Women of Western Sahara join Army to defend their noble cause
BY: Hana Saada
ALGIERS– In recent years, women in Western Sahara have taken a bold step towards defending their cause by joining the army. This move has not only challenged traditional gender roles but has also demonstrated the unwavering commitment of Sahrawi women towards their struggle for self-determination.
The participation of women in the army has been a significant development in the history of Western Sahara. It has not only increased the number of soldiers but has also brought a new perspective to the military.
Women have proven to be equally capable of serving in the army and have shown their dedication towards the cause. Their determination and resilience have enabled them to make a significant contribution to the army.
Their involvement in the army has led to a more inclusive and diverse society, where women are seen as equal partners in the struggle for self-determination.
A sneak peek into Western Sahara cause
Western Sahara is a non-self-governing territory of the UN that lies in the Sahel region, bordered by Algeria, the Kingdom of Morocco, and Mauritania. This territory is home to the Sahrawis, a collective name for the indigenous peoples living in and around the region. They speak the Hassaniya dialect of Arabic. Similarly, many others also speak Spanish as a second language due to the region’s colonial past.
Western Sahara has been on the decolonization agenda of the UN and AU for more than fifty years. In 1963, Western Sahara was included on the list of non-self-governing territories under Article 73 of the UN Charter, according to UN General Assembly Resolution 1514 (XV) of 1960 on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples.
On November 6, 1975, Morocco launched the so-called ‘Green March,” a march of 350,000 Moroccans, a number four times the size of the Sahrawi population back then, into the territory of Western Sahara.
According to Adala UK, on that day, Morocco organized what it called a “Green March” to officially invade the north of Western Sahara, moving 350,000 Moroccan settlers to the territory. This occupation coincided with the termination of Spain’s status as an administrative power, creating a vacuum that forced the UN to assume its responsibility there.
Subsequently, the UN Security Council deplored the holding of the march, calling upon Morocco to immediately withdraw all the demonstrators from the territory of Western Sahara; however, its effort was in vain.
The Polisario Front liberation movement continued its struggle to end all foreign occupation of its country and, in 1976, formed a government-in-exile and declared the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic. In November 1984, the Polisario Front’s SADR was recognized by the then Organization of African Unity (OAU), now the African Union (AU), which led to the withdrawal of Morocco from the OAU in protest. In May 1991, the Polisario Front and Morocco ended many years of fighting following an UN-sponsored peace settlement, culminating in the establishment of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), which is assuming its responsibility till today.
Despite a 1991 cease-fire that put an end to armed combat, Western Sahara remains a disputed territory. Nowadays, Morocco controls parts of the territory. However, the United Nations refers to Western Sahara as a non-self-governing territory and maintains a stance favoring self-determination for its people.
The UN body is attaching great interest to the Sahrawi cause, expressing willingness to find a solution ensuring the self-determination of the Sahrawi people in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the Council.
After almost 30 years of compliance with a 1991 ceasefire, Morocco and the Polisario Front have resumed war in Western Sahara, as Morocco torpedoed the 1991 ceasefire through its act of aggression on the Sahrawi Liberated Territories on November 13, 2020.
The Moroccan new act of aggression has not only ended the ceasefire and related military agreements but has also undermined the UN peace process in Western Sahara and plunged the region into another spiral of extreme tension and instability.
Both the UN Secretary-General and the Security Council have confirmed the breakdown of the 1991 ceasefire on November 13, 2020. In his report (S/2021/843; para 2) dated October 1, 2021, the UN Secretary-General acknowledged, among other things, “the resumption of hostilities” between the occupying state of Morocco and the Frente Polisario. For its part, in its resolution 2602 (2021), adopted on October 29, 2021, the Security Council noted “with deep concern the breakdown of the ceasefire” (PP 14).
The acknowledgment by both the UN Secretary-General and the Security Council of the breakdown of the 1991 ceasefire and the realities on the ground render any attempt to deny or underplay the seriousness of the current situation in MINURSO’s area of operation unacceptable and even misleading at a time when the occupying state of Morocco continues its aggression on the Sahrawi Liberated Territories and its deliberate targeting and killing of civilians and destroying their properties.
The final status of the state of Western Sahara will only be settled when a UN-supervised referendum is held in which the country’s inhabitants exercise their legitimate right to self-determination.
