A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE TERRITORY AND

ITS PEOPLE
>> Detailed Chronology

The history of the people of Sanhaja Berber and Arab blood who inhabit Western Sahara goes back hundreds
of years. In the XIth century, a confederation of tribes, the "veiled Sanhaja", formed the Almoravid State. The
Almoravids were pious Sanhaja marabouts , who left the Sahara to go north where they conquered Morocco.
Then there was a split; one faction returned south to the desert while the other crossed the Mediterranean,
invaded Andalusia, settling in large parts of Spain, as well a in the present Maghreb. They founded
Marrakesh and other centres and there was a great flowering of culture during their reign. However they lost
contact with the country of their origin and their former way of life.

The direct ancestors of the present-day Saharawis were tribes which came from the Yemen in the XVth
century. They crossed North Africa and eventually established themselves in the region of Western Sahara. In
the following centuries there were clashes bet ween these tribes and any newcomers, for they have always
been fiercely independent. The situation was stabilized in the XVIIIth century when Saguia el-Hamra became
known as the "Land of Saints", a centre of learning and holiness, which attracted people in search of
instruction from far and wide.

Because of the low, irregular rainfall, the region was inhabited exclusively by nomadic tribes. They lived by
pasturing animals and growing crops where possible. Their religion was that of Islam, their law was based on
custom and the Koran. Ethnically and culturally distinct from the populations around them, they moved
across the desert on more or less regular routes, dictated by seasons, wells, waterholes. They knew no
frontiers.
Towards the end of the XVIth century, the Sultan of Morocco, Ahmad al-Mansour, sent an expedition to
conquer Timbuktu. His motivation was economics: the desire for salt, with which to purchase gold and silver.
This expedition, which followed the regular caravan route, had a great influence in the region. However, it
turned out to be ephemeral, the descendants quickly becoming absorbed in the local population. For slightly
over a century Timbuktu paid tribute to Morocco, then this came to an end. There were connections over the
centuries: religious, cultural and personal ties, but they were sporadic and did not at any time constitute ties
of territorial sovereignty between Moroc co and Western Sahara.

This can clearly be seen from the terms of the Treaty of Marrakesh signed in 1767:
«His Imperial Majesty (of Morocco) refrains from expressing an opinion with regard to the trading post
which His Catholic Majesty (of Spain) wishes to establish to the south of the River Noun, since He cannot
take responsibility for accidents and misfortun es, because His domination does not extend so far... .
Northwards from Santa Cruz, His Imperial Majesty grants to the Canary Islanders and the Spaniards the
rights of fishing without authorizing any other nation to do so."

Saharawi society, like many others in Africa at that time, was a tribal society, but it had some specific
characteristics. For example, it was governed by an Assembly of Forty, each of whom represented one of the
Saharawi tribes (this, in contrast with its neighbours, for example Morocco, where there was a hereditary
monarch with absolute powers, or Mauritania, where it was the strongest tribe which imposed tribute on the
weaker tribes and, in general, dominated them).

Each Saharawi tribe was divided into sub-tribes which had so much autonomy that a colonial historian from
Spain described them as living in "complete anarchy".
During the XIXth century, relationships with Spain were mostly limited to questions concerning fishermen
from the Canary Islands: in fact Spanish interest in the territory was principally determined by its desire to
protect the Canary Archipelago. From tim e to time Spain was forced to negotiate with the chieftains of the
area to obtain the restitution of its sailors. In 1884, to ensure its domination, Spain proclaimed a protectorate
from Cape Blanc to Cape Bojador. In 1885, the Berlin Conference, which sett led the partition of Africa
between the European powers, ratified this proclamation.
The Saharawis fiercely opposed the Spanish forces.

In the meantime, France had become the dominant power in North-West Africa and wished to extend its
possessions still further. In 1886, negotiations were started, to define the frontiers between the French and
Spanish zones. These continued until 1900, whe n the first Franco-Spanish secret treaty was signed, to be
followed by further secret agreements in 1904 and 1912. There was intense resistance, also against the French
penetration, which was to drive Ma al-Aineen, a chieftain of considerable prestige, fro m Mauritania into
Western Sahara, where he headed a coalition of tribes from Mauritania, Wadi Dahab and Saguia el Hamra. In
1905 he asked the Sultan of Morocco to support the resistance of the tribe in the Djihad (holy war) against the
invaders.

Apart from fine words, the help was limited to the delivery of a few arms. Faced with Morocco's weak
opposition to the invaders (the monarch was already coming to terms with French imperialism), Ma al-
Aineen, renewing the exploits of the Almoravids, turned against the Moroccan king. Marrakesh was taken,
but the warriors were stopped on their march to Fez in 1910 by the French army which had already settled in
Morocco (in fact the French protectorate was only signed in 1912). France, in control of Morocco, i ntensified
its military offensive in Mauritania. Numerous incursions were also made into Saguia el Hamra and France
took later its revenge on Sheikh Ma al-Aineen and his son, al Hiba.
The fighting continued until 1936. Since Wadi Dahab and Saguia el Hamra had, for forty years, resisted all
efforts at pacification, France threatened Spain in 1934 that it would occupy these territories.

This diplomatic menace led to Franco-Spanish military cooperation to destroy the resistance movement north
of Mauritania and in the whole of the "Spanish Sahara". Spain thus truly took possession of its "colony" in
1936.

The cooperation between France Spain and Morocco culminated, in 1958, in the military action known as the
Ecouvillon Operation. The Saharawi fighters, who had supported the Moroccans (and also the Mauritanians
and the Algerians) in their liberation struggl e against France, asked them for support in their liberation
struggle against the continuation of Spanish domination. The Moroccans went through all the motions of
helping the Saharawis and then betrayed them, cutting off their supplies and munitions. As a result, Spain
awarded Morocco the present province of Tarfaya, south of the Moroccan frontier, which up until that time
had been under Spanish domination and inhabited by Saharawis.

THE TERRITORY IN THE DECOLONIZATION PERIOD

During the 1950s and 1960s, when so many African countries began to accede to their political
independence, the question of the Spanish Sahara was first on the agenda of the United Nations General
Assembly in 1965. The argument for the liberation of the te rritory was based - as in so many analogous cases
- on the UN General Assembly Resolution 1514 (XV) of 1960, the Declaration of the Granting of
Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples. The 1965 resolution set the tone of the many resolutions
subseq uently passed on the Sahara question, both by the UN General Assembly and by other international
gatherings, especially the Non-Aligned Conference and the Organization of African Unity.

THE SAHARAWIS CONTINUE THEIR STRUGGLE FOR INDEPENDENCE

The Saharawi people have not remained passive spectators at the invasion and bartering of their land.
After 1958, there were sporadic demonstrations against the Spanish domination, but it was in 1967 that the
struggle began to take organized form with the creation of the Movement for the Liberation of the Sahara. An
intensive campaign to mobilize the Sahar awi people on behalf of their independence led to a massive
demonstration, in 1970, against the efforts by the colonial power to turn the Sahara into a Spanish province.
The Spaniards reacted by massacring the demonstrators and dissolving the liberation mo vement.
Having understood that there was no other way out, the Saharawis decided to take up armed struggle. On 10
May 1973, the Constitutive Congress for the Front for the Liberation of Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro,
known as the POLISARIO Front, was held.
Shortly afterwards, the first armed action was carried out. Such actions have caused an escalation of
bombardments, massacres and torture of the civilian population who have been forced to make a mass exodus
to the areas controlled by the POLISARIO Front a nd over the border to Tindouf in Algeria,which has been
supporting the struggle of the Saharawis for self-determination.

PREPARATION FOR THE NEW SOCIETY

Like the liberation movements in other parts of Africa, especially the former Portuguese colonies,
POLISARIO has had to concern itself not only with the armed struggle, but also with the sheer survival of the
population and, as such, has had to organize fo od distribution, medical assistance, the construction of schools
and hospitals, literacy courses and, in general, lay the groundwork for the future liberated society.
Recognition that the POLISARIO Front does indeed represent the Saharawi people has led a majority of
African States to recognize it. But the Saharawis have gone one step further. On 27 February 1976, the day
the last Spanish soldier left the territory, the y proclaimed at Bir Lahlou the creation of the Saharawi Arab
Democratic Republic. Since then the Republic has been recognized by numerous African and other States.
The Republic was proclaimed on 27 February to emphasize that the Saharawi people had affirmed their
sovereignty and that it was no longer possible for a new colonisation to take place. Since then, further shape
has been given to the institutions of the Rep ublic, in particular at the Third General Congress of
POLISARIO, which was held in August 1976.

THE ISSUES AT STAKE

Why has what would have seemed a normal decolonization process turned into a desperate struggle for
survival, both of the people and of their country ?
The main reasons are, as so often happens, economic and strategic. Western Sahara is rich in mineral
deposits, especially phosphates, uranium, iron, natural gas and oil. The fishing grounds are also very rich.
There are large French and Spanish economic in terests in the area, which have important strategic aspects
(the oil routes).
Seen in this light it is easier to understand all the obstructions, both open and concealed, that are being put in
the way of the Saharawis' struggle for self-determination. Indeed it is important to see this fight in the much
broader struggle of the Third World countries for control over their own natural resources.

[Land and People, summary] [Western Sahara Homepage]