Western Sahara, formerly the colony of Spanish Sahara, is a disputed territory claimed by both the Kingdom of Morocco and the Polisario Front (Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Río de Oro), which is an independence movement based in Tindouf. The annexation of Western Sahara by Morocco took place in two stages, in 1976 and 1979, and is considered illegal under international law.

Western Sahara is listed by the United Nations (UN) as a non-decolonized territory and is thus included in the United Nations list of non-self-governing territories, which regards Spain as the de jure administering state. Under international law, Western Sahara is not a legal part of Morocco, and it remains under the international laws of military occupation.

Background Since the Madrid Accords of 1975, most of Western Sahara has been occupied by Morocco as the Southern Provinces. The smallest and least resourced section, the Liberated Territories, is administered by the Polisario Front as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). Mauritania administers the western half of the Ras Nouadhibou Peninsula. An UN-monitored cease-fire has been in effect since September 1991.

No other country than the United States, Israel and Paraguay has ever recognized Morocco's unilateral annexation of Western Sahara; however, certain countries have recognized that Morocco exerts de facto control of the region. Overall, the annexation has not garnered as much attention in the international community as many other disputed annexations (e.g. the Russian annexation of Crimea).

In order to resolve the sovereignty issue, the UN has attempted to hold a referendum through the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), and is holding direct talks between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Polisario Front. The UN recognizes neither MoroccanUnited Nations Security Council: Report of the Secretary-General on the situation concerning Western Sahara (S/2006/249) paragraph 37, p. 10 nor SADR sovereignty over Western Sahara.

Moroccan settlers currently make up more than two thirds of the 500,000 inhabitants of Western Sahara. Under international law, Morocco's transfer of its own civilians into occupied territory is in direct violation of Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention (cf. Israeli and Turkish settlers).

Positions of the main parties

Kingdom of Morocco

The official position of the Kingdom of Morocco since 1963 is that all of Western Sahara is an integral part of the kingdom. The Moroccan government refers to Western Sahara only as "Moroccan Sahara", the "Saharan provinces", or the "Southern Provinces".

According to the Moroccan government, in 1958 the Moroccan Army of Liberation fought Spanish colonizers and almost liberated what was then Spanish Sahara. The fathers of many of the Polisario leaders were among the veterans of the Moroccan Southern Army, for example the father of Polisario leader Mohammed Abdelaziz. Morocco is supported in this view by a number of former Polisario founders and leaders. The Polisario Front is considered by Morocco to be a Moroccan separatist movement, referring to the Moroccan origins of most of its founding members.

On 22 January 2020, Morocco's House of Representatives voted unanimously to add Western Sahara waters to the Moroccan maritime borders.

Polisario Front and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic The Polisario Front, mainly backed by Algeria, is described by itself and its supporters as a national liberation movement that opposes Moroccan control of Western Sahara, whilst it is considered by Morocco and supporters of Morocco's claims over Western Sahara to be a separatist organization. It began as a movement of students who felt torn between the divergent Spanish and Moroccan influences on the country. The original goal of the Polisario, which was to end Spanish colonialism in the region, was achieved, but their neighbors, Morocco and Mauritania, seized sovereignty of the region, which the Polisario felt was entitled to self-determination and eventually independence. The Polisario engaged in guerrilla warfare with the Moroccan and Mauritanian forces. It evacuated the Sahrawi population to the Tindouf refugee camps due to Royal Moroccan Air Force bombing of the refugee camps on Sahrawi land with napalm and white phosphorus.Surendra Bhutani, Conflict on Western Sahara, Strategic Analysis, 1754-0054, Volume 2, Issue 7, 1978, Pages 251 – 256.Tomás Bárbulo, La historia prohibida del Sáhara Español, Destino, Imago mundi, Volume 21, 2002, Pages 284–285 The Polisario Front has called for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara to be decided through a referendum. Although the SADR is not recognized as a state by the UN, the Polisario is considered a direct participant in the conflict and as the legitimate representative of the Sahrawi people, recognized by the United Nations since 1979.

The Polisario Front argues that Morocco's position is due to economic interests (fishing, phosphate mining, and the potential for oil reserves) and political reasons (stability of the king's position and the governing elite in Morocco, deployment of most of the Moroccan Army in Western Sahara instead of in Morocco). The Polisario Front proclaimed the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic in Bir Lehlou (Western Sahara), on 27 February 1976.

Mauritania Claims on Western Sahara had proliferated since the 1960s, fueled by Mauritanian President Moktar Ould Daddah. Before Mauritania signed the Madrid Accords and after the withdrawal of the last Spanish forces, in late 1975, the Mauritanian Army invaded the southern part of Western Sahara, while the Moroccan Army did the same in the north.

In April 1976, Mauritania and Morocco partitioned the country into three parts, Mauritania getting the southern one, which was named Tiris al-Gharbiyya. Mauritania waged four years of war against Polisario guerrillas, conducting raids on Nouakchott, attacks on the Zouerate mine train and a coup d'état that deposed Ould Daddah. Mauritania finally withdrew in the summer of 1979, after signing the Algiers Agreement with the Polisario Front, recognizing the right of self-determination for the Sahrawi people, and renouncing any claims on Western Sahara. The Moroccan Army immediately took control of the former Mauritanian territory.

Mauritania recognized the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic on 27 February 1984.

Algeria Algeria has supported the independence of the whole of Western Sahara since 1975, when Spanish forces and settlers withdrew from the area. It is one of the few countries to do so in the Arab League. It has provided aid to the 'Polisario Front'. Algeria's role became indirect, through political and military support for the Polisario Front. Algeria recognized the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic on 6 March 1976. Its involvement in Western Sahara independence movement has interrupted the development of Algerian-Morocco diplomatic relations, which were restored in 1988.

United Nations

Western Sahara is on the United Nations list of non-self-governing territories. The UN has been involved since 1988 in trying to find a solution to the conflict through self-determination. In 1988, the Kingdom of Morocco and the Polisario Front agreed to settle the dispute through a referendum under the auspices of the UN that would allow the people of Western Sahara to choose between independence or integration with Morocco. In 1991, the parties agreed upon the Settlement Plan, contingent on the referendum being held the following year, but due to disputes over voter qualification, the vote was not held. In the following years, the UN argued for negotiations between Morocco and the Polisario Front to resolve the deadlock, culminating in the Manhasset negotiations in 2007–2008.

As of 2020, the mandate for MINURSO has been extended 47 times and it maintains its presence in the country, but has yet to fulfill its mission by organizing a referendum.

Positions of other states

Some states are supportive of the "right of self-determination of the Sahrawi people", including the option of autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty. Some states have changed their opinion frequently or have given separate announcements of support for both Morocco and the Polisario Front/SADR (Egypt, Italy, Lesotho, Russia, Rwanda, Yemen, etc.).

Some of the states announcing support of the "right of self-determination" currently recognize the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Not all of the states that have terminated diplomatic relations with or withdrawn recognition of the SADR have announced their support for the Moroccan claims.

The majority of United Nations member states have not announced any position.

States supporting Polisario and the SADR on Western Sahara # State Notes International membership References1 African Union member Arab League member2 African Union member345 African Union member6 ASEAN member78 African Union member910 ASEAN member11 African Union member12 African Union member Arab League member13 African Union member Arab League member14 African Union member1516 African Union member171819 African Union member20 21 African Union member22—Partially recognized state (5 UN members)23 African Union member 24 Arab League member25 African Union member262728 African Union member29303132 ASEAN member33 African Union member

States supporting Morocco's autonomy proposal

# State Notes Diplomatic mission References123 Arab League member14 December 20204 Belgium EU member23 October 20255 African Union member23 October 2020628 February 20207823 January 202091011 African Union member Arab League member18 December 201912 African Union member19 December 202013 African Union member Arab League member28 February 20201415 African Union member23 October 20201627 October 202017 EU member1819 African Union member17 January 2020207 January 202021222324 African Union member17 January 20202523 October 20202612 December 202027 EU member2829 African Union member18 February 202030 Arab League member4 March 202131 African Union member3233 Arab League member34 African Union member12 March 20203529 July 20213637 African Union member38 EU member39 Arab League member4041424344 Arab League member45 EU member4647 African Union member23 January 202048 Arab League memberSpencer, Claire. The Maghreb in the 1990s, Adelphi Paper 274, February 1993, p. 43.49 African Union member5 April 20215051 African Union member1 September 202152 African Union member Arab League member53 EU member5430 May 202255 African Union member9 June 202256 Arab League member4 November 2020575859 African Union member27 October 2020

Position of United Nations Security Council permanent members France France claims neutrality on the Western Sahara issue, despite its military involvement in the Western Sahara War on the side of Morocco and Mauritania (see Operation Lamantin). In 2009Security Council under pressure over human rights in Western Sahara Pravda, 27 April 2010Francia impide que la ONU vigile los derechos humanos en el Sáhara El País, 1 May 2009 and 2010,Opposition of France to monitoring of human rights in Western Sahara "disgrace for Europe" (Austrian parliamentarian). SPS, 23 April 2010Polisario Front denounces blocking by France of human rights monitoring in Western Sahara. SPS, 29 April 2010 France used the threat of its veto power to block the establishment of Human Rights monitoring by the MINURSO in Western Sahara. France has been a major backer of the Moroccan autonomy proposal and in the EU negotiated the concession of the advanced status to Morocco.