For over 40 years, the people of Western Sahara have endured war and occupation—yet few outside of northern Africa have ever heard of them or their suffering. In 1975, their vast territory—some 100,000 square miles of desert bordering the Atlantic—was invaded by Morocco. Almost half of the traditionally nomadic Sahrawi population was driven into remote refugee camps in neighboring Algeria, where 165,000 remain to this day. An entire generation has been born and raised in these camps. Following Morocco’s occupation, the Sahrawis waged a long war of resistance. It ended in 1991, when Morocco agreed to allow the Sahrawis to …read more
Source: The New Republic
