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The
                           War in Western
                           Sahara
                           
                           
The
                              current war in the area known as the
                              Western Sahara began in 1975, when the
                              area then known as the Spanish Sahara
                              was evacuated by its Spanish rulers.
                              When Spain left, neighboring Morocco
                              and Mauritania sent in military forces,
                              dividing the former Spanish colony
                              between them. The inhabitants of the
                              region, who call themselves the
                              Saharawi, claimed independence as the
                              Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic. The
                              Saharawis formed a military liberation
                              organization called the Polisario
                              ("Popular Front for the Liberation of
                              Saguia el-Hamra and Río de
                              Oro"), and had fought against the
                              Spanish since 1973. As their old foes
                              left, the Polisario took up arms
                              against their new foes. Neighboring
                              Algeria, often at odds with Morocco
                              since the 1960s, aided the Polisario
                              with weapons, and by providing a safe
                              haven across the long Moroccan-Algerian
                              border.
                              
                              
The
                              cost of the war soon drove the
                              Mauritanians out of the war on August
                              5, 1979, allowing Morcocco to occupy
                              the entire Western Sahara in. Fighting
                              between Morocco and the Polisario
                              continued until 1991, when a United
                              Nations-brokered cease-fire took
                              effect. The two sides still have not
                              come to a permanent resolution of the
                              conflict.
                              
                              
Related
                                       Conflicts:
                                       
                                       
PREDECESSOR:
                                       (Related conflicts that
                                       occurred before)
                                       
                                       
The
                                          Ifni War (1957)
                                          
                                          
Zemla
                                          Intifada
                                          (1970)
                                          
                                          
Spanish-Sahawari
                                          War
                                          (1973-1975)
                                       
                                       
 
                                       
                                       
CONCURRENT:
                                       (Related conflicts
                                       occurring at the same time)
                                       
                                       
                                       
Salakousted
                                          Coup in Mauritania (July
                                          10, 1978)
                                       
                                       
 
                                       
                                       
SUCCESSOR:
                                       (Related conflicts that
                                       occur later)
                                       
                                       
None
                                          at this time.
                                           
                                    
                                    
 
                                    
                                    
 Sources:
                                    
                                    
Encyclopaedia
                                    of the
                                    Orient--Encyclopedia
                                    entry on Western
                                    Sahara.
                                    
                                    
One
                                    World: Western
                                    Sahara
                                    
                                    
Le
                                    Courrier de France - L'Echo de
                                    POLISARIO
                                    
                                    
El
                                    Karama--Electronic
                                    newspaper about Human rights in
                                    Western Sahara. In several
                                    languages, inluding English and
                                    French.
                                    
                                    
World
                                    Factbook 1999 - Western
                                    Sahara--Part
                                    of the CIA World Factbook
                                    site.
                                    
                                    
Bahara--In
                                    Spanish.
                                    
                                    
ARSO--In
                                    English, French, Italian,
                                    Portuguese and Spanish. This page
                                    is a good resource for
                                    information on the The Sahrawi
                                    Arab Democratic
                                    Republic.
                                    
                                    
Western
                                    Sahara
                                    Update--A
                                    web page with a lot of links
                                    relating to Western Sahara, the
                                    war and human rights. In
                                    English.
                                    
                                    
BBC
                                    News | Africa | Chronology of the
                                    Saharawi struggle
                                    
                                    
ArabNet
                                    -- Mauritania, History, Ould
                                    Daddah
                                    
                                    
1957
                                    Invasion of Spanish
                                    Sahara--Wikipedia
                                    article
                                    
                                    
History
                                    of
                                    Mauritania--Wikipedia
                                    article
                                    
                                    
 
                              
                              

                              
                              

                        
                     
                  
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