Western Sahara

Western Sahara is a territory on the Atlantic coast of northwestern Africa, mostly administered by Morocco and claimed by the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Its final political status remains unresolved.

Spanish Sahara: Spanish Sahara was the name of Spain’s colonial territory in the area of present-day Western Sahara. Spain’s withdrawal in 1975 left the territory’s decolonization unfinished.
United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara: A UN peacekeeping mission established in 1991 to monitor the ceasefire and organize a referendum in Western Sahara. Its referendum mandate remains unfulfilled amid disagreement over voter eligibility and options.
Sahrawi people: The Sahrawi are a people of the western Sahara region, including communities in Western Sahara, neighboring countries, and diaspora. Their political identity and claimed right to self-determination are central to the dispute.
Sahrawi refugee camps: A group of camps near Tindouf, Algeria, housing Sahrawi refugees displaced by the Western Sahara conflict. They are a major center of Sahrawi political life outside the territory.
Madrid Accords: The 1975 agreements by which Spain arranged to transfer administration of Spanish Sahara to Morocco and Mauritania. They shaped Spain’s exit but did not settle sovereignty over Western Sahara.
Baker Plan: A 2003 UN-backed proposal for transitional self-government followed by a referendum on Western Sahara’s status. It offered a negotiated route that the parties did not implement.
Mohamed Abdelaziz: Mohamed Abdelaziz was a Sahrawi political leader and secretary-general of the Polisario Front from 1976 until 2016. He led the independence movement through decades of conflict and diplomacy.
Bou Craa mine: A large phosphate mine in Western Sahara, connected to the coast by a long conveyor belt. Its output raises disputes about resource extraction without Sahrawi consent.
Green March: A 1975 mass demonstration in which thousands of Moroccans entered Spanish Sahara at King Hassan II’s call. It advanced Morocco’s claim as Spain prepared to leave.
Ceasefire agreement of 1991: The 1991 truce between Morocco and the Polisario Front, monitored by a United Nations mission. The ceasefire created a long period without major hostilities, broken in 2020.

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