1975 in Spanish Sahara explained

The following lists events that happened during 1975 in Spanish Sahara.

Events

May

• May 12-19 - After initially having been denied entry by Spanish authorities, Simeon Aké, UN ambassador of the Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast); Marta Jiménez Martinez, a Cuban diplomat; and Manouchehr Pishva, from Iran did a UN tour of the country to investigate political instability and impose the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3292.

October

• October 1 - Morocco and Mauritania announced they would invade Western Sahara and split it between themselves after Spain announces a referendum would be held for the Sahrawi colony.^[1]
• October 16 - Moroccan King Hassan II announced plans for a march of over 350,000 civilians across the border to Western Sahara to claim the parts of Western Sahara for Morocco.^[1]

November

• November 6 - Morocco begins a Green March into Spanish Sahara with unarmed civilians, despite Spain's warnings of them being shot.^[2]
• November 9 - When Spain announced it will not fight for Western Sahara, Morocco's Green March was called off. Moroccan King Hassan II said, "Spain is not only a friendly country, it also is a neighborly and fraternal nation."^[3]
• November 14 - Spain abandons Western Sahara and announces that it will be divided between Morocco and Mauritania.^[4]

December

• December 10 - The Polisario Front begins their first attack, striking Mauritanian troops in Western Sahara.^[1]

Notes and References

1. [Michael Brecher]
2. "Moroccans Ignore Spain Warnings", Milwaukee Sentinel, November 7, 1975, p2
3. Erik Jensen, Western Sahara: Anatomy Of A Stalemate (Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2005) p28 "Hassan Calls Off Sahara March", Milwaukee Sentinel, November 10, 1975, p1
4. Lise Storm, Democratization in Morocco: The political elite and struggles for power in the post-independence state (Routledge, 2007) p39