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Western Sahara Campaign UK
A timeline of the Saharawi struggle
1884
Colonial Spanish Authorities granted control over Western Sahara by the Berlin Conference
1965
UN calls for Western Sahara to be decolonised
1974
Colonial Spanish government announce the intention to hold an independence referendum in Western Sahara in 1975
Morocco and Mauritania issue sovereignty claims to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to be evaluated
1963
UN places ‘Spanish Sahara’ on its list of known colonies
1973
The Frente Para la Liberación de Saguia Al Hamra y Rio de Oro (Polisario Front) is
founded to obtain independence for Western Sahara. It begins raids against colonial Spanish forces
1975- The Modern Occupation begins
October 16th - ICJ Advisory Opinion issued. Moroccan and Mauritanian sovereignty claims are denied, Saharawi rights to independence and self-determination are again reaffirmed
October 31st - Moroccan troops cross the border and clash with Polisario forces
November 6th - The “Green March” (Al Massira) takes place.
● 350,000 Moroccans march a few kilometres across the border into Western Saharan territory as a form of mass demonstration.
● Organised by the Moroccan state, the march advanced calls to ‘return the Moroccan Sahara” and carried photographs of King Hassan II, the Qur’an, and the colour green as a symbol of Islam.
● The march forces Spain to enter into negotiations with Morocco, as the alternative is
firing on Moroccan civilians attempting to cross the border
November 14th - Franco, on his deathbed, signs a tripartite administration deal through the Madrid Accords, which cedes control of Western Sahara to Morocco and Mauritania
December 11th - Moroccan troops arrive in El Aaiún (Laayoune). Fighting occurs between Polisario and Moroccan forces
© Andoni Lubaki
Declaration of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic 1976
A year into the conflict on the 26th of February 1976, the Polisario Front proclaimed the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic. Although only a few hundred fighters existed at the point of proclamation this quickly changed. With Morocco and Mauritania making large gains and Spain completing its withdrawal the Saharawi were forced to Tindouf in the lower corner of Algeria, where they established refugee camps. They are still forced to live there today. With tens of thousands fleeing to Tindouf, the Polisario's military quickly grew to a few thousand. They waged a guerrilla war, with small targeted attacks on high value targets, disrupting the invasion. They were assisted through arms and training by both Algeria their strongest ally. These attacks were very damaging to both Mauritania and Morocco, and they showed the invading forces that they were not a people to be underestimated.
© Andoni Lubaki
Mauritania surrender 1979
In 1979, four years after the conflict begun, the Polisario forced Mauritania to surrender. Their invasion from the South ended and Mauritania relinquished their claim over the nation. They also formally recognised the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). Since this occurred Mauritania have continued to recognise the SADR and have not since attempted any claim over the land.
© Andoni Lubaki
The Berm is built in the 1980s
© Andoni Lubaki
Morocco dealt a blow to the Polisario when they constructed the sand wall and signalled the decline of the Polisario's military gains. This divided the country in two, with the occupied zone roughly 75% kept secure behind a 1,600 mile sand wall (the Berm). The remaining 25% is run by the Polisario and is known as the free zone. The wall itself took seven years to build, and its surrounding area is covered in landmines causing countless civilian injuries and casualties. The Moroccan regime has also managed to control the resources of Western Sahara, as the occupied zone includes the entire coast of Western Sahara, land-locking the Saharawi. A once nomadic people who rely on travelling and trading have had their culture and way of life shackled by a regime interested in nothing but power and profit. The Polisario did not lay down their arms and continued to raid through the Berm, unleashing a new model of guerrilla warfare.
1984
The Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) becomes the 43rd member states of the African Union (AU), Morocco resign from the AU in protest and only rejoins in 2017
MINURSO begins in hope
© Andoni Lubaki
After an increase in the conflict's casualties on both sides. The United Nations brokered a ceasefire and agreement between the Polisario and the Moroccan Regime. The ceasefire started on the 6th September 1991, both parties agreed to a suspension of armed conflict, due to the promise of a referendum to be held next year in 1992. This process would be implemented by the UN mission for a referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO). But 32 years on and this referendum has still failed to materialise. The main issue is the eligibility of voters. The Polisario rightly believe that only those who predate the occupation (and their descendants) should be eligible to vote. However the Moroccan regime believe settlers etc should be eligible to vote. This has caused a stalemate on the referendum since its promise in 1991.
The promise of a referendum breaks down
1991 - MINURSO mandate establishes the Identification Commission (IDC) to determine eligible voters for the upcoming referendum, the Polisario and Morocco begin to debate voter eligibility
1994 - IDC launches identification process
1995 - Identification process stalls after parties pull out over political grievances and contestation over vetting certain applicants. Human Rights Watch report determines that Morocco is obstructing and compromising the fairness of the referendum process, by preventing impartial and transparent voter identification
1996 - Identification process is suspended. Civilian police component of MINURSO is withdrawn, and military component reduced
1997 - March
James A. Baker III is appointed as the personal envoy of the UN
secretary-general for Western Sahara
1997 - September
Houston Accords is signed between both Morocco and Polisario, you can see this document here
2000 - September
Moroccan delegation denounces the settlement plan during talks in Berlin
1997 - June
Direct talks between Morocco and Polisario begin in Lisbon
1999 - December
Voter identification concludes. 86,368 applicants are found eligible to vote.
Results represent a victory for Western Saharan independence, as they almost
guarantee the referendum outcome
2001 - June
Baker plan I submitted to UN security council, rejected by Polisario as does not guarantee a referendum
2002 - June
Security Council adopts resolution 1429 stating it would accept any proposal by
the personal envoy that provides for self-determination
Baker plan II submitted, provides autonomy for 4-5 years with the guarantee of a referendum at the end. Accepted by the Polisario but rejected by Morocco. View the plan here
2003 - May
2003 - July
Baker plan III is submitted, accepted by the Polisario and rejected by Morocco.
2004
James Baker III resigns as personal envoy to Western Sahara. Alvera De Soto is appointed head of MINURSO, and takes over the diplomatic process
2005 - November
King Mohammed VI of Morocco announces the start of a consultation process on granting autonomy to Western Sahara
2007 - April
Morocco submits its autonomy plan for Western Sahara - the “Moroccan
Initiative for Negotiating an Autonomy Statute for the Sahara Region”
Polisario presents a “Proposal for a Mutually Acceptable Political Solution that Provides for the Self-Determination of the People of Western Sahara”
A new round of talks begin between Morocco and Polisario
Polisario insists on a referendum that includes an independence option, Morocco insists on self-determination options being limited to autonomy
2007 - June
2008
Human Rights Watch publishes reports on the situation in Western Sahara and the Tindouf refugee camps, view the report here
Sahrawi human rights activist Aminatou Haidir is arrested on her return home to al-’Ayun, detained and illegally deported to the Canary Islands. Read Amnesty's report of this incident here
2009
Gdeim Izik Protest- the true beginning of the Arab Spring
© Kirby Gookin
In October 2010 a group of Saharawi activists set up Gdeim Izik protest camp, just 12 km south east of El Aaiun (Laayoune), Morocco's administrative capital in the occupied Western Sahara. The numbers of protesters quickly grew from a few hundred to a few thousand in the first few weeks. Naom Chomsky often claimed the Arab Spring did not begin in Tunisia but begun in Gdeim Izik. The number of protesters quickly grew to 5,000 strong with many calling for human rights protections and even for an independent Western Sahara. On the 8th November, 1 month after its construction, the Moroccan army and police stormed the camp and dismantled it. 3,000 Saharawi were arrested, 36 Saharawi were murdered by Moroccan forces and a further 1,200 were injured, Morocco obviously dispute these figures and offer much lower numbers. Many of those arrested still remain in Moroccan jails on arbitrary accusations and have often been condemned as illegal detentions. Western Sahara Resource Watch offer a detailed explanation here.
Mariem Hassan an amazing musician and activist from Western Sahara who is often seen as the mother of all Saharawi produced a beautiful song about the protest camp which you can view to the left. Unfortunately she passed away in 2015 due to bone cancer having never seen a free Western Sahara.
2013
Following Special Envoy Ross’ tour of the Group of Friends of Western Sahara (France, Russia, Spain, the UK, and the US) to build international support, a statement is issued in support of mediation efforts to pursue a political solution
2015
Following several Security Council consultations, Special Envoy Ross briefs that the negotiation attempts to pursue a political solution remain in stalemate.
Observation is made that Polisario is ready to engage in talks, but
further preparation is required for Morocco
2011-2012
Multiple rounds of informal talks occur between the Polisario and Morocco
2014
Resolution 2152 is adopted by the UN, which encourages parties to take measures to promote and protect human rights in Western Sahara and Tindouf refugee camps
2016 - 2019
Multiple UN meetings and discussions take place but no movement and no progress, a true stalemate
Guergureat border protest
© BBC
In October 2020, Saharawi civilians staged a protest at the Guerguerat border crossing. This was in response to the Moroccan state having broken the terms of the ceasefire. For a while they had been conducting illegal border crossings near Guerguerat, allowing trucks to travel through the berm to Mauritania. The berm is deemed a neutral zone by the UN and the ceasefire, to allow movement through this zone is to break the agreement.
The protest aimed to highlight Morocco’s exploitation of Western Sahara’s natural resources, and highlight how Moroccan plans to make the crossing easier through roadworks effectively violated the 1991 ceasefire agreement. In November 2020 Morocco issues an ultimatum that it would remove protesters by military force if they did not voluntarily withdraw. The Polisario issues an ultimatum that if Moroccan forces cross the UN ceasefire zone, it would consider the ceasefire voided and forces would respond accordingly.
On 13th November 2020 Moroccan forces enter the UN buffer zone to remove protesters. Polisario forces declare an end to the ceasefire, and launch attacks against Moroccan military positions along the berm. And so after 29 years the ceasefire broke and the conflict has resumed.
© Algeria Press Service
Donald Trump ignores international law
