Västra Sahara

Översikt

The Western Sahara region, encapsulating the northern Saguia el Hamra and the southern Rio de Oro regions, is a source of long-standing tension between the separatist Polisario Front and the Moroccan government, which controls some 80 percent of the territory. Since independence from Spanish rule, the Polisario Front has struggled for an independent Sahrawi state, complaining of discrimination and persecution from the Moroccan government and security forces. These tensions have also led to regular protests and, at times, deadly clashes with security forces in the territory.