Free Zone (region)
Encyclopedia : F : FR : FRE : Free Zone (region)
The "Free Zone" or "Liberated Territories" are names used by pro-independence Sahrawis to denote the area in Western Sahara east and south of the Moroccan Wall (or berm); approximately 20% of the territory. The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) control this area with Bir Lehlou as the temporary capital of the area and of the SADR; a substitute for El Aaiún, which is part of the Southern Provinces, the Moroccan-governed territories since 1975.
The area is patrolled by Polisario forces [Up Against the Wall] New Internationalist Magazine (297), December 1998 , and access is restricted, even among Sahrawis, due to the harsh climate of the Sahara, the military conflict and the abundance of land mines. [Migrants made to cross Sahara army minefield] The Guardian, October 23, 2005 Still, the area is traveled and inhabited by many Sahrawi nomads from the Tindouf refugee camps of Algeria and the Sahrawi communities in Mauritania. United Nations MINURSO forces are also present in the area, to oversee the cease-fire between Polisario and Morocco agreed upon in the 1991 Settlement Plan. [MINURSO homepage] Accessed May 21, 2006
The Polisario forces (of the Sahrawi People's Liberation Army, SPLA) in the area are divided into seven "military regions", each controlled by a top commander reporting to the President of Western Sahara #redirect [[Template:fact]]. The total size of the Polisario's guerrilla army present in this area is unknown, but it is believed to number hundreds to a few thousand men, despite most combantants being demobilized due to the cease-fire #redirect [[Template:fact]].
Major Sahrawi political events, such as Polisario congresses and sessions of the Sahrawi National Council (the SADR parliament in exile) are held in the Free Zone (especially in Tifariti and Bir Lehlou), since it is considered politically and symbolically important to conduct political affairs on Sahrawi territory. The concentration of forces for the Commemoration of the Saharawi Republic’s 30th anniversary [Commemoration of the Saharawi Republic’s 30th anniversary in liberated territories of Western Sahara] Sahares Press Service, February 27, 2006 were however subject to condemnation by the United Nations[Security Council - Report of the Secretary-General on the situation concerning Western Sahara]. Annual demonstrations against the Moroccan Wall are staged in the region by Sahrawis and international activists from Spain, Italy and other mainly European countries. These actions are closely monitored by the UN [Secretary General's report to Security Council on Western Sahara], April 2006 (pdf file)
Despite this, it is disputed by some whether the Polisario/SADR actually controlls the Free Zone #redirect [[Template:fact]]. These critics point to the fact that the headquarters of the two entities are maintained in refugee camps in Algeria and that they are subject to UN regulations when acting in this territory. These critics claim that the land east of the Moroccan berm resembles de facto to uncontrolled no man's land #redirect [[Template:fact]].
See also
References
External links
- [Location of Western Sahara and the Free Zone] - Shockwave Flash Animation
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.