"It's a positive step for the people of Western Sahara," he added. Cartel campo minas marcha verde.JPG 3,648 × 2,736; 4.9 MB From the mid-1970s King Hassan actively campaigned to assert Morocco’s claim to Spanish Sahara, initially using this nationalist issue also to rally much-needed domestic support. Morocco fortified the vital triangle formed by the Bu Craa mines, Laayoune, and Semara while the Polisario Front guerrillas continued their raids. Today the conflict is dominated by unarmed civil campaigns of the Polisario Front and their self-proclaimed SADR state to gain fully recognized independence for Western Sahara. In 1912, France established its own colonial protectorate over the lion’s share of Morocco. In many ways, the Western Sahara conflict intensified in its modern, ongoing form when Algeria used the creation of the Polisario Front in 1973 to its advantage. The AU had recognised the Western Sahara – or Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) as an independent nation back in 1982 – and Morocco wasn't happy about it. In 2003 it proposed autonomy for the territory for five years, followed by a referendum, but Morocco rejected the proposal. In 1975, colonial power Spain, that had governed the Western Sahara, left the region. The Kingdom of Morocco claims the territory of Western Sahara and administers the territory that it controls. But you can see in Saharawis' faces - most of them light-skinned, some of them dark - evidence of the waves of migration and conquest which have swept across North Africa, as Arabs collided and intermarried with Berbers and with black Africans from south of the Sahara. The Kasbah and mosque in the town of Semara (Smara) are among the major Muslim monuments in Western Sahara. Check out our countryprofile, full of essential information about Western Sahara (Disputed)'sgeography, history,government, economy, population, culture, religion and languages. Dakhla (Arabic: الداخلة ‎, Berber: Eddaxla / ⴷⴷⴰⵅⵍⴰ, Spanish: Dajla, Villa Cisneros) is a city in Western Sahara, currently occupied by Morocco. It is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the west and northwest, by Morocco on the north, by Algeria for a few miles in the northeast, and by Mauritania on the east and south. By the 4th century bce there was trade between Western Sahara and Europe across the Mediterranean; the Phoenicians sailed along the west coast of Africa in this period. Untangling the history of the Western Sahara conflict demonstrates how much circumstances and clever diplomacy have favored Morocco over the years. Prehistory. In 1975, colonial power Spain, that had governed the Western Sahara, left the region. Mauritania bowed out of the fighting and reached a peace agreement with the Polisario Front in 1979, but in response Morocco promptly annexed Mauritania’s portion of Western Sahara. It was not until the late fifties, when the phosphate deposits were discovered in the town of Bu Craa, that Spain became interested in Western Sahara. Western Sahara, territory occupying an extensive desert Atlantic-coastal area of northwest Africa. Among the challenges were defections from the organization and a reduction in support by its primary backer, Algeria, as that country was forced to concentrate on its own internal problems. A former Spanish colony, it was annexed by Morocco in 1975. Pop. Moroccan kings had ruled over what is now called Western Sahara from 1578-1727 and lost it in the context of Spanish and French colonization … Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. "The climate change at [10,500 years ago] which turned most of the [3.8 million square mile] large Sahara into a savannah-type environment happened within … Western Sahara is virtually all desert and is very sparsely inhabited. Is Morocco’s exit from Yemen war the beginning of Saudi's isolation? Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Updates? ​The region has also been claimed by the Polisario Front, a guerrilla group fighting for a separate state, since 1975. Western Sahara is often described as Africa's last major colony. It is the largest and the most populous city in the region of Western Sahara, accounting for approximately 40% of the population. Infoplease has everything you need to know about Western Sahara (Disputed). Phosphate extraction, however, presents problems because of the shortage of water. The history of the people of Sanhaja Berber and Arab blood who inhabit Western Sahara goes back hundreds of years. It is through trades with the British, that tea was introduced to the Saharawis. However, the situation was further complicated by newly independent Mauritania’s claims to the province in 1960, and in 1963 huge phosphate deposits were discovered at Bu Craa in the northern portion of the Spanish Sahara, which made the province a potentially economically valuable prize for any country that could firmly establish possession of it. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Media in category "History of Western Sahara" The following 11 files are in this category, out of 11 total. Decades of social and economic change caused by drought, desertification, and the impact of the phosphate discoveries resulted in an increase in national consciousness and anticolonial sentiment. However, finds of rock carvings, graves and implements suggest that hunting and gathering were carried out alternately with livestock management and in some favorable places also agriculture, possibly as early as the 5000s BC. During this time the Polisario Front continued its campaign despite a number of setbacks. This is part 2 of a 3 part series about the history of the Western Sahara. Today we know the indigenous people of Western Sahara as Saharawis. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). It began as an insurgency against Spanish control and later fought against Moroccan control. Following the Spanish evacuation of Spanish Sahara, Spain, Morocco, and Mauritania signed the Madrid Accords on November 14, 1975, leading to both Morocco and Mauritania moving in to annex the territory of now known as Western Sahara. Subscribe to our Youtube channel for all latest in-depth, on the ground reporting from around the world. In November 1975, after a UN mission reported that the majority of Sahrawis wanted independence and recommended self-determination…, Spain’s departure from the Spanish (Western) Sahara was the signal for a guerrilla struggle among Moroccan and Mauritanian claimants and the Polisario movement backed by Algeria. So why is the fate of the Western Sahara important? In the XIth century, a confederation of tribes, the "veiled Sanhaja", formed the Almoravid State. The Almoravids were pious Sanhaja marabouts , who left the Sahara to go north where they conquered Morocco. "From the moment Morocco did not set conditions on its return, we take their word and we accept that Morocco is admitted to the African Union," Salek said. This drawn-out procedure, which involved questions regarding the definition of who among the traditionally nomadic Sahrawis would be entitled to cast a ballot, continued throughout the 1990s and into the early 21st century. Geopolitics may isolate Morocco in the Arab world, After six years, Western Sahara talks begin with “ice-breaker” meeting. Western Sahara, Arabic Al-Ṣaḥrāʾ al-Gharbiyyah, formerly (1958–76) Spanish Sahara, territory occupying an extensive desert Atlantic-coastal area (97,344 square miles [252,120 square km]) of northwest Africa. However, it is currently the capital of Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra, one of Morocc… The disputed Western Sahara region, which has significant phosphate reserves and offshore fishing, is situated in north Africa between Morocco, Mauritania and Algeria. It became a protectorate of Spain in the 19th century and was later claimed by Morocco… Subsequently, the Spanish government claimed a protectorate over the coastal zone. In the latter half of 2020, the Polisario Front, seeking to force change in the status quo, began obstructing a key trade route between Morocco and Mauritania. In 1884 Emilio Bonelli, of the Sociedad Española de Africanistas y Colonistas (“Spanish Society of Africanists and Colonists”), went to Río de Oro bay and signed treaties with the coastal peoples. In 1963, the United Nations designated it a Non-Self-Governing Territory, with Spain as the administering power. Laayoune was designated the capital of Spanish Sahara in 1940 by the Spanish. It is a former Spanish colony on the Atlantic coast of Africa between Morocco and Mauritania. On Africa’s Atlantic coast, at the western extremity of the Arab world, lies Western Sahara, site of Africa’s longest post-colonial conflict. The turn of the century brought with it a change in approach toward peace and self-determination. We hope that Morocco will have the goodwill to resolve this conflict and withdraw its troops.". It is home to barely 500,000 people—equivalent to the city of Fresno, California—spread over a … It is home to barely 500,000 people—equivalent to the city of Fresno, California—spread over a … In many ways, the Western Sahara conflict intensified in its modern, ongoing form when Algeria used the creation of the Polisario Front in 1973 to its advantage. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. History of the Ritual In the 18th century, Western Sahara was understood as a haven for trade, as a gateway to the Great Sahara and North Africa. Morocco launched a military operation in November to break the blockade, prompting the Polisario Front to announce that it would no longer observe the 1991 cease-fire agreement. Sources of potash and iron ore are at Agracha and elsewhere, and vast phosphate deposits are at Bu Craa, southeast of Laayoune. Sporadic fighting developed between the Polisario Front, which was supported by and based in Algeria, and the Moroccan forces. Who needs enemies when you have friends like MBS? Shortly after Spain left, war broke out. Little is known of the prehistory of Western Sahara, although Neolithic (New Stone Age) rock engravings in Saguia el-Hamra and in isolated locations in the south suggest that it was occupied by a succession of hunting and pastoral groups, with some agriculturists in favoured locales, prior to a gradual process of desertification that began about 2500 bce. The outline map of Western Sahara represents the disputed territory of Western Sahara. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. This is part 2 of a 3 part series about the history of the Western Sahara. "Africa is my home and I am coming back home," King Mohammed said in January's AU summit. In 2007 Morocco proposed autonomy but made no offer for a referendum. Western Sahara has had two capital cities in its history; Tifariti and Laayoune. So why is the fate of the Western Sahara important? The Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro (POLISARIO), an organization that seeks the territory’s independence, disputes Morocco’s claim to sovereignty over the territory. Today, the vast, hostile Sahara remains the mother of all deserts. (2007 est.) It is through trades with the British, that tea was introduced to the Saharawis. There were no ancient western civilizations, they are modern fakes and degrade China: General: 21: Mar 24, 2021: SH Archive Is the Sahara part of the land that the Israelites attacked? Motorable tracks abound in the country’s extremely flat terrain, but there are few paved roads. Western Sahara is a sparsely-populated area of mostly desert situated on the northwest coast of Africa. The area’s prehistory is relatively unknown. Corrections? There is regular air service between Laayoune and Al-Dakhla (formerly Villa Cisneros) and between Laayoune and Las Palmas (in the Canary Islands), Nouakchott (in Mauritania), and Casablanca (in Morocco). A conveyor belt more than 60 miles (100 km) long, meant to carry phosphate from the mines to the piers southwest of Laayoune, was frequently damaged after 1976 during the guerrilla warfare conducted by the Sahrawis against Morocco. Djibouti's longtime leader Guelleh wins fifth term in office, Djibouti votes in presidential election as Guelleh seeks fifth term, Fighting halts in Sudan’s Darfur but deaths soar beyond 130, DRC police use live fire to disperse anti-UN protesters, Study: Pfizer vaccine is less effective against South African variant, Tunisia's Ennahda holds street protest as political tensions stay high, US approves nearly $200M in arms sales to Egypt despite rights concerns, Egyptian student and human rights advocate detained by Cairo police, Suspected suicide car bomb targets hotel in Somali capital, Show people, places and other topics in this story. Has the Saudi-Iran rivalry reached the Western Sahara region? This site uses cookies. Faced with consistent pressure from Morocco and Mauritania and itself undergoing a period of domestic uncertainty, Spain agreed to the partition of Western Sahara between the two countries despite a World Court ruling that Morocco’s and Mauritania’s legal claims to the Spanish Sahara were tenuous and did not negate the right to self-determination by the Sahrawis. The Romans also had some contact with the Saharan peoples. Polisario Front, politico-military organization in Western Sahara seeking independence. Follow us on Instagram. By 2001 tens of thousands of Sahrawis, including numerous Polisario Front soldiers, had relocated to semipermanent refugee camps in Algeria. The history of the people of Sanhaja Berber and Arab blood who inhabit Western Sahara goes back hundreds of years. History of the Ritual In the 18th century, Western Sahara was understood as a haven for trade, as a gateway to the Great Sahara and North Africa. Western Sahara is thus not a case of frozen conflict – but rather, of a war of attrition. The Front also claims to be the sole representatives of the Sahrawis; it has received support from neighbouring Algeria. Morocco believes that the area is part of its sovereign land. The U.S. announcement adds to a string of incremental wins. It is the capital of the Moroccan administrative region Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab.It has a population of 106,277 and is on a narrow peninsula of the Atlantic Coast, the Río de Oro Peninsula, about 550 km (340 mi) south of Laayoune "After 33 years, Morocco has realised that it has to sit with the Sahrawi Republic. The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) was established by the Polisario Front as a government-in-exile. Sahrawi Foreign Minister Salem Ould Salek described the AU's admission of Morocco as a "major step" towards full international recognition since it would now be in the same room, on equal terms, with its rival. The Western Sahara conflict also resonated at the international level. Moroccan kings had ruled over what is now called Western Sahara from 1578-1727 and lost it in the context of Spanish and French colonization … Algeria’s diplomatic campaign on behalf of Sahrawi self-determination, however, continued unabated. Please select which sections you would like to print: While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. General: 0: Sep 14, 2020: SH Archive What created the Sahara Desert? How did Sahrawis respond to Morocco's readmission? Meanwhile, Morocco continued to expand its physical infrastructure in Western Sahara despite widespread protests against its presence in the areas under its control. After the United States insisted in 2018 that the continued presence of UN peacekeeping forces be contingent on progress made toward settling the long-running dispute, Morocco and the Polisario Front met in December of that year to renew discussion over the situation. The Spanish Sahara was created. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. In 1973, the Frente Polisario was established and launched a resistance campaign against Spain. Morocco believes that the area is part of its sovereign land. Omissions? The Spanish colonization began in 1884-1885, the year of the Berlin conference in which the European states shared the African continent by table. "I have missed you all. The Western Sahara conflict is an ongoing conflict between the Polisario Front and the Kingdom of Morocco. The continued negotiations bore little fruit, however, and the UN renewed its peacekeeping mission nonetheless. Support for Western Sahara as a nation has ebbed over the past few years because of the growing importance of Morocco's $110 billion economy – the fifth largest in Africa. There is little agriculture in the region; camels, goats, and sheep are raised, and dried fish is exported to the Canary Islands. Shortly after Spain left, war broke out. A United Nations (UN) peace proposal in 1988 specified a referendum for the indigenous Sahrawis to decide whether they wanted an independent Western Sahara under Polisario Front leadership or whether the territory would officially become part of Morocco. In 1975, Morocco effectively annexed Western Sahara by staging the Green March—a peaceful procession of 350,000 Moroccans who walked into the region and claimed it as their own. By medieval times this part of the Sahara was occupied by Ṣanhajāh Amazigh (Berber) peoples who were later dominated by Arabic-speaking Muslim Bedouins from about 1000 ce. The conflict originated from an insurgency by the Polisario Front against Spanish colonial forces from 1973 to 1975 and the subsequent Western Sahara War against Morocco between 1975 and 1991. The Sahara has long been subject to periodic bouts of humidity and aridity. In December the United States became the first country to formally recognize Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, in exchange for Morocco’s normalization of ties with Israel. In 1976 the Polisario Front declared a government-in-exile of what it called the Saharan Arab Democratic Republic (a government recognized by some 70 countries), and it continued to raid Mauritanian and Moroccan outposts in Western Sahara. "The climate change at [10,500 years ago] which turned most of the [3.8 million square mile] large Sahara into a savannah-type environment happened within … Stay on top of Western Sahara latest developments on the ground with Al Jazeera’s fact-based news, exclusive video footage, photos and updated maps. Further Spanish penetration was hindered by French claims to Mauritania and by partisans of Sheikh Māʾ al-ʿAynayn, who between 1898 and 1902 constructed the town of Semara at an inland oasis. The insurgency led Spain to declare in 1975 that it would withdraw from the area. A series of ridges and mountain ranges are separated by great, stretched, low-lying depressions, like the Quyattara Depression of Egypt that lies 436 feet (143 m) below sea level. It is the capital of the Moroccan administrative region Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab.It has a population of 106,277 and is on a narrow peninsula of the Atlantic Coast, the Río de Oro Peninsula, about 550 km (340 mi) south of Laayoune 489,000. In 1957 the territory was claimed by Morocco, which itself had just reached independence the previous year. Set during the height of the Cold War, the Western Sahara conflict saw Western powers back Morocco and the African Union and Non-Aligned Movement rally to Polisario — where Soviet influence was more indirect. A picture is worth a thousand words. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/place/Western-Sahara, University of Pennsylvania - African Studies Center - Western Sahara, Western Sahara - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), Western Sahara: former headquarters of the Spanish Foreign Legion. Spanish troops succeeded in repelling Moroccan military incursions into the territory, and in 1958 Spain formally united Río de Oro and Saguia el-Hamra into a Spanish province known as Spanish Sahara. Africa is indispensable to Morocco and Morocco is indispensable to Africa.". Dakhla (Arabic: الداخلة ‎, Berber: Eddaxla / ⴷⴷⴰⵅⵍⴰ, Spanish: Dajla, Villa Cisneros) is a city in Western Sahara, currently occupied by Morocco. Morocco became independent in 1956, while Western Sahara remained under Spanish rule until 1975. Western Sahara is thus not a case of frozen conflict – but rather, of a war of attrition. The Almoravids were pious Sanhaja marabouts , who left the Sahara to go north where they conquered Morocco. The Somali invasion of the Ogaden, Libyan intrusions into Chad and Sudan,…. Mining of the deposits at Bu Craa began in 1972. 33 years ago, Morocco quit the AU's predecessor, the Organisation of African Unity because of the Western Sahara. The principal city is Laayoune, the old colonial capital. It is composed of the geographic regions of Río de Oro (“River of Gold”), occupying the southern two-thirds of the region (between Cape Blanco and Cape Bojador), and Saguia el-Hamra, occupying the northern third. 1963. The UN likewise began to explore alternative solutions to the 1988 proposal. Given its long history of conflict, some might even view its shape to resemble that of a pistol. RECENT HISTORY OF WESTERN SAHARA . Earlier this year, it rejoined the pan-African body. The land borders of the territory appear quite well-defined and straight while the Atlantic coast is undulated. High points like 11,204-foot (3,415 m) Mount Koussi in Chad rise like stone fortresses in a great battlefield of sand. Laayoune was founded in 1938 by Antonio de Oro, a Spanish explorer. After the death of Moroccan King Hassan II, Muḥammad VI took the throne and announced in 2001 that Morocco would no longer agree to hold a referendum in Western Sahara. History of Western Sahara. In the XIth century, a confederation of tribes, the "veiled Sanhaja", formed the Almoravid State. In 1346 the Portuguese discovered a bay that they mistakenly identified with a more southerly Río de Oro, probably the Sénégal River. As a UN administrative and peacekeeping force arrived in Western Sahara to prepare to conduct the referendum, however, Morocco moved tens of thousands of “settlers” into the territory and insisted that they have their voting qualifications assessed. Since 1991, Rabat has held onto its own plan for the area's autonomy. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. This peace proposal was accepted by both Morocco and the Polisario Front, and the two sides agreed to a cease-fire in 1991. Former headquarters of the Spanish Foreign Legion at Al-Dakhla (formerly Villa Cisneros), Western Sahara. Located in Northwest Africa, Western Sahara was a Spanish protectorate from 1884-1976. Cape Juby (Ṭarfāyah) was occupied for Spain by Col. Francisco Bens in 1916, Güera was occupied in 1920, and Semara and the rest of the interior were occupied in 1934. The coastal region was little explored by Europeans until Scottish and Spanish merchants arrived in the mid-19th century, although in 1476 a short-lived trading post, Santa Cruz de Mar Pequeña, was established by Diego García de Herrera, a Spaniard. A guerrilla insurgency by the Spanish Sahara’s indigenous inhabitants, the nomadic Sahrawis, sprang up in the early 1970s, calling itself the Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Río de Oro (Polisario Front). After years of fighting, the U.N. brokered a cease-fire between Morocco and the Polisario Front in 1991. Morocco gained the northern two-thirds of the area and, consequently, control over the phosphates; Mauritania gained the southern third.

öffentlicher Dienst Schwerbehinderung Arbeitszeit, Alter Flugplatz Eschborn Adresse, Arbeitsblätter Familie Sozialkunde, Pflanze Mit 16 Buchstaben, Wiwi Uni Bielefeld Profil, Polizeidirektion 4 Eiswaldtstraße Berlin, Muskelpolster An Hand Und Fuß 6 Buchstaben,