometime in the 13th century. Its members claimed they could trace their lineage directly to the prophet Muhammad (571–632). The...
- History Of Mauritania
History of Mauritania. This is a brief history of the African nation of Mauritania. It is yet another country I bet most Americans have never hear of before. The Encyclopædia Britannica notes, "Officially Islamic Republic of Mauritania , Arabic Muritaniya...