Abuses in Western Sahara
Last updated 2020
Western Sahara is often referred to as Africa’s last remaining colony. After nearly a century of colonization by Spain, Morocco occupied the territory in 1975, sparking a 25-year war with the territory’s inhabitants, the Sahrawis. During that period, the Moroccan government created the world’s largest landmine field, effectively splitting the territory in two and dividing the Sahrawi people into those living in the “occupied” territories and those living in the “liberated” territories. In 1991, the UN brokered a ceasefire and called for a referendum allowing Sahrawis to vote for independence. To facilitate the referendum, the United Nations deployed a peacekeeping mission, MINURSO.
University Network has worked with local partners in Western Sahara to document the human rights situation in the country as well as analyze the effectiveness of the United Nations mission. Students from Yale University and Pomona College have participated in interviews with Saharawi victims, including family members of the disappeared and a torture survivor.
