| 1884 |
Spain
colonises the territory later to be known as the Western Sahara
(named by the UN in 1975) between Tarfaya and Villa Cisneros (or
Dhakla) according to the Berlin conference which divided up Africa
between the colonial powers. Spanish colonisation was limited
to these two coastal areas. |
| 1906 |
War
between the Saharawi population and Spanish colonial power begins. |
| 1934 |
The
Saharawi resistance is defeated by France after twenty eight years
of continuous war. |
| 1956 |
Morocco
starts claiming territory. |
| 1960 |
The
Saharawi population becomes progressively sedentary and begins
exploiting the rich phosphate deposits. At the same time the first
political Saharawi movement is formed which claims independence
from Spain. |
| 1970 |
June
17: the new political movement is banned. The repression gives
a strong motivating force towards Saharawi nationalism. |
| 1973 |
POLISARIO
(the Saharawi liberation movement) is formed to speed up the slow
process of decolonisation by waging a guerrilla war against the
Spanish.
King Hassam II of Morocco starts officially claiming the
territory to the North and Mauritania continues claiming
territory to the south. |
| 1974 |
A
census of the Western Saharan population is undertaken (to see
who is eligible to vote) in preparation for a referendum to be
organised by the United Nations. December: The UN General
Assembly who also asks the International Court of Justice to look
into the dispute. |
| 1975 |
The
UN officially names the territory in dispute as the Western Sahara.
October 16: The International Court of Justice announced
that neither Morocco or Mauritania should have sovereignty over
the Western Sahara. The Saharawi population expressed the desire
for independence and that POLISARIO should be the main political
party.
October 16: Morocco started a "Green March" of 350,000
people as a means of advancing their army into the Western Sahara.
October 31: Moroccan forces enter the north west of the
territory. |
| 1976 |
November
6: The Green March crosses the border.
Mauritania, Morocco and Spain meet secretly in Madrid and on the
14 November sign the Madrid Accords which divide the territory
into two; the nothern two thirds to Morocco and the southern one
third to Mauritania. Spain and Morocco agree on exclusive rights
to exploit the phosphate deposits.
February 26: The Spanish colonial mandate finally comes
to an end.
February 27: POLISARIO forms the Saharawi Arab Democratic
Republic and forms a government in exile. |
| 1979 |
Mauritania
abandons its territorial claims in the south and recognises the
rights of the Saharawi people by signing a peace agreement. |
| 1989 |
Ceasefire
between POLISARIO and Morocco. |
| 1990 |
A
settlement plan, to be administrated by the UN peace-keeping force
MINURSO, is set up by the UN. MINURSO is mandated to organise
a poll asking the population of the Western Sahara whether they
would prefer to be intergrated into Morocco officially or to be
independent. MINURSO must compile a list of eligible voters who
can vote in the referendum. |
| 1991 |
One
month before the beginning of the settlement plan implementation,
Morocco begins a series of violations against the ceasefire
with POLISARIO that began in 1989.
Morocco also denies MINURSO free movement through occupied Western
Sahara and submits an application on behalf of 120,000 of its
citizens to take part in the poll (thus trying to rig the outcome).
Morocco also moves thousands of new settlers into the region.
To
this day a deadlock remains on who is eligible to vote.
|
A brief history of the Western Sahara
conflict
