recognizing Western Sahara as a country,  but Morocco violently occupied two-thirds of the territory. 

 

As a consequence of the occupation, half of the Sahrawi population fled to find refuge in Tindouf (Southern Algeria) and the other half stayed in the occupied territory. A war took place between Morocco and the POLISARIO from 1975 until 1991. At that point, with the mediation of the UN and the promise of a referendum of self-determination for the Saharawi people, a ceasefire was agreed. In its resolution 690, the UN Security Council established the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINUSRO). 

 

Until today, the UN has failed to provide a referendum. MINURSO remains ineffective amidst a vacuum of international leadership and initiative to continue the stagnant political discussion of this issue. For instance, the lack of actions from the UN has led to the situation as it is today. They failed in ensuring a referendum had taken place. UN Secretary-General Guterres has not yet named a special Personal Envoy for Western Sahara for 18 months, whose responsibility is to lead the political process, and understandably, we have seen political negotiations come to a total halt. As a consequence, the mediations concerning the breach of the ceasefire on the 31st have been very poor up to the moment. Furthermore, MINUSRO is the only UN peacekeeping mission which does not monitor nor report about human rights violations. This was informed by Amnesty International which made a claim this week to add human rights as part of the MINURSO mandate. Lastly, the Group of Friends of Western Sahara, which is a coalition of member states which work together to progress on particular goals, are only confirmed by the US, France, Russia and Spain, excluding the views of any African country.

 

During that time, Saharawi people in the occupied territory have been violently oppressed by the Moroccan government, according to multiple human rights organizations. Saharawi people resorted to living in the refugee camps in Tindouf, with the help of international organizations, some supporting countries and individual charity. In the meantime, Morocco is slowly but effectively succeeding in “normalizing” their illegal, violent and oppressive annexation of Western Sahara.

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Why the 2020 Saharawi protests? 

Together with the ceasefire of 1991, a Military Agreement was signed between MINUSRO and the Polisario Front in 1997 and between MINUSRO and Morocco in 1998. It established an area of 5km wide to the South and East of the Moroccan military wall, named the Buffer String, where entry of troops, arms or ammunition and defence infrastructure are not allowed for either party. 

 

In 2001, Morocco started constructing an asphalted road through Guerguerat towards the Mauritanian border with commercial ends. The UN Security Council opposed this action but it did not intervene, leaving the conflict unaddressed and letting the tension to escalate in the region. In response to this breach, in October 2020, Saharawi civilians started nonviolently protesting in Guerguerat against this road and the breach in the Moroccan military wall. They demand that the UN mission finally implements its mandate and organises a referendum.

 

Who broke the ceasefire? 

Guerguerat is inside the restricted area that marked the Military Agreement no. 1. Therefore, Morocco breached this agreement on November 13th when it sent troops to stop the protesters and moved heavy-duty vehicles, including 16 graders, into the area, as confirmed by MINUSRO. They themselves recognize they have “initiated a responsible operation to restore traffic in the Guerguerat Crossing”. although they do not admit its illegality.

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“But it must be understood that it was never the desire of the Saharawis, who had trusted with goodwill in the diligent work of the UN for 29 years, to resort to arms to claim a legitimate right recognized by international law such as self-determination,” said Mustapha M-Lamin, secretary of Zemmur, Association of Sahrawis in Valencia.

 

During that time, Saharawi people in the occupied territory have been violently oppressed by the Moroccan government, according to multiple human rights organizations. An example of Moroccan brutality is the massacres of Igdem Izik. It was a peaceful protest on November 8, 2010, where more than 20,000 Saharawis in 80 white tents started a camp outside Layun, the capital of Western Sahara, to protest against the human right violations and to get international attention. Tragically, the camp was all burnt by the military planes. They killed protesters, including a 14-year-old boy, and injured and imprisoned hundreds of them. They were sentenced for 30 years to lifetime in jail solely for a peaceful protest.  

 

Morocco is allowed to do that freely since they have media blockade. The UN did not do much to stop the Moroccan government from doing so or to keep its promises for Saharawis and most international media have ignored the conflict and all the human rights violations taking place there.

 

Despite all that, Saharawis never responded violently; they still held onto the hope of the UN promise for a referendum on self-determination.