Western Sahara War

A long time ago, a war started in the desert.

Spain used to rule this land. Then, Spain left the area. Two other lands, Morocco and Mauritania, moved in.

A group called the Polisario Front wanted their own land. They fought for many years. Morocco built a very long sand wall. This wall helped stop the fighting for a while. Finally, both sides agreed to stop. It was a very long struggle for peace.

For a long time, Spain ruled a place called Spanish Sahara. In 1975, Spain left the area. Two neighbors, Morocco and Mauritania, took control of the land.

But a group called the Polisario Front wanted an independent state. They wanted to rule themselves.

The war began in 1975. The Polisario Front fought against both Morocco and Mauritania. They used guerrilla warfare. This means they used quick, surprise attacks in the desert.

Mauritania left the fight in 1979 after signing a peace treaty. Morocco stayed in the war for many more years.

To protect its land, Morocco built a huge sand wall. This is called the Moroccan Wall. It helped keep Polisario troops out of some areas.

This made the war a stalemate. A stalemate is when neither side can win. The fighting continued with small attacks for a long time. Finally, both sides agreed to a ceasefire in 1991. Many people died during these years of fighting. Today, the land is still a subject of debate.

The Western Sahara War was a long and difficult conflict in North Africa. It lasted from 1975 to 1991. The main fight was between Morocco and a group called the Polisario Front. This group wanted to create an independent state for the Sahrawi people.

At first, the country was known as Spanish Sahara. Spain ruled the area for many years. In 1975, Spain decided to leave the territory. This change led to a struggle over who should own the land. The war was a major part of the history of this region.

The conflict began because of how Spain left the area. In 1975, Spain signed the Madrid Accords. This agreement gave control of the land to Morocco and Mauritania. However, the land did not officially belong to them. To show they wanted the land, Morocco organized the Green March. About 350,000 Moroccan citizens marched into the territory. They were joined by around 20,000 troops to establish a presence.

This event helped start the fighting between the different groups.

The Polisario Front used a special way of fighting called guerrilla warfare. This means they used quick, surprise attacks in the desert. They wanted to force an end to foreign rule. The group was formally started on May 10, 1973, in the city of Zouérat. Their first leader was a man named El-Ouali Mustapha Sayed.

After Spain left, the Polisario Front fought both Morocco and Mauritania. They even moved their base to Tindouf in Algeria. Many Sahrawi people fled to refugee camps in the desert during this time.

Mauritania was also part of the war for a short time. They fought from 1975 until 1979. During the war, the Polisario Front attacked important places like the iron mines in Zouerate. This made it very hard for the Mauritanian government to keep going. In 1979, Mauritania signed a peace treaty and left the conflict.

After Mauritania left, Morocco took over the parts of the land that Mauritania had held. This changed the map of the region significantly.

For many years, the war reached a stalemate. This means neither side could win a big victory. To stop the attacks, Morocco built a huge sand wall. This is known as the Moroccan Wall. It helped protect the areas Morocco controlled, like El-Aaiun and Smara.

The fighting continued with small attacks until September 1991. That is when a ceasefire was finally reached. Some sources say between 10,000 and 20,000 people died during the war. Today, the land is still a subject of debate between the groups.

The Western Sahara War was a major armed conflict in North Africa. It lasted from 1975 to 1991. The war was fought primarily between Morocco and the Polisario Front. The Polisario Front is a Sahrawi nationalist group. They wanted to establish an independent state for the Sahrawi people.

This conflict was a central part of the larger Western Sahara dispute. It involved changes in borders, large movements of people, and different styles of desert combat.

The roots of the war lie in the history of Spanish Sahara. Spain had claimed a protectorate over the coast starting in 1884. Later, they expanded their control and formed the province of Spanish Sahara in 1958. For many years, the indigenous Saharan population resisted Spanish rule through raids and rebellions. One leader, Ma al-Aynayn, led an uprising against the French in the 1910s. Eventually, joint Spanish and French forces subdued the territory in 1934. Even after that, unrest continued through the 1950s and 1960s. This long history of resistance helped lead to the creation of organized nationalist movements.

The Polisario Front was formally established on May 10, 1973, in Zouérat, Mauritania. Its first Secretary General was El-Ouali Mustapha Sayed. The group aimed to use military force to end Spanish colonization. Their first major action was the Khanga raid on May 20, 1973. During this raid, they overran a Spanish post and seized rifles.

By 1975, the group had grown to about 800 men. They were supported by a large network of local supporters. A UN mission in June 1975 found an overwhelming consensus among Sahrawis for independence.

The war began in earnest when Spain prepared to withdraw. In November 1975, the Madrid Accords were signed. This agreement transferred administrative control of the territory to Morocco and Mauritania. However, Spain did not transfer actual sovereignty over the land. To establish a presence, Morocco organized the Green March. About 350,000 Moroccan citizens marched into the territory, escorted by 20,000 troops. This event pressured Spain to negotiate the handover. As Moroccan troops advanced, tens of thousands of Sahrawis fled into the desert. They built improvised refugee camps in places like Amgala, Tifariti, and Umm Dreiga.

After the Spanish withdrawal in early 1976, the fighting intensified. The Polisario Front proclaimed the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic on February 27, 1976. They began a guerrilla war against both Morocco and Mauritania. Morocco took control of the northern two-thirds of the territory. Mauritania took control of the southern third under a partition agreement. The Polisario Front moved its base to Tindouf in western Algeria. There, they established more refugee camps in May 1976. They used hit-and-run tactics to strike Moroccan and Mauritanian forces.

Mauritania was involved in the conflict from 1975 to 1979. However, their small army of 3,000 men struggled to fight the Polisario. The guerrillas attacked the iron mines at Zouerate, which hurt Mauritania's economy. Internal unrest and ethnic tensions also weakened the Mauritanian military. France even intervened with air support to protect French technicians.

Eventually, the Mauritanian government fell in a 1978 coup. The new leaders signed a peace treaty with the Polisario on August 5, 1979. Mauritania then withdrew from the conflict and recognized the Sahrawi Republic. Morocco immediately moved to claim the area left behind by Mauritania.

From the mid-1980s, the war reached a stalemate. Morocco built a massive sand structure known as the Moroccan Wall.

This wall was designed to keep Polisario troops out of certain areas. It enclosed the Southern Provinces and economically important sites like El-Aaiun and Bou Craa. Morocco stationed a huge number of troops along this wall. The cost of maintaining this defense was a heavy economic burden for Morocco. Despite the wall, the conflict remained active through artillery strikes and sniping. A massive Polisario attack occurred in October 1989, but it resulted in heavy casualties. A ceasefire was finally reached in September 1991. Some sources estimate the total death toll was between 10,000 and 20,000 people.

The Western Sahara conflict has since changed its nature. It has shifted from a military war to a period of civilian resistance. A permanent solution has not yet been reached through the peace process. Today, much of the territory is under Moroccan control. The inland parts are governed by the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, managed by the Polisario Front. The issue of Sahrawi refugees remains a major part of the ongoing situation.