Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic

Last updated

Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
  • الجمهورية العربية الصحراوية الديمقراطية (Arabic)
    Al-Jumhūrīyah al-‘Arabīyah aṣ-Ṣaḥrāwīyah ad-Dīmuqrāṭīyah
  • República Árabe Saharaui Democrática (Spanish)
Motto: 
حرية، ديمقراطية، وحدة (Arabic)
Libertad, Democracia, Unidad (Spanish)
"Freedom, Democracy, Unity"
Anthem: يا بني الصحراء
Yā Banī aṣ-Ṣaḥrāʾ
"Oh, Sons of the Sahara!"
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (orthographic projection).svg
Location Western Sahara AU Africa.svg
Status State partially recognised by 46 UN member states and South Ossetia
Capital
and largest city
El Aaiún (de jure)
27°9′N13°12′W / 27.150°N 13.200°W / 27.150; -13.200
Capital-in-exile
Official languages
Spoken
languages
Religion
Islam (official)
Demonym(s)
Government Unitary one-party semi-presidential republic
  President
Brahim Ghali
Bouchraya Hammoudi Bayoun
Legislature National Council
Formation
14 November 1975
 Republic declared
27 February 1976
 Sovereignty disputed over Western Sahara with Morocco
Ongoing
Area
 Total
266,000 km2 (103,000 sq mi) (claimed)
90,000 km2 (35,000 sq mi) (controlled)(77th)
 Water (%)
Negligible
Population
 Estimate
607,292 (2021 est.)
GDP  (nominal)estimate
 Per capita
Increase2.svg $2,500 (2007 est.) [8] (197th)
Currency Sahrawi peseta (de jure) (EHP)
(EHP)
Time zone UTC+1 (WAT)
Date formatdd/mm/yyyy (AD)
Driving side right
ISO 3166 code EH
Internet TLD .eh (reserved)

The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, [lower-alpha 4] also known as the Sahrawi Republic and Western Sahara, is a partially recognized state, recognized by 46 UN member states and South Ossetia, located in the western Maghreb, which claims the non-self-governing territory of Western Sahara, but controls only the easternmost one-fifth of that territory. Between 1884 and 1975, Western Sahara was known as Spanish Sahara, a Spanish colony (later an overseas province). The SADR is one of the two African states in which Spanish is a significant language, the other being Equatorial Guinea.

Contents

The SADR was proclaimed by the Polisario Front on 27 February 1976, in Bir Lehlou, Western Sahara. The SADR government calls the territories under its control the Liberated Territories or the Free Zone . Morocco controls and administers the rest of the disputed territory, and calls these lands its Southern Provinces. The claimed capital city of the SADR is El Aaiún (the capital of the territory of Western Sahara). Since the SADR does not control El Aaiún, it has established a temporary capital in Tifariti, although most of the day-to-day administration happens in Rabuni, one of the Sahrawi refugee camps located in Tindouf, Algeria.

The SADR maintains diplomatic relations with 46 United Nations states, and is a full member of the African Union. With a population of about half a million, it is the most sparsely populated in Africa, and the second-most sparsely populated in the world. [10]

Etymology

The name Sahrawi is the romanization of the Arabic word Ṣaḥrāwīصحراوي, meaning 'Inhabitant of the Desert'. The word Ṣaḥrāwīصحراوي then is derived from the Arabic word Ṣaḥrāʼ (صحراء), meaning 'desert'.[ citation needed ]

History

Following the evacuation of the Spaniards, due to the Moroccan Green March, Spain, Morocco, and Mauritania signed the Madrid Accords on 14 November 1975, six days before Francisco Franco died. Morocco and Mauritania responded by annexing the territory of Western Sahara. On 26 February 1976, Spain informed the United Nations (UN) that as of that date it had terminated its presence in Western Sahara and relinquished its responsibilities, which left the region devoid of any Administering Power. [11] Neither Morocco nor Mauritania gained international recognition, and war ensued with the independence-seeking Polisario Front. The UN considers the Polisario Front to be the legitimate representative of the Sahrawi people, and maintains that the people of Western Sahara have a right to "self-determination and independence". [12]

The creation of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic was proclaimed on 27 February 1976, as the Polisario declared the need for a new entity to fill what they considered a political void left by the departing Spanish colonizers. While the claimed capital is the former Western Sahara capital El-Aaiún (which is in Moroccan-controlled territory), the proclamation was made in the government-in-exile's provisional capital, Bir Lehlou, which remained in Polisario-held territory under the 1991 ceasefire (see Settlement Plan). On 27 February 2008, the provisional capital was formally moved to Tifariti. [13] [14] Day-to-day business, however, is conducted in the Sahrawi refugee camps in Tindouf Province, Algeria, which house most of the Sahrawi exile community.

Constitution

A new 1999 Constitution of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic took a form similar to the parliamentary constitutions of many European states, but with some paragraphs suspended until the achievement of "full independence". Among key points, the head of state is constitutionally the Secretary General of the Polisario Front during what is referred to as the "pre-independence phase", with provision in the constitution that on independence, Polisario is supposed to be dismantled or separated completely from the government structure. Provisions are detailed for a transitory phase beginning with independence, in which the present SADR is supposed to act as Western Sahara's government, ending with a constitutional reform and eventual establishment of a state along the lines specified in the constitution.[ citation needed ]

The broad guidelines laid down in the constitution for an eventual Western Saharan state include eventual multi-party democracy with a market economy. The constitution also defines Sahrawis as a Muslim, African and Arab people. [15] The Constitution also declares a commitment to the principles of human rights and to the concept of a Greater Maghreb, as a regional variant of Pan-Arabism.[ citation needed ]

Government structure

Since August 1982, the highest office of the republic has been the President of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, a post held by the secretary-general of the Polisario Front, presently Brahim Ghali, [16] who appoints the Prime Minister, presently Bouchraya Hammoudi Bayoun. The SADR's government structure consists of a Council of Ministers (a cabinet led by the Prime Minister), a judicial branch (with judges appointed by the President) and the parliamentary Sahrawi National Council (SNC; the present speaker is Hamma Salama). Since its inception in 1976, the various constitutional revisions have transformed the republic from an ad hoc managerial structure into something approaching an actual governing apparatus. From the late 1980s the parliament began to take steps to institute a division of powers and to disentangle the republic's structures from those of the Polisario Front, although without clear effect to date.[ citation needed ]

Its various ministries are responsible for a variety of services and functions. The judiciary, complete with trial courts, appeals courts and a supreme court, operates in the same areas. As a government-in-exile, many branches of government do not fully function, and has affected the constitutional roles of the institutions. Institutions parallel to government structures also have arisen within the Polisario Front, which is fused with the SADR's governing apparatus, and with operational competences overlapping between these party and governmental institutions and offices. A 2012 report mentioned the existence of the Sahrawi Bar Association. [17] In 2016, the bar association (going by the name Union of Sahrawi Lawyers) issued a report calling for the implementation of political and civil rights. [18] Unfortunately, there is no clear indication as to how certain demographic groups, such as women, have fared in the legal field.[ citation needed ]

The SNC is weak in its legislative role, having been instituted as a mainly consultative and consensus-building institution, but it has strengthened its theoretical legislative and controlling powers during later constitutional revisions. Among other things, it has added a ban on the death penalty to the constitution, and brought down the government in 1999 through a vote of no-confidence.[ citation needed ]

The Sahrawi National Council is composed of 53 members, all from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Río de Oro.[ citation needed ]

Military

The Sahrawi People's Liberation Army is the defence force of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic and previously served as the armed wing of the Polisario Front prior to the foundation of the Republic.

Economy

The SADR in its controlled territories uses the Sahrawi Peseta although the majority of the country uses the Moroccan Dirham.

Demographics

All data about demographic information regarding Western Sahara are extremely error-prone, regardless of source. Most countries take censuses every ten years, and some every five in order to stay abreast of change and miscounts; the last count was conducted in 1970, and even that data by colonial Spain is considered unreliable due to large nomadic populations.

Following the 1975 Green March, the Moroccan state has sponsored settlement schemes enticing thousands of Moroccans to move into the Moroccan-occupied part of Western Sahara (80% of the territory). By 2015, it was estimated that Moroccan settlers made up at least two thirds of the 500,000 inhabitants. [19] Under international law, Morocco's transfer of its own civilians into Non-Self-Governing territory is in direct violation of Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. [20]

The religion in Western Sahara is Sunni Islam. The major ethnic groups are Arab and Berbers. The most common languages are Hassaniya Arabic and Moroccan Arabic. [21]

Religion

The predominant religion practiced by Sahrawis is the Maliki school of Sunni Islam, which is constitutionally recognized as the official religion of the SADR and a source of law. Virtually all Sahrawis identify as Muslim according to the CIA World Factbook, which makes the country one of the most religiously homogeneous nations in the world.

The Catholic Church had an important presence during Spanish rule, with 20,000 Spanish Catholics present before Spain abandoned the territory (30% of the population). Today around 300 people in the Moroccan-controlled areas are Catholic (mostly of Spanish origin), being able to attend the St. Francis of Assisi Cathedral in El Aaiún and the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Dakhla.

Language

Modern Standard Arabic is the sole constitutionally recognized official and national language of the Sahrawi Republic. [22] Hassaniya, a variety of Arabic also spoken in neighbouring countries such as Mauritania, is the common vernacular language of the Sahrawi people.

Spanish was introduced during the Spanish colonisation in the late 19th century, and remains as the preferred second language of the Sahrawi, also enjoying a de facto working language status. [23] In 2018, President Brahim Gali stated that the SADR is the only Arab country in the world where Spanish is an official language. [2] Instituto Cervantes estimates that around 20,000 Sahrawis have limited competencies in Spanish [24]

Area of authority

The SADR acted as a government administration in the Sahrawi refugee camps located in the Tindouf Province of western Algeria. It is headquartered in Camp Rabouni, south of Tindouf, although some official events have taken place in towns in the Free Zone, including the provisional capitals, first Bir Lehlou until 2008, then Tifariti. The government of the SADR claims sovereignty over all of the Western Sahara territory, but has control only within the Free Zone. Several foreign aid agencies, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and non-governmental organizations, are continually active in the camps.

International recognition and membership

As ofSeptember2022,the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic has been recognized by85 states. Of these, 39 have since "frozen" or "withdrawn" recognition for a number of reasons. A total of 29 UN states maintain an embassy from the SADR, with Vietnam being the only nation not hosting an embassy but only sending their own mission [25] Sahrawi embassies exist in 18 states. 6 UN states have other diplomatic relations, while a further 9 UN nations and South Ossetia [26] also recognize the state either by previous regimes or through international agreements in the past, but do not have any active relations at the moment (see foreign relations of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic for more details).

Chile, [27] Australia, [28] Brazil, [29] [30] [31] [32] and Sweden [33] have all internally voted to recognize the SADR, but none have yet ratified it.

Although it is not recognized by the UN, the SADR has held full membership of the African Union (AU, formerly the Organisation of African Unity, OAU) since 1982. Morocco withdrew from the OAU in protest during 1984, and from the time of South Africa's admittance to the OAU in 1994 was the only African UN member not also a member of the AU, until it was readmitted on 30 January 2017. [34] The SADR participates as a guest in meetings of the Non-Aligned Movement [35] [36] and the New Asian–African Strategic Partnership, [37] [38] over Moroccan objections to SADR participation. [39]

The SADR also participated in a conference of the Permanent Conference of Political Parties of the Latin American and the Caribbean (COPPPAL) in 2006; [40] the SADR ambassador to Nicaragua participated in the opening conference of the Central American Parliament in 2010, [41] and a SADR delegation participated in the meeting of COPPPAL and International Conference of Asian Political Parties in Mexico City in 2012. [42]

On 27 February 2011, the 35th anniversary of the proclamation of SADR was held in Tifariti, Western Sahara. Delegations, including parliamentarians, ambassadors, NGOs and activists from many countries participated in this event. [43] [44]

The SADR is not a member of the Arab League, nor of the Arab Maghreb Union, both of which include Morocco as a full member.

Proposed Western Sahara Authority

Under the Baker Plan created by James Baker, former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's personal envoy to Western Sahara, the SADR would have been replaced with a five-year transitional Western Sahara Authority (WSA), a non-sovereign autonomous region supervised by Morocco, to be followed by a referendum on independence. It was endorsed by the UN in 2003. As Morocco has declined to participate, however, the plan appears dead.[ citation needed ]

In April 2007, the government of Morocco suggested that a self-governing entity, through the Royal Advisory Council for Saharan Affairs (CORCAS), should govern the territory with some degree of autonomy for Western Sahara. The project was presented to the UN Security Council in mid-April 2007. A stalemate over the Moroccan proposal led the UN, in an April 2007 "Report of the UN Secretary-General", to ask the parties to enter into direct and unconditional negotiations to reach a mutually accepted political solution. [45]

Sports

The SADR was invited to participate in the 2015 African Games in Brazzaville, which would have been the country's debut at a major international sporting event. However, its thirteen athletes were not allowed to compete by the Congolese organizing committee. [46] The country has a national football team, but its governing body, the Sahrawi Football Federation, is not a member of FIFA or the Confederation of African Football. [47]

National holidays

DateNameOriginal event / Notes
27 February Independence Day Proclamation of the SADR in Bir Lehlou, 1976
8 MarchFirst Martyr
10 MayFoundation of the Polisario Front The anniversary of the front's establishment in 1973
20 May20 May RevolutionStart of the armed struggle against Spain in 1973
9 JuneDay of the Martyrs Day on which El-Ouali died in 1976
17 June Zemla Intifada Harakat Tahrir riots in El-Aaiun, 1970
12 OctoberDay of National UnityCelebrating the commemoration anniversary of the Ain Ben Tili Conference, 1975

Additionally, Muslim celebrations are kept according to the lunar Islamic calendar.

DateNameObservance
Muharram 1 Islamic New Year The anniversary of the Hijra from Mecca to Medina and the beginning of the lunar Islamic year
Dhul Hijja 10 Eid al-Adha Sacrifice feast
Shawwal 1 Eid al-Fitr End of Ramadan
Rabi' al-awwal 12 Mawlid Birth of Muhammad


See also

Notes

  1. It is described as the SADR's second official language [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]
  2. In the Moroccan-occupied territories.
  3. The euro is informally accepted in the Sahrawi refugee camps. [9]
  4. /səˈrɑːwi/ sə-RAH-wee; SADR; also known as Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic; Arabic: الجمهورية العربية الصحراوية الديمقراطية, romanized: al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʿArabīyah aṣ-Ṣaḥrāwīyah ad-Dīmuqrāṭīyah; Spanish: República Árabe Saharaui Democrática, pronounced [reˈpuβlik(a)ˈaɾaβesa(a)ˈɾawiðemoˈkɾatika]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Political status of Western Sahara</span>

Western Sahara, formerly the Spanish colony of Spanish Sahara, is a disputed territory claimed by both the Kingdom of Morocco and the Popular Front for the Liberation of the Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro, which is an independence movement based in Tifariti and Bir Lehlou. The Annexation of Western Sahara by Morocco took place in two stages, in 1976 and 1979, and is considered illegal under international law.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polisario Front</span> Military and political organisation in Western Sahara

The Polisario Front, Frente Polisario, Frelisario or simply Polisario, is a rebel Sahrawi nationalist liberation movement claiming Western Sahara.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sahrawis</span> People living in the western Sahara desert

The Sahrawis, or Sahrawi people, are an ethnic group native to the western part of the Sahara desert, which includes the Western Sahara, southern Morocco, much of Mauritania, and along the southwestern border of Algeria. They are of mixed Hassani Arab and Sanhaji Berber descent, as well as West African and other indigenous populations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elections in the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic</span> Political elections for public offices in the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic

Elections in the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic are regularly held by the government-in-exile at a national, regional and local level. Elections are considered to be held under a non-partisan participatory democratic regime, as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) and the Polisario Front structures are parallel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abdelkader Taleb Omar</span>

Abdelkader Taleb Omar is a Sahrawi politician who serves as the ambassador of Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic to Algeria since 17 March 2018. He is a former prime minister.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bir Lehlou</span> Municipality and town in Western Sahara

Bir Lehlou is an oasis town in north-eastern Western Sahara, 236 km from Smara, near the Mauritanian border and east of the border wall, in Polisario Front-held territory. It has a pharmacy, a school and a mosque. It is the head of the 5th military region of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic and was the factual temporary capital of SADR until Tifariti became the temporary capital in 2008. It is also the name of a Daïra of the Wilaya of Smara, in the Sahrawi refugee camps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scouting and Guiding in Western Sahara</span> Scouting and Guiding associations in Western Sahara

Scouting exists in Western Sahara both as part of the Fédération Nationale du Scoutisme Marocain as well as independent groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tifariti</span> Temporary capital of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic in Western Sahara

Tifariti is an oasis town and the temporary capital of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, located in north-eastern Western Sahara, east of the Moroccan Berm, 138 km (86 mi) from Smara and 15 km (9 mi) north of the border with Mauritania. It is part of what Polisario Front calls the Liberated Territories and Morocco call the Buffer Zone. It has been the de facto temporary capital of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic since the government moved there in 2008 from Bir Lehlou. It is the headquarters of the 2nd military region of the SADR.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mahfoud Ali Beiba</span> Sahrawi President in 1976

Mahfoud Ali Beiba Hammad Dueihi was a Sahrawi politician and co-founder of the Polisario Front, a national liberation movement that seeks self-determination for Western Sahara. From 1975 until his death, he lived in an exile in the refugee camps of Tindouf, Algeria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Free Zone (region)</span> Region of Western Sahara

The Free Zone or Liberated Territories is a term used by the Polisario Front government of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, a partially recognized sovereign state in the western Maghreb, to describe the part of Western Sahara that lies to the east of a 2,200-kilometre (1,400 mi) border wall flanked by a minefield, often referred as the Berm, and to the west and north of the borders with Algeria and Mauritania, respectively. It is controlled by the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, as opposed to the area to the west of the Berm, which is controlled by Morocco as part of its Southern Provinces. Both states claim the entirety of Western Sahara as their territory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sahrawi National Council</span> Legislature

The Sahrawi National Council or Sahrawi Parliament is the legislature of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Its structure and competences are guided by the Constitution of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). The present speaker since 2020 is Hamma Salama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Sahara conflict</span> Armed conflict between Morocco and the Polisario Front

The Western Sahara conflict is an ongoing conflict between the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic/Polisario Front and the Kingdom of Morocco. The conflict originated from an insurgency by the Polisario Front against Spanish colonial forces from 1973 to 1975 and the subsequent Western Sahara War against Morocco between 1975 and 1991. Today the conflict is dominated by unarmed civil campaigns of the Polisario Front and their self-proclaimed SADR state to gain fully recognized independence for Western Sahara.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foreign relations of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic</span>

The foreign relations of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) are conducted by the Polisario Front, which maintains a network of representation offices and embassies in foreign countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic</span>

The politics of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic refers to politics of the Polisario Front's proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, a country in North Africa with limited recognition by other states, controlling parts of the Western Sahara region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sahrawi refugee camps</span> Collection of refugee camps set up in the Tindouf Province, Algeria

The Sahrawi refugee camps, also known as the Tindouf camps, are a collection of refugee camps set up in the Tindouf Province, Algeria in 1975–76 for Sahrawi refugees fleeing from Moroccan forces, who advanced through Western Sahara during the Western Sahara War. With most of the original refugees still living in the camps, the situation is among the most protracted in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Sahara War</span> 1975–1991 armed conflict between Morocco and the Polisario Front

The Western Sahara War was an armed struggle between the Sahrawi indigenous Polisario Front and Morocco from 1975 to 1991, being the most significant phase of the Western Sahara conflict. The conflict erupted after the withdrawal of Spain from the Spanish Sahara in accordance with the Madrid Accords, by which it transferred administrative control of the territory to Morocco and Mauritania, but not sovereignty. In late 1975, the Moroccan government organized the Green March of some 350,000 Moroccan citizens, escorted by around 20,000 troops, who entered Western Sahara, trying to establish a Moroccan presence. While at first met with just minor resistance by the Polisario Front, Morocco later engaged a long period of guerrilla warfare with the Sahrawi nationalists. During the late 1970s, the Polisario Front, desiring to establish an independent state in the territory, attempted to fight both Mauritania and Morocco. In 1979, Mauritania withdrew from the conflict after signing a peace treaty with the Polisario Front. The war continued in low intensity throughout the 1980s, though Morocco made several attempts to take the upper hand in 1989–1991. A cease-fire agreement was finally reached between the Polisario Front and Morocco in September 1991. Some sources put the final death toll between 10,000 and 20,000 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic</span> Overview of and topical guide to the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mexico–Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic relations</span> Bilateral relations

Mexico–Sahrawi Republic relations are the current and historical relations between Mexico and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). Mexico recognized the SADR on 8 September 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic–Spain relations</span> Bilateral relations

Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic–Spain relations are the current and historical relations between the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic and Spain.

References

  1. SADR. "Constitution of the SADR" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 11 November 2007. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  2. 1 2 "الوفد الصحراوي سيحضر لقاء جنيف بإرادة صادقة للتقدم نحو الحل الذي يضمن حق الشعب الصحراوي في تقرير المصير والاستقلال". Sahara Press Service (in Arabic). 29 November 2018. Archived from the original on 25 November 2023.
  3. János Besenyő; R. Joseph Huddleston; Yahia H. Zoubir (2022). Conflict and Peace in Western Sahara The Role of the UN's Peacekeeping Mission (MINURSO). Taylor & Francis. p. 51. ISBN   978-10-0080733-2.
  4. Dawn Chatty (2010). Deterritorialized Youth Sahrawi and Afghan Refugees at the Margins of the Middle East. Berghahn Books. p. 114. ISBN   978-1-84545-653-5.
  5. Elena Fiddian-Qasmiyeh (2015). South-South Educational Migration, Humanitarianism and Development Views from the Caribbean, North Africa and the Middle East. Routledge. p. 48. ISBN   978-1-135-07667-2.
  6. Martos, Isabel (2014). Linguistic Policy in the Camps of Sahrawi Refugees. ECAS 2013, 5th European Conference on African Studies. Universidad de Alcalá. Archived from the original on 22 May 2021. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
  7. "El Español en los Campamentos de Refugiados Saharauis (Tinduf, Algeria)" (PDF). Cvc.cervantes.es. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 December 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  8. "Los campamentos de refugiados saharauis" [The Sahrawi refugee camps] (in Spanish). Una mirada al Sáhara Occidental. 26 December 2019. Retrieved 21 October 2023. La divisa local es el dinar argelino, aunque se puede pagar casi todo en euros. La moneda mínima para hacer compras en los campamentos es el billete de 10€.[The local currency is the Algerian dinar, although you can pay almost everything in euros. The minimum currency to make purchases in the camps is the €10 bill.]
  9. "Western Sahara Population 2023 (Live)".
  10. "Letter dated 29 January 2002 from the Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs, the Legal Counsel, addressed to the President of the Security Council". United Nations. 29 January 2002. Archived from the original on 17 April 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  11. "A/RES/34/37. Question of Western Sahara" (PDF). General Assembly—Thirty-fourth Session. United Nations. 1979. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 January 2017. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
  12. "Sahara Occidental – Actualités 2008, février". February 2008. Archived from the original on 16 January 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  13. "Sahara Info" (PDF). March 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 August 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  14. Article 6 of the Sahrawi constitution. Article 2 prescribes that "Islam is the state religion and source of law".
  15. Zunes S; Mundy J (2010). Western Sahara: War, Nationalism, and Conflict Irresolution Syracuse University Press. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
  16. "Report of the Fact-Finding Mission to the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic" (PDF). African Commission on Human & Peoples' Rights. September 2012. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 March 2014. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
  17. "تقرير موازي بمناسبة استعراض التقرير السادس للملكة المغربية حول تنفيذ مقتضيات العهد الدولي للحقوق المدنية و السياسية". اتحاد المحامين الصحراويين.
  18. Shefte, Whitney (6 January 2015). "Western Sahara's stranded refugees consider renewal of Morocco conflict". the Guardian.
  19. "Mixed Reviews for Morocco as Fourth Committee Hears Petitioners on Western Sahara, Amid Continuing Decolonization Debate | Meetings Coverage and Press Releases".
  20. "The World Factbook - Western Sahara". CIA. Archived from the original on 12 June 2007. Retrieved 6 July 2023.[]
  21. Article 3 of the Constitution of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic  (2023-01-17)
  22. Martos 2014, p. 1199–1202.
  23. El español: una lengua viva — Informe 2022 [Spanish: a living language — 2022 report](PDF) (Report). Instituto Cervantes. 2022. p. 10. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  24. "Plenipotentiary and Extraordinary Ambassador to the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, the Republic of Mali, the Republic of Senegal, the Republic of Gambia, the Republic of Niger and the Arab Republic of Sarahoui". 12 January 2017. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  25. "Semi-Recognized Western Sahara to Recognize South Ossetia | Eurasianet". eurasianet.org. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  26. "MRE | Declaración del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores". 14 February 2014. Archived from the original on 14 February 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  27. "afrol News - Australia may recognise Saharawi Republic". www.afrol.com. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  28. "Portal da Câmara dos Deputados". www.camara.leg.br. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  29. "Portal da Câmara dos Deputados". www.camara.leg.br. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  30. "Portal da Câmara dos Deputados". www.camara.leg.br. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  31. "INS 3/2015 - Senado Federal". www25.senado.leg.br. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  32. "Sweden softens line on Western Sahara recognition in face of boycott threat". Sveriges Radio. 5 December 2012. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  33. "Morocco rejoins African Union". Worldbulletin. 30 January 2017. Archived from the original on 20 July 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  34. "NAM reiterates support to right of Saharawi people to determination". Sahara Press Service . 30 August 2012. Archived from the original on 29 April 2015. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
  35. "Algeria praises NAM's continued support to struggle of Saharawi people for self-determination". Sahara Press Service. 2 September 2012. Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
  36. "South Africa". ARSO – Association de soutien à un référendum libre et régulier au Sahara Occidental. 9 September 2006. Archived from the original on 29 August 2019. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
  37. South African Broadcasting Corporation (1 September 2006). "Asia-Afro partnership meeting kicked off today". South African Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 1 September 2006.
  38. South African Broadcasting Corporation (2 September 2006). "Moroccan objections taint Asian-Africa meeting". South African Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 2 September 2006.
  39. Prensa Latina (11 September 2006). "LatAm, Caribbean Parties in Nicaragua". Prensa Latina. Archived from the original on 22 October 2006. Retrieved 11 September 2006.
  40. "Saharawi Ambassador to Nicaragua receives delegation from Central American Parliament". SPS. 7 January 2010. Archived from the original on 10 August 2017. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
  41. "Saharawi Representation to Mexico attends COPPPAL-ICAPP meeting". Sahara Press Service. 15 October 2012. Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
  42. "Western Sahara: 35 years of colonisation and exile is enough | Kenworthy News Media – development & socio-political issues". Stiffkitten.wordpress.com. 3 March 2011. Archived from the original on 12 April 2011. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  43. [ dead link ]
  44. "Report of the Secretary-General on the situation concerning Western Sahara" (PDF). UN Security Council. 13 April 2007. Retrieved 18 May 2007.[ dead link ]
  45. Pécout, Adrien (8 September 2015). "Jeux africains : le coureur révolté du peuple sahraoui" [African Games: the rebellious runner of the Sahrawi people]. Le Monde.fr (in French). Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  46. "ALGERIA/MOROCCO/WESTERN SAHARA : Confederation of African Football rejects Sahrawi membership move". Africa Intelligence. 12 June 2023. Retrieved 5 April 2024.

Official SADR pages

SADR pages