B. WESTERN SAHARA
Like all of the other conflicts around the world, the Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara is largely ignored as the media devotes 93.36% of their news casts with COVID fear porn. However, Western Sahara has seen some interesting military history in the past half century, from the Green March to the Sand Wall, 2700km of sand berms and mine fields. Western Sahara also has some of the strangest terrain in the world.
BACKROUND
- former Spanish colony.
- Morocco formally claimed the territory in 1957.
- Spain ceded administrative control to Morocco and Mauritania in 1975.
- War erupted in 1975 between Morocco and Mauritania and a Sahrawi nationalist movement, the Polisario Front, which proclaimed the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) with a government in exile in Tindouf, Algeria.
- Mauritania and SADR signed a peace accord in 1979.
- Low-intensity conflict between SADR and Morocco until September 91.
- the UN recognizes SADR/Polisario as the legitimate representatives of the Sahrawi people and that they have a right to self-determination.
- France, UAE, Turkey and USA back Morocco. Algeria (backed by Russia) and Egypt support SADR.
- SADR controls about 25% of Western Sahara. The mine at Phosboucraa is one of the world's less known but most important strategic assets and is a major reason the west has endorsed Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara.
- SADR breaks 29 year old cease fire and declares war on Morocco.
Four Days in Western Sahara:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wt5XRkBxBMc&t=701s
CURRENT
In early Nov 20, Morocco accused Polisario/SADR of blocking a key highway that opens up trade to the rest of Africa. Polisario claims that Morocco built the highway in violation of the peace agreement. Thus, Polisario declared the truce null and void and insisted it had no choice but “to intensify the fight for national liberation”. Since 12 Nov, it has since announced daily attacks, mostly targeting a Moroccan defensive wall in the territory.
Morocco has imposed a strict media blackout, so the only available news is from SADR and correspondents embedded with SADR.
https://twitter.com/user/status/1331370001937338369
Make no mistake, SADR is not just some rag tag outfit. It will be interesting to see how long before we see Turkish and UAE drones flying in support of Moroccan forces.
