The heroic struggle of the Saharawi people against Moroccan imperialism

Western Sahara is an independent state whose territory is mainly occupied by the Kingdom of Morocco. Its surface is of 266,000 km2 and its population in the zones occupied by Morocco is 500,000 inhabitants. Its climate is extremely arid and the territory has few natural resources due to the scarcity of rainfall. Its economy is centered on nomadic grazing, fishing and phosphate extraction in Bucraa, which is one of the largest phosphate deposits in the world.

From the nineteenth century the Sahara was occupied by Spain establishing colonial control over its territory. 
In 1975 Spain decided to withdraw by giving up the nominal control of the country and dividing the territory between Morocco and Mauritania.

The Saharan independence forces (Frente Polisario) that had fought against Spanish colonialism had to face the armies of Morocco and Mauritania first, and then, of Morocco, which would maintain its occupation of the territory by calling it "Southern Provinces". The presence of Morocco in Western Sahara is not recognized by any other gobernmen in the world.

Simultaneously the Polisario Frono declared independence in 1976, creating the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), which after a few years was recognized by more than 80 countries.

The guerrillas of the Polisario, with base in Algeria, sent, between 1976 and 1978 continuous attacks against the Moroccan and Mauritanian troops in the Western Sahara (they even got to attack the capital of Mauritania). As a result of this war of attrition, Mauritania renounced its territorial claims in the Sahara and in 1979 signed peace with the Polisario Front. However, its place was occupied by Morocco, which proclaims its sovereignty over the entire territory of Western In August of 1980, Morocco began the construction of a wall that divides the territory of Western Sahara from north to south. The wall was completed in 1987, measuring 2720 kilometers long, protecting the phosphate deposits of Bucraa and the cities of El Aaiún and Smara. It is built of sand about 2 meters high, surrounded by minefields, has forts every 5 km and is guarded by tens of thousands of military personnel.

At present, Western Sahara is one of the 17 Non-Self-Governing Territories under the supervision of the UN Special Committee on Decolonization: The SADR administers the region to the east not controlled by Morocco, which it calls the Free Zone. At the same time, Mauritania occupies the southern city of La Güera and adjacent areas within the peninsula of Cabo Blanco.

Morocco controls most of the food for the urban population, commerce and the main economic activities are controlled by the Moroccan government. Income and living standards are substantially below those of Morocco.

The population of Western Sahara is mostly of Arab origin (Arabized Berbers) and Berber. There is also a small minority of Spanish or European descent and sub-Saharan. Much of the original Sahrawi population (around 155,000 had to leave their lands forced to live in camps, particularly in Tindouf.

Although their territory is largely occupied by the military, the Saharans, based on their border camps that they established more than 40 years ago, are constantly circulating and occupying the territory that was left outside the wall, trying to clear the deserted, uncontaminated fields. At the same time they develop an intense diplomatic activity, which has allowed them to maintain their international presence without losing their uneven struggle against Moroccan imperialism.