P. 12", "Algeria, the Maghreb Union, and the Western Sahara stalemate. The main fear of the Sahrawi people is that the independence claim has become a lost cause after the U.S. administration of former President Donald Trump, in December 2020, abruptly and suddenly recognized Morocco as being the legitimate holder of the vast territory of Western Sahara. It calls the territories under its control the "Liberated Territories . [1], King Hassan II of Morocco rallied political support and announced that his country would oppose independence as an option in the Western Sahara referendum. The Sahrawi Refugee Crisis is considered to be one of the most protracted humanitarian crises globally. The SADR government is based in the, 75% to 80% of the claimed territory is de facto, This page was last edited on 6 July 2023, at 15:00. RTM Laayoune - operated by Moroccan state broadcaster, National Radio of the SADR - broadcasts in Arabic and Spanish; launched in the 1970s, the station supports the Polisario Front. Morocco's position is that Algeria is part of the conflict and uses the Sahara issue for geopolitical interests that date from the Cold War, claiming that this country in its official communication to the United Nations "presents itself sometimes as 'a concerned party,' other times as an 'important actor,' or as a 'party' in the settlement of the dispute". Now it is time to return to war and we women of Western Sahara will sacrifice our children for the cause, declared the sixty-five-year-old woman Mbaraka from a refugee camp in Tindouf, which hosts several camps housing more than 165,000 refugees. In 1956, the Ifni War, initiated by the Moroccan Army of Liberation, marked renewed conflict in the region; after two years of war, the Spanish forces regained control, again with French aid. The statement reiterated the Polisario Front's request that the UN organize a free referendum within Western Sahara on their self-governing status. [72] To date, all negotiations have failed to resolve the dispute. [65] By 2001, the process had reached a stalemate, and the UN Secretary-General asked the parties for the first time to explore other solutions. The refugee camps are located in Algeria and the country has armed, trained, and financed the Polisario for more than thirty years. MFA of Peru decides to withdraw recognition 18 August 2022, Colombia's Senate passed a resolution in May 2014 stating that they "consider it important to recognize the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. As a result of this ambivalence, the movement eventually relocated to Spanish-controlled Western Sahara to start an armed rebellion. In October 2020, Rwanda signed several cooperation agreements with Morocco. Today the government in Rabat rejects all solutions that are intended to establish the area under Moroccan sovereignty. EU; Swedish parliament voted to recommend that the Swedish government "recognises the SADR as soon as possible". Declarations were also adopted by the parliaments of Chile and Brazil. During this time-lapse, the region was disputed by four parties: Spain, Morocco, Mauritania, and the Polisario Front ( Frente Popular de Liberacin de Saguia el Hamra y Ro de Oro), founded in 1973 with the main goal to obtain the recognition of the right to self-determination and independence of the indigenous Sahrawi people. For the people of Western Sahara, the Green March meant the beginning of four decades under occupation or in refugee camps, a continuation of colonial rule by a different country. On 26 February 1976, Spain informed the United Nations (UN) that as of that date it had terminated its presence in Western Sahara and relinquished its responsibilities, which left the region devoid of any Administering Power. Ghali was one of Polisario's founding members in 1973 and led the first raids against the Spanish forces that sparked the armed struggle for Western Saharan independence. A Forgotten Conflict. However, India withdrew its recognition in 2000. Brahim Ghali was elected leader of the Polisario Front and president of the SADR in July 2016 following the death of long-term president Mohamed Abdelaziz Ezzedine. [41] In March 2003 Khaled Nezzar, an Algerian retired general, referred to the conflict as being an issue only between Morocco and Algeria. About 20% of the territory is controlled by the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR); the remaining 80% of the territory is occupied [3] [4] and administered by neighboring Morocco. Isaas Barreada Chapter First Online: 01 December 2016 682 Accesses 4 Citations Abstract One little-addressed issue in studies about Western Sahara is the position of the Sahrawis from southern Morocco and their participation in the independence movement. Diplomatic relations were frozen 22 April 2000. Read about our approach to external linking. Walad Bujama, 21, joined the Polisario Front in 2015. It was intended to replace the Settlement Plan of 1991 and the Houston Agreement of 1997, which had effectively failed to make any lasting improvement. [11], The conflict in the Western Sahara dates back in the early 1970s, when the indigenous Sahrawi Polisario Front sprang up an insurgency in Spanish Sahara, demanding an independent Sahrawi Republic. Moreover, the ICJ invoked the right of self-determination for Sahrawis through their free and genuine expression of such will. Provisions are detailed for a transitory phase beginning with independence, in which the present SADR is supposed to act as Western Sahara's government, ending with a constitutional reform and eventual establishment of a state along the lines specified in the constitution. Confusion over Kenya's Ruto comments on Sahrawi independence movement On February 28, 1976, together with the Saharan National Council, the birth of the RASD (Arab Democratic Saharawi Republic) was proclaimed, a free, independent, sovereign state, organized according to a national democratic Arab system of Unionist, progressive and Islamic religion. SADR was proclaimed by the Polisario Front on 27 February 1976, in Bir Lehlu, Western Sahara. [citation needed], The broad guidelines laid down in the constitution for an eventual Western Saharan state include eventual multi-party democracy with a market economy. Several African countries and Caribbean or Pacific island-states have taken such actions subsequent to Moroccan lobbying and offers of economic and other exchanges, although the association of such decisions and these efforts is disputable. The Senate proposed that the Brazilian government adopted measures related to. On 9 July 2016, Zambia's MFA was quoted as saying that it had again withdrawn recognition, a claim that was repeated by the official Moroccan news agency in February 2017, but the Zambian MFA put out a press release in February 2017 denying that it had withdrawn recognition. 28 October 2021, Sierra Leone opens a consulate in. Continuing disputes between the two factions once more brought the process to a halt. [56] This move galvanized Morocco who then passed a law in January 2020 extending its recognized borders across Western Saharan waters. "[19], The Western Sahara Berm, also known as the Moroccan Wall, is an approximately 2,700km-long defensive structure consisting primarily of sand running through Western Sahara and the southeastern portion of Morocco. Several states that do not recognize the Sahrawi Republic nonetheless recognize the Polisario Front as the legitimate representative of the population of the Western Sahara, but not as the government-in-exile of a sovereign state. As of 2010[update], negotiations over the terms of any potential referendum have not resulted in any substantive action. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. At present, these borders are largely unchanged. Armed conflict between Morocco and the Polisario Front. In 2006 the Moroccan Royal Advisory Council for Saharan Affairs (CORCAS) proposed a plan for the autonomy of Western Sahara and made visits to a number of countries to explain and gather support for their proposal. The Arab League supports "Moroccan territorial integrity", without further specification, and withdrew maps "harming Morocco's territorial integrity". The Sahrawi liberation movement, the Polisario Front, is attracting recruits especially younger ones. The Algerian-backed Polisario Front wants an independent state in the Western Sahara, a vast stretch of mineral-rich desert which Morocco considers part of its own . Sahrawi nationalism By Jenn Abelson Globe Staff,June 16, 2013, 12:00 a.m.. The Polisario, a socialist guerrilla movement formed in 1973, waged a war for independence and established the self-declared Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic that received recognition from. In 1979, Mauritania withdrew its troops from the territory and, in 1984, officially recognized the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR).[3]. The SADR claims the Moroccan-built road is illegal, as it was built after the 1991 United Nations-brokered truce. [17] In 1977, France intervened as the conflict reached its peak intensity. As of September 2022, the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic is recognized by 46 out of a total of 193 United Nations member states. Here's what that means", "More countries reiterate territorial integrity of Morocco and Azerbaijan", "L'Inde annonce officiellement le retrait de sa reconnaissance La "rasd" en dconfiture", "Advisory Opinion of 16 October 1975 Western Sahara", "Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer increases possibilities for cooperation with African and European countries", "Morocco to fund hotel project in Dominica", "Talking diplomatic ties and cooperation with Morocco", "Moroccan assistance to Grenada confirmed", "Moroccan assistance Ten scholarships annually and EC$1 million for Grenada", "St. Kitts and Nevis gets assistance from Morocco in education and youth empowerment", "Morocco offers 15 scholarships to St. Kitts and Nevis", "Mount St. John's Medical Centre Receives Moroccan Gifts. It was with this event that things started to quickly escalate towards an armed conflict in this region. The plan of territorial integrity is favoured by the Arab League, which does not recognize the SADR. (Official website of the Sahrawi Delegation in Spain), (in Arabic, English, French, and Spanish), (dependency of the Health ministry of the SADR), (Sahrawi Youth Union. This page was last edited on 22 June 2023, at 16:06. AU, OIC; Recognition withdrawn 2 April 1997. Sahrawi nationalism (Arabic: ) is a political ideology that seeks self-determination of the Sahrawi people, the indigenous population of Western Sahara. The Sahrawi[b] Arab Democratic Republic,[c] also known as the Sahrawi Republic and Western Sahara, is a partially recognized state, recognised by 45 UN member states, located in the western Maghreb, which claims the non-self-governing territory of Western Sahara, but controls only the easternmost one-fifth of that territory. During the events one civilian was killed and hundreds wounded. Finally, a cease-fire was negotiated in 1991 between the two parties but, as the conflict froze, thousands of refugees were still stuck in the temporary camps. 31 January Western Sahara is a sparsely-populated area of mostly desert situated on the northwest coast of Africa. Report of the Secretary-General on the situation concerning Western Sahara. Western Saharan and Southern Moroccan Sahrawis: National For other uses, see, Areas controlled by the SADR in dark green, claimed but uncontrolled areas in light green, Location ofSahrawi Arab Democratic Republic(dark blue), It is described as the SADR's second official language. [citation needed], Since August 1982, the highest office of the republic has been the President of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, a post held by the secretary-general of the Polisario Front, presently Brahim Ghali,[18] who appoints the Prime Minister, presently Bouchraya Hammoudi Bayoun. Despite considering the entire territory of current-day Western Sahara as its possession, beyond a handful of coastal settlements, Spain did not have effective control over the desert hinterland due to its harsh climatic conditions and the presence of small, nomadic groups, among whom intertribal conflicts were frequent. 1965 - The UN calls for the decolonisation of Western Sahara. Following the 1975 Green March, the Moroccan state has sponsored settlement schemes enticing thousands of Moroccans to move into the Moroccan-occupied part of Western Sahara (80% of the territory). Por un puado de dlares", "La Rpublique du Cap Vert annonce le gel de sa reconnaissance de la prtendue RASD", "Cabo Verde: Governo congela reconhecimento da Repblica rabe Saaraui Democrtica", "President meets with representative from Sahrawi Republic", "JCF recebe ministro dos negcios estrangeiros da RASD", "Cape Verde Supports Morocco's Western Sahara Position, ECOWAS Bid", "Quatre Etats de la rgion des Carabes ont dcid de retirer leur reconnaissance de la pseudo "rasd", "Four Caribbean states withdraw recognition of so-called SADR", "Diplomatic relation of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic", "Co-operative Republic of Guyana withdraws its recognition of the so-called "sadr", "Guyana Withdraws Recognition of Polisario's Self-Proclaimed SADR", "Countries with which Guyana has Establishment Diplomatic Relations Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation| Co-operative Republic of Guyana", "Le Commonwealth de la Dominique dcide de retirer sa reconnaissance de la pseudo "RASD", "Commonwealth of Dominica withdraws recognition of so-called SADR", "Ministerial meeting with representatives of the Caribbean", "Jamaica withdraws its recognition of the self-proclaimed "Sahraoui Rebublic", "Jamaica Reiterates Decision to Withdraw Recognition of Self-Proclaimed 'SADR', "Aprs des dcisions similaires de huit pays latino-amricains Le Nicaragua ne reconnat plus la pseudo-rasd annonce le vice-prsident nicaraguayen", "Nicaragua vice-president confers with Moroccan officials", "Nicaragua and the Saharawi Republic declare the reestablishment of diplomatic relations", "After Morocco's announcement, Lesotho makes a U-turn on its Western Sahara position", "The Kingdom of Lesotho rejects Moroccan allegations", "After contradicting statements, Lesotho confirms its position on the Sahara issue", "Kingdom of Lesotho denies once again lies of Kingdom of Morocco", "Lesotho Kingdom maintains support to Saharawi rights and denies alleged change of position", "SADR and Zambia establish diplomatic relations", "Zambia withdraws recognition of 'Sahrawi Republic', "La Zambie retire sa reconnaissance la pseudo "Rasd", "Zambia withdraws recognition of so-called SADR", "Zambia reafirma su apoyo al pueblo saharaui y a las relaciones con RASD", "Once again, the Zambian Foreign Ministry withdraws its recognition of SADR", "Zambia: Zambia reaffirms to cut ties with Sahrawi Republic, President Lungu to visit Morocco soon", "Zambia Withdraws its Recognition of Polisario's Self-proclaimed SADR", "Now Govt denies withdrawing recognition of Western Sahara, claims will remain neutral", "Iranian President reiterates recognition of the Saharawi Republic", "La Sierra Leone gle sa reconnaissance de la prtendue "rasd", "Morocco: Sierra Leone freezes recognition of Polisario, Saharan republic", "Special envoy brings President Koroma good message", "Le Tchad retire sa reconnaissance de la pseudo "rasd", "President of Republic congratulates his Chadian counterpart on National Day", "Relaciones con los pases de Asia, frica y Oceana X. Repblica rabe Democrtica Saharaui", "El Sahara quiere descongelar relaciones con Costa Rica", "Costa Rica reafirma decisin de congelar relaciones con Repblica del Sahara", "Nomenclatura geogrfica internacional: recomendaciones y sugerencias para funcionarios diplomticos", "Vanuatu no longer recognizes whimsical SADR", "LE GOUVERNEMENT DE LA REPUBLIQUE DE VANUATU RETIRE SA RECONNAISSANCE DE LA RASD", "Marruecos-Vanuatu-Sahara Gobierno republica Vanuatu retira reconocimiento "RASD", "Marruecos-Vanuatu Establecimiento relaciones diplomaticas entre Marruecos y Vanuatu", "Vanuatu to open diplomatic representation in Morocco", "Vanuatu and the Saharawi Republic establish diplomatic relations at Ambassadorial level", The Saharawi Journalists and Writers Union, "L'tat Indpendant de Papouasie Nouvelle Guine retire sa reconnaissance la pseudo "Rasd", "Moroccan FM: Recognition withdrawals of 'Sahrawi Republic' continue at steady pace", "Papua New Guinea withdraws recognition of so-called SADR", "Tres paises Foro del Pacifico retiran reconocimiento llamada "RASD", "SAHARA OCCIDENTAL ACTUALITES HEBDOMADAIRES", "Republic Of Mauritius Withdraws Recognition Of So-Called SADR", "Republic of Mauritius withdraws its recognition of the so-called SADR", "La rpublique de Maurice retire sa reconnaissance de la pseudo-RASD", "Mauritius: Republic of Mauritius Renews Its Recognition of Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic", "Mauritius re-establishes diplomatic relations with SADR", "SURINAME SUPPORTS THE UN EFFORTS IN FINDING PEACEFUL SOLUTIONS TO THE WESTERN SAHARA CONFLICT", "Commentary: Suriname flip-flops on Kosovo and Western Sahara recognition - Caribbean News Now", "Bolivia reiterates its support to the Saharawi people's struggle for independence", "Sahara: La Bolivie "suspend ses liens avec la RASD" et appelle les parties au dialogue", "Western Sahara: Bolivia Withdraws its Recognition of Polisario's Self-Styled SADR", "El Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia fortalece relaciones diplomticas con la Repblica rabe Saharaui Democrtica", "Posicin del Ecuador sobre el Sahara Occidental", "Ecuador and the Saharawi Republic declare the re-establishment of diplomatic relations", "ACTUALITES HEBDOMADAIRES SEMAINE 23, 03-09.06.1996", "Restablecimiento de relaciones diplomticas con la RASD", "Comunicado Oficial del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores", "Repblica Saharaui destaca "renovacin" de relaciones diplomticas con Per", "Entretiens Belgrade de M. Benaissa avec plusieurs responsables de Serbie-Montnegro", "Serbia-Montenegro withdraws recognition of Sahara Republic", "Colombia restablece las relaciones diplomticas con la Repblica Saharaui", "Western Sahara: Colombian Senate Calls Its Government to Recognize SADR", "Liberia-Sahara: Le Liberia retire sa reconnaissance a la, "Indian And Spanish Ambassadors Present Letters of Credence To President Sirleaf", "Liberia Officially Opens Consulate in Morocco's Dakhla", "MR. Gbehzohngar Findley: Opening of Consulate in Dakhla Reflects Liberia's Commitment to Supporting Territorial Integrity of Morocco", Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (Morocco), "Guatemala denies recognition of so-called Sahrawi republic", "La Rpublique dominicaine gle sa reconnaissance de la "RASD", "Comunicado conjunto entre la Repblica Dominicana y el Reino de Marruecos del ao 2002", "Royaume du Maroc- Rpublique dominicaine Communiqu Commun", "La Rpublique Dominicaine ne reconnat plus la RASD", "Dominican Republic freezes recognition of so-called Sahrawi republic", "Communiqu: La Barbade a dcid de geler sa reconnaissance de la pseudo "rasd", "La Barbade dcide de geler sa reconnaissance de la "rasd", "Barbados Freezes Recognition of So-Called SADR", "Le Gouvernement de la Barbade dcide de retirer sa reconnaissance de la pseudo "rasd" | MapNews", "President of Republic ends his visit to El Salvador", "Sahara: Le Salvador retire sa reconnaissance de la "RASD", "Honduras did suspend recognition of Polisario, FM spokesperson confirms", "Le Honduras dement la propagande marocaine", "La RASD y Honduras deciden establecer relaciones diplomticas", "Morocco: Sahrawi Republic and Honduras Decide to Establish Diplomatic Relations at Ambassador's Level", "Namibia reaffirms its constant position of support to the Saharawi people", "WESTERN SAHARA NEWS Rsum February 2008", "La RASD et le Malawi tablissent des relations diplomatiques", "Etablissement de relations diplomatiques entre la RASD et le Malawi", "The Saharawi Republic and Malawi establish of diplomatic relations between", "Le Malawi retire sa reconnaissance de la prtendue RASD", "Sahara issue: Malawi withdraws its recognition of the so-called SADR", "Le Malawi retire sa reconnaissance de la Rpublique arabe sahraouie dmocratique (RASD)", "Malawi withdraws recognition of Western Sahara govt: report", "Le Malawi retire sa reconnaissance la RASD", "Rabat: La Rpublique du Malawi a annonc, mardi, sa dcision de retirer sa reconnaissance de la prtendue RASD et de rompre toutes relations avec elle", "SADR ambassador presents credentials to President of Malawi", "Le Malawi retire sa reconnaissance de la "RASD" (ministre des Affaires trangres du Malawi)", "The Republic of Malawi withdraws its recognition of the so-called sadr", Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (Morocco), "Malawi To Open Consulate in Morocco's Laayoune", "LA RASD ET LE PARAGUAY ETABLISSENT DES RELATIONS DIPLOMATIQUES", "Paraguay and the Saharawi Republic resume diplomatic relations (Paraguayan Minister)", "Declaracin del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores", "Paraguay Withdraws Recognition Of So-Called Sahrawi Republic", "Paraguay withdraws recognition of so-called Sahrawi Republic", "Paraguay suspende relacin con Saharaui", "Le Paraguay retire sa reconnaissance de la pseudo rasd", "Communiqu: Saint Vincent-et-les Grenadines a dcid de geler sa reconnaissance de la pseudo "rasd", "Saint Vincent and the Grenadines freezes recognition of pseudo "SADR", "On the establishment of diplomatic relations between East Timor and the SADR", "Le Maroc rappelle en consultation son ambassadeur Prtoria aux fins d'valuation de la dcision de l'Afrique du Sud de reconnatre la prtendue "RASD", "South Africa recognises the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic", "Kenya: Why Links with Sahrawi Were Shortlived", "Kenya gle sa reconnaissance de la pseudo ""RASD, "Sahrawi Republic opens embassy in Nairobi", "Kenya clarifies position on Sahrawi after gaffe", "SADR welcomes Kenya's historic and principled stand for rights of Sahrawi people", "Le Maroc apprend avec un profond tonnement l'annonce de l'Uruguay de sa reconnaissance de la pseudo " rasd", "The Oriental Republic of Uruguay announces its official recognition of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic", "Hati establishes diplomatic relations with the Saharawi Republic at an Ambassadorial level", "Haiti withdraws its recognition of the Polisario's so-called RASD", "Hati Withdraws Recognition Of "Sadr" Phoney Entity", "Hati retire sa reconnaissance de la fantomatique "rasd", "Hati annule sa reconnaissance de la 'rasd', la rpublique autoproclame du Polisario", "Greetings of the Republic of South Ossetia Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Sahara Arab Democratic Republic on the occasion of 35 anniversary of the Declaration of Independence Day of SADR", "Establishment of diplomatic relations between Republic of South Sudan and Saharawi Republic", "South Sudan does not recognize Western Sahara independent state: FM", "Sudn del Sur decide restablecer las relaciones con la RASD", "South Sudan and the Saharawi Republic agree to re-establish diplomatic relations", "Denmark to vote on recognition of Western Sahara", "Denmark adopts new policy on Western Sahara", "Proyecto de Declaracin por el Reconocimiento", "Cmara de Diputados de Chile pide a Bachelet reconocer a la Repblica Saharaui", "Australia may recognise Saharawi Republic", "Swedish parliament wants government to recognise Western Sahara", Sahara Press Service public service of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=International_recognition_of_the_Sahrawi_Arab_Democratic_Republic&oldid=1161421824, States that currently recognize (46 UN member states and South Ossetia), States that have "withdrawn", "frozen" or "suspended" recognition.