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REPORTS Western Sahara a Thematic Report from the Norwegian Refugee Council, 2014

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REPORTS Western Sahara a Thematic Report from the Norwegian Refugee Council, 2014 REPORTS Western Sahara A thematic report from the Norwegian Refugee Council, 2014 OCCUPIED COUNTRY, DISPLACED PEOPLE ›› 2 WESTERN SAHARA>BACKGROUND OCCUPIED COUNTRY, DISPLACED PEOPLE Western Sahara – Africa’s last colony More than 80 former colonies have diminished over the past few years is it to have right on your side if gained independence since the UN and is very unpredictable. Malnu- you do not get justice? While the Sahrawis wait for their rights to be respected, the international com- was founded, a process which has trition and anaemia are widespread affected more than one billion people, and the education sector is disinte- Western Sahara is clearly neglected munity has chosen to look the other way. The Sahrawis have learned through and in which the UN itself has played grating. For the government in exile by the international community. a crucial and driving role. the struggle is twofold: they have to Humanitarian assistance is decreas- bitter experience that without the help of powerful friends, it is of little use to meet the refugees’ immediate needs ing year by year, there is little media have justice on your side. Richard Skretteberg For most of us the decolonisation of at the same time as carrying out attention, and minimal will on the Editor Africa belongs to the history books, nation-building in exile. The refu- part of the international community and is viewed as one of the UN’s gees fear that dependence on aid to find a solution along the lines that Ever since Morocco invaded this thinly popu- crimination. There is now an increased The partition of the country is the result of greatest successes. And yet the original from a politically divided EU and an the UN has outlined. These things are lated desert country in 1975, in defiance of UN danger of renewed conflict. a 16 year war which broke out after Moroccan population of Western Sahara has not under-financed UN may be used to all connected. Media, donor coun- resolutions, the international community has invasion. Morocco built up its military defences yet been allowed to exercise its dem- force the Sahrawis to abandon tries and development aid organi- been unable to push through a solution to the MOROCCO REJECTS UN SOLUTION Western in order to cut off Polisario’s guerrilla forces. ocratic right to decide its own future. their struggle for an independent zations lose interest when a refugee conflict. A new round of UN-led talks began Sahara is a divided country. Those living in the The liberation movement, based in refugee camps Western Sahara is therefore still seen Western Sahara. situation has been long-lasting – and in 2007 between Morocco and Polisario, but refugee camps are cut off from contact with their in Algeria, continued its armed resistance until by the UN as a colony, and the the reason for its duration is most there is little optimism in terms of finding a relatives in the occupied territory. Morocco has the UN succeeded in brokering a ceasefire subjugation of its people under the The UN has defined Western Sahara often a conscious policy on the part solution through those talks that both parties built a 2,200 kilometre-long wall that divides between the two sides in 1991. Agreement was present occupying power of Morocco as a decolonisation question and in of the actors who wield power. can accept. the country in two. It is almost impossible to reached on a detailed plan, which also gave draft is much harsher than it was under the 1975 the International Court of Jus- It is urgent for the Sahrawis that the conflict get over the wall, which is flanked by one of timelines for Morocco’s withdrawal from old Spanish colonists up until 1975. tice in The Hague rejected Moroc- The UN Security Council, The UN is resolved. For nearly four decades the majori- the world’s largest minefields. The area west of Western Sahara and for the return of refugees. co’s alleged “historical claim” on General Assembly and thereby all the ty of the Sahrawi population has lived in refu- the wall, with its great natural resources and In September 1991 the UN Security Council For nearly 40 years more than half of Western Sahara. The African Union world’s states have expressed their gee camps on an open, wind-swept Algerian well-stocked fishing waters, is controlled by deployed the MINURSO force (”UN Mission the Sahrawis, the original population has recognised Western Sahara and support in principle for the Sahrawis’ desert plain, while the Sahrawis under occupa- Morocco. The eastern side, a mostly unproduc- for the Referendum in Western Sahara) to the of Western Sahara, have lived in four accepted it as a member country, right to determine their own future, tion have had enough of repression and dis- tive strip of desert, is under Polisario control. country. Its mandate was to implement the ›› isolated refugee camps in Algeria. having defined the question of but they need to follow up this sup- Their homeland is divided along a Western Sahara as the right to self- port in practice. It must increase its Moroccan-built wall, and electronic determination. In the times in humanitarian assistance and actively Dakhla refugee camp, Algeria. surveillance, land mines and soldiers which we live it is more important engage to have Western Sahara will put a stop whatever the wall itself than ever to defend the principles of placed higher up on the internation- fails to. Families have been separated international law. The tracks of the al, political and humanitarian agen- for decades, and new generations UN are clear, but at the same time it da. Morocco should be put under grow up in the camps without ever is power that prevails. What use is it far greater pressure. The occupying having seen their homeland. In the to have the support of the UN and country is without doubt dragging occupied territories there are now the AU when powerful countries its feet in the hope that the refugee more Moroccans than Sahrawis. such as France, the US and Spain communities will simply break up are either indifferent or actively and disperse. But despite great efforts by the refu- oppose the Sahrawis legitimate gees themselves, they are completely rights? For decades the refugees of This report is an updated version dependent on international aid. Western Sahara have been asking of the NRC publication «Occupied However, this aid has constantly themselves this question: What use Country, Displaced People» (2008). CONTENTS EDITORIAL: Occupied country, The changing face of the UN’s tracks fade into The Sahrawis’ right to displaced people 2 refugee camps 6 the sand 12 self-determination 16 BACKGROUND: Western Sahara – THE REFUGEES: Fish, phosphates and RECOMMENDATIONS OF Africa’s last colony 3 Nightfall over Western Sahara 9 international business 14 THE NORWEGIAN REFUGEE COUNCIL 18 The Sahrawis: historical POLITICS: The game HUMAN RIGHTS: Imprisoned origins of a people 6 of the great powers 10 for their views 14 EDITOR: Richard Skretteberg EDITORIAL TEAM: Ronny Hansen, Vikram Odedra Kollmanskog, CONTRIBUTORS: Per Kristian Cappelen Nielsen, Eli Wærum Rognerud, Eirik Hjort Kirkerud TRANSLATION: Jane Thompson ADDRESS: Norwegian Refugee Council, P.O.box 6758, St. Olavs plass, 0130 Oslo, Norway DESIGN & LAYOUT: Cox Oslo FRONT PAGE: From a parade in the refugee camp Smara in Algeria. Photo: Norwegian Refugee Council/Ronny Hansen BACK PAGE: The 2200 kilometres long Moroccan military wall through Western Sahara. Moroccan army camp in the centre of the picture. Photo: Jean Lamore PRINTING: Gamlebyen Grafiske Edition: 3,500 ISBN: 978-82-7411-235-3 Photo: Berserk Productions WESTERN SAHARA>BACKGROUND WESTERN SAHARA>BACKGROUND settlement plan in cooperation with the parties. Photo: Eirik Hjort Kirkerud Illustration: Eirik Hjort Kirkerud The first steps were to identify qualified voters 16° 14° 12° 10° 8° so as to later organise a referendum in early WESTERN SAHARA 1992, when the Sahrawis were to choose between 30° 30° Tiznit MOROCCO integration into Morocco and full independence. Sidi Ifni Lanzarote This is where the problems started. Instead Canary Islands A R I La Palma (Spain) E of taking just a few weeks, the UN operation G Tenerife Fuerteventura Tan Tan a L Santa Cruz Oued Drâ would take all of eight years to identify the de Tenerife A 28° Las Palmas Zag Gomera Tarfaya Tindouf El Aaiun qualified voters. The process was continuously Hierro Subkhat Tah Gran Canaria As-Sakn Ausserd Mahbes Rabouni Jdiriya Smara hampered by Morocco, which made use of the Al Ga'da El Aaiun Hauza Farciya ATLANTIC OCEAN amra Oue l H Dakhla delay to move increasing numbers of Moroccan d A‘s Saquia A Smara t t settlers into Western Sahara, contrary to inter- a h Amgala Bir Lehlou K Boukra l Tifariti Boujdour A Meharis 26° d 26° national law. When MINURSO finally complet- Aridal e u ed the registration process in 2000, Morocco O MAURITANIA refused to accept the eventual list of qualified Bir Moghrein Guelta Zemmour Zbayra voters. Chalwa Sebkhet Oumm ed Drous Telli Not even the appointment of the former US Subkhat Oum Drega Aghzoumal 24° Tagarzimat 24° Secretary of State James Baker as the UN Sec- Bir Anzarane Dakhla Baggari Aargub Subkhat Mijek retary- General’s Personal Envoy to Western Tanwakka Imlily Sahara helped expedite the process. During the LEGEND Subkhat Subkhat Doumas Sebkhet Town, village Tidsit Ijill Zouerate seven years that Baker worked towards reaching Ausserd Capital Agailas Aguanit Saharawi exile Government an agreement between the two sides, he pre- 22° Dougaj Saharawi Refugee Camp 22° sented several proposals for a solution. The last, International boundary Bir Gandouz Techla which he put forward in 2003, proposed that Guerguerat Zug Road Bou Lanuar Moroccan military wall Nouadhibou Sebkha de Wadi (Dried out river bed) all Moroccan settlers who had been resident in Chinchane La Guera Dry salt lake Western Sahara since 1999 would be able to vote MAURITANIA Atar 0 50 100 150 200 km in the referendum.
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