What is Western Sahara? Thanks for asking!

On December 10th, US President Donald Trump recognised Morocco’s sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara region. The announcement came as a surprise, and has significant consequences, such as the normalization of relations between Morocco and Israel. Following the UAE, Bahrain and Sudan, Morocco is the fourth Arab League country to recognise Israel in recent months.

Situated in the North-west of Africa, the region of Western Sahara has a surface area of over 100,000m₂. It is one of the world’s most sparsely populated territories, consisting mainly of desert flatlands. It can be found to the south of Morocco, the north of Mauritania, and also shares a border with Algeria. The region has been contested for several decades now, and is one of the world’s last remaining major non-self-governing territories. 

So who does the Western Sahara region actually belong to then?

Well, it was actually a Spanish colony from the late 19th century through to 1975. A self-determination referendum was due to take place that year, but Morocco expressed its opposition, having continually claimed the territory since the 1950s. 

Following the Spanish withdrawal, Morocco annexed two-thirds of Western Sahara. It would go on to gradually secure control of around 80% of the territory, including all major cities and natural resources, which it continues to administrate. 

The remaining 20%, the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, is controlled by the Polisario Front. This group is an indigenous independence movement which was founded in 1973, and has the support of Algeria.

What has caused the situation to escalate in recent months? Could this fighting have any impact on the US-brokered deal? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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