Admin Who is Western Sahara controlled by?
About 20% of the territory is controlled by the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, while the remaining 80% of the territory is occupied and administered by neighboring Morocco. Its surface area amounts to 266,000 square kilometres (103,000 sq mi).
What countries are fighting over the Western Sahara?
The Western Sahara conflict is an ongoing conflict between the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic/Polisario Front and the Kingdom of Morocco.
Why does Morocco occupied Western Sahara?
Morocco has occupied Western Sahara since 1975 in violation of resolutions by the UN Security Council and a decision by the International Court of Justice. The United States has provided military, economic, and diplomatic support for Morocco’s war effort.
Does Morocco controlled Western Sahara?
Western Sahara is a sparsely-populated area of mostly desert situated on the northwest coast of Africa. A former Spanish colony, it was annexed by Morocco in 1975. Since then it has been the subject of a long-running territorial dispute between Morocco and its indigenous Saharawi people, led by the Polisario Front.
Does Morocco recognize Western Sahara?
The UN recognizes neither Moroccan nor SADR sovereignty over Western Sahara. Moroccan settlers currently make up more than two thirds of the 500,000 inhabitants of Western Sahara.
Why did Spain leave Western Sahara?
In 1884, Spain claimed a protectorate over the coast from Cape Bojador to Cape Blanc, and the area was later extended. As a result of pressure from France, the US, and the UK, Spain abandoned Western Sahara on November 14, 1975, going so far as to even exhume Spanish corpses from cemeteries.
Where is Western Sahara in Africa?
Does France recognize Western Sahara?
Position of United Nations Security Council permanent members[edit] 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).
Who controlled Western Sahara before Spain?
In 1912, Morocco itself became a protectorate of Spain and France. When Morocco gained its independence in the 1950s, the country also restated its claims over the still Spanish Western Sahara.