Moroccan Western Sahara Wall Explained

The Moroccan Western Sahara Wall or the Berm, also called the Moroccan sand wall, is an approximately 2700km (1,700miles) berm running south to north through Western Sahara and the southwestern portion of Morocco. It separates the Moroccan-controlled areas (the Southern Provinces) on the west from the Polisario-controlled areas (Free Zone, nominally Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic) on the east. The main function of the barriers is to exclude guerrilla fighters of the Polisario Front, who have sought Western Saharan independence since before Spain ended its colonial occupation in 1975, from the Moroccan-controlled western part of the territory.^[1]

According to maps from the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO)^[2] or the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR),^[3] in some places the wall extends several kilometers into internationally recognized Mauritanian territory.^[4]

Names

The wall is also called the Western Sahara berm and the Western Sahara separation barrier.

Physical structure

The fortifications lie in uninhabited or very sparsely inhabited territory. They consist of sand and stone walls or berms about 3sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 in height, with bunkers, fences, and landmines throughout. The barrier minebelt that runs along the structure is thought to be the longest continuous minefield in the world.^[5] Military bases, artillery posts and airfields dot the Moroccan-controlled side of the wall at regular intervals, and radar masts and other electronic surveillance equipment scan the areas in front of it.

The following is one observer's description of the berm from 2001:

In all, six lines of berms have been constructed.^[6] The main ("external") line of fortifications extends for about 2500abbr=onNaNabbr=on. It runs east from Guerguerat on the coast in the extreme south of Western Sahara near the Mauritanian town of Nouadhibou, closely parallelling the Mauritanian border for about 200abbr=onNaNabbr=on, before turning north beyond Tichla. It then runs generally northeastward, leaving Guelta Zemmur and Smara, again crossing Mauritanian territory and reaching Haouza in Moroccan-held territory, before turning east and again closely following the Algerian border as it approaches Morocco. A section extends about 200abbr=onNaNabbr=on into southeastern Morocco.^{[7] [8]}

Significant lines of fortifications also lie deep within the Moroccan-controlled area.^[9] Their exact number and location have been ignored and not well understood until 2004 by international commentators.^[10]

All major settlements in Western Sahara, the capital Laayoune, and the phosphate mine at Bou Craa lie far into the Moroccan-held side.

History

Construction

The fortifications were progressively built by Moroccan forces starting in 1980, with help from South African, South Korean, and Israeli advisors, and formally ending on 16 April 1987.^[6] The wall was built in six stages, and the area behind the wall was expanded from a small area near Morocco in the north to most of the western and central part of the country gradually. The walls built were:

• 1st wall (August 1980 – June 1982) surrounding the "useful triangle" of El Aaiún, Smara, and the phosphate mines at Bou Craa, built with the help of South African military engineers and Portuguese and French renegade mercenaries (c. 500abbr=onNaNabbr=on).
• 2nd wall (December 1983 – January 1984) surrounding Amgala (c. 300abbr=onNaNabbr=on).
• 3rd wall (April 1984 – May 1984) surrounding Jdiriya and Haouza (c. 320abbr=onNaNabbr=on).
• 4th wall (December 1984 – January 1985) surrounding Mahbes and Farciya (c. 380abbr=onNaNabbr=on).
• 5th wall (May–September 1985) surrounding Guelta Zemmur, Bir Anzarane, and Dakhla, again with the help of South African and Israeli experts (c. 670abbr=onNaNabbr=on)
• 6th wall (February–April 1987) surrounding Auserd, Tichla, and Bir Ganduz (c. 550abbr=onNaNabbr=on).
• 7th wall (November–December 2020) from 6th wall to Mauritanian frontier (c. 14abbr=onNaNabbr=on).^[11]

2005 expulsion incident

In the summer of 2005, the Moroccan Army accelerated the expulsion (begun in late 2004) of illegal immigrants detained in northern Morocco to the eastern side of the wall, into the Free Zone. The Polisario Front and the MINURSO rescued several dozen lost in the desert, who had run out of water. Others died of thirst.^[12] By October, the Polisario had received 22 immigrants in Mehaires, 46 in Tifariti and 97 in Bir Lehlu. They were from African countries (Gambia, Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, etc.), except a group of 48 who were from Bangladesh.^{[13] [14]}

The Thousand Column demonstration

Since 2008, a demonstration called "The Thousand Column" is held annually in the desert against the barrier by international human rights activists and Sahrawi refugees. In the 2008 demonstration, more than 2,000 people (most of them Sahrawis and Spaniards, but also Algerians, Italians, and others) made a human chain demanding the demolition of the wall, the celebration of the self-determination referendum accorded by the UN and the parts in 1991, and the end of the Moroccan occupation of the territory.^[15]

During the 2009 demonstration, a teenage Sahrawi refugee named Ibrahim Hussein Leibeit lost half of his right leg in a landmine explosion.^{[16] [17]} The incident happened when Leibeit and dozens of young Sahrawis crossed the line into a minefield while aiming to throw stones to the other side of the wall.^{[18] [19]}

Effect

Effectively, after the completion of the wall, Morocco has controlled the bulk of Western Sahara territory that lies to the north and west of it, calling these the kingdom's "Southern Provinces". The Polisario-founded Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic controls the mostly uninhabited "Free Zone", which comprises all areas to the east of the barrier. Units from the United Nations mission MINURSO separate the two sides, and enforce cease-fire regulations.

External reactions and opinions

Western attention to the wall, and to the Moroccan annexation of Western Sahara in general, has been minimal, apart from Spain. In Africa, the annexation of Western Sahara by Morocco has attracted somewhat more attention. Algeria supports the Polisario Front "in its long-running desert war to oppose Moroccan control of the disputed area".^{[20] [21]} The Organization of African Unity/African Union (AU) and United Nations have proposed negotiated solutions.

The AU's stance on Western Sahara led to Morocco's exit from the organization. After a 33-year absence, Morocco rejoined on 30 January 2017, despite 9 member states voting against, but 39 supporting.^[22] Morocco was re-admitted with the understanding that Western Sahara will remain an AU member. The membership of relatively wealthy Morocco was welcomed by many members, as the AU has been criticized for being overly dependent on non-African donor funding.

See also

• Defensive wall
• List of walls
• Wall of Shame

External links

• Map of Western Sahara, with the location of the wall marked Produced by the United Nations, showing the deployment of the MINURSO mission as of January 2014. Map No. 3691 Rev. 72 United Nations, January 2014 (Colour), Department of Peacekeeping Operations, Cartographic Section
• Landmine Monitor, LM Report 2006, Morocco
• Landmine Monitor, LM Report 2006, Western Sahara
• Landmine Monitor, LM Report 2006, Algeria
• Profile – Created by the United Nations MINURSO mission

Notes and References

1. Web site: Build a wall across the Sahara? That's crazy – but someone still did it. Maclean. Ruth. 22 September 2018. the Guardian. en. 25 September 2018. 24 September 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180924214608/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/sep/22/western-sahara-wall-morocco-trump. live.
2. http://www.minurso.unlb.org/MINURSO_Ceasefire.pdf Deployment of MINURSO
3. Web site: Western Sahara Atlas Map – June 2006 . 14 September 2010 . 28 July 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110728144629/http://www.unhcr.org/453f1b104.html . live .
4. https://web.archive.org/web/20071027155338/http://www.minurso.unlb.org/MINURSO_Ceasefire.pdf MINURSO
5. Country Profiles – Morocco and Western Sahara. McCoull. Chad. Journal of Mine Action. 2154-1485. 27 November 2010. 29 August 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120829203916/http://maic.jmu.edu/journal/11.2/profiles/mccoull/mccoull.htm. live.
6. Milestones of the conflict , page 2. Website of the United Nations MINURSO mission.
7. https://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/map/dpko/minurso.pdf United Nations Map No. 3691
8. See also e.g. this satellite montage at Google Maps for a section of the wall in Moroccan territory. The northernmost fort that is clearly distinguishable can be seen here https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=rabat&ie=UTF8&om=1&z=13&ll=28.361949,-8.837471&spn=0.111328,0.213032&t=h . (Google Maps, as of 30 November 2006)
9. For example, a sand berm with fortifications much like on the main external line can be seen here https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=rabat&ie=UTF8&z=14&ll=23.264688,-16.038494&spn=0.058114,0.105743&t=h&om=1, reaching the coast near Imlili, over 200 km (125 miles) north of the main external berm along the southern border. (Google Maps, as of 30 November 2006)
10. News: nl . Marokkaanse veiligheidsmuur al twee decennia onomstreden . Moroccan security wall has been undisputed for two decades . https://web.archive.org/web/20050209034916/http://www.cidi.nl/isnbr/2004/hoofd2-0104.html . 9 February 2005 . CIDI Israel Newsletter . 2 February 2004 . The Hague . Until now, no mention has been made in the media or international politics of the fact that Morocco has had a 'security wall' for more than twenty years, consisting of meters high sand mountains, bunkers, barbed wire barriers and minefields. The structure is 2,500 kilometers long (longer than the Great Wall of China) and aims to keep Polisario guerrillas out of Morocco and the part of Western Sahara occupied by that country since 1976. .
11. News: Eljechtimi . Ahmed . 2020-11-17 . Morocco PM says Western Sahara wall at centre of dispute completed . Reuters . 2022-04-20 . 20 April 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220420182635/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-morocco-westernsahara/morocco-pm-says-western-sahara-wall-at-centre-of-dispute-completed-idUSKBN27X2MH . live .
12. News: Patada al desierto . Diario de Córdoba . 17 October 2005 . 28 May 2010 . es . https://web.archive.org/web/20110721050853/http://www.diariocordoba.com/noticias/noticia.asp?pkid=211151 . 21 July 2011 . dead .
13. News: El Polisario busca desaparecidos . . 18 October 2005 . 28 May 2010. es.
14. News: De Bangladesh al desierto del Sáhara . El País . 19 October 2005 . 28 October 2010 . es . 12 July 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230712214136/https://elpais.com/diario/2005/10/19/espana/1129672821_850215.html . live .
15. http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2008/03/22/internacional/1206210914.html Una cadena humana de más de 2.000 personas pide el derribo del muro del Sáhara
16. http://www.demotix.com/news/404266/demonstration-western-sahara-against-moroccan-army-wall#media-404244 Demonstration in Western Sahara against Moroccan Army Wall
17. http://www.filminfocus.com/photo/ibrahim_hussein_leibeit/print Ibrahim Hussein Leibeit
18. http://newint.org/features/special/2009/05/20/the-devils-garden/ Screenings in The Devil’s Garden: The Sahara Film Festival
19. http://newint.org/features/special/2009/11/10/sahara-berlin-wall/ The Berlin Wall of the Desert
20. http://countrystudies.us/algeria/157.htm "Security Problems with Neighboring States"
21. Williams, Ian and Zunes, Stephen, "Self Determination Struggle in the Western Sahara Continues to Challenge the UN", Foreign Policy in Focus Policy Report, September 2003 (retrieved 1 May 2006).
22. News: Morocco rejoins the African Union after 33 years . Al Jazeera . 31 January 2017 . 23 June 2017 . 24 June 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170624084935/http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/01/morocco-rejoins-african-union-33-years-170131084926023.html . live .