The Moroccan government announced on the 13th that they would take action against the “dangerous” and “unacceptable” “provocation” of the Polisario Front in the buffer zone of Western Sahara.
According to a report from the Russian Satellite News Agency on the 13th, the Moroccan government issued a statement on the same day saying that in response to the “provocation” of the Polisario Front in the buffer zone of Western Sahara, Morocco will decide to comply with its own rights and obligations and in full compliance with international law. On the basis of action on the buffer zone of Western Sahara.
According to reports, in October this year, the Polisario Front entered the Western Sahara area controlled by the Kingdom of Morocco and blocked passenger and cargo transportation in the area bordering Mauritania. Al Jazeera reported that citing a statement issued by local media in Mauritania, a truck driver stated that they were prevented from crossing the border by the Polisario Front when they returned from the sub-Saharan region.
According to Al Jazeera’s report, the Polisario Front warned on the 9th of this month that any Moroccan government or individual entering the buffer zone would be regarded as a “blatant aggression” and they would actively defend the “national sovereignty”. reaction. The Polisario Front also stated: “This will also mean the end of the ceasefire and the start of a new war in the entire region.”
According to previous reports by UN News, Western Sahara is located in the northwest of the African continent and was originally a Spanish colony. The Polisario Front was established in 1973 with the goal of rebelling against Spanish control of Western Sahara. When Spain withdrew in 1975, it signed partition agreements with Morocco and Mauritania. In 1976, the Polisario Front, backed by Algeria, also made territorial claims for the area, and the three parties had repeated armed conflicts. In 1979, Mauritania announced its abandonment of its territorial sovereignty over Western Sahara, while the conflict between Morocco and the Polisario Front continued until 1991. Currently, Morocco controls approximately three-quarters of the territory of Western Sahara.
In 1991, the two sides reached a ceasefire under the mediation of the United Nations. In the same year, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution to establish the United Nations Mission in Western Sahara to monitor the implementation of the ceasefire, and finally organize a free and fair referendum to allow the people of Western Sahara to choose between independence and the merger with Morocco. There are major disagreements on qualifications and other issues, and voting has not been conducted. The Mission in Western Sahara is still maintaining the ceasefire in the area.
